Category Archives: Offering

Aroma, Bible, Gifts, Offering, Pleasing, Scripture, Sin

THAT SMELLS GOOD

PHILIPPIANS 4:18

“But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

My wife cooked up a couple of batches of brownies last week to take to a family gathering. Don’t you just love the smell of fresh baked brownies? It took all I could do not to dig into those as I cut them and placed them in the containers to take on the trip. Scooping up those warm brownies was tempting. I could just envision a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of one of those. Ahhh, the smells and the tastes!

Paul isn’t writing about baked goods, but he is using that imagery to describe how he received the gift from the Philippians. Not only was it given to him, but it was also “an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Their gift wasn’t just given to Paul. It was given to God. And Paul said it smelled good to Him. It was “a fragrant aroma.” The Greek actually reads “an odor of a sweet smell.” That’s pretty descriptive, isn’t it?

APPLICATION

In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul uses the same word to describe how we smell to God. “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:” We are not just a smell. We are sweet smell. God likes how we smell. The smell of sin has been washed away by the blood of Christ.

This Greek word eudoia is used one more time in the New Testament in Ephesians 5:2. Let’s back up to verse 1 to see the full context. “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Here that word is describing Christ. Do we smell like Christ to God? Do our gifts to God smell like Christ? Hmmm!

This time of year, when I come in from mowing our lawn, my smell is not a sweet fragrance to my wife. On the contrary, she quickly points to the shower and holds her nose. Now, I don’t smell myself because the odor has gradually grown on me while I’ve been out working. But she can sure smell me. Don’t let the smell of sin creep up on you. Stay washed in the Word and in His Spirit. Be a sweet fragrance to your God.

O Lord, I want to always be a sweet odor in Your nostrils with no smell of sin on me.

You can make an investment in our ministry at www.twr.org/carl-willis

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Bible, Gifts, Ministry, Offering, Repetition, Scripture, Tithe

REPEAT GIVERS

PHILIPPIANS 4:16

“for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.”

The life blood of a missionary’s support are those individuals who commit to give on a regular basis, whether that be monthly, quarterly or annually. Being able to depend on that regular gift allows the missionary to concentrate on the work of the ministry and not constantly raising support. Don’t get me wrong, every gift is appreciated. I have several supporters who have blessed us with major gifts who are not monthly or annual givers. Every gift is needed and used for His glory.

These Philippian believers obviously believed in what Paul was doing and wanted to help support his work. In Acts 18:1-5 we read that at one point in his ministry Paul was helping with his own support by making tents. But when Silas and Timothy arrived in Corinth from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself full-time to the ministry. Did Silas and Timothy bring a gift from the Philippians when they came? We don’t know exactly when Paul received their gifts (there were more than one), nor do we know the amount or exactly what the gift was. The point was they were regular supporters of his ministry.

APPLICATION

Before you shut down and stop reading this blog, this is not a blog about tithing. It is, however, a blog about supporting God’s work. That might be in your local church where you give you regular tithe and offering. That might be by supporting a missionary you know who serves domestically or internationally. It might be a special project in your community. However the Lord leads you, do it.

In 2 Corinthians 9:10-12, Paul gives us some instructions regarding this giving. “10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.”

And I really like what Paul said in the same letter in the previous chapter (2 Corinthians 8:7). “But just as you excel in everything, in faith, speaking, knowledge, and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” Have you ever thought about your giving being a work of grace? Me either, but there it is. As you pray about to whom and how you give, make it a regular practice, be graceful about it.

Thank You, Lord, for the privilege to give to others. Bless my gift today and make it fruitful.

You can make an investment in our ministry at www.twr.org/carl-willis

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Bible, Gospel, Offering, Sacrifice, Scripture

BEING POURED OUT

PHILIPPIANS 2:17

“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”

There have been many stories told of soldiers, airmen, sailors, or Marines who have given their lives for the sake of others. A soldier sees a live grenade thrown near his fellow soldiers and dives on it to protect them. A Marine charges a machine gun to defend his buddies. These are examples of someone sacrificing themselves for others. They literally poured out their lives for them. (Look up the story of PFC Kenneth J. David for a great example.)

In today’s verse, Paul uses a Greek word that is only used one other time in the New Testament (also by Paul). The word is spendó, and it means to be poured out in total surrender. You are holding nothing back. You are giving it all. Here in Philippians, we know Paul was incarcerated under house arrest in Rome. He was ready to die for the sake of the Gospel. He was doing this as an example to the Philippian church and others. He was not afraid to give up his life for Christ. He was eventually released but was arrested again.

APPLICATION

We see the second use of spendó in 2 Timothy 4:6. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” Paul was in a Roman prison again, but this time he would not leave. Paul was martyred not long after writing this letter to his beloved disciple. He was ready. As they say, “He left it all on the field.” Paul poured himself out for others.

Many scholars believe Paul was thinking about the Old Testament practice of pouring wine out for the sacrifices to Jehovah. In Numbers 15:5, we read, “and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, a fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.” See also Numbers 28:7, 14. This would have been common knowledge for a Pharisee, which Paul had been before his conversion. Of course, he could see the parallel of his “sacrifice” and the Old Testament sacrifices.

Paul was not implying his “pouring out” held any spiritual significance for others. His death would not save them. Only Christ could do that. But his “pouring out” was meant to show others his willingness to die for Jesus, to give everything for the sake of the Gospel. How about you? Are you willing to be poured out for Jesus?

O Lord, I give my life as a libation for You. Use me as You see best.

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Bible, Giving, God's Will, Offering, Scripture, Tithe

WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

MALACHI 3:10

“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’”

My wife and I have tried our best to follow the words of this verse in our giving. I remember one time we were down to our last few dollars and our tithe was due. We, for some reason, had not been able to give it earlier. So, we gave it. Lo and behold, the next day we got a check in the mail that more than covered our tithe. Actually, this kind of blessing has happened to us more than once. God is truly a rewarding God.

The Lord promises blessings from heaven if they are obedient to give as He has instructed. He tells them in today’s verse to bring in the tithe which belongs to the Levites. This gift allowed them to spend their time in ministry and not have to return to their farms to survive (as we saw in an earlier time). The “windows of heaven” imply the blessing of rains needed to water their crops and provide for their livestock. And He closes this with the promise that it will overflow.

APPLICATION

The Pulpit Commentary defines the phrase “open for you the windows of heaven” this way, “The expression implies not only the removal of drought by copious showers of rain, but the diffusion of heavenly blessing in large abundance.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty good. Who doesn’t want “heavenly blessing in large abundance”?

But we do not give to get. Never forget that. We give out of obedience and because we love to bless our Lord. Maybe it’s time you take a look at what you are giving and why. We should also remember that as New Testament believers, the tithe (10%) is the starting point. 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 is a great example. Paul is sharing about the Macedonian churches’ desire to give. “3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,…”

Perhaps, like the Macedonians, you give generously to missions. That is great. Bless you. But don’t forget your local church. I pray you are plugged into a body of believers weekly. That body has needs also that you can help meet by your giving. However and to whomever you choose to give, give generously and watch the Lord bless you.

Lord, I know You are not a “blab it and grab it” kind of God. But I believe You are a faithful God who will bless our obedience.

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Bible, Blessing, Curses, Obedience, Offering, Scripture

BLESSING OR CURSE

MALACHI 3:9

“‘You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you!’”

I have had the privilege to travel a good bit the past few years with our ministry, Every Man A Warrior. As I have made friends and ministry partners in these countries, I have often received a parting blessing. Words cannot express how much that has meant to me. I also know that there are others in these countries who are actively cursing our ministry because they are under the influence of the evil one. I had much rather have the blessings.

And so, God speaks again to the people and tells them they are cursed because they are robbing Him of His tithes and offerings. Don’t misunderstand this. God isn’t an irritated and spiteful overlord who demands what is His. No! He wants them to be obedient and give so He can bless them. They are already suffering under this curse through poverty and famine. They are suffering physical want because they have not blessed the Lord with the first fruits of their labor.

APPLICATION

You may be suffering want yourself right now. Ask yourself if you are being obedient to the Lord in giving to Him as He demands. God wants to see us obedient so He can bless us beyond our wildest imaginations. We need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, “so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6b-7)

God’s cursing His children really is more about withdrawing His hand of blessing. God isn’t floating around on a cloud looking for people to zap with a thunderbolt. When we are disobedient and not walking with Him, we wander outside His umbrella of protection. We open ourselves up to the attacks of the evil one. That applies to any disobedience, not just in being unfaithful in our giving.

First and foremost, God does not need our tithes and offerings. He isn’t dependent on them. He wants you to give in order to receive. He wants you to give out of love for Him so He can bless you so you can give again and again. This is NOT all about money. Don’t forget that. Tomorrow’s verse is one of the most quoted verses out there concerning our tithes. Come back and see what the Lord has for us.

Father, help me to give to others with no expectation of receiving anything back. Your pleasure is all I seek.

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Abundance, Bible, Giving, Offering, Scripture, Tithe

ARE YOU A ROBBER?

MALACHI 3:8

“‘Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, “How have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings.”’”

I have never been called a robber. Have you? I have never seen myself that way either. How about you? To be considered a robber you have to take something that isn’t yours. You have to keep it for yourself. You have to withhold from someone something that really should be in their possession. Let’s see what God says about this.

In today’s verse, the Lord is still talking and calls the people robbers because they have withheld the tithes and offerings that belong to Him. In the next few verses (9-12) we will look at the next few days, God continues to address this issue. There were several categories of tithes and offerings which they were, by Law, required to give:

  1. the first fruits
  2. the annual half-shekel Exodus 30:13-15;
  3. the offerings made for the tabernacle and the second temple at its first erection; it is used of ordinary offerings;
  4. of the tithes of their own tithes, which the Levites paid to the priests Numbers 18:26, 28-29;
  5. of the portions of the sacrifice which accrued to the priests Leviticus 7:14.

APPLICATION

So, how does this apply to us as New Testament believers? We are not told specifically to tithe, but we are told to give. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 tells us, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” What a great passage. God promises blessings as we give.

How about the very words of Jesus in Luke 6:38? “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Again, as we give, God blesses us. What a deal, right?

I have often said I wish I had millions of dollars to bless others with. I don’t and probably won’t. I can, however, ask those who can give in that way to give so that others can hear the gospel and come to Jesus. Will you give as you are able this season to bless at least one other person? God will bless you for that.

Father, send Your resources on us so that we can bless others.

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Bible, Gifts, Offering, Purity, Scripture

A PLEASING OFFERING

MALACHI 3:4

“‘Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old, and as in former years.’”

I sometimes call people I really love “Sweetie.” It is a term of endearment. I don’t ever mean it to be condescending to a person. I have heard it used that way before (you know what I mean). For me, though, it is always used to reflect my love and care for someone.

That idea is reflected in the Hebrew word used in today’s verse for “will be pleasing.” Malachi, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used the Hebrew word arab. It means to be sweet, pleasant. How did the offerings offered by the priest move from deplorable earlier in chapter 2 to pleasant in chapter 3? Through the purification of those priests in the previous verses. You see, the Lord desires pure gifts. They are pleasing to Him.

APPLICATION

Proverbs 3:24 uses the same word. “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Don’t you like that? And Jeremiah uses it, too. Jeremiah 31:26 says, “At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep had been pleasant to me.” Sweet sleep sounds good, right? But I am getting off track.

Jeremiah uses the same word back in Jeremiah 6:20, but in a negative sense. “‘For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.’” God demands that our motives be pure when we bring our offerings to Him.

What are our offerings today? We don’t bring lambs and goats anymore. Our offerings are our financial gifts, our time, our energy, our service. When we give anything to the Lord, it is an offering of ourselves. So, what is your purpose for giving your offerings? As you give, ask the Lord to bless those who receive it and pray for the purpose in giving.

Lord, bless what I bring to You. I want my offerings to be a sweet smell in Your nostrils.

If you want to make a gift to my ministry with Every Man A Warrior, you can do that at www.twr.org/carl-willis. Your gift helps us reach more men with the power of the Gospel. This is a great time of the year to bring your end of the year gifts to Him.

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Accountability, Deceit, God's Will, Heart, Integrity, Offering, Scripture

YOU CAN’T BRIBE GOD

MALACHI 2:12

“As for the man who does this, may the LORD eliminate from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of armies.”

Man, when we are in tight places, we’ll make all kinds of bargains with God. You may have heard the expression, “there are no atheist in foxholes.” We think if we are sincere enough, if we say it through enough tears, then God has to believe us. We forget that God can see right through those veiled vows.

Malachi warns the people in today’s verse of the same thing. He is referring back to yesterday’s verse when he says, “who does this.” “Who is awake and answers” refers to both passive and active sins, those who committed the sin and those who just stood by and watched. And then they went and offered sacrifices to try to gain God’s favor. God knew their hearts.

APPLICATION

How many times have you done this? Be honest, now. You went out one weekend and partied hard, sowing some wild oats. Then you are at the altar on Sunday morning begging God for a crop failure. Now, maybe you were truly sincere at that altar, maybe you were truly remorseful. But you have to remember that God knows the intent of your heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “9‘The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, to give to each person according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.’” You can’t hide your heart’s intent. So, stop trying to do that.

I have found the best practice is to NOT DO THOSE THINGS, lol. I realize sin will be present in our lives until we go to glory. But we seriously can live lives that are holy and devoted to Him. How? By submitting daily to His will, you and I can avoid most of those bad decisions. We will give Him glory and praise Him for all our choices that honor Him. Practice that today!

Lord, I praise You for knowing my every thought. Help me stay focused on honoring You.

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Agreement, Attitude, Betrayal, Bible, Covenant, Deceit, Defiled, Offering, Scripture

THE OLE SWITCHAROO

MALACHI 1:14

“‘But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘and My name is feared among the nations.’”

I bet you have never done that, have you? You promised one thing, and at the last minute you switched it out for something of lesser quality. No, you wouldn’t do that, I am sure. But a lot of people do. There are a lot of swindlers out there. They will take you for a nickle. You had better watch out.

The Lord accuses the people of being swindlers. They switched out the appropriate sacrificial animal for one that was blemished. The Lord was outraged. He says, “I am a great King.” He deserves the best. He required the best. Nothing less would be accepted by Him.

ACCEPTABLE

Are you playing switcharoo with God? You promise one thing and deliver another. You say, “Oh God, I promise…” You fill in the blank. But then you get out of your predicament and decide to just go halfway with your promise. Something is better than nothing, right? Wrong! God demands your all, nothing less.

Deuteronomy 15:21 still applies to our offerings to God. “But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.” God still demands our best.

Psalm 96:4 tells us this about our God. “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.”  So, why are you offering God less? Why are you promising one thing but giving another? Whatever you vow to Him, give it. God will surely bless that. Be true to God. He is always true to you.

Father, I promise to give as I have promised. I promised you all of me. That is what I give.

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Bible, Blood, Chosen, God's Will, Holiness, Holy, Offering, Scripture

HOLY TO THE LORD

ZECHARIAH 14:20

“On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the LORD’S house will be like the bowls before the altar.”

It seems everyone is trying “normalize” everything. Things we thought were abnormal a generation ago are now mainstream. Same sex marriage has been made equal with normal heterosexual marriage. Pregnancy before marriage is now accepted. Nobody bats an eye. We have “dumbed” down society to a level that is hardly recognizable.

That is not what is happening in today’s verse. In verse 20 of Zechariah 14, Zechariah is bringing these everyday items up to a level of holiness. Holiness isn’t brought down to their level. They are lifted up. That is exactly what the Lord does for us, isn’t it? He lifts us up out of the mirey clay, cleanses us and places us in the heavenlies.

APPLICATION

We need to do the same. We need to reach down and pull up the things that are unholy, change them through Jesus and declare them holy. 2 Timothy 2:21 says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” Whew! Wow! “Useful to the Master.”

Let me ask you something. Are you useful for the master? Just like the bells on the horses and the cooking pots will be made holy, you may also be made holy through the blood of the Lamb. He wants to use you for His special tasks. He has plans for you. And He needs you to be a holy vessel, worthy of Him.

The great thing about us being holy is it is not up to us. We don’t have to do a bunch of works to earn it. We don’t have to keep 613 laws, drawn up by fallible men. We only have to rely on His holiness. We simply submit and let His holiness pour over us. Are you ready for some holiness on you?

Father, You are holy so I want to be holy. Use me as Your vessel.

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