Pressed down, shaken together, and running over

These are exciting and challenging times that we live in. There are many people who are having busy times and tough circumstances, with the feeling of increased pressure. Yet, in this there is something stirring in hearts to not be satisfied with the status quo and not just let life get them down. It’s like God is on the verge of something new, and He is preparing the way. We know that in the last days the Lord will shake those things that can be shaken – and many feel there has been a lot more shaking going on in their lives. It seems that many look with fear at this shaking and worry about the need to hold on so they won't get shaken off. There are many who do not know if they can hold on enough if the shaking really gets bad.

It may be that we are not looking at this situation with the right perspective, because this shaking does not have to be seen as a bad thing. The scriptures help us to see that in tough times, just as in life, success is more dependent on what the Lord is doing, and not by what we do. As for us holding on tight during the times of shaking as I read things and experience things, the holding on is done by the Lord, not us. John 10:28 tells us that we are in His hand and no one is able to snatch us out The context is clear that no external force, or circumstance, or whatever we want to call it, that nothing can take us away from Him. As we are "in Christ" there is security and protection and life and relationship.

Psalm 73 is a great psalm of revelation about God taking care of us, about Him in us, and us in Him, In verse 23 it talks about Him holding us, “nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.” He holds us and we do not need to fear any shaking or circumstances.

More on shaking - much good comes from it, God does not do this just to test us or to make our lives hard so we will cling to Him. That kind of talk is so wrong, as we know He is not a hard taskmaster, He does not look for ways to forces us to follow Him, nor does He manipulate circumstances so we cling to Him. If anything, He is the opposite, it we do not want to be in Him, He is not there to force us. Rather, He sweetens the deal with relationship and extending Himself into our lives and our circumstances. Back to shaking - I love the verse about pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38). This verse is about giving and how the Lord wants to give to us. He wants to pack in as much as can be held, then pack in some more and let some run over. What a beautiful picture of how He wants to move in us and through us.

In Christ we do not lack, in fact it’s the opposite, the Lord wants us to have as much as our vessels will hold, and more. One of the ways this is done is to shake and pack the vessel so that all of the contents are shaken and compacted together. If we, as followers of Christ, understood more the ways that the Lord works we would be more secure in Him, we would not be victims, and we would be so much more confident in ministry. In Christ we are not only able to be kept, but we get to work out of abundance. Too bad that so many want to struggle and strain (and draw attention to themselves) by complaining and whining about how the circumstances of life are so tough, and how they are just hanging on at times. This kind of thinking is wrong thinking and it is bad theology, because it is not what the Word tells us. The Word declares that we are filled in Him, there is abundance. Sure, it can feel tough when the shaking is going on, but when we see the "big picture" we see the hand of God and know things are good. He packs things in so the truth, His gifts, and His life in us can overflow. This is similar to John 7 where Jesus tells us that from our inner most beings rivers of living water will flow. What a picture this all is, and it is a picture of good things. This also speaks of being prophetic, of the running over, of the flowing out - would that all the Lord's servants were prophets.

If we knew how much was in us and the reality and power of the life of God, then we would be so much more prophetic, even bringing health to each other and life. We would be speaking things of edification, exhortation, and comfort. We would be letting the inspired and life filled Word of Christ pour out from our lives. And if we would do this, we could see revival as never before. If we would simply practice "freely giving" we would also see a new surge of people coming to Christ. In fact, we couldn't hold people back from coming to Christ, from coming to the Church, because they would be seeing the reality of Christ. They would come because they would see the followers of Christ overflowing with His life and blessings.

When will we “get it?” When we will see how much the Lord wants to move in us and through us? When we will rise up as the Body of Christ and the Church of the Living God and fulfill our calling in Him? Let the Church be the Church! Let us embrace the shaking and let us rest and relax in Him, knowing He is the one doing the shaking. He is out for our good and to move powerfully in the earth today.

Thoughts about Tithing and Giving

I recently contributed these thoughts to an online discussion about tithing and if the New Testament superseded the Old Testament and did aways with tithing.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus actually raised the bar with the NT in that He went beyond actions and started addressing attitudes and motives of the heart. What I am getting at here is that the NT teaches to be free with money, and if anything not be limited to 10% (as others have shared).

He said in the OT you were not to kill, but in the NT He calls us not to hate. In the OT we were told not to commit adultery, in the NT we are told not to lust.

In prayer He taught it is about sincerity of heart, not religious phrases or trying to look good.

In giving He told us to be free – Matt 10:8, freely you have received freely give.

Paul teaches in 2 Cor 9:6-7 to also give freely and cheerfully:
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

In the book of Acts those in the first church practiced giving away a lot, like selling what they had and giving it away. They were free with their money and resources and had all things in common.

Jesus and Paul also talk about not being lovers of money, but to be lovers of God. 1 John 2:15 tells us to not love the world or the things of the world, money being one of them.

The teachings of the NT have to do about denying self and following Christ, about His way, not our way. The NT teaches us to be led by the Spirit, to lay our lives down for others, to serve them, to help them, and yes – to even give money away.

I find that there is not freedom with most when it comes to money, but rather many are in bondage with money – they are not free to give it away or to bless others with it. Many have money problems because they are deeply in debt, they have sought to buy or obtain that which is beyond their income level – and the borrower has become slave to the lender.

I find the NT teachings about money and generosity and being willing to bless others and to to be about having freedom to give, to enjoy blessing others with our time, our talents, and our resources. I find that the NT supersedes the OT in the subject of money in attitude and in motive of the heart – we need to be free and ready to give more than 10%, not be limited by it. Is there a NT rule about this? No, there is not – for it is about frredomhelp them, and part of that is about using money to do so.

Let me put it another way, there are people who don’t give because they say they are not required to, that the NT is about grace not rules. So if a person doesn’t give and keeps all the money to themselves just how free are they? The same question applies to a person’s time and their talents too. If we are not giving are we following the example and teachings of the NT?