In a world that seems to continue to hopelessness, how can we, Christians, have faith? How can we continue to believe that God will fulfill every promise even when everything around us seems to say otherwise? What kind of faith do Christians need to be able to see the promises of God fulfilled, and how do we get that kind of faith? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the power of the Storm Calmer (the Prince of Peace) in his message, What Manner of Man is This Pt. 1: Master of the Storm.
Matthew 8:23-27 (KJV) Matthew 9:9 John 1:40–51 John 1:29–34 Matthew 8:8–10 2 Corinthians 5:7 Hebrews 10:38 Romans 10:17
Master of the Storm
What Manner of Man is Jesus?
Jesus is the Storm Calmer
23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. 25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus is The Prince of Peace
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:5-7
Jesus didn’t leave us alone; He has given us His peace that we might overcome every obstacle in our way.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
Promises of God
God promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises that He will always be with us, and when a storm comes our way, He is our strong tower, for He is the master of all storms.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 7:24-27
5 …He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6
Don’t allow the storms to overcome you. Hold tightly to your faith in The Storm Calmer, The Master of the Storm.
The Scripture says that the world is the LORD’S, yet the world has turned its back on the LORD. The world hates Jesus Christ and His teachings and any who follow Him. They took Him out of the schools, workplaces, communities, cities, and governments. They are trying to get rid of God completely; why? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the signs all around us in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 3: We Do Not Want This Man To Reign Over Us.
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
We Do Not Want This Man To Reign Over Us
The World Hates Jesus Christ
The whole world is currently shouting, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
11 As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
Luke 19:11-27
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
John 1:9-11
Why is the whole world shouting, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us;’ because they want to remain in evil instead of entering the light. They don’t want to change or turn from their wicked ways.
16 For God so loved the world,that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
John 3:16-21
This is why the world only shouts, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’ because they desire only evil. They don’t desire the things of God, nor do they desire God Himself. Therefore, we must come out of the world, lest we fall prey to the temptations of the world and we ourselves begin to shout, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ The price of doing the work of Christ is eternal life, but the cost of ignoring Christ’s free gift of salvation is losing that chance at eternal life.
We Want This Man To Reign Over Us
Even though the world hates Jesus Christ and His teachings, we must love Christ and follow His commands and we will have eternal life. We can’t give into persecution, fear, or the temptations of this world; we must stand strong that we might receive eternal life with Christ Jesus.
12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
If we take a moment to look at the world around us, we’d see how the world is falling farther and farther away from God. Love is growing colder in the hearts of mankind and is being replaced with a false love that leads to death. The time to look up for Jesus’ return (the rapture) is close at hand. After that comes the Last Judgment, where we will all stand before the LORD and receive a just sentencing for what we did with the God-given spiritual gifts (the Gifts of the Spirit). Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 2: Commendation or Judgement.
2 Samuel 21:1–6 Ephesians 4:25–27 Ephesians 6:12 Acts 12:1–3 Acts 12: 4–5 Acts 12:6–10 John 14:13–14
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
Commendation or Judgment
The Last Judgment
One day we will all stand before the Great White Throne and receive our just judgment for our actions on this earth. On that day we will either receive glorious commendation or fierce judgment.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
What Leads to Commendation
To receive commendation rather than the fierce judgment of God, we have to do more than just believe that God exists and that Jesus died and rose again. We have to fulfill the will of God.
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:31-40
Gifts of the Spirit
We’ve all been given spiritual gifts. Some will seem impossible or outdated, but nevertheless, they are all from God. Sometimes there’s a price for doing the will of God because of the backlash from others, but there is always a cost for ignoring the call of God with no reward.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:4-13, 27-31
What Leads to Judgment
We’ve all been given gifts. We all have a call on our lives. To not do that call and not grow your God-given gift is to be against the Spirit of God and His gifts. This will lead us into the fierce judgment of God instead of His glorious commendation.
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Matthew 25:41-46
When we don’t fulfill the will of God, we quench the Spirit of God. When we quench the Spirit of God we receive His judgment instead of His commendation.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-24
The Last (The White Throne) Judgment is when the Son of Man will either reward you with His glorious gifts or punish you with His righteous judgment. We still have time to choose between commendation and judgment. We still have a chance to build up treasure in Eternity for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
2000 years ago, Jesus ascended into Heaven but promised that He would one day return. As we wait for Jesus’ return, what are we, Christians, supposed to do? Does it matter what we do? Do Christians have a call (job) to do while we wait for Jesus to return? If we do, what is that call, and what will happen if we don’t fulfill it? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of doing the will of God during these last days in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 1: Rewards and Consequences.
Luke 19:11–27 Luke 19:9–10 Proverbs 11:30
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
The Call All Christians Have
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
All of us Christians have a call on our lives to do the will of God. The will of God is that none perish but all come to repentance. According to Paul, the only way for people to repent is to hear of the Word of God, and the only way to hear is if someone tells them. How can someone tell unless they also believe? It’s our call (job) as Christians to tell as many people as we can about Jesus and lead all who desire to Christ. If our call is our job, then to either do our job or not do our job will leave us with either rewards or consequences.
The Rewards and Consequences Set Before All Christians
The Reward of Following The Will of God
46 While He was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But He replied to the man who told Him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50
There will be greater rewards for those who have shared the Gospel with others, and likewise there will be greater consequences for those who have refused to share the Gospel with others.
The Consequence of Not Following The Will of God
21 Not everyone who says to me [Jesus], ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:21-23
Believing alone isn’t enough. When God gives us a gift, we are meant to share it with as many people as we can. We aren’t meant to hide our gift and keep it to ourselves. All Christians have been given the free gift of Salvation, the most important gift, so why wouldn’t we share that gift with others?
When we pray, we expect an immediate answer. We expect God to fulfill His promises and pour out blessings on His people, but what happens when He doesn’t? What happens when certain mountains refuse to move? Do we just give up, or is there something that we’re missing? Is there something maybe that we didn’t even do that’s affecting us? Could it be a generational curse or something in our bloodline that is causing us to stay at a standstill with God? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual warfare we may be missing in his message series, The Harvest Pt. 2: Reaping Your Harvest.
2 Samuel 21:1–6 Ephesians 4:25–27 Ephesians 6:12 Acts 12:1–3 Acts 12: 4–5 Acts 12:6–10 John 14:13–14
The Harvest Pt. 2: Reaping Your Harvest
Generational Curses
4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6
Reaping Your Harvest
How To Reap Your Harvest
Spiritual Warfare
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
For the past 2000 years, the Church has been awaiting the Second Coming of the Messiah (The Harvest of the Church or the Rapture). Each generation has believed they would see Jesus in their day, but never has there been a time such as now. Prophecies are being fulfilled. There are wars and protests for freedom all across the world like never before. It is the sign of the times. So, what does that mean for us? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to our spiritual weapons in his fiery message, The Harvest Pt. 1: The Harvest is Nigh.
Judges 6:2-6 Genesis 42:36–38 Mark 9:29 (KJV) James 5:16b (KJV) Psalms 147:1 Psalms 135:1 Psalms 22:3 Revelation 12:11 Matthew 4:1-4 2 Corinthians 9:8 Philippians 4:19 Psalms 23
The Harvest is Nigh
Our Spiritual Weapons
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:10-18
Hope in the Harvest of the Church (The Second Coming of Jesus)
1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.
John 14:1-4
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
When speaking of tithes, it can feel very confusing. It seems as if God is giving to us just to take some back. What’s the purpose of the tithe? Why does God demand to have a tenth of what we have made? Why does God need the tithe? Is God giving to us just so He can take away? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he searches through Scripture to find the purpose of tithe in his message, Tithing Pt. 3: Receiving The Blessing.
Malachi 3:10–12 Matthew 6:19–21 Matthew 20:8–15 Luke 10:7 1 Corinthians 9:11 Philippians 4:15–17 Matthew 10:40–42 2 Corinthians 8:1–5 2 Corinthians 9:7–8
Tithing Pt. 3: Receiving The Blessing
How Do You Receive a Blessing From God?
What’s The Purpose of The Tithe?
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:10-12
When we give back to God, it’s an act of faith. It’s an act of trusting God and in return, God pours out even more blessings upon you. Tithing isn’t just so God can take away from us. Tithing is about faith and trust in the LORD God and His promises. It’s about putting God above yourself.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:33-34
So, how do you receive a blessing from God? You give to God. When we give to God, He gives to us. God has already done His side of the bargain. He paid the debt of all of mankind. It was now up to mankind to accept that gift and give back to God. It’s a relationship. God has given to us, now we give back to God, but it doesn’t stop there. God then repays your tithes and offerings with even more blessings from Heaven.
In part one, we defined tithing as, That which belongs to God. We can then understand that the tithe isn’t optional. Why? Because the tithe doesn’t belong to us. The tithe belongs to God. It’s God’s portion out of what He has blessed us with. He gives us all we need, and in return, we give back a portion to God that we might honor the blessings we have received. And when we refuse to give to God what belongs to Him, we put ourselves under a curse because by refusing to tithe, we rob God. Throughout Scripture, God demanded what belonged to Him. Whether it was a forbidden fruit (The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) or a forbidden city (Jericho), God demanded the tithe then, and He still does now. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he goes a little deeper into the importance of bringing God the tithe in his message, Tithing Pt. 2: The Forbidden City.
Malachi 3:10–12 Joshua 6:17–21
Tithing Pt. 2: The Forbidden City
What is Tithing?
The Definition of Tithing
That Which Belongs To God.
Tithing is that portion that God has set aside for Himself out of what He has given to us. For all good things from the Father of Lights (James 1:17). Therefore, to refuse to give the tithe to the LORD is to rob God.
Jericho and the Tithe
15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”
Joshua 6:15-19
Achan’s Sin
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
Joshua 7:10-15
Jericho was not intended for the people of Israel. It was the first of the cities they had overcome in the land of Canaan and it was the city that the people of Israel were not allowed to gain from. Why? Because that was God’s portion. Jericho was the tithe.
When Jesus came, He came to bring a new and better covenant. Since then, we have no longer been under the Law given to the Jews by Moses, but now under the Law of Liberty, as James puts it. Because of this, many of us believe that tithing was only for the time of Law, but is this true? Do we no longer have to tithe because we are no longer under the Law? Can man no longer rob God? What is the tithe? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes and lays a steady foundation for us to build on in his message, Tithing Pt. 1: The Knowledge Tree.
6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:6-12
So, what is the tithe? Tithing is that which belongs to God. This changes the perspective of the tithe because the tithe isn’t just some random law that God gave to Moses. This now makes sense why to not give the tithe is to rob God.
Tithe Before The Law and After The Law
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:18-20
4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Hebrews 7:4-10
Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek long before The Law of Moses because He understood that He had to pay God that which belongs to Him, through the High Priest of God. This continued during the Law of Moses, and it still continues to this day after the Law of Moses. The tithe still belongs to God; nothing has changed. Therefore, man can still rob God. So, give to God that which belongs to God.
The First Tithe
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17
The tithe was before the Law; it was actually from the Garden of Eden. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was forbidden for both Adam and Eve, as well as any of their descendants that would have been born in the Garden of Eden. The forbidden fruit was forbidden because that knowledge wasn’t for Adam and Eve or any of their descendants. That knowledge was only for God alone; that was Adam’s tithe to God. When they ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they stole from God. They robbed God of His tithe.
After Christmas Day, we tend to move on and forget the Birth of Christ because of the rush of cleaning up the mess of the presents/gifts and preparing for the coming new year. As the year moves on, we slowly forget more and more, until December 1st comes around again, then suddenly we are all about the Birth of Christ. But is this the way it should be? Is the day after Christmas as important as Christmas Day? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of the story of the Wise Men in his message, ‘Tis The Season: Twas The Day After Christmas.
Matthew 2:1–6 Matthew 2:11 (KJV) Matthew 2:16 (KJV) Daniel 5:10–12 Matthew 2:7 2 Timothy 3:5 2 Timothy 3:10–12 John 4:35–38
Twas The Day After Christmas
The Day After Christmas: The Story of the Wise Men
Many believe that the Wise Men came to find the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, but this isn’t actually the case. They arrived, if you will, the day after Christmas.
Their Encounter with King Herod
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:1-6
Their Encounter with The Messiah
This is how we know for sure that the Wise Men encountered Jesus after He was grown a little. This had to be, if you will, the day after Christmas because Jesus was a child living in a house with His two parents.
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:7-12
Today is the day after Christmas, are you still seeking Him?
