May 2011 -
"Coercion" is action which makes us do something, usually by force or threat or punishment. ForApril 2011 - Some people view principles of the Old Testament as ending with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. After all, this great event marked the end of the old era and the establishment of the new covenant. One area in which people think this way is that of tithing. They reason as follows: "When you can show me in the New Testament where it says, 'Thou shalt tithe,' then I will tithe."
example, the threat of a ticket or the fine which results causes us to regularly check our speed when
driving. We are "coerced" into obeying the law, whether we want to or not.
Some people give to God because of coercion. They envision God as a glorified "bully" who is seeking
to extract from them some of their hard-earned money. They reason, howbeit incorrectly, that if they
fail to give to Him, then somehow, divine punishment will result.
That concept is totally foreign to the Scriptures. In fact, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian
church, God wants us to give not because we have to, out of fear, or because we are required to do
so. Rather, His desire is for us to give because we want to, because we have decided in our hearts to
give in a manner which makes our giving something to be richly enjoyed.
Search the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and you will discover God's universal principle
concerning giving: Give willingly from the heart. Not because someone is "coercing" you to give. Not
because in a moment of emotional duress you made a commitment to give. Not because you desire
to avoid punishment or discipline. Give because you want to, because you've decided in your heart to
give.
A gentleman known as "Chaplain McCabe" was seeking to raise a million dollars for missions. In his
quest, he often struggled with discouragement and disappointment as he encountered tight-fisted
Christians who refused to give to God. One day, while going through the mail, he came across a
tattered note from a young boy. Written in a boyish scrawl and liberally punctuated with blots, the
letter read: "I'm sure you're going to get a million dollars for missions. And I'm going to help you get
it, too. So here's a nickel towards it. It's all I've got right now, but if you need anymore, just call on
me."
Chaplain McCabe told that wonderful story around the world, and it was greatly used by God to
challenge people everywhere to give literally millions of dollars to missions. As far as we know, no one
forced that young boy to give all he had or even to write a letter. No one pressured him to part with
his nickel. He did so willingly because somewhere in the recesses of his heart, he had decided to do so.
As you consider the Oak Grove United Methodist Church ministry and all that takes place in and
through our church for God's glory, will you do the same? Will you give "not reluctantly or under
compulsion," but willingly from the heart, with the full realization that "God loves a cheerful giver"
(2 Cor.9:7)?
Although on the surface that reasoning sounds O.K., there are at least two major problems with it. First, nowhere does the New Testament state, "Thou shalt not tithe." Second, the reason the New Testament does not contain that statement is that tithing was not a requirement that started when the law was given. The principle of tithing existed before the law and during the law; it has never been rescinded by God. Thus, even though the commands of the law came to an end when Christ was offered on Calvary as the perfect sacrifice, tithing did not.
In fact, tithing simply follows the pattern of "first fruits" giving by which we give to God the first part of our income, not the bits and pieces which might be left over. Tithing is putting our giving to God first rather than at the end of our spending after all of our bills are paid.
Tithing is an area of our Christianity that requires faith in God's promises and in God's provisions. Let's face it at first glance, tithing really isn't very logical. After all, if you can't make ends meet on 100%, how can you make ends meet on 90% or less?
In Malachi 3, God issues a serious indictment against His people. He says we have robbed Him. How have we done this? In tithes and offerings. Then He patiently instructs us to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse and offers a challenge to us. Concerning the tithe, God says, in essence, "Prove
Me. Try Me. Put Me to the test. And see in response to your obedience 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."
If you are one who tithes, you know how God keeps His promise. You have proved Him and settled this issue in your heart. If you are not one who tithes, why not take God at His Word. Here's how: Take stock of your present financial situation, and then step out by faith. Put God to the test by
tithing for six months or so. Then take stock again. You will find that God has kept His promise and provided specific, tangible blessings in your life in response to your obedience. Tithing, you see, is not God's way of raising money to pay His bills. Tithing is God's way of growing His children.
Stephen Olford wrote this: "Abraham gave tithes to God through Melchizedek, the king-priest. According to Hebrews 7, Melchizedek is a beautiful type of Christ in resurrection. Melchizedek gives Abraham bread and wine, symbols of sacrifice; and Abraham acknowledges his indebtedness to God by giving Him tithes of all his spoils. In other words, tithing is the scriptural way of saying 'thank you' to God for all that He has done for us."
As you consider your giving and your offering to the Lord next Sunday at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, will you say "thank you" to Him and "move up to the tithe?"
March 2011 - When Samuel was seeking someone to succeed Saul as King of Israel, he examined the sons of Jesse. In that process, he considered their stature and physical characteristics in great detail, only to be told by God that people " . . . look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
That modus operandi on God's part has not changed over the centuries of time. He still looks at the hearts of men and women. He is not as interested in how things appear on the outside, but what they are really like on the inside. And God's scrutiny extends to every area of our lives, including our
giving.
Specifically, He wants to know not just what or when we are giving, but why. He is not so concerned about the amount or the percentage but with the reason or motive why we give. It's not that amounts or percentages are not important, for they certainly are. But what is of greater importance is why we give.
If we only give out of a sense of duty, to impress someone, to keep a commitment we made, or to "do our part," we've missed the point. If we only give a certain amount or percentage because we've always given that way, we've missed the point. If we parcel out money to help "poor ol' God pay His
bills," we've missed the point.
God owns it all! He doesn't need our money to pay His bills. He doesn't want us to give out of a sense of obligation or duty or habit. Nor does He want us to give to impress someone else. He wants us to give out of hearts motivated by love for Him in response to His love for us. He wants us to
give as part of our worship and praise to Him. He wants us to give because giving is part of His way of growing Christians.
There's an old Indian fable about a mouse who, like all mice, was afraid of cats. A wizard felt sorry for him and offered to help him lose his fear. With the mouse's approval, the wizard turned him into a cat. The cat, however, was afraid of dogs, so the wizard turned the cat into a dog. But the dog was afraid of tigers, so the wizard turned the dog into a tiger. When the wizard discovered the tiger was afraid of hunters, he exclaimed in disgust, "You're hopeless. What you need is a change of heart. And that I cannot give you."
If our giving is motivated by anything other than a heart of love for God, we need a change of heart. We need to realize afresh that God owns everything and that we are just managers and stewards. We need to realize that when we give, we are only giving back to God what was rightfully His in the first place. And we need to understand that when we give out of love for God and not out of habit or duty or obligation, we are giving in a way that truly honors and glorifies Him.
February 2011 - In the years prior to his assumption of power in Germany, Adolph Hitler was a master of deception. He made free use of the Christian vocabulary and talked about the blessing of Almighty God and the Christian confessions of faith which would become the pillars of his new state. He assumed the earnestness of a man who is utterly weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible to many church leaders and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from the Word of God. According to one pastor, "He was actually able to introduce a pietistic timbre into his voice
which caused many religious people to welcome him as a man sent from God."
As the world learned to its horror in later years, Hitler was an impostor. He had only used these things to mask his real intentions and to fool people. He was what could be accurately labeled the "master hypocrite." He said one thing while actually doing exactly the opposite.
When it comes to hypocrisy, Adolph Hitler was in a league by himself. None of us desires to be Feor should ever be compared to him or his despicable actions. However, when it comes to the Christian life, sometimes we, too, say one thing and do another. We pretend to be great students of the Bible,
when we actually seldom look at the Book. We give the impression that we spend hours in prayer, when we very seldom engage in prayer except when at church. We pretend to love other Christians, when, in reality, we can't stand some of them.
This kind of behavior is also possible when it comes to giving. We might like to convey the impression that we are "good givers," and we might be reasonably successful in our efforts since other people usually do not actually "see" our financial situation and our giving. However, if we are trying to say one thing and do another concerning our giving to the Lord, we will be confronted by our deception every time we look at the register in our checkbook. Here's why: Our checkbook will quickly and methodically strip away our pretense. We can deceive others; we can even deceive ourselves in many areas of life, but our checkbook always tells the truth about what is really important to us.
The Apostle Paul summed up this matter with this statement: the testimony of our conscience should be that " . . . we have behaved in the world with . .. godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God" (2 Cor. 1:12). In other words, by walking in holiness and sincerity that God provides in response to our obedience, what we do will match what we say, including in the area of giving.
Think about it: If your checkbook could talk, what would it say about you and about your giving to the work of the Lord at Oak Grove United Methodist Church? Would it testify that you are walking in holiness and sincerity in your giving, or would it have a different story to tell?
January 2011 - A few years ago, the world was thrown into confusion and chaos. The Middle East had oil, and the rest of the world wanted that oil. This was a crisis situation. The perception was that we were running out of oil. In reality, that wasn't the situation at all. We were not running out of oil. As Larry O'Nan described it, "The core problem was a matter of imbalance, greed, and selfishness. Competition had created an environment where we thought we needed to get something before someone else got it."
Just as perception created an illusion that the world was running out of oil, perception has created an illusion when it comes to giving to the work of the Lord and to His ministry at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. The perception is that our financial resources are insufficient to enable us to
give. Some of us think that we simply cannot afford to give.
But that's not the situation at all. Even poverty is not a reason for not giving to the Lord. The Christians in Macedonia were very poor. As 2 Corinthians 8:2 describes them, they were in "extreme poverty." Yet, even in that situation, they were full of joy and gave as much as they were able
and more. How could they do that?
The reason they gave abundantly, eagerly and willingly out of their "extreme poverty" was that they "gave themselves first to the Lord." That's the secret of giving that honors God. When we give ourselves to Him wholeheartedly, without reservation, then our financial resources will follow.
During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the government ran out of silver with which to make coins. Cromwell sent his men everywhere to see if they could find more of the precious metal. They returned to report that the only silver they could find was in the statues of the saints which were on display in various cathedrals. "Good," replied Cromwell. "We will melt down the saints and put them into circulation."
As you consider the offering which will be received next Sunday at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, and as you consider the resources God has placed at your disposal, will you be "melted down" for His service and His glory? Like the Macedonian Christians, will you regardless of your financial situation first give yourself to the Lord and then allow your financial resources to
follow?
December 2010 - One of the most familiar of all Bible passages is 1 Corinthians 13, which is known by many as the "Love Chapter." Many people Christians and non-Christians alike have committed part or all of these thirteen wonderful verses to memory. But most people probably do not realize that one of the greatest truths concerning giving is taught in this passage.
The Apostle Paul, writing under the direct and divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, "If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." In other words, according to this verse, our giving is to be motivated by love. If it is not, then it has absolutely no value to us.
The question here is not how much we give, or how frequently we give, or the manner in which we give, but why we give. And it is based on the principle taught so clearly in Romans 5:8, "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us." When we were nothing but sinners, Christ died for us. When we had nothing but the refuse of sin in our lives, Christ died for us. When we were "strangers" to God's promises, Christ died for us. Long before we could ever love Him, He provided convincing evidence of His love for us by dying for us on Calvary. And that's why "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
One of the ways in which we demonstrate our love for God is through giving. If we give out of a sense of obligation or because "the church needs the money" or because we feel we have to give, we miss the point of 1 Corinthians 13:3. We also miss the blessing that comes from giving out of a
heart motivated by our love for the Lord. When we give because of that motivation, our giving provides a tangible expression of our love for Him as we give in response to His love and grace.
As the offering plate passes by you next Sunday at church, you might want to pray this prayer of thanksgiving and commitment: "Lord, thank you for loving me before I could love you. Thank you for demonstrating your love by dying on Calvary for me. And thank you for the privilege of giving to you today as I worship you through this expression of my love for you."
As you consider not only next Sunday's offering, but equally important, your on-going financial support of the ministry at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, what is your response to God's love for you?
November 2010 - One of the principles of the Christian life is this: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." But have you ever asked yourself why this is true?
The primary reason we give is because God first gave to us. He is the supreme giver as He opens His bountiful storehouse of blessings and provides for us again and again. Or as James 1:17 expresses it so clearly, "Every generous act of giving . . . is from above, coming down from the Father of lights."
Stop and think about it for a moment: The reason we have salvation is because " . . . God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." The reason we have life itself is because He gives us "everything for our enjoyment." The reason we are able to enjoy the fullness of our Christian faith is because the Holy Spirit has been given to us. Even our hope of eternal life is a gift from God as we look forward to being "away from the body and at home with the Lord."
As we have seen before, everything belongs to God. We are but managers and stewards of what He has entrusted to us. When we give to Him, we are only giving back to Him what belonged to Him in the first place. And when we follow God's leading by giving to His ministry here at Oak Grove United
Methodist Church, He in turn provides even more of His resources to us in a never-ending cycle of His blessing, followed by more of our giving, followed by more of His blessing.
Chuck Swindoll listed a few reasons why it is more blessed to give than to receive. He said, "Giving encourages unselfishness within us. Giving brings others needed relief and encouragement. Giving forces us out of our own tight-radius world. Giving keeps us from becoming too attached to material
things. Giving models the life Christ lived. Giving results in eternal rewards. Giving teaches us the value of servanthood. Giving makes us more cheerful, caring people. Giving prompts greater sensitivity toward others. Giving provides an example for others to follow."
John Frederic Oberlin was traveling by foot in winter in the 18th century when he lost his way in a severe snowstorm. He feared he would freeze to death and in despair, he sat down, not knowing which way to turn. Just then, a man came along in a wagon and rescued Oberlin. He took him to the next village and made sure he would be cared for. As the man prepared to leave, Oberlin said, "Tell me your name so that I may at least have you in grateful remembrance before God." The man, who by now had recognized Oberlin, said, "You are a minister. Please tell me the name of the Good Samaritan." Oberlin replied, "I cannot do that, for it is not given in the Scriptures." His benefactor responded, "Until you can tell me his name, please permit me to withhold mine."
What a beautiful illustration this provides of the fact that Jesus did not come to be praised and served, but to give Himself "a ransom for all." He gave His life in ministry for us so that we might minister in His name to others.
As you give this morning, please remember this eternal truth: We do not give to get. We give because God first gave to us. That's why I'm glad to be a part of the Oak Grove United Methodist Church family and to support the Lord's work here through my giving. Through the years, I have learned that you cannot outgive God. In His unique accounting system, He never divides; He always multiplies. Or as Annie Johnson Flint expressed it so well, "His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power has no boundary known unto men; for out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again."
October 2010 - The vast majority of people like to excel at something. Most of us like to do what we do in a manner that is truly first-class. Whether we are involved in one of the trades, or whether we are working in a profession, we like to excel in what we do.
Similarly, in the Christian life, most of us like to demonstrate our love for the Lord in ways that will reflect properly on Him and that will bring honor to Him. As His servants, we take great care that our Christian service is of such quality that what we do for His sake is first-class. Thus, whether we sing a solo in a worship service at church, prepare a meal for someone who is a shut-in, or teach a Bible class, we strive to do what we do for God in the very best way possible.
The Apostle Paul indicates we are also to excel in the grace of giving. "Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking" (2 Cor. 8:7). In other words, just as we might seek to
excel in other ways which demonstrate our Christian faith in action, we are also to excel in the grace of giving.
In the context of the verse we just read, Paul commends the Macedonian Christians for giving as much as they were able and more. When we follow their example, we experience "grace giving" in action, not only giving as we are able, but also, giving beyond our ability. This is possible only as we
demonstrate the fruit of the Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. As we step out by faith (which is one of the signs of a Spirit-controlled life), we are able to give in ways which might seem improbable or impossible at first. The Spirit of God thereby motivates us and compels us to excel in the grace of giving!
One anonymous writer penned these powerful words: "God has a storehouse of blessings. Prayer is the key to that storehouse. But faith both turns the key and unlocks the door."
Say, are you excelling in the grace of giving? If not, why not take God at His Word by faith and begin today?
September 2010 - How rich are you? Most of us would respond to that question with a recitation of our material possessions. We would list bank accounts and their contents, stocks, bonds, houses, vehicles, and other so-called assets as tangible evidence of our wealth.
But is that how rich we are? Not really. Adrian Rogers said this, "If you want to know how rich you are, add up everything you have that money can't buy and what you've sent on to heaven. That's how rich you really are."
There are two ways to send money on to heaven, or as the Bible phrases it, to "lay up treasures in heaven." One is to give to the work of the Lord. As we do that, particularly through giving our tithes and offerings here at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, we make deposits in what one writer described as the "Bank of Heaven." Another way to accomplish that goal is to give to meet the needs of other people. That's the admonition provided by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 when he instructed Timothy, "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God. . . .They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share."
Compared to many people in the world, all of us to one degree or another have been richly blessed by God. That's why we need to apply Paul's counsel to our lives. As we follow his instruction, giving in the name of the Lord Jesus to meet the needs of others, we "lay up treasures" for the coming age.
One of the primary reasons God provides material blessings to us His children is that we might through those material provisions minister in His name to other people. According to Matthew 25:40, when we do that, even to what Jesus described as the "least" of His brethren, it is as though we have
done it unto Him.
As one writer expressed it so well, "Investing in the lives of others and growing in our relationship with God are spiritual treasures. They are not subject to destruction or thievery. They are fully protected. Their value never diminishes." Or as an anonymous poet wrote, "Shall the great Judge
say, when my task is through, that my soul had gathered some riches, too? Or shall at the last it be mine to find that all I had worked for was left behind?"
As you consider your true wealth and what really counts for eternity, think about this: How much better to be a poor person who is spiritually rich than a rich person who is spiritually poor.
How rich are you?
August 2010 - The writer of the book of Hebrews made this short but powerful statement about the Lord Jesus, "Consider him." That admonition is nowhere more needful than in the matter of giving and receiving.
Consider Him, the Lord of glory, who gave His life so that we might gain eternal life. Consider Him, who was rich, yet became poor for our sakes, that we through His poverty might be rich. Consider Him, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Consider Him, who was quoted by Dr. Luke in Acts 20:35
as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Although many Christians would at first glance agree with that premise on an intellectual basis, by their lifestyles, they demonstrate that their lives are diametrically opposed to this biblical principle. They might even go so far as to state their agreement with what the Lord Jesus said, but not so far as to change their selfish "me first" attitude. They might give mental assent or even verbal assent to His teaching, but in reality, their lives are consumed by a passion for "receiving" instead of "giving." It is as though they pass through life's portals with this striking question emblazoned across their foreheads: "What's in it for me?"
Such an attitude should be foreign to the lives of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. If our role in life is to follow Him, and to obey Him, we should demonstrate daily, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
God, who owns everything, gives material possessions freely and willingly to us, His children, for a number of reasons, but one of the primary reasons is for us to be able to give them back to Him. Each time we give to the Lord's work out of a heart that responds to His love and grace, we give away a little of our selfishness and gain a bit more of Christ's sacrificial spirit. As John MacArthur expressed it so well, "The major money issue in Scripture is not how you feel about it, or even how you spend it. The primary concern of Scripture is how you give it."
Dr. Herschel Hobbs wrote this, "One of greed's victims read this verse, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' How revealing of his sordid, shriveled soul was his comment: 'Well, perhaps so, but receiving is good enough for me.' Is receiving good enough for you? Would you rather be a beggar than a benefactor? a panhandler than a philanthropist? a blight than a blessing? a parasite than a producer? a getter than a giver?"
As you think about your answers to Dr. Hobbs' questions, and as you give of your resources to the Lord's work, "Consider Jesus." "Consider Him" by remembering and obeying His words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
July 2010 - " . . . ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (Luke 11:9).
God has a wonderful "system" by which we as His children are to get our needs met. It's a very simple "system," but somehow, we fail to utilize it as we should. Here's the plan: God says we are to ask Him. Is that simple or what? We are to call unto Him, to cry out our needs before Him, to bring our petitions before His throne. But somehow, we must think His plan is too complex, for with most of us, asking God is the last thing we do when we have needs.
Oh, we'll tell our friends. We'll discuss our needs with any and all who have the patience and courtesy to listen. We'll frequently complain about our problems, even to the extent of sometimes holding God responsible for His seeming failure to provide for us. But ask God? Usually we'll do that only as a last resort.
The result is a sad state of affairs among Christians. "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2-3). So our needs go unmet because either we do not ask or we ask with wrong motives.
J. Irvin Overholtzer was a pastor who was greatly used by God as the founder of Child Evangelism Fellowship. His philosophy of providing for the financial needs of this world-wide organization was this: "Ask God . . . and tell His people." Yes, we need to share our needs with others. We ought to
make others aware of opportunities for them to get involved in being used of God to meet those needs. But the first step in the entire process is this: "Ask God."
And when we do, we can claim His promise stated so clearly in Jeremiah 33:3 ‹ "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Say, do you have needs in your life today? Why not "ask God"? Why not come boldly to His throne? Why not take Him at His Word and "call" unto Him? That's God's plan for His children: " . . . ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (Luke 11:9).
Or as Eliza Hickock wrote a century ago, "I know not by what methods rare, but this I know: God answers prayer!"" . . . ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (Luke 11:9).
God has a wonderful "system" by which we as His children are to get our needs met. It's a very simple "system," but somehow, we fail to utilize it as we should. Here's the plan: God says we are to ask Him. Is that simple or what? We are to call unto Him, to cry out our needs before Him, to bring our petitions before His throne. But somehow, we must think His plan is too complex, for with most of us, asking God is the last thing we do when we have needs.
Oh, we'll tell our friends. We'll discuss our needs with any and all who have the patience and courtesy to listen. We'll frequently complain about our problems, even to the extent of sometimes holding God responsible for His seeming failure to provide for us. But ask God? Usually we'll do that only as a last resort.
The result is a sad state of affairs among Christians. "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2-3). So our needs go unmet because either we do not ask or we ask with wrong motives.
J. Irvin Overholtzer was a pastor who was greatly used by God as the founder of Child Evangelism Fellowship. His philosophy of providing for the financial needs of this world-wide organization was this: "Ask God . . . and tell His people." Yes, we need to share our needs with others. We ought to
make others aware of opportunities for them to get involved in being used of God to meet those needs. But the first step in the entire process is this: "Ask God."
And when we do, we can claim His promise stated so clearly in Jeremiah 33:3 ‹ "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Say, do you have needs in your life today? Why not "ask God"? Why not come boldly to His throne? Why not take Him at His Word and "call" unto Him? That's God's plan for His children: " . . . ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (Luke
11:9).
Or as Eliza Hickock wrote a century ago, "I know not by what methods rare, but this I know: God answers prayer!"
June 2010 - God's Word has more to say about money and material possessions than about
heaven and hell combined. Obviously, how we as His children handle what God has entrusted to us is a very important subject to Him.
Money is also the only subject about which God says, in essence, "Prove Me. Trust Me. Try Me." He does not issue that challenge concerning any other aspect of our Christian walk of faith. Not about prayer; not about sharing our faith with others; not even about salvation. Just money.
God said to Malachi, the prophet, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test . . . see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing."
Some promises in the Bible are unconditional in nature. They are going to be fulfilled, regardless of what we might or might not do. Others could be described as "if . . . then" promises. If we will do our part, then God will do His part. This passage from Malachi 3:10 is one of the latter. If we will bring our tithes to God's storehouse, then He will open for us the windows of heaven and pour out for us such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
The question is whether we really believe God when He makes a promise like this. If we do, we will take Him at His Word. We will accept His challenge and "test" Him by giving to Him as He direct. And if we do that by faith, then we can be confident that God will meet that "test" by providing all we
need and more.