Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have an exciting week ahead! There is a special event for all boys and men at the home of Tim and Michele Ball’s this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. If you would like to carpool there, meet at the church at 4:30. Bring your corn hole and horse shoe sets. RSVP to this FREE dinner by responding to this email.
David K., award-winning flautist, will be with us as a guest on Father’s Day (This Sunday) in both services! Invite someone to come with you!
On Sunday I talked about giving God the BEST OF THE FIRST to God and outlined what first-fruits giving and living are all about. Re-read Proverbs 3:5-10 and Deuteronomy 26:1-11 to refresh your memory.
First-fruits giving and living IS the way we “Trust in the Lord with all our hearts.”
Here are the highlihgts:
First-fruits living enables us to RECEIVE our inheritance from the Lord. Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce. . .”
First-fruits living tells us the way we receive and truly possess those good gifts is by offering them right back to the Lord in consecration to Him.
First-fruits living is not only the way to open the doors to receiving all God has in store, but it is a daily RECOGNITION that everything we have belongs to God.
If you want to live with all of God’s blessing, you must understand that even if you give the best of the first to the Lord, He still owns all the rest as well!
Remember: What you do with the best of the first determines what will happen to the rest of all you possess! (Romans 11:16)
Living a first-fruits life enables us to live a life of REMEMBRANCE which leads to thanksgiving for all God has done and does. (See the Deuteronomy 26 passage again.)
Israel was able to receive their inheritance, recognize God owned it all, remember what God had done, and finally, the first-fruits offering gave Israel an opportunity to RESTATE their faith. When Israel gave the best of the first to the Lord they were declaring by faith, “God will provide for us. There is more where this came from.” They were symbolically saying, “Lord, we offer you the first part of this harvest because we KNOW you are Lord of the Harvest and more is on its way.” They didn’t feel a need to hoard their resources, but surrendered their all to the Lord in recognition that they didn’t have to provide for themselves in the future, but that God would take care of them.
Do you want to receive all God has planned for you? Be a first-fruits giver. Do you want to recognize God as the source and owner of everything He has given to you? Be a first-fruits giver. Will you take time to remember all God has done for you and thank Him? Be a first-fruits giver. Do you want to walk by faith and not by sight? Be a first-fruits giver.
May God continue to lead us all in a greater understanding of how to give our best and live our best life for Him!
I hope to see you Wednesday!
Pastor Melissa
