Are You Authentically Thankful to God? Let’s Test that Claim

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

Is your spoken gratitude authentic or is it mere lip service, feigning gratitude to God with no repentance, or proportional giving, or contrition of heart?

If you truly GIVE THANKS, you will be a GIVER.

You will give our of that which God is giving into your hands.

“All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14 

Jesus commanded us to:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

The way we spend our money is a direct reflection of the priorities of our heart.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

If your stewardship/financials are not in God’s stated order, it’s because your life is not in God’s order (Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12; 16).

What’s the LORD purpose for giving you the ability to earn the money you are earning?

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18

Some reading this can remember the very day they rejoiced when the LORD blessed them with that job/income/business whereby they could earn money. Then, they continued to covet this fleeting world’s trinkets and are not in financial bondage and living a Laodicean consumeristic lifestyle. They love this temporal world and are therefore living in “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” which are “not of the Father.”

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17

Saints, let’s all pray and repent if need be….. that God will mercifully rebuke and turn upside all who call Him LORD and do not obey Him. They are all hell bound according to the only Savior.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Look at your bank statement: You spend how much on coffee, on junk food? And how much are you giving to the LORD’s work? Does He get the first portion, or is Jesus a second class citizen to you? See Matthew 6:33 and Proverbs 3:9-10.

IF you don’t want God mercifully getting in your business, shining His holy light into your darkness, before it’s too late – you will want to unfriend this account to make room for others who are choosing to be Christ’s authentic disciple and not a counterfeit (Psalms 119:130; Ephesians 5:7-11, etc.).

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12

The root determines the fruit and if you don’t have the tanbible, literal fruit to prove you are Christ’s, it’s only because you have need of repenting and re-turning to Him (Hosea 14:1-2).

Do you love Christ and the light of His truth? Or, do you love “darkness rather than light”?

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:19-21

Seems like to me that if this message angers you, that’s only more proof you are in need of truly repenting, laying down your life in this fleeting world, and following Jesus, bringing forth fruit to prove you have genuinely repented (Matthew 3:7-10).

Hell is chock full of those who made excuses instead of truly repenting and obeying God (Matthew 3:7-10). If your life doesn’t bear the fruit of full blown obedience to the Word of God, what does that reveal?

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16

You were saved by God, by His grace in Christ’s perfection to do good works and not to live in rebellion, sinful disobedience.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

If the LORD Jesus’ work means nothing to you, it’s because He means nothing to you. You have not truly repented.

Choosing God’s Way

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Are you ready to begin to feed your spirit and starve the flesh? One will live and the other will die.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-9

What is being addressed with Scripture in this message is walking in the Spirit vs walking in the flesh. This is a life or death situation.

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13

The only way to live in the Spirit instead of the flesh/sin, is the cross, daily. Memorize this verse. Make it your life verse, truth. Say it out loud now:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Speak this truth out each morning as you awake and are seeking God.

Making the Change – Setting Your Life up for Success

Are you truly, literally putting God first – in your heart, your life, you time and your treasure?

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

Firstfruits of what He allows you to earn:

“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 30:9-10

“Good Success” in the Divine Economy.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8

Have you memorized that verse above yet? Index card. KJB | Should God’s People Memorize His Word?

ARE YOU READY to do something other than just spend all your resources on the false god of sinful, already overfed, unrepentant self? Good: Go now and give some money to support this brother in Christ. His name is Sam. More in a moment. Let’s continue with the open rebuke to all who claim Christ and that this applies to…. Repent now for wasting all of the money God has given you on your selfish flesh.

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12

If you claim Christ as Savior and LORD, today is your day to put your money where your mouth is – or prove you are a total counterfeit. Am I angry? Yep, righteously indignant. Quick sitting there and doing nothing by making yourself fatter while Christ’s ministers/ministries can’t even stay afloat. There will be no apology. Repent now. And prove you’ve repented by dropping some money to this brother in Christ. Those who don’t regularly support Christ’s work need to repent. You are in big trouble – and your lack of action proves you are unrepentant and wicked, full of your wicked self, an enemy of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18-19). Sick of the devils claiming to be Christ’s and giving nothing to His work. “Depart from me” lies just ahead for them (Matthew 25; Lk 12, 16, etc.). You don’t give because you could care less about anyone but yourself. Matthew 6:19-24.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, REBUKE, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2

There are literally ministers right now who can’t travel to go minister to eternal souls while you have $50 of junk food in your fridge and pantry. Something wrong with that picture?

If this message of rebuke does not apply to you, if you conscience is clear because you literally give generously to God’s work – you may wish to stop to thank God now for continuing to unite your heart to truly fear His holy name and to continue to be a doer of His Word and not just a hearer (Psalms 86:11).

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

Now drop brother Sam, a labourer in Christ’s Gospel, a percentage of what God is giving you this week or off the top of what you have sitting there in the bank rotting – because you lay your head down on your pillow each night with no concern for anyone except yourself. Unreal. Sick. Vile. Depraved. Pure evil. This inaction is the fruit of a lost, hell bound soul. This is exactly what the now-in-hell inhabitants of Sodom were doing before the brimstone began to fall (Ezekiel 16:49-51). This is the lifestyle that was lived by the earth’s rebel population before the rain, the judgment began to fall in Noah’s day (Genesis 5-10). This was the lifestyle being lived by the once “rich man” who has now been in hell consciously suffering now for 2,000 years (Luke 16:19-31). He lavished his filthy self with all the pleasures of this world while a righteous man named Lazarus sat right under his evil nose and he lifted no finger to help him other than dusting off the crumbs from his bountiful table so Lararus could subsist. Read Luke 16:19-31.

Jesus commands those who are His to pray to the Father to send forth His “few” “labourers” and He is giving you money each week to supply them (Matthew 9:35-38). Are you obeying Him? Are you in need of real repentance?

There are men in ministry whom God has called out, whose families have needs. Does that matter to you? Find them and send them supply, now. Stop the rebellion.

Do not email or contact them and ask if they have a need. IF they are truly preaching the Gospel (sin, repentance, hell, the cross/crucified life, the blood of Jesus, holiness, etc.), they are gross lacking in supply. Just give!

“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” Proverbs 21:13

God is watching. He sees exactly what you have, every penny of it whether in cash, investments, gold, silver, or property. Don’t believe Jesus sees and is watching you to see what you will do with what He gave you? Think again: “Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how people cast money into the treasury… ” [podcast]

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18 

Remember, you do no one a favor except yourself when you repent. And when you repent, you will begin funding God’s work. Read Haggai 1-2 to see why diminishing returns are upon your life. There’s only one way to break that – and that’s real repentance which always results it giving freely with a grateful, cheerful heart, and an open, a generous hand (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

YOUR PRAYER: Father, in Jesus’ name, I here and now repent. I acknowledge and admit that I have been full of self, a self-idolater, instead of truly worshipping and give the glory to You, that is due to You. I have been a hypocrite and committed spiritual adultery and been full of pride and served the lusts of the evil, depraved god of self. Right this moment, I turn to You, asking You through Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and unite my heart to fear Thy name. Please take away the stony places out of my heart and grant this heart to be an obedient heart of flesh. Please break me LORD. In Jesus name, amen.

Talk is cheap: Now’s the day for you to begin doing your part – to get off the bench and on the field, in the game.

Locate, find, and give now to an authentic Gospel ministry that is uncompromising.

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Top 12 Missing Essential Doctrines in the Modern Church World! [podcast] | Repentance and Fruit | Loving not our Lives unto the Death [podcast] |

The Greatest Servant [podcast]

Jesus Sat Over Against The Treasury [podcast]

Dollar Dialogue [podcast]

Build the House [podcast]

Christ’s Great Commission is Central to the Original Gospel [podcast]