Learning from Experience, Self

 Learning from your own experience,

We have been talking about learning from experience. One of the best ways to learn in life. Pretty much anything you learn is best learned from experience. We talked about how our Father, God, gave us His Living Word and instruction manual for life. We also talked about how through both the Word of God and simple observation, we can learn from others. Today, we will be discussing possibly the most effective way we learn, from our own personal experience.

I want to share a story with you. It really was not my intent to discuss tithing, yet this is the second week it came up. However, it does illustrate the point. We know God said this.

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known." Deuteronomy 11:26-28

As you know, they do turn away from God and they do fail to keep His Commandments. Then God says this in Malachi

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:6-10

Now PLEASE do not misunderstand what I am saying to you here. THIS IS NOT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL! I am not advocating the Prosperity Gospel. The Prosperity Gospel is a lie straight from Hell itself. DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND.

Having said that, tithing and the giving of offerings, are Biblical. It is Commanded. It is God-ordained. So what and why is it? When I first got saved, I thought a lot like many today do. This is a scam. It is simply a way to get people to part with their money. It is a way to get people to give their money to the Pastor. Then I learned what it is all about. It is NOT all about this.

"And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

Some translations put it this way.

"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 there will not be room enough to store it."

This is not what it is all about. THIS is.

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house."

Does your Church feed the Homeless? Help Widows and Children? Does it meet the needs of those less fortunate in the congregation? Do you have electricity in your House of Worship? Do you like AC? Heat? Do you have a living breathing Pastor? People, who also take care of things? Guess what? That all takes money. This is why God set up the Tithe System. Ten percent. Everyone. Always. Simple to understand. Make $100.00, you paid $10.00 in tithe. Make $10,000, pay $1,000.00 so on. Not the loose change you have in your pocket. Not a twenty if you feel you can. Ten Percent.

I learned this, and like many, I was a little skeptical, but it does say,

"And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

So I did. I was working as a Security Officer at the time making an ok wage. I started tithing. I got a raise. I started to "Seek first the Kingdom of God." {Matthew 6:33} and I got fired. That is a whole other sermon. But I got angry with God. "This is how you take care of people? I was barely holding on and I was giving you your tithe, and now I do not even have a job?" God said, "Are you done?" I said "Yeah." He then said, "How can you get a better job until you lose the one you have?" I shut up. Then I got a better job. Then I got two jobs. Then I became a Manager for a Major Hotel Brand in New York. I had credit cards with basically no limits. I had some money in the bank. In my pocket. As long as I gave, I kept being blessed.

Then life interrupted. I ended up moving across the country and walked away from God. I stopped tithing, going to Church, or doing pretty much anything. I ended up losing my Hotel Career, going into five-figure debt, and having various problems of various types. I found out the hard way, there is a curse attached to the blessing and curse.

See. I was giving 10 percent. I was actually giving more. But I was faithful. I was obedient. I did what I was told to. I was blessed. Richly. Not just in finances, but in relationships, things, living quarters, peace of mind, All things. When I walked away? God did not walk away, I did. When I walked away? I was now dealing with that 100 percent. What happened? I went into debt, failed relationships, problems all over the place, and my peace was taken from me.

I finally woke up. I went back to church. I went back to tithing. Why? Because I KNOW from experience that it is true and it works. I am now disabled, head-on car crash along with some other things, but I am the Father of three beautiful Children, Husband to a Wife that takes extremely good care of me, and we have NEVER been in need. Why? God has returned His blessings to me because I returned to Him. I AM the Prodical Son. I know from experience that as long as you are in your Father's House, He is going to love you, bless you, meet your every need. He will take care of you as you take care of your children. I read it. I did it. I learned from it. No one needs to convince me, I know it because I experienced it.

You can read all kinds of things. You can hear all kinds of things from all kinds of people. I still have people, now three years into my disability, say things like, "How?" "How do you make it with three kids and only your Wife working?" God provides. Simple. Easy to understand. Hard to accept and believe totally for people who have never experienced it. "How do you still tithe if you do not have a job?" God provides, so I tithe.

It is not just about tithing of course. It is about all things and it is about learning from every experience. See, meeting my needs is only one little minor aspect of my relationship with God. Like my children, feeding them is only a little bit of my relationship. I love them. I see them succeed and fail, I hold them when they cry. I laugh with them. I discuss their hopes and dreams, and yes, whenever possible, I bless them with all kinds of things. Why? Because they are my children and I am their father. They know that if daddy says something, it is as he says, because my "yes" has always been yes, and my "no" is usually no. Sometimes a no can become a yes, but mostly, whatever daddy says, it is what it is.

God is our Daddy. He loves us and wants the best in all things for us. We just need to trust in Him and know that regardless of us, He is always faithful and just. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will heal you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a Sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus and His Sacrifice for me. I believe that He raised from the Dead. I repent my Sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is just that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shalt be saved." Romans 10:9 You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!