Have you ever heard a gospel that taught you to do without? First off, that was not the Lord thy God and neither was it good news. I am the lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit. Someone may ask, “What do you have to say when people talk about the fact that you are into money, and the Bible says that it is wrong to lay up treasures on this earth?” Great question! “I tell them that is why when I preach I tell them not to “lay it up”
and “give it up.” Give it to me!
The people that have the most problems with giving are those that are laying it up. You will only keep what you give away, but you lose what you hold onto. Well, “What do you have to say about Jesus, who was seemingly poor?” I say, “Oh, no, Jesus was not poor.” He called twelve men off their job and said, “Follow me.” Most men cannot call their woman off her job. In most American household, if the woman stopped working none of the bills would get paid. Jesus was far from poor. Jesus fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children, and most have to save up money just to feed a wedding party at a reception without a problem.
Jesus clothing were commensurate to the Versace, Brioni, and the Armani of his day. He had tailor made garments. Even at the crucifixion they were casting lots for his garment. Your garments have to be extremely costly for people to gamble for them. And Jesus said, get me an ass, which a man never sat on. Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the Rolls Royce of his day. He did not want a used one, he said, “Get me one which a man never sat on.”
“Why was he born in a manager?” Jesus was born in a manger, to show you that you too can overcome any odds. I do not care what you are born in, you could be homeless today, but you could be calling men off their jobs tomorrow. You could be homeless today, but you could be wearing fine garments tomorrow. You could be homeless today, but telling people, “Get me a Rolls Royce that a man never sat on.” I want you to know that, where you are today, does not speak to your tomorrow. You can overcome the odds!
In this hour, people want more than teaching. People want to see demonstration. People hate to take tests. Most churches do not give you any tests. You could sit there for 50 years, and they will keep you in kindergarten. You will never get a GED there. They keep giving you building blocks to play with. They will keep you “at the cross.” There is nothing wrong with the cross, but Jesus did not hang around the cross. He did not even hang around the tomb. Even when He was resurrected, He folded up His napkin, got it accurately arranged, so that he would not have to come back to it again.
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What are the odds God is calling you to overcome?
