Welcome to the Cross Power Church podcast.
You're listening to a service from our church in Campbell, TX.
We pray this message strengthens your faith and points you to the
cross. Now let's join the service.
Well, the first times I heard that song, I was in Arkansas
doing a three day revival and there was a bunch of people.
There was a big place, big cowboy church and, and I'll
never forget it long as a little songs always hold a dear place
in her heart when they mean something, you know, And they
were singing that song. I'll never forget.
It was the last night of the revival and I had preached my
heart out, man, and a lot of them hadn't moved.
And I was sitting there and I heard that song and I began to
shake and, and the Holy Spirit spoke to me.
So you're not going to preach tonight?
I said, what am I going to do to these people?
That's my first thought. They ain't moving.
I ain't preaching. What's going to happen?
And man, that last song played. I asked him, singing again.
I got up there and they didn't know altars.
They had some, they had some old saddles across the front.
There's probably 2 to 250 there. And I didn't preach, I just
begin to speak some things and and the altar just it just
filled up around that place, man.
And them things, them saddles they had there, they were wet
from people crying. I mean, it was God just moved.
And I just, I just agreed to God that I wasn't going to preach
and he moved. Sometimes it's simple to just
obeying God. Amen.
But sometimes it's hard to do right.
But kids can be dismissed. Get to be in the House of the
Lord tonight. And yeah, I got, you know,
preaching the gospel for a lot of years now and y'all read the
Bible for a lot of years, many of us.
And and sometimes you just got to go to reading and something
will hit you differently. Something will hit you that
you've read 1000 times. This is kind of one of them.
It hit me a few years ago, but I titled this tonight.
I'm going to do try to do it do a short teaching on this
something that's just it kind of goes on indefinitely really it
has in my life. But I want to speak to you
tonight on the on the subject, or should I say the word it?
Have you ever thought about the word it?
Jesus mentioned it many times in the Bible on different things.
The word it, what is it in your life?
I titled this understanding the IT in our life because see,
first week, I'm going to come back to that.
But I want you to say that with me understanding the IT in my
life, a lot of people's got the IT confused.
It's hard to understand, but I'm going to come back to that in a
minute. But I know I'm speaking tonight
to a lot of people. This is nothing that's new
giving to the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I look around, there's givers everywhere in here and I
appreciate that. And I know the Kingdom
appreciates that. This church appreciates that.
But you know, the enemy doesn't appreciate it and the enemy
tries at some time in your life, he will always try to get you to
quit giving that that which God wants over and over again,
because he gets our eyes off of what it is and he places them on
what we're really seeing in the flesh.
And when we can look at the flesh and think that it's
overriding what we're giving to God, the many times he can win
and he can overcome the and he said, what do you base it on?
Because I know lots of people that say I used to you don't
know anybody that used to tithe, used to go to church, used to
see the blessings of God. The but the, the, the church is
full of people that used to many still go to church, but they're
stuck on what used to happen in the church.
But if you understand the end in your life, it will become easier
to keep seeing the things of God in your life, keep pressing on
when you maybe don't see what you should.
But I know God appreciates the giving, the continuing of not
just time, but talents and time around here at this church.
We couldn't do it without people.
But I want to look at this on a different light tonight in
Philippians chapter 4 and verse 17, probably one of the most
powerful chapters in the Bible in my opinion, to live in a
victorious life. It's very powerful.
And I've read this a lot of times and I'm going to, I'm
going to do a little reading. I'm going to try.
So I may not finish all this tonight.
But in verse 31, the apostle Paul is telling the Philippian
people, he said, I urge you also true companions.
He was saying to help some of these women that have labored
with him in the gospel with Clement and also the rest of my
fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.
Verse 4 to Philippians chapter 4, he says rejoice in the Lord.
Say that with me. Rejoice in the Lord always.
And again I say, rejoice, Let your gentleness be known to all
men. The Lord is at hand.
This is a great blueprint for living life.
This chap, this whole chapter of Philippians but in verse 6 he
says be anxious for nothing. But if we could master that be.
I think the older I get sometimes the more anxious I am.
You know about things or having to do something they I think
about it more but be anxious for nothing but in everything by
prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving.
Let your request be known to God and I love this right here.
How do we receive the peace of God.
This prerequisite of not being anxious but by praying and
supplicating our life and being thankful.
Let your request be known to God and then the peace of God which
surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. I quote that Sunday after Sunday
here because there's anything we need in the body of Christ in
the world today is a peace that understand that that that that
out passes the understanding of the circumstance.
Well, what would our life be like if we could just look
beyond the circumstance and receive the peace If we prayer
and supplicate. We can't and then finally he
gives us this. He says finally, brother, and
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
We do right the opposite. We meditate on the bath Could
have been, oh, Jesse used that the other day when her kid broke
his leg. She said the doctor was coming
up and said, man, this could have been so much worse.
She said, but it wasn't. I love it.
If anything's praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
You know, we can receive a blessing or a healing and we
say, well, God heal this, but this over here is still well.
Praise God for what he did. He ain't hurting in two places.
Meditate on these things he says in verse 9.
I like this right here. The things which you learned and
received and heard and saw where not in Christ, but in a follower
of Christ the apostle Paul. So see it is possible.
He said I'm not telling you do something I can't do.
You seen it in me. Now go do it.
I like that. But then you always got that one
will say, well he ain't God, but he's got a good attitude right.
So following the God of peace will be with you.
Verse 10 but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last I
want you to focus in on this, but I'm going to talk about the
IT. What is the IT?
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for
me has flourished again. They were helping the apostle
Paul again. We know the apostle Paul didn't
you know he didn't he need no help.
He said he made it with his hands, but he's as though you
surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
Now that I speak in regard to need, he says I really don't
have need because I what would it be like not to have need in
life? We're needy people.
We're needy culture. If we don't have our needs met,
and it ain't usually our needs, really our needs are pretty much
in America, most people's needs are met, right?
I mean, there's some that ain't, But the majority of the
population, they have food, they have clothing, or they can go
get it and shelter. I know there's homeless people,
but a lot of that is due to search choices and
circumstances. If you strive for it in America,
I think you can have it, right? But he says, I have learned
what? What if we could be like this?
It's not something that we are. So we have to learn it.
So I want to talk to you not about learning these things,
right? I've learned in whatever state
I'm in to be content. We're not that way.
We're hungry. We're in a different state of
mine or in a different state of attitude.
We're sleepy, we're cold, we're wet.
We're this, we're that. A preacher preaches a little
longer. They sing 5 instead of three.
We get in a different state pretty quick.
But he said, I know whatever state I'm in to be content.
I know how to be a base. I know how to abound.
You know, what is he saying? I know how to be happy with
money in my pocket or no money in my pocket.
I know how to be happy when I'm healed, when I'm waiting on my
healing everywhere and all things.
I have learned both to be full and to be hungry.
It's hard to learn that. But to abound and to suffer
need. I can do all things.
Yeah, but you know, we're good at quoting that for 13.
You know, people don't even have to know Christ to quote
Philippians 4. And I can do all things through
Christ. They forget that it's through
Christ. It's not just by mentioning
Christ, right? I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me. Why could he do all things?
Because he had learned how to react to every situation that he
had been in. We just read, He knew how to, he
knew how to stay happy when he was hungry.
He knew how to stay happy when he was broke.
So therefore he knew that he could do all things through
Christ who strengthens him because he did not let the
outside circumstance affect his inner being, right?
So that's why he could do what all things.
Well, this is going to get deep tonight, 14 says.
Nevertheless, you have done well that you've shared in my
distress. Now you Philippians know also
that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed for
Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and
receiving, but you only. He was talking to 1 church here
of Philippi. They had been giving to the
Apostle Paul for even if Thessalonica you send eight once
and again for my necessities. So that was giving to the
apostle Paul. And this is where I want to talk
about the yet in your life, if you do give, what are you giving
for? Hello, what are you giving for?
He says, not that I seek the gift, not that I have to have
your gift. I love this.
This fires me up. He said, but I seek the fruit
that abounds upon your account when you do give, because Paul
was saying you're not giving to me, you're giving to the gospel
of Jesus Christ. And here in 18 he says, indeed I
have all and abound. I'm full having received from
Euphrodiphus or however you say that the things sent from you
and look what he does here. He goes right to the Old
Testament. He said a sweet smelling aroma,
an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
He went back here to the Levitical sacrifices being a
type and shadow of Christ. It was sacrificing.
It was well pleasing to those who gave, but at verse 19 is
where it really got me today. I've read it all my life.
Many of you have too. And he says all these things
I've just read to you is building up to verse 19 and my
God shall supply all of your need according to his riches and
glory in Christ Jesus. We have changed one word of that
today in the prosperity gospel preaching I've shared hanging by
you said my God shall supply all my needs.
I looked it up in several different translations that and
I and and the King James says this is new King James already,
but it's possible said the same thing.
He said my God, because you've given to him shall supply all of
your needs. So see people use that wrong all
the time. Anybody ever seen anybody use
that wrong? I'd be on the road rodeo and you
know, and I may mention that or somebody I'd have another guy
over here. He didn't really know more.
No more know who God was and how God operated and he would say,
Oh my God is going to supply all of my needs according he can go
out and do whatever he wanted to and pretty soon he's home and
broke and not going down the road.
I'm still going down the road. Why?
Because there's a prerequisite to God meeting all of your
needs. We can't walk around and say oh,
I'm just God's going to meet all of my needs.
No apostle Paul says if you do what God's called you to do, he
didn't even say his at that point.
He said I know mine's met because already done all that
stuff right? He said no, my God's going to
take care of me. But he said when you give it, he
said then I can, he can step out and he can take care of you.
And that's what the apostle Paul was worried about.
But I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
This changes the whole mindset of how Satan tries to get into
us about giving. And believe me, I've heard it
all. I've told the story a lot of
times. When we first started this
church we was renting a building at that time and a little lady
could give us through another through through her brother
brought me a $10,000 check for the church.
Said we was doing a lot for the youth and we was helping the
youth and everything and that 10,000 was probably about 9500
more than we had in the church account to be honest.
We might have $1000 and I had a $10,000 check.
I put it in there and it wasn't about 3 or 4 weeks or maybe a
month longer I don't know but but all I know is it was still
in there when this happened and I got a call.
We had us a bunch of services lined up and things going on
over there and come be when we first started and this y'all
have heard me tell this story before many of you, some of you
haven't. But anyway, I got a call.
He said he said my sister not too happy with you older lady
getting up in years. Won't you go to her house?
So I went to her house and she was sitting there and and she
said she said, you know, he said you misled me.
You never told me what denomination you were point
blank. I said you never ask.
I said, but since you have, I'm not a denominational guy.
I said I preach the Bible and the whole Bible from the front
to the back. And she said, well, she said I
go to the Baptist Church. I went there and she said I
thought you were doing stuff in the youth and I thought you was
under the Baptist covering. Said no ma'am, I am not under
any covering. He said the blood of Jesus.
And she said, well, if I would have known that boy got whoo she
got all up, if I would have known that I would have give it
up there. I said, well, I'll tell you
what, I got it. Let me go the truck.
I wrote her a $10,000 check, praise God.
And I said here's your check. I said, but I want to tell you
this, I love you, I appreciate it, but my ministry is not for
sale. I said it's not about the money
to me. I said I left a lot of money to
preach the gospel. It's not about the money and I
said if you want to give it out of the goodness of your heart,
we receive it. But I don't want the bitterness.
I said I didn't ask to come here in the 1st place.
You invited me here and you wrote me the check and I got to
the door and I was walking out. She said come here.
She said they ain't a preacher around would have had that
$10,000. She's even had it for two, a
month or two. Whatever.
She said it's yours. I said no ma'am.
I said I don't want it. I said the only way I'll take it
is when it touches my hand. It's used for the glory of God
and it's not yours anymore. It's not mine, but it's his.
And I said if you want to give it without any stipulations,
without any denominational strings to it, I said I will
receive it. And I walked out with a $10,000
exactly how the story went down. God is my witness.
But see to to understand that you have to understand the IT
because the IT, it's not about the money, right?
See, God keeps a record of of everything.
Boy, I get excited about this because, you know, Jesus taught
more as much on money in the Bible as he did on any subject.
And the church, some churches preach all on that and the
prosperity. But when you realize what it
really is, it's not about the money.
You can live on God's program, right?
God keeps a record of everything, even our gifts,
whether giving or receiving. He either said that it's more
blessed and boy do we got this backwards.
It's more blessed to give than it is to receive, right?
Because he's keeping record of it.
Because see, what you receive is much better because as I found
that what I receive, money cannot buy.
Hey, man, there ain't a price tag can be put on the Holy
Ghost. There ain't a price tag can be
put on blessings and laying down at night that knowing whatever
state I'm in, my God, somehow, some way is going to take care
of me. Can I get an Amen in the house?
The apostle Paul said it's a sweet smelling aroma.
See, it presents an Old Testament Levitical order here
that we're talking about a sacrifice and it's all typifying
Jesus Christ, the supreme sacrifice.
See though those who gave to Paul was enabling him to take
the message of the cross to others through their gifts.
See their gifts and the such things that we're presently
looking at today. It it it's part of being part of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sacrificial atoning work is
what we're a part of, of Christ on the cross.
Nothing could be much be higher than that.
So I have so I have to read to you what it says here.
One of the most commonly known verses in the Bible.
My God shall apply. Set shall supply all of my needs
and it does not say that it says your needs.
Isn't that cool? So you so really when you quote
that, you ought to be quoting it to somebody else telling them
why, because you've learned already how to be a base or a
bound to live in poverty or lack, to live in sickness or in
hell. So you can look at it somebody
say, I don't know, but my God shall supply all the ordinance.
That's faith that's moving beyond myself to knowing that
because but there's still there's someone to go a little
deeper with this. See we in the church or as the
church age, we messed this one word up tremendously and that
and it's it's it's kind of gets confusing here, but I'm going to
try my best. Y'all help me through this.
But see Paul was assuring the Philippians and all the other
believers as well that they have not write this down because this
hit me when the Lord give me this today and and I see
Christians doing this. They think sometimes by giving
that they're impoverishing their self.
You know, you ever say it says the Lord doesn't like a
grudgingly giver. If you'll be grudgingly, don't
give it. If you think you need it, don't
give it, right? This will change it.
This will help you on your perspective of of getting you to
where God wants you to be because it's not about the
money. It's about the trusting of God.
We have to figure that out. When we mentioned Tyler, we
mentioned all for people just get all weird and it's not about
that at all. God's word will go forth if he
finds a man with faith that'll go out and preach it, he going
to take care of him, right? I've seen it time and time
again. But Paul was assuring the
Philippians here and all other believers as well, that they
have not impoverished, that hid themselves in giving liberally
to the cause of Christ. Never let the enemy think you're
impoverishing yourself, that it's going to hurt you, right?
Because there, there's so much more to this.
Jesus said in Luke chapter 6 and 38.
Let's go there. This gets really good here and
and Luke 6 and 38. I want you to I know people
give, but I want people to understand why they give, right?
I want to understand why they give in Luke chapter 6 and verse
38. Very powerful Jesus talking
here. Luke 6.
I'm gonna give her time to get there, get a drink.
Luke the 6th chapter there's a lot of things going on in verse
20. Jesus begins to give the
beatitudes here and he ends up in 30 set 38.
He says give, say that with me give and it will be given to you
good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over.
I like what it says right here. It will be put into your bosom
put not that you have to go out running and begging like you say
the televangelist today he said put but as we look at this word
right here it and I read back on this.
He talked a little bit about about finances.
He says, but woe to the rich back in who you are rich in
verse 24 he pronounces some woes.
Money's mentioned there rich and money, but right here Jesus is
not really referring to monetary.
I don't believe could be, but he says give and it will be given
to you. Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over. It'll be put into your bosom for
with the same measure that you use it, it will be measured back
to you. I want to look at this a little
bit. Give and it will be given.
It will be measured back to you. So what is this?
We have connected this it especially reading this
particular verse and praying this verse over the offering as
a pastor do it, people do it. It could mean money, but I want
to look at this it it what does it mean?
Which its meaning is what anybody school teachers in here?
I'm I don't like teaching school teachers because y'all know
everything but it what is it? It's a non translatable
grammatical particle. What is that?
Can I say it again? When you look up a 2 letter word
called it, it's a translatable. That means you can translate, I
guess you can pass it to someone.
You can explain what it is if it's placed before direct order
marker. OK, because we can refer to the
bicycle or you can stomp your toe as I talked about on the
little shelf that's in the hall. And next time you walk by and
you say I hit my foot on it, it's a marker.
So let's read the definition of it.
Its meaning is a non. Help me with that word.
Translatable grammatical particle used as a definite
direct object marker. But if you don't know what it
is, how can you directly mark the object?
Well, I get deep with the stuff, me and the Lord in my mind and
then I'll get on another study and just taking in my shoulders
go to her and say God just give me a word, let me preach.
I don't want to teach tonight. Can I read that again?
I like it. Sounds sophisticated.
A non translatable grammatical particle used as a definite
direct object marker. That ain't even all of it.
How does this little word get so complicated?
It's placed between a verb and its specific object.
So it's between a verb, which is, I remember that's an action
word, and it's I don't know how I remember that and it's
specific objects. So what is it?
Did I explain it Then? A theologian can't figure out
what Jesus was talking about either.
When he said give, what was it? That's powerful?
Anything, That's what I come up with.
It sounds good, but when related to money, it can People make it
sound or give it and you're going to get it back.
Jesus didn't say that but so many being taught by especially
the church today right that's all up and about the money the
church and it's especially at offering time given it will be
given press down good shape measured running the over sounds
really good and yes, it's true because in Malachi.
Let's go to chapter 3 and verse 8 because I heard a preacher the
other day saying that that that tithe is not mentioned in the
New Testament Testament. I'll never forget the time in my
life. I was about 18-19 years old and
I, I was at a, I heard a preacher say that the, that,
that the 10th is required, right?
He said, you want to get into the supernatural blessings of
God, get out of the 10th and get into it when you get into it.
And he was preaching a little give and it be given.
But hey, it, it can happen, right?
But I want to look what the, what the old law, the law said
about it said, will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what ways have
we robbed you? And Malachi says in tithes and
offerings. Let's go on down to read the
rest of them verses. You're cursed with a curse.
So if you get 100% and you you everybody wants to check when
you get it to be 100% right. You don't want to hold anything
back. You don't want them holding
anything back. But it says that you're cursed
with a curse for you have robbed me.
Even the whole nation he was talking to, he says bring all
the tithe in, there's a storehouse that there may be
food in my house and try me, boy, I like that when God says
try me, there's something there. He says try me, try me in this,
says the Lord of hosts and see if I will not open for you the
windows of heaven and pour out money.
No, he didn't say money. He said blessing, blessing that
there will be not a room enough for you contain it or receive
it. You know, that's a promise.
That's not a command to me. That's a promise, isn't it?
To you. That's a promise of, of
blessing. Money can come in blessings,
healing can come in, but it's a blessing of many things that it
is big. the IT is big and then we can go and we can read about
it, right? This demo, slow down, let you
get this. And under the in Leviticus
chapter 2730 and 32, we're not going to cover these, just write
these down. It speaks of a tenth Numbers 18
and 26. It speaks of a tenth Holy
Deuteronomy 14 and 22. It speaks of 1/10 of their
fields annually in Genesis 28 and 22.
What happened? Jacob promised to give a tenth
holy, mostly mentioned in the Old Testament.
And then and then Abraham set up when the order of Melchizedek,
the tithe, and it was set up. We read about that, but let's go
to Matthew chapter 23 and verse 23 and 4 because I heard a
dignified preacher preaching the other day and said that tithing
was not in the New Testament, but yet it is.
How many anybody ever been guilty saying tithing is not in
the New Testament? It says give it, but it don't
mean money. But in Matthew chapter 23, once
again, your mind's already going to money.
I'm not talking about the money. I'm talking about why we give
the money. I'm talking about what giving of
whatever it is, time, talents, whatever it is in your life.
But see the reason it's placed upon robbing God because it is
money. In most of our life it is money.
It determines where you go, what you do.
It determines a lot of things in our life.
But in Matthew chapter 23 and verse 23, it says woe to you,
scribe. Who was he talking to?
Scribes and Pharisees wasn't Baptist, Baptist and Methodist.
It was scribes and Pharisees and he called them hypocrites.
He said, look what Jesus said. He said, because Jesus separates
this thing really good here because see, many are hung up on
the tithe. Many.
I've had it happen here. Boy, I could just give a little
more. If you wouldn't preach a little
this, if you just do a little, do you really have to get on
that? And they'd be big givers, I
guess. And at that time I had somebody
do, I didn't know who give what, but I'm like, no, really don't
matter because the gospel is the gospel.
Whether you give or not, it doesn't change.
Say we can understand this stuff.
It'll change your life. It'll break you out of that
prison of lusting for money. And know that God's going to
supply what you need no matter what.
And he'll take the love of money away.
He said it's not the love of, it's not money that's the root
of all evil. It's the love of the money, but
we need the money to make it. We know that that's what our
that's what our society. Jesus called him hypocrites.
But look how this is so cool how he separates it right here.
He says for you, cleanse the outlets.
Let's back up. Where am I at?
Somebody help me. 27 What do you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites
for? You don't know that ain't where
I'm at. Let me get back. 23 What do you
scribe? They said scribes too many times
and he calls them hypocrites a lot.
Don't. What are you, scribes and
Pharisees? Say it with me, hypocrites.
Has anybody ever heard that statement?
Man, I'd go to church. There's hypocrites there.
I told a guy one time I said, well, can I tell you something?
The hypocrites closer to you are to God that you are because he's
there. Well, there's hypocrites there.
How many has that kept people out of church?
Raise your head if you know somebody that you've heard that
in the church. I ain't going to that day the
hypocrites there. The only difference is we've
forgiven hypocrites. We all hypocrites.
Some of them just forgiven and seek seek repentance.
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees say it with me.
But look what he says right after that he says for you pay
tithe, but yet he called him a hypocrite right.
A lot of people think the tithe keeps from being a hypocrite.
No, no, no. It's the IT he says for you.
Pay tithe of men and ants and coming and have say that word
for me for making fun of me. Say it.
Whoever made fun say it. Who made fun of me?
Raise your hand. OK.
How's that word pronounced? Y'all want?
I got 3 ladies sitting on the background.
They're going to pronounce this word for me.
I ain't worried about that word. I'm trying to get the IT to you.
What word did I say wrong? Where?
A niece. A niece is what little kid is to
you. Niece.
We ain't talking about your niece.
I made it sound real dignified. I said a nice, what did I say?
What is it? Let's just camp out and let's
miss the IT tonight and let's camp out on the niece.
I always want to do that on the Sunday.
Let's just miss this whole message because I messed the
word up. God help them back there.
Let's just mess this whole. Let's just miss the IT tonight.
That's what I'm talking about right there.
Hypocrite. Did you look it up?
OK, I can't look it up up here. So when I'm scanning over
something, I don't know what means that.
I don't know how to say it. I just have to do that and say
whatever comes out, OK? I'm not lacking preachers.
It's buttoned up and tied up. I ain't had time all week to
look up a niece and to be honest with you, when Jesus called him
a hypocrite forgiving it, I really don't care.
I want to see what he what the what hypocrite.
But thank you for your help back there.
So this is a niece they paid tithe on mint and a niece.
I'll never forget that word long as I preach the gospel.
So you fixed it all right, here we go to coming cumin, cumin and
have neglect. They're all OK.
They're all something that come out of the ground.
They're ours. We agree on that.
Let's move forth or y'all going to be griping because I'm late.
But look what he says. You give all these things and he
could have put right there and you know what they mean.
He could have said and you've camped out and you've learned
what they mean. You pay your tithe.
You know all about these fleshly things, but look at this, he
said. And have neglected the way dear
matters of the law, justice, mercy and faith.
And boy, I love this part right here.
And the people say, well, we just keep the law, keep mercy.
We don't have to give nothing. We just be good people.
Then we don't have time. They try to separate the thing.
You've seen this brother Tim, try to separate the two things.
We try to separate and we even do it in the church with
holiness. We try to separate holiness
because of grace, right? We don't have to live holy
because of grace. So we separate grace, we
separate holiness, we separate the tithe across from the
living, right? And then pretty soon we got a
messed up church that don't know which way they're headed, ain't
seen in a miracles of God. Are you recording this tonight?
I hope so. I'm not ashamed.
But look what he says right here.
Jesus, man, he don't leave nothing out.
He's a God of nothing broken, nothing missing.
He said, OK, you've given and you've tithe you talking to this
particular sect, but he said you take the tithe is making you
whole and you forgot the justice and the mercy.
Look what Jesus said right here. I love it.
He said these you ought to have done without leaving the others
undone. Boy, isn't that exciting?
He said you ought to have done both of them and then you'd have
something that you could brag and that you could look at.
But he said, but you don't do that.
You just blind guides. I've preached on this verse a
lot of times, blind guides who strain out the gnat, the little
bitty thing, but you swallow a big old camel.
So y'all figured out what the IT is that it will be given.
Let's go back to Luke 6 and 20. I'm gonna read you what I think
the IT is. Luke chapter 6 and verse 20.
Give everybody time to get there.
Luke chapter 6 and verse 20. That might be it in your life
right there. Luke chapter 6 and verse 20.
Y'all ready? He lifts up his eyes toward his
disciples and he said I believe this is understanding it right
here. Blessed are you poor?
Wow. You know some of the happiest
people I knew in my life were the poorest people, some that
see the greatest miracles of God.
I'm talking about pray to God and see a healing like that.
Pray to God and see the fever break just like that.
Pray to God and see flowered in the cover just like that.
They were the poorest, but they had learned in whatever state.
He said blessed are you poor for years is the Kingdom of God.
What do you say about the rich? It's easier for camel in through
the eye of the needle. Well, brother, that doesn't
really mean that. There was a place over there
called the Eye of the Needle. The camel could get through if,
well, maybe there was. I don't.
I've read that too, but I like to take it for what it says.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you and when they exclude you.
We have Christians whining about that today.
He said, Blessed are you and revile you, and cast out your
name is evil for the Son of man's sake.
Rejoice in that day, leap for joy, for indeed your reward is
great in heaven. Why can't we get excited about
that? For in like manner their fathers
did the prophets, he says, But woe to you who are rich, for you
received your consolation. Woe to you who are a fool for
you for you. Woe to you who are a fool.
For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for
you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well
of you. For so did their fathers to the
false prophets. Stay with me.
I believe this is the IT right here.
But I say to you, I say to you who here love your enemies hard
to do. Do good, though.
Those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those
who spitefully use you. Anybody ever had to do that?
I've had to do that the last month for someone.
It's just it's hard to him who strikes you on one cheek, all
for the other. I come from a Pentecostal
background on one side, the other side.
When my mom married my stepdad they didn't know God and I heard
my granddad and he said one I knew who God was.
He did but he didn't live for God at the time.
Let him the Lord before he died. But he always told me he said
turn 1 cheek they hit you on the other.
Fight him because of the devil. That was his philosophy of it.
I kind of liked it. But from him who takes away your
cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
Give to everyone who asked of you and from him who takes away
your goods. Do not ask them back.
You know, I went and helped the guy one time and he had this
little piece. I was going to had to go get
something down there. He's building fence.
He got go in there and get this deal.
He honestly, I think he'd bought a pack of them double packs of
combo locks and locked this thing up and the locks cost more
than the part I was going to get.
That's the way some people are. Lock it up, got to replace it if
they steal it. And just as you want men to do
to you, you also do likewise to them.
What is this I'm reading about tonight?
Say it with me the IT. But if you love those who love
you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who
love them. And if you do good to those who
do good to you, what credit is that to you?
For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from
whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?
For even sinners lend to sinners, and receive as much
back. But love your enemies, do good,
lend, hoping for nothing in return.
And your Father will be great, and your reward will be great,
and you'll be sons of the Most High that's powerful.
For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
And see that led us up to where he says give and yet shall be
given. See, this is a blue plant.
This is a blueprint. What we're reading here, a
beatitude is a blueprint. The happiness often referred to
the happy sayings of Christ because if we live by them, it's
a blueprint. It may not be money.
It could be because God does bless.
But as I said, some of the most happy people are those that had
given their time, tithe and talents.
It will come back in good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over. See most of the time it's not
money because he goes way beyond our thoughts, right?
Ain't there a scripture that says he be goes beyond our
thoughts to what? To our needs?
There's old song says he saw beyond thank God he sees beyond
my thoughts. He saw beyond my thoughts to my
knee. That's what happened to you when
you got saved. You thought you needed all the
world, but he went beyond your thoughts to your needs.
Aren't you thankful tonight? So I challenge you, as I said,
most of here tonight. I'm sure our tithers I'm sure
are givers, but never let the enemy tell you how much you
could have done with what you give to God.
It doesn't matter. I'll never forget what I settled
that with a devil. When you don't, I said it
doesn't matter what I could have done.
It's not mine, it's God's. It's a commandment from him.
Look what God's doing. With the IT that I give him,
he's multiplying it. He's people seeing me living in
my life and they're coming to Christ.
They're seeing you living in that your life.
I'm far beyond your words can ever speak.
They're watching your actions and they're coming to Christ.
Somebody ought to say, man, I'm glad I figured this out a long
time ago. It doesn't matter.
I give it to God. God knows.
So see now what happens or something supernatural happens
right here because I've taken the curse off the 100% and I've
given the 10 to God and now God can bless the 90.
I can do way more on 90 blessed than I can 100 cursed.
So however God chooses to bless me, whatever the IT is, let it
happen, may not be money, it could be money.
But I pray that your prayer tonight, whatever it is,
whatever the IT is, I want you to say, not that I seek the
gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
Isn't that powerful? I'm not preaching you something
I have not practiced. I have.
I'm not preaching to you that I have practiced it.
I've saw this work for me so many times, so many times.
And you know, we want to say, well, brother, you got to give
this way. I'll never forget it.
And I'm not bragging on anything I've done.
I don't want you to take it that but as Ronnie Christian come
here that time told the story about me walking across the
parking lot giving $1000 and it was because it wasn't because it
was me and Ronnie, it's because the Holy Spirit struck me down
and said go give the man $1000. And that's what I did.
That's what I did and I'll never forget one night I was early on
when I was when I grabbed the concept of it's not about the
money. The Lord spoke to me and I
didn't have the money on what God told me to give this mother
man, but I give it anyway. And I said, God, you better get
me that rodeo. You better make sure I win that
day and you better make sure that check is the banker that
that preacher gonna have a hot check in his pocket.
I said, I'm just telling you, but I obeyed you and man that
you know, and it's not about the money, it's about the obedience.
But God took care of it. Amen.
But that's the place we have to come back to and know that God
does not operate. God doesn't want you in your
financial security blanket. He wants you dependent on Him.
And until we grasp that, we're going to remain bound up,
indebted up. We're going to, I've been there.
We're going to remain these ways until we start listening to the
voice of God of what to give and what to take and what to receive
and what to let go. Amen, Because it's about sowing
and reaping in this life. But I can stand and I can say as
you do tonight, my God shall supply all of your needs
according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.
So when you have given of your time, your tithe, and your
talent, and also your heart to him, you can change this word.
I can say tonight, my God shall supply all of your needs.
He shall supply all of my needs because I've entrusted my, I've
entrusted my life with him, right?
And you can change this word to all my needs.
Have you ever quoted that? You ever quoted the other way
and told somebody, my God shall supply all your needs.
Why? Because I've already trusted him
and I've already seen what He can do in my life.
Say man, we had a flat one night.
On the other, donut tires, when they 1st come out, do you all
remember them little bitty tires?
And we had bought a set of tires in Arizona recaps and I was
running 80 miles an hour trying to get to Idaho.
We was going Phoenix to Idaho to rodeo in Idaho.
We was leaving Idaho and going back across to Sheridan, WY.
You'll mop that. It's not a little bitty area.
And we was in a minivan. I had a blowout and the side of
the road was gravel running 8590 miles an hour trying to make it
because we just put a rear end in that van that week before and
trying to get to the rodeo in in Idaho.
And we're running on this tire and it blows.
At my first experience with recaps, that was all we had the
money to buy at that time. We put that $20 recap on there
and it blew out like they killed us.
So we run out. We, we, we've got this spare and
it's a little donut. We've already heard these
stories. You don't need to drive 10 miles
on these donut, 20 miles to Max. Remember when they 1st come out?
Well, we jacked it up, borrowed 2 jacks from a trucker, put the
doughnut on the back, put the good tire off the back on the
front. Now we had no spare and was
almost Idaho. We get to Idaho.
Then we got to go to Sheridon Wyoming the next day and
somewhere is nothing was open. We're running 8085 at night on
that doughnut. We put all we put over 1000
miles on that donut that week before we put a tire on it.
My God shall anybody played prayed over tires with the deal
sticking out. I was going down.
I could tell you story after story.
I was about to get on airplane one time and something happened
to God said don't and it it had a bunch of problems.
One of them little puddle jumpers had friends go down in
them not to see again. There's so many time just
listening to the voice of God. See, that's the IT in my life.
When you're on an airplane that's going down, you don't
think about money. When you have a blowout running
85 and you're sliding in rocks, you're going.
The money's the last thing on your mind.
So what's the IT in your life? Could it be eternal life?
Could it be happiness, peace and joy?
Take all the money. Take all the wealth and riches,
but see God, if you read his word, there's no way that you
can that you can trust Him with every part of it and not trust
Him with the financial part of it and expect for it all to mix.
Jesus said, what did he say that was a good y'all are to memorize
that. I had to remember a lot tonight.
Y'all could remember that one. What I said we remember a niece
from now on. But what did Jesus say?
He said you shouldn't have left one undone without the other.
You come into the temple and you give so everybody would see you.
Jesus called that hypocritical because he said you ain't got
the mercy and the grace and the things down yet.
So what good is the giving going to do that?
You'd be surprised. People trying to buy their way
to heaven. Hey, man, get your mercy and
your grace and, and, and your forgiveness and your love for
you now and all that stuff. When you get that in your
spirit, guess what? The money ain't going to mean
nothing to you because you know, it's all God's and he owns the
cattle on 1000 hills and somehow, someway, my God's going
to take care of me. I was going down.
I was going down that big old mountain Passover there in
Colorado. I don't know, there's so many of
them, but we had this old guy Rodie, I got to tell.
This is 8:00. We had this old guy.
I told Jared I was going to preach to 9.
He asked me 12 and I said 9. But we we was going down there.
You know the wires over here. We turn the headlights on.
This was early years. This is for God got the
blessing. But I done figured it out to get
from where I was to where I wanted to go.
It took God. We had these two little wires
that he had stuck in there and tighten them down and they stuck
out and you had to twist them together to have headlights.
Oh, Chevy Astro vans, that is tough.
But we was driving that thing and I was coming down that Raton
Pass I think it was and the headlights went out.
I'm talking about out and I hadn't drove his van that much.
He just told me, hey, turn the headlights on.
You got to twist some 2 wires over dash was missing.
I mean junkers, you know, I'm talking about Scott, you
probably drove a few, but I mean rodeo and I'm not picking on if
you rodeo, you drove junkers because if they wasn't a junker
this year, next year with AI put 100,000 miles a year on a
vehicle, go buy a brand new one and then walk up here and be
upside down. Forty $30,000, you know, but you
could buy a new one then for 25. What like it is now.
But so my first thought is I started praying and then I
thought I better start driving while I'm praying because this
vehicle ain't moving. I'm running fast.
So I'm trying to find these wires and get them twisted till
the headlights will come on. They're this dark.
I can barely see the white line to keep it off these mountain
and time I got it twisted. I never got it twisted.
It didn't make contact. So we pulled over.
Headlights were out. But my God shall supply all my
needs according to his riches and glory.
What a God we serve. I'm telling this stuff works
y'all, but you got to figure out what your it is.
A lot of people ain't figured out what their it is.
You got to go to work. You got to.
I get all that. I've been down all those roads,
but I still have figured this out as you stand your feet.
Thanks for listening to the Cross Power Church podcast.
May you know that true hope, peace, and salvation can only be
found in Jesus. If you're near Campbell, TX, we
would love for you to join us in person.
You can find service times at crosspowerchurch.com.