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Topic: Life Plan Devotion #146 [Experiment in Tithing]
Hi, Everyone.
I weighed, and I'm down 3 of the 4 lbs. gained, so I feel very blessed. Thank you for your prayers. Keep it up; it's working. :) Please pray for me, too, as I spend time writing new devotions, that I will hear the voice of God and be obedient to His direction.
Prayer is powerful, that's for sure. One of my OH friends and I (as well as other believers) prayed in agreement for the salvation of her daughter, and yesterday my friend posted that her daughter has accepted Jesus as Savior. The angels in Heaven rejoiced, and so did I. :)
Please pray for those having surgery or recuperating from surgery today.
Life Plan Devotion #146 [Experiment in Tithing]
Malachi 3:10 "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (NIV).
Today, we end the mini-series on giving. Perhaps you've heard it said that "You can't outgive God." That is so true. John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim's Progress) wrote, "A man there was and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had." The "world" doesn't get that, but, for the Christian who knows, believes, and acts on God's Word, that saying is true.
While we are not to tempt or test God, there is one place in the Bible where He gives us permission to test Him, to "prove" Him. It's Malachi 3:10 (our key verse above). With that verse in mind, read the following true story about an experiment in tithing.
Perry Hayden, a Quaker from Te****eh, Michigan, in 1940, heard a message on tithing, based on John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (NIV). He asked himself, "How much is 'much fruit' (King James Version of 'many seeds'), and how would tithing affect that?"
Mr. Hayden committed, before the Lord, to take 1 cubic inch (360 kernels) of wheat, sow it, and of everything that came in from that cubic inch, he'd tithe 10%, then sow the remaining 90% back into the ground. He would do that for 6 years.
These are the basic statistics, in the interest of space:
Year #1, it took 4' x 8' to plant 1 cubic inch of wheat. He had a small harvest. He tithed 10%, sowing the remaining 90 percent. He continued the practice of tithing 10% of the harvest and sowing the remaining 90% back into the ground, each year for 6 years.
Year #2, it took 24' x 60' to plant.
Year #3, it took 3/4 of an acre to plant.
Year #4, it took 14 acres to plant.
Year #5, it took 230 acres to plant.
Year #6, 5,000 bushels of wheat kernels were sown on 2,666 acres.
360 kernels of wheat became 55 billion kernels of wheat in 6 years! Figuring the average yield of wheat farmers in the area, if they had not tithed but had sown 100%, they'd have made only about $21,000 over the 6 years. With Mr. Hayden tithing 10% and sowing 90%, God prospered his yield above the average farmer's, so that he made $288,000 in 6 years.
If you tithe, God will bless the remaining 90%!
What this has to do with weight loss: Every day, you sow a seed for your weight-loss harvest. With every good habit, you set into motion a harvest of good health. Just as the farmer must be patient after sowing seed, resisting the urge to dig it back up to see if it's growing, you must be patient and allow for the slow changes. Just as the Lord honors your obedience in tithing, giving you an abundant harvest, if you partner with Him, and if you don't give up, one day, you'll see a whole new, healthier you.
Confession:
I am a tither. I give God 10% of all I earn. He blesses the remaining 90%, and I experience Floodgate blessings from Heaven.
Blessings,
Mary
I weighed, and I'm down 3 of the 4 lbs. gained, so I feel very blessed. Thank you for your prayers. Keep it up; it's working. :) Please pray for me, too, as I spend time writing new devotions, that I will hear the voice of God and be obedient to His direction.
Prayer is powerful, that's for sure. One of my OH friends and I (as well as other believers) prayed in agreement for the salvation of her daughter, and yesterday my friend posted that her daughter has accepted Jesus as Savior. The angels in Heaven rejoiced, and so did I. :)
Please pray for those having surgery or recuperating from surgery today.
Life Plan Devotion #146 [Experiment in Tithing]
Malachi 3:10 "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (NIV).
Today, we end the mini-series on giving. Perhaps you've heard it said that "You can't outgive God." That is so true. John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim's Progress) wrote, "A man there was and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had." The "world" doesn't get that, but, for the Christian who knows, believes, and acts on God's Word, that saying is true.
While we are not to tempt or test God, there is one place in the Bible where He gives us permission to test Him, to "prove" Him. It's Malachi 3:10 (our key verse above). With that verse in mind, read the following true story about an experiment in tithing.
Perry Hayden, a Quaker from Te****eh, Michigan, in 1940, heard a message on tithing, based on John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (NIV). He asked himself, "How much is 'much fruit' (King James Version of 'many seeds'), and how would tithing affect that?"
Mr. Hayden committed, before the Lord, to take 1 cubic inch (360 kernels) of wheat, sow it, and of everything that came in from that cubic inch, he'd tithe 10%, then sow the remaining 90% back into the ground. He would do that for 6 years.
These are the basic statistics, in the interest of space:
Year #1, it took 4' x 8' to plant 1 cubic inch of wheat. He had a small harvest. He tithed 10%, sowing the remaining 90 percent. He continued the practice of tithing 10% of the harvest and sowing the remaining 90% back into the ground, each year for 6 years.
Year #2, it took 24' x 60' to plant.
Year #3, it took 3/4 of an acre to plant.
Year #4, it took 14 acres to plant.
Year #5, it took 230 acres to plant.
Year #6, 5,000 bushels of wheat kernels were sown on 2,666 acres.
360 kernels of wheat became 55 billion kernels of wheat in 6 years! Figuring the average yield of wheat farmers in the area, if they had not tithed but had sown 100%, they'd have made only about $21,000 over the 6 years. With Mr. Hayden tithing 10% and sowing 90%, God prospered his yield above the average farmer's, so that he made $288,000 in 6 years.
If you tithe, God will bless the remaining 90%!
What this has to do with weight loss: Every day, you sow a seed for your weight-loss harvest. With every good habit, you set into motion a harvest of good health. Just as the farmer must be patient after sowing seed, resisting the urge to dig it back up to see if it's growing, you must be patient and allow for the slow changes. Just as the Lord honors your obedience in tithing, giving you an abundant harvest, if you partner with Him, and if you don't give up, one day, you'll see a whole new, healthier you.
Confession:
I am a tither. I give God 10% of all I earn. He blesses the remaining 90%, and I experience Floodgate blessings from Heaven.
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: RE: Cleaning is evil!
Thanks my sweet friends! I really think this is going to be a blesssed time, I'm sure God has something great in store, I just have to stay open to it! Bless you all!!!
Topic: RE: Life Plan Devotion #145 [Four Promises]
Hi, Karyn.
What a blessing you are! I know that as you pray and listen to the Lord, He will direct you in the area of giving. One thing I absolutely know--you cannot outgive God. :)
Blessings,
Mary
What a blessing you are! I know that as you pray and listen to the Lord, He will direct you in the area of giving. One thing I absolutely know--you cannot outgive God. :)
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: Wednesday Coffee Talk
Good Wednesday morning everyone! WOW! What a great night of sleep will do for a body! And a mind. LOL I hope you all slept as good as I did. It sure did help. All the driveing and the moving with Lucy's parents will wear on a body. But I am now feeling refreshed.
Our challenge today is to have a YOU day! Yep! It is that time again! Lucy is off and she and I plan on sneaking away for an hour to just sit and chill for a few. You guys work hard, play hard, and maybe even PARENT hard, so today, take a little bit of time just for you!! We all deserve it!! God for it!!
So, who's up? What cha sippin' on? I'm loving me some Maxwell House regular blend and it sure hits the spot. What is the motto? ........Good to the last drop? Well, it is! Only thing missing today is YOU!
Y'all have the best YOU day you have ever had! I thank you all and appreciate you more than you know!!!
Our challenge today is to have a YOU day! Yep! It is that time again! Lucy is off and she and I plan on sneaking away for an hour to just sit and chill for a few. You guys work hard, play hard, and maybe even PARENT hard, so today, take a little bit of time just for you!! We all deserve it!! God for it!!
So, who's up? What cha sippin' on? I'm loving me some Maxwell House regular blend and it sure hits the spot. What is the motto? ........Good to the last drop? Well, it is! Only thing missing today is YOU!
Y'all have the best YOU day you have ever had! I thank you all and appreciate you more than you know!!!
For every Goliath, there is a Stone! His name is Jesus!"
Topic: RE: Life Plan Devotion #145 [Four Promises]
Mary I just want to let you know that God was speaking directly to me when He gave you today's devotion. I had been struggling with $, how to give, where to give and how to manage it. This is focused directly at me. I have been trying to give it to Him totally, but you and I both know how I am about control. Thanks for being the obediant, faithful servant you are. God will bless you I know.
In Christ
Karyn
Topic: Life Plan Devotion #145 [Four Promises]
Hi, Everyone.
If you hear the echoing strains of The Hallelujah Chorus this morning, that will be me...celebrating the first day of school. My grandson begins 4th grade, we survived the summer, and I get my quiet house back.
I'll be wrapping up the giving mini-series tomorrow, so please pray for me as I seek the Lord for guidance as to where to go next. I've been praying about it, and I know He will lead because He's been all over these devotions from the very beginning. He is so faithful!
Please pray for all those having surgery or recuperating from surgery today.
Life Plan Devotion #145 [Four Promises]
II Corinthians 9:10 "Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" (NIV).
In connection with the Kingdom principle of sowing and reaping, we have learned that
1) One's harvest is in proportion to the amount of seed sown.
2) Giving is a "matter of the heart," and must be done thoughtfully, prayerfully, and decisively.
3) God blesses the giver, so the giver can give more.
4) Generous givers are remembered, forever.
I love this verse (II Cor. 9:10), because it contains four promises within it. The first promise is that God will supply seed to the sower. If I desire to be a generous giver, God is going to help me do that, by providing the seed. If you sincerely pray, asking God to provide so that you can give more, He will do it. Back up your prayer with the Word from II Cor. 9:10, and watch God work!
The second promise is that God will supply "bread for food" to the sower. You see, God does not just care that you are able to give, He cares that your needs are supplied, as well. The Greek word for "sower" is spĕirō (spi’-ro), which not only means "to scatter," but it also means "receive seed." Both promises are held within that one Greek word, sower.
The third promise is that God will "supply and increase your store of seed." Not only will God make sure you have seed to sow (if you ask for it), but He will go beyond that. God is so willing to "multiply the loaves and fishes." If you know about these promises and act on them by praying and believe that you receive, you will see that "increase" of "seed." It could happen all at once, but most believers have faith to see it happen gradually. God will move according to your heartfelt faith.
The fourth promise is that God "will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." This is the fruit of the believer who abides in Christ and in the Word. The harvest will be physical, spiritual, and financial. Keep track of your blessings, as you generously give, and you will see the "fruit." Get into the habit of really paying attention. So often we look for the "windfall," when the incremental blessings (like small raises in pay) are important, as well.
What this has to do with weight loss: No matter how much weight you have to lose, the number can look rather daunting. Instead of focusing on the entire amount, focus on 10 lbs. at a time, or even 1 lb. at a time. As you rely on the Lord to give you the help to release one pound of weight, He will supply that help. As you are obedient to His instruction, He will honor your obedience and you will see another pound of weight go. It's a gradual process, and one which requires patience. Take it one day, one pound at a time.
Confession:
God provides and multiplies seed for me to sow, and He takes care of my needs.
Blessings,
Mary
If you hear the echoing strains of The Hallelujah Chorus this morning, that will be me...celebrating the first day of school. My grandson begins 4th grade, we survived the summer, and I get my quiet house back.
I'll be wrapping up the giving mini-series tomorrow, so please pray for me as I seek the Lord for guidance as to where to go next. I've been praying about it, and I know He will lead because He's been all over these devotions from the very beginning. He is so faithful!
Please pray for all those having surgery or recuperating from surgery today.
Life Plan Devotion #145 [Four Promises]
II Corinthians 9:10 "Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" (NIV).
In connection with the Kingdom principle of sowing and reaping, we have learned that
1) One's harvest is in proportion to the amount of seed sown.
2) Giving is a "matter of the heart," and must be done thoughtfully, prayerfully, and decisively.
3) God blesses the giver, so the giver can give more.
4) Generous givers are remembered, forever.
I love this verse (II Cor. 9:10), because it contains four promises within it. The first promise is that God will supply seed to the sower. If I desire to be a generous giver, God is going to help me do that, by providing the seed. If you sincerely pray, asking God to provide so that you can give more, He will do it. Back up your prayer with the Word from II Cor. 9:10, and watch God work!
The second promise is that God will supply "bread for food" to the sower. You see, God does not just care that you are able to give, He cares that your needs are supplied, as well. The Greek word for "sower" is spĕirō (spi’-ro), which not only means "to scatter," but it also means "receive seed." Both promises are held within that one Greek word, sower.
The third promise is that God will "supply and increase your store of seed." Not only will God make sure you have seed to sow (if you ask for it), but He will go beyond that. God is so willing to "multiply the loaves and fishes." If you know about these promises and act on them by praying and believe that you receive, you will see that "increase" of "seed." It could happen all at once, but most believers have faith to see it happen gradually. God will move according to your heartfelt faith.
The fourth promise is that God "will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." This is the fruit of the believer who abides in Christ and in the Word. The harvest will be physical, spiritual, and financial. Keep track of your blessings, as you generously give, and you will see the "fruit." Get into the habit of really paying attention. So often we look for the "windfall," when the incremental blessings (like small raises in pay) are important, as well.
What this has to do with weight loss: No matter how much weight you have to lose, the number can look rather daunting. Instead of focusing on the entire amount, focus on 10 lbs. at a time, or even 1 lb. at a time. As you rely on the Lord to give you the help to release one pound of weight, He will supply that help. As you are obedient to His instruction, He will honor your obedience and you will see another pound of weight go. It's a gradual process, and one which requires patience. Take it one day, one pound at a time.
Confession:
God provides and multiplies seed for me to sow, and He takes care of my needs.
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: RE: Cleaning is evil!
Praying for you. It can not be easy, but as Mary says I am so sure the Lord has awesome plans for you and He for the next 6 weeks. God Bless and praying for a speedy recovery.
In Christ
Karyn
In Christ
Karyn
Topic: RE: I know I may sound needy>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thank you so much for those words. I knew I could count on this group to help me see that when I give control over to God instead of myself things are so much better. God bless you
In Christ
Karyn
In Christ
Karyn
Topic: RE: Cleaning is evil!
dang nab it girl You have the worst luck. I am so sorry to hear that..... if you get bored email me ... I got time and so do you lol
Hugs
Vicki
Hugs
Vicki
Topic: RE: Cleaning is evil!
Bless your heart! I cannot imagine explaining that one! I've always considered cleaning a necessary evil, but I'm thinking you're right--it's just plain evil. Bless your heart.
I am praying for you (and clutching my knee, because I'm seriously having sympathy pains for you!). Maybe you can read some books you've been meaning to. I bet the Lord has some really awesome plans for you, to spend quality time with you. He will not waste one minute of your recuperative time.
Blessings,
Mary
I am praying for you (and clutching my knee, because I'm seriously having sympathy pains for you!). Maybe you can read some books you've been meaning to. I bet the Lord has some really awesome plans for you, to spend quality time with you. He will not waste one minute of your recuperative time.
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
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