The Blessings Of God

The annual meeting at Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, Shelby County Alabama, began on Saturday, October 21,2000 with prayer and a spirit filled song service. Elder Ernie Stump opened the preaching services, followed by Elder Charlie
Tucker and Elder Gary Lowe. Elder Lowe and family are from the Stewart’s Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Mt. Airy, N.C. Sister Jennifer Renee Hand came forward asking for a home in the church. She was gratefully accepted. After having lunch under
the pavilion at the church, Sister Renee Hand was baptized in Davis Lake, Vandiver Alabama. We thank the good Lord for this, our dear sister. She is the grand-daughter of Elder and sister Erskine Hand. The Lord adds daily such as should be saved.
On Sunday, after prayer and another spirit filled song service, Elder Erskine Hand opened services, followed by Elders Gary Lowe and Joe Burcham.
The Lord blessed with liberty all the ministers who spoke both days.

After another lunch, with more food than could be eaten, communion service was held. There were eleven sisters and twelve brothers who took part in the communtion. Tears rolled down many cheeks as borther washed brother’s feet, and sister washed sister’s feet. The good Lord’s presence was surely felt both days. We had an abundance of phisical and spiritual food. The blessings of the poured upon us in abundance.

We thank the Lord, for we know that every good and perfect gift comes down from above. In the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verse 10, we read “Bring ye all the tithes into the store house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now here with, saith the Lord of hosts,
if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to recieve it.” The Lord is speaking to Jacob, those He loves. See chapter 1, verse
1. The Lord is speaking to his people. Bring ye all tithes into the storehouse. Physical Israel was commanded to tithe in the law service. Offerings were made unto the Lord. They were divded
among the priest, the poor, the temple, but the offering was made unto the lord.

In Exodus, chapter 25, the Lord is speaking unto Moses, giving instructions as to how the tabernacle would be made. (It does not need to be altered in any way). The Lord told Moses to take the offerings of those who gave it willingly with their heart.

If the Lord has touched our heart then we are to give it willingly unto Him. We do not tithe a percentage as under the law but give willingly as we are blessed. The church is a place where
the rich and poor assemble together to offer unto God a living sacrifice. Certainly we support the church and its need with money, but the sacrifice is to present our bodies unto God, a living sacrifice.
II Chronicles, chapter 31, begins after a passover, after the lamb was slain, after the blood was sprincled, after the feast of unleaved bread. Remember that Jesus Christ is our passover.
Chapter 31 begins, “Now when all this was finished,” after Christ declared on the cross, “It is finished,” after He completed the work His father gave Him to do; after all these things, the people of Israel tore down the graven images, the idols, the groves and high places of all the man made pagan gods. The children of Isreal brought their offerings unto the Lord.

We find in verse 10 that they had enough to eat, they had plenty, they had left over enough to store.
Our offering is our promise to the living God, walking apart from the world with brethren and sisters in Christ, in christian love, humbleness and obedience.

The Lord says in Malachi, “Prove me,” -try me, see if I will not. God can not lie. He made a promise. “If I will not open you the window of heaven, and pour out you a blessing, that there shall not be enough rtoom to recieve it.”
If we bring our praise to God, what blessings we shall recieve. God promises to rebuke the destroyer, and that our fruit shall not be destroyed. Our fruit, our work, our labor. As we strive to obey God to walk in the way which He ordained, God will
bless and sustain.

God will rebuke the destroyer. He is able. Consider the God who created all things with a spoken word. Consider the God who died upon the cross for you. Consider the God who defeated death and came forth from the tomb. Is he not able? Certainly so. He is totally able. “And all nations shall call you blessed.” As a candle set upon a table top, the church shines in God’s glory, that all might see the great work which the Lord has done.

“For ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of host.” O what a delightsome land, O how wonderful are the blessings of God. God gave His son for us. This is the best He had.

Shall we
not offer the best we have? Shall we not offer all unto Him? Shall we enjoy the blessings of the Lord?

Elder Vaughn Winslett