TODAY’S DEVOTION (Saturday 7th December 2019)
“But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him].” Acts 10:35 AMP
WELCOME TO THE 341st DAY OF OUR YEAR OF GOING FORWARD.
Glory be to God for giving us another day. Really sorry that today’s devotional is coming late. Let’s go straight to the word.
Today, we will be looking at some revelation truths that can only be caught in the place of deep intimacy. Deep intimacy is the only place where the school of the Spirit is possible not in a Bible school. It is a place where deep revelation truths are caught.
Let me begin with some questions;
Does God reject people’s offerings? Does He reject people’s tithes, sacrifices, and worship? Is the offering, tithe, sacrifices or worship of everyone in Church acceptable to God? I want to submit to you that the answer is no!
God does not accept everyone’s tithes, offerings, sacrifices and worship. The Church may accept, a preacher may accept but God does not accept.
If we will move with his glory, we must understand this hidden Character of God. That is why when a Preacher accepts what God rejects; the glory departs from his life and ministry leaving him with the anointing. There is deep intimacy in giving. When you get to the deep that is when you will begin to see and sense the offerings, tithes, sacrifices, and worship that are not acceptable to God though acceptable to Church.
SADLY, IN A SICK CHURCH GENERATION LIKE OURS EVERYTHING IS ACCEPTABLE.
In fact, I have had running battle with greedy pastors and Christians who believe that all offerings are acceptable. You can remember the side bar incident on NTV. Even in the beginning, God accepted the offerings of Abel but rejected that of Cain.
There are still Abel and Cain Christians in Church today, and God still treat their offerings differently. It’s just that spiritual leaders have been so separated from God that we can’t tell the difference. That is why we do not have the glory today and the enemy is feeding on us like birds feed on grains.
To start with God proved in many other places in Scriptures that He does not accept every offering, tithes, sacrificial giving or worship. When a man’s ways are not pleasing to the LORD, everything about the person will not be pleasing to the LORD.
God may accept the offering of a sinner who gives in repentance; like the woman in the house of Simon in the days of Christ who was convicted of her sins and wept at the feet of Christ pouring very expensive Oil on it. But He rejected the offering of Naaman in 2 Kings Chapter 5; the leper who got cleansed from his leprosy by the power of GOD, hence the prophet not accepting it as well.
There is one thing I see in the story of Elisha and Naaman; the man of God was so synchronized with God that He knew what God rejects. He was so synchronized that he could not accept what God did not accept.
BUT THIS CHARACTER IS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT IN THE LIFE OF THE PROPHETS AND SPIRITUAL FATHERS WE HAVE TODAY.
They see accurately even into the telephone numbers of people and call their names but can’t tell if their offerings are acceptable to God or not. They accept tithes, offerings, and all kinds of financial support from both “Cain” and “Abel” forgetting that the God we are dealing with now is still the God they dealt with then!
For those who may think we are under grace and that these things do not apply, should first remember that Cain and Abel were not under the law. And that Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 had their offerings rejected under grace not under the law. In fact, they did not leave the church service alive for giving unacceptable offerings to God – they salted it with lies and deceit.
Our devotional text today is very revealing. God made it clear that only the gifts of a heart that is perfect towards Him are acceptable on his altar. It says;
But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him]
If a man is not acceptable to God, his tithes, offerings, sacrifices and worship will not acceptable to God. But if he is acceptable to God his giving and sacrifices will be acceptable.
NOW WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES A MAN ACCEPTABLE TO GOD?
What makes a man acceptable to God is in our text. It says a reverential fear for God, worshipful obedience and upright life.
In other words if your relationship with Jesus lacks the fear of God, a worshipful obedience and upright living, you, your offerings, tithes, sacrifices and etc. will not be acceptable to God. That is one reason you see people giving offerings, tithes, and all kinds of financial sacrifices in Church and coming out not blessed in God’s definition.
If you give what is not acceptable to God in Church, it may be accepted by the pastor or church worker, but God will not validate it with blessings. You will remain under the curse despite your giving. Your life will remain tight despite your tithes.
Sadly, so many givers in Church today are yet to see the blessing of their giving; they are yet to see what God promised in his word happen in their lives because what they gave was accepted by their Churches and prophets but not accepted by God. One of the ancient Hebrew Prophets once said;
“..Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 KJV
Saul Church leaders and Christians are still very much around today. People who feel they can live anyhow then bring some cash to God as an appeasement are still very much around.
But God has not changed His principles because He does not Change. To obey God in all fronts is still better than to sacrifice unto Him in any Church. It is the offerings, tithes, sacrifices and worship of the obedient that are acceptable to God.
LET ME SHOW YOU A MYSTERY!
What really sanctifies or pollute our offerings, tithes, sacrifices or worship is our lifestyles. If we led a Christian life with the fear of God, in worshipful obedience, and uprightness, our offerings, tithes, and sacrifices will be sanctified and acceptable to God. But if we don’t, they will not.
Whatever we may be doing with our lives is what sanctifies or pollute our giving!
It’s a new day for you. God is tired of seeing us bringing unacceptable offerings to Him. He wants us to wake up to righteousness and come to the deep where we can begin to sense what He accepts or rejects. He wants us to obey the call to deep intimacy!
Obeying the call to deep intimacy will help you know what you are doing in Church that may be acceptable to Church but not acceptable to God.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY;
“[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.” Hebrews 11:4 AMP