Willingness...Is it there or not?
Malachi 1:10
"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
In the book of Malachi we find a desperate situation where the LORD is disappointed and angered at his own priest because of several very important reasons. The priest of the Lord, who were supposed to represent Him, had fostered an attitude that clearly said, "2nd best is ok for my God". The priest of the LORD were accepting "less than the best" from the people as offerings for God. The priest accepted and offered on God´s altar animals that were known to be stolen, sick, lame, and defective animals. The prevailing attitude was like this, "If it´s sick give it to the Lord!". "If it´s lame, give it to the LORD". "If we don´t have an offering it´s ok to steal one and to give it to the LORD".
God is God and no one should dare take His glory lightly. God told His priest that they might as well get up and close the door to the temple because they were lighting useless fires on God´s altar. If we today are not giving God our very best then our offerings will likely not be acceptable to the Lord.
Who's altar was it? It was God´s sacred altar with which He had decreeded specific ways that offerings were to be made in His honor. It was not a decision simply left up to the priest of God, but was decreeded by God himself. When the priest began to accept and to encouragae and instill an attitude of "2nd best is ok for our God" then the LORD himself stepped in and said that even the secular governors of the land would not accept such unaccetable offerings. God said, ""Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands." Does the Lord accept the offerings that come from your hands and from your heart? Is the LORD most often angered and disappointed that there is a prevailing lack of willingness to make acceptable offerings to Him.
The Lord Jesus spoke of doors that would be opened and doors that would be closed, but he also spoke of who is known to him and who is not. Look at what the book of Luke has to say...
Luke 13: 22-30
The Narrow Door
22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"
He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'
26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'
27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'
28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."
In effect Jesus is saying that there are many who claim to know Him, but they choose to not honor him with their lives or with their willingness and their offerings. Once the doors are closed they will not be opened for those who gave the Lord only their "2nd best"! You are encouraged to give the LORD you absolute best all of the time, with both a willing and a faithful heart. Are you willing to give Him your best offerings?
Nearly 300,000 people have visited this ministry`s website and many are frequently "entertained", but very few are actual givers to the Lord. The time for games has long since passed and the Lord is seeking willing givers for His ministry. The Lord truly does not need your gifts or your sacrifices but He ask them of you as a way that you express your honor for Him. Will you honor Him today with your firstfruit and best offering?
2 Corinthians 8:11-12
11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
This passage is so much like the Lord. The Lord wants His ministry finished. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence. The Lord seeks those who are eager and willing to complete the work. Verse 12 says that "if willingness is there, the gift is acceptable". The truth of the matter is that the Lord seeks willingness first and foremost and then the gift itself is acceptable if willingness is present according to what one has and not what one does not have. When we harden our hearts to the Lord then we begin to think that it is ok to either not give Him any offering or it's ok to give Him ¨2nd best".
The Lord expects for you to be a giver of your very best to Him and His ministry in accordance with your means. The Lord is not however honored with 2nd best offerings or no offerings at all. Always give the Lord you best and honor Him with your very best. If you are in ministry then you should always accept only the absolute best for our Lord who is either honored or dishonored in our offerings. As one of God´s leaders you have God´s mandate to teach the people of God to only offer up to God what is the absolute best in accordance with each one´s means but to also be always found willing!
If you would like to give to this global ministry please use this link: Mighty 300 Ministries
