"Sacrifices Must Be Made" Part 1.

You know, it really irritates me when people comment on social media how they dislike Christianity or the such and use the bible to back it up. I always want to jump into the conversations and “correct” them on their thinking….but…then I think ….they aren’t going to change the way they think anyway, and I don’t really want to get bogged down in a conversation that won’t really lead anywhere. Just today someone posted how their problem with Christianity lies with Jesus himself. That he always spoke, not of “helping” others but of obeying God because you will get punished if you don’t. This is really not true. Yes, he did say much about obeying God, but it was never really about “punishment.” Needless to say, I did not get involved with the discussion. I tend to believe that if someone is complaining about Christianity, then usually they have already made up their mind, and my arguing with them about it is a waste of time – especially on social media. Now sitting down with a friend or an acquaintance, then I can see something worthwhile, but not on social media. Anyway, most people who are “haters” of Christianity just refuse to accept biblical teaching on the scriptures, and just CHOOSE to believe wrong, not really caring if they are actually right or wrong. Well, this is my belief anyway.

I said all that to lead into what this post is all about, sacrifice. So, a lot of people think Christianity is merely sacrificing for “religion.” I can definitely understand why some might think that, especially if they have never been taught the reason behind all the rules and sacrificial principles. The idea of sacrifice in the bible is not simply just suffering for nothing. In fact, every single instance of sacrifice something great has occurred. Jesus’s sacrifice is probably the most known. Then you have Noah, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, the apostles, and so on. Many occasions in the scriptures we find people experiencing the ultimate sacrifice or a significant sacrifice. In these situations, the result of the sacrifice always benefits the believer….yes…even death. In death, the believer no longer has to deal with the hell that is this world, plus by obeying God he or she is blessed all the more (both on this side and the other side of heaven). A modern example of sacrifice turning to blessing today is tithing. Many people get frustrated with the church because “the church is always asking for money.” This is not untrue…the church asks every Sunday, and Wednesday, and probably most other gatherings. Here is the thing about tithe that people don’t get, the tithe is MEANT to BLESS us. Okay so, not necessarily monetarily, but by tithing and expressing (1) a trust in the Lord for your provision (2) obedience to him toward this command (3) expression of our love for him, we are blessed, really, beyond what we even realize. By following this decree, we are promised that God will bless our lives. One of my pastors explained it very well. He explained that when we tithe, God sort of puts us in a bubble of protection, giving longevity to that which we depend on (cars, finances, heaters, air conditioners, etc) and blesses us financially (gaining more money or getting really awesome deals on items from other believers and the such – like a third of the cost for an air conditioning unit). This is a very basic understanding of the principle of tithing. Yes, it is a “rule” but like my pastor explained there is no punishment for not following it. We just aren’t blessed.

Well, that is it for this week. I had not intended this post to be so long, but I am not even near finished. Next Saturday I will post the “part 2” to this, talking about my writing experiences and the “sacrifices” that I have endured while writing with God…..but….I love these sacrifices because it just means that God will bless me in my writing. Come back next Saturday to read more about it.