I’m excited you’ve joined our church family in this exciting adventure as we experience The Power of Everyone coming together to thank and seek God.  For 21 days leading up to Sunday, Nov. 23rd,  we’ve committed to pray, fast and seek God’s direction personally and for our church.  I hope you’ll pause at 10pm each night and pray for about 10 minutes; do this individually, as a couple, or as a family.

During the days leading up to Nov. 23 and our Celebration Offering and the Thanksgiving Family Festival, I’ll list a scripture for you to read and consider.  I’ll also share a few thoughts of my own, but my primary desire is that you ask God to reveal to you what this passage means in your life and how you should apply it as you think about what God would have you do.  I would also ask that you pray and ask God to speak to the hearts of all the people in our church about this particular passage concerning what they should do.  It’s going to be a great adventure.   Bless you – Pastor BJ

Nov. 8                   2 Chronicles 31:5-10

 5 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. 6 The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps. 7 They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.   9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; 10 and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”

Prior to this happening, the Israelites came together to celebrate in a special time of worship where they humbled themselves, sought God and destroyed the idols in their land.  It was such an awesome time of worship that King Hezekiah ordered the people to respond in obedience to the Word of God.  They responded in obedience by generously giving of the firstfruits of all they produced.  They brought a tithe (10%) of everything they made or produced.  They brought so much that the offerings became HEAPS. 

I would love to see the day when God’s people were so obedient to give as God directs in His Word that we would have HEAPS during the offering.   If we trusted Him enough with our finances to do this; if we’d be obedient with the principle of the tithe – do you think we’d experience the same thing they experienced?  Can you imagine that kind of blessing?  We’d experience the blessing of the Lord so much that we’d have more than we ever needed, with plenty to spare to share with those in need! 

I wonder what would happen to you and me – to our church family – to our community – If we’d just give in HEAPS?