This message was shared on Feb 8 as part of the offering exhortation (my first for 2014).
God's ang pow
What does CNY make us think of? The young people will think of ang pow but the older folks like me will think of deep pockets....digging deep to find the money to put in the ang pow!
For the baby boomers generation of which I am a part, 100% of our ang pows had to be given back to our parents to be recycled and given out to others! Of course we later bargained down to 70%, then 50%....but the fact is that we always had to pay a tax - the ang pow tax!
So blessed is our Gen Y, Gen X and Gen Z. They are able to keep their ang pows!
Who do you think is more blessed? The giver or the receiver of the ang pow?
The giver of course! According to Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive"
Of course God has given us the biggest ang pow of all times for this lifetime and in the age to come for all eternity.
JESUS who gave His life for us on the Cross!!
Yet on this earth for our short lifetime on earth God has promised many ang pows if we obey His word on giving.
God's ang pow for our short life on earth is in Luke 6:38 "Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure you use, it will be measure to you."
There is only one condition that will result in 5 blessings for us. A good deal indeed!
The one and only condition is for us to give to God.
1. The first blessing is that rewards will be given to us. "Give and it shall be given to you...."
2. The second blessing is the blessing of rewards coming back to us in unexpected forms. We will receive back our giving back in rewards in unexpected forms. For me, I am expecting a good increment and a good bonus. Who knows our company may send us somewhere for a paid working vacation or someone in the family may bless us with a free holiday or air ticket or our children may get a scholarship or we may get the house we want at the price we want or we may be able to buy the car we want at a very special price!
I had an LG member who was suffering financial lack. I told her to give 10% of her income to the Lord. She started tithing 10% of her weekly income to the Lord. When she started doing this she began receiving her blessings in various forms. Her husband got a job, a car was given to her son, her sons got scholarships/study loans, she was able to buy new sofas and TV. She also got 2 jobs - one as a tea lady and the other as a baby sitter! The last we saw her she even got herself a designer dog!
Have a thankful heart when you give and expect unexpected rewards from unexpected sources!
3. The third blessing is that it will be "running over". In Greek this word means the "overflow". The various forms that our reward is going to come is going to overflow in our lives.
4. The 4th blessing is that God's unexpected rewards is going to come from a third party. The KJV is the only version with the promise "shall men give to your bosom". No other versions have this word "men" giving to our bosom.
"Men" can be a friend, a church member, a family member or even an organization! Be on the lookout for God's surprises along the way!
5. The 5th blessing is that the rewards given to us by others is going to warm our hearts. "Bosom" is a place close to our hearts. John rested on Jesus's bosom signifying how deeply he was loved by the Lord. When men give to us as a result of our giving to God it is going to make us so happy that our hearts are going to be warmed by it. No matter if I do not get my promotion. I do not want a promotion if it is going to make my heart sad and sick! I want a promotion that will warm my heart.
Indeed God's ang pow is a terrific deal - only one condition to be met but 5 blessings to be enjoyed!
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