Monday AD 33

“We arrived in Jerusalem this morning.  As we crossed over the Mount of Olives the master wept concerning Jerusalem.  It seemed to break his heart that the city was gathered in her unbelief. Afterwards we made our way down the hill and crossed the Kidron Valley and come into the city gate.  There were lots of people singing songs and laying down palm branches.  Inside the old city we went to the temple, the Master wanted to look around.  Although the temple was filled with people and celebrations the Master seemed distant and disconnected from the activities .  He staried into the distance often.  There was a seriousness in his teachings today, unlike other days.  In the evening we returned to Bethany. “

Matthew 21:1=11, Mark 11:1-10, John 12:12-19, Luke 19:29-44

I have had several people ask about how to identify the lions they need to kill in their lives.  So I thought the time to do a blog might just be what is necessary to help navigate us to the closest walk with Christ.

Let’s start. Remember God is a relational God.  He longs for, exists in, and works toward relationship. Even God himself is expressed in the context of relationship: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He is and always has been, in relationship.  We are created in His likeness with His hardwiring, therefore we too are relational.  Our relationship with God can be expressed in three activities:
walking with God (Holiness), worshiping God (Honor), and working for God (Harmony).  These three help us to understand what it means to live in God’s favor.

Searching for Lions

Walking with God.  Our walk with God begins with understanding that He alone determines the path, pace and direction of the journey.  Our first move is to join Him in His walk, not ask him to join us in ours.
So the first possible lion is: Have you joined God in His walk? Or did you ask God to join you in yours? Have you met Him on His terms? Jesus is not only the prerequisite, but actually the exclusive path to a Godward walk. Jesus isn’t an option, rather He is the only way.  He not only sets the pace and direction rather He Himself IS the path.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6 NIV

Worshiping God. How good is your give?  Worship is a lifestyle of sacrifice as an act of love.  In the days of old, the men and women of the Bible would sacrifice animals, grain and other valuable things as a reminder that they loved God.  Although we don’t have to do blood sacrifices today since Jesus completed that need, we do still sacrifice as an act of love.
Another possible lion is a life lived in self. How good is your give?  How good are you at thanksgiving (being thankful)?  Do you count your blessings or gripe about your problems?  How good are you at sacrificial giving?  What have you given away lately for God that you wanted to keep? How about forgiving?  It is an act of worship to forgive.  We forgive BECAUSE God forgave us.  Who do you need to release from your anger and resentment?

Working for God. Know it or not when you believed Christ you were enlisted in God’s work of changing the world. What passion has God given you for His kingdom’s work that you are actively pursuing? God’s work is more about cooperation than it is individualism.  Sinful human nature says that if we are taking care of our family, we are doing what God wants to the fullest, but the Bible tells us “that God so loved the world” which is to say that He not only loves your family but he loves those who are not in your family.  The Mafia means “our thing” the family of God isn’t to be the Mafia.  It is to be shared. Reaching the world is a huge thing, hence God gave us a unique community that can make quick work of transforming the world.  That community is known as the church.  The word church means literally “a group of people who are called to cooperate”.  Cooperation means some leads, while others follow.  Some go through and some yield.  The church has everything she needs to impact the world but God requires we bring one thing into His work: humility.  It is the fuel that propels the work of God.  So more importantly than WHAT you are doing, WHO are you working with to change the world?  Who are you taking orders from?  Who are you leading? Who are you following?  If your life isn’t a demonstration of humility and cooperation while working in God’s church you are not working for God.

These three represent a life well lived and could each contain a lion you need to deal with.  Where is your lion?

If you are a Religious person and you are considering visiting ThatChurch.com, you need to read this.

If you want an “all about me, make me happy, give me more, happy go lucky, my best life now” church, we’re not ThatChurch.

We are serious about Jesus. We are militant about mission and reaching those who we were sent for. If you do come, we’ll introduce you to the One who will rightly kill your old life, only to resurrect you into Himself; making you something you couldn’t be on your own. We will help you understand the world doesn’t revolve around you and the hallow pursuits that don’t last. You will come to grips with the reality that you were sent here for a very specific mission to bring glory to the God who gave His life for you. He not only died for you, but He died for all of the broken of this distorted fractured world. No, if you are looking for a church to go to sleep in, don’t come here. But if you are looking for a reason to chase the greatest of pursuits and to live a life that will make a difference even 100 years from now, you will have come to the right place. We are ThatChurch. No apologies.

Just so you know…

• We are a church filled with sinners and broken people (I just don’t want you surprised). We do not pretend to be something we are not.
• We refuse to bottle feed milk to spineless, pretend Christians. You will be missional or you will not want to stay.
• We reach the lost. Whatever it takes. We steal from Hell that is what we are good at.
• We believe the Bible is true. Not just selected parts.
• We are serious about worship, prayer, and being like Jesus.
• We are serious about marriage.
• We are serious about holiness.
• We are serious about raising our kids to love God, respect and honor people, and to be ultimately on mission.
• We are serious about our students being leaders. They run their own services. They pray, worship, love, and serve Jesus. They don’t just watch.
• We own our mistakes.
• We want to be a place for both soldiers bent on making a difference in a lost world, and people who are far from God trying to get their lives figured out and their questions answered.
• We believe that God is crystal clear that His answer for every human need is found in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
• We love jacked up people, even if they drive a BMWs. Jesus saves them all.
• We don’t spend time with our critics. We just don’t have time.
• We will do what God sent us to do until we walk into Heaven’s gates bloody, dirty, sweaty, and draggin’ our swords. Falling to our knees we will listen for the words from our Lord that we have longed for life long…”Well done.” Just so you know you will be joining us and not us joining you. We know our mission and will help you realize yours.

By the way-if you do come, come early because evidently people are tired of religion and are ready for something real, and parking is always a problem.

Maybe I’ll see you Sunday.

-Scott Harness

Small churches think small.  I know that sounds condescending, but it’s true.  The size of a church isn’t necessarily indicative of the depth of the people, but it is all too common for small churches to think small.  Small thinking is masked behind the guise of “stewardship”.  “Let’s not do something big because we can afford it”, or “We just have to live with that crappy situation because we can’t pay to fix it”, or maybe “We would grow if we had one of those or that.”  Unfortunately, small thinking leads to small results.  Churches stay small and have very little cultural influence because they aren’t willing to engage their community with their God-given authority and the understanding you that CANNOT break the unbreakable church.

“Upon this rock I will build my church and the GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.”-Jesus (Matt 16:18)

Why think big, dream big, and plan big?

First, because our God is a big God!  Simply being in a small community or a small fellowship doesn’t mean God is small.  The number of people coming to your assembly has nothing to do with what God is able to do.  Scripture is clear, NOTHING is impossible for him who believes (see Mark 9:23)…notice that the emphasis is on the “nothing”, yet in context it is talking about a single person (him).  Think big because God is big, not because you are big.  Pray believing that God is going to do something great.  We think the MORE people we have praying the more God will do, that isn’t true at all.  In fact, the scripture teaches that if we are in unity and will pray then God moves regardless of the number.  Where TWO are in agreement God will answer (See Matt 18:19). So whether you have 10 or 10,000, pray in unity expecting a big God to act in a big way.

The second reason we think big, dream big, and plan big is because big dreams influence culture.  I can remember when we had just started ThatChurch.com and I planned to have a huge concert in the parking lot of a local home improvement mega-store.  We were maybe 200 people strong with less than one-third committed to what we were doing when I planned this thing.  We brought in a band, we did mail outs, we marketed, and I cast a vision to have over 20,000 people in attendance.  Seriously, I expected that to happen.  We spent almost $20,000 we didn’t have in pursuit of a three night open-air church experience that would reach our community.  We invited other churches and our community with everything we had.  At the end of three nights we had maybe 1500 people show up, maybe a few more, nowhere close to the 20,000, but we had influenced the culture.  We showed that a small church didn’t have to think small.  It is funny that people in my community still talk about the concerts and messages that happened.  The entire community didn’t come out those nights, but the fact that we refused to dream small made a lasting impression on everyone including my leadership team.  The impression was that we can do way more than we think we can and we MUST have the courage to chase after our God-sized dreams.

As I travel, I have come to realize that for whatever reason small churches are thinking small.  In fact, the biggest difference in churches that are rocking their community and others that are merely surviving is the size of their dreams.  I believe we have done great damage to the reputation and image of God by limiting Him in our minds therefore limiting Him in our actions.  We need to refuse the notion of a small god and grab a hold of the reality that our God is BIG.

How big are you thinking?  How big is your God?  Stop surviving and start thinking big, dreaming big, and planning big!

Next post:

Smallness Disease-Vision by committee…

Today I read through Proverbs 31 and realized how you bless me.  From the moment you committed your life to Christ you have worked to be what He has desired you to be.  Your love for our King has spilled over into my life and the life of my children and we have experienced first hand God’s favor through you.  I can completely say that I would not be what I am today if it weren’t for you.  So I want to give you a list of things that you are to me so that you know how grateful I am that God has given you to me and that He lives in you:

I thank God for you because:

1.         You love Jesus more than you love me.

2.         Your Bible is worn.

3.         You pray all the time.

4.         You fold my underwear. You take care of every detail.

5.         You manage our house.

6.         I never have to be embarrassed by your behavior.

7.         You lead by example.

8.         You work outside the home and in our home.  You are never idle.

9.         You are the last to go to bed and the first up in our house. You are not selfish.

10.       You will not allow our kids to forget who God is.

11.       You labor with me in the ministry.

12.       You never feel like the ministry is a competition.

13.       You are never resentful, angry, or hold a grudge.

14.       Others respect your carefully selected words.

15.       You listen to God, and respond to what He says.

16.       You never lie to me.

17.       When I don’t lead as I should, you do.

18.       When I get discouraged you life me up.

19.       You are never critical of me.  When I stray you give incite and encouragement to do better.

20.       You hold me accountable.

21.       When I am stubborn you love me.

22.       When I’m worried you pray.

23.       You honor me.

24.       You respect me.

25.       You never demand your way.

26.       You always put your needs last.

27.       You laugh at my jokes. Some of them and for others read #28.

28.       If I say something dumb you say: “That was dumb.” I need that.

29.       You are my best friend.

30.       You don’t let our kids do without physically, emotionally, or spiritually. EVER.

31.       Because God is in you in such a rich way I am blessed above all men.

What God has given to me through you is the most valuable relationship I have on this earth.  I know that He loves me because of how He has loved me through you.

Proverbs 31:10 – 31

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. NIV

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Luke 19:10 NIV

Too often, we are driven to give the details of a plan long before we give the reasons why we are doing it in the first place. Some churches are so staffed and so organized that they can hammer out the details and fill in the blanks almost at first glance. These organizations normally enter into endeavors based on the “we can” and “here’s how” mentality. Often never asking or understanding the reason “why?”. Other organizations with fewer resources and fewer capable staff members cast vision for the “how” so they can strategize and organize a movement to “get it done” and they make the mistake of never asking the question ‘why?’.

The greatest question we must answer before we choose a direction, task, or seek to enlist people or resources into something is; “Why?”.

Notice how Paul tells his reader the reason why they do what they do:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

2 Cor 5:14-15 NIV

Did you see how emphatic Paul is in answering the “Why?” they do what they are doing? Why always comes before how.

I recently spoke with a Christian school administrator who was tasked with carrying out a board’s request to move a school past the devastating effects of a key leader’s moral failure. The moral failure was in no way the school’s fault but because of a lack of leadership it had become the school’s fault. This administrator had made the same mistake other segregate leaders make when made to stand out front as a group of unleaders tell him what to say. He cast a vision to make the education better. More computers, more privileges, higher ACT scores were all promised. Again the ‘how’ was cast as the reason for doing what the school was doing. The school is destined to die, not because of moral failure but because of vision thirst. This leader and this school have failed to answer the all important question: Why?.

Why are we a school? Why is it important to continue what we do? Why do we sacrifice? ‘How’ doesn’t motivate people to sacrifice at a high level. A marine doesn’t climb out of a fox hole and charge a machine gun nest knowing he will most likely die, because he understands the mechanics of hill climbing. No, he does it because in him the question “Why?” has already been answered. He does it because he is a part of a team, because he is plugged into something great, because he see’s his place in the greater good. He knows the reason why. So he steps with confidence into the greatest sacrifice. Answering the question why will cause people to sacrifice at the highest level.

Many of my staff make fun of my visionary approach. They poke fun at the phrase I use all the time: “I don’t know, we’ll figure it out.” They make fun of that phrase because of how often I use it. I use it often because I see the ‘Why’ being the main thing and the how will come. Jesus was not near as systematic as we are in answering all the questions around the why. He simply sent people by saying ‘Go’, ‘Why’ they would ask, ‘because I am sending you’ He would respond. That was enough. If you have the “why” settled strongly in your mind and heart you will figure out the how. If you don’t have the why settled the how doesn’t matter because at some point the difficulties and road blocks of the journey will cause you to quit anyway. If you find yourself with lots of undone work, you will also discover you have yet to fully answer the “why” of what you are doing.

Most church leaders today are not visionary leaders who see themselves as the lone agent to answer the question “why?”. Most church leaders see answering to a board and maintaining a job as their keeper instead of seeing themselves answering to the vision. So the gauges they look at are “is the board happy?”, “do I get to keep my job?”, “do I get a raise?” these are the questions they are answering. And meanwhile the church dies from lack of vision. Vision should be the lone gauge.

I have been asked “Why” do we do what we do at ThatChurch.com. It is easily answered. Why we do what we do is: Because we love God more than anyone or anything else, and because we don’t want anyone to go to hell. We are here to put Hell out of business. Our vision and mission is to save every person that is lost and to reverse the damage of the enemy. Those are easy gauges to look at and monitor our progress.

Is God the most important person in everything we say and do?

Are we saving that which is lost?

Are we loving God or caving in to people’s expectations?

Are people still going to Hell in our community?

Are families still breaking up?

Are drugs still the dominant question in our community?

Are people downloading porn?

Are we still spending more on dog food than we are missions?

Are there still hungry people in our community?

Are people lonely?

Is Hell still in business?

Then we still have work to do.

Until you answer the ‘Why?’ the ‘how’ is useless.

Terminal Marriage Intro:

A few years ago, Stacey (my wife), and I hosted a married couple’s retreat that would ultimately end up at a horseback ride along the Arkansas River.  We all had looked forward to the ride throughout the weekend.  It would be a sunset trip with our sweethearts on back of some beautiful gentle animals, so we thought.

We got to the riding stables and discovered that we had more riders than they had gentle animals.  What I mean is they had plenty of horses but they didn’t have enough “good” horses for us.  The owner said that since I was the leader, I would have to ride one of their less desirable horses (how does that work?).  He took me to a pen that held a hodgepodge of different colored and sized horses.  As soon as we stopped at this pen all the horses froze watching me through the fence. It was an eary feeling, like going to the gator pit to pick out a pet. The owner explained I needed to decide between them which one I wanted.  He went on to give their names and along with their names he would give their disposition.  “This is Red, he throws people, this is Lightening, he will take off running and you can’t stop him.” All I could think of was “oh crap!”  I even asked if I could walk, but the answer from the crowd of my peers watching from behind me with smiles and smirks was “No.”  Finally he told me of one horse that seemed the lesser of the several evils, his name was Whiskey (and believe me at this point I needed a drink), the owner explained Whiskey was a “biter”.  So my choices were to get thrown, stomped, run off with or bitten.  I chose bitten.

To be totally honest here, I have only ridden one other horse in my life up to this point and it was connected to a merry-go round type of thing at the State Fair, so by no stretch of the imagination am I a seasoned rider and how I got selected for this mission I will never know.  Life is like that, there are times you have to decide even when the variables are not fair.

So Whiskey and I set out for an epic ride. I felt like the ride of my life (or should I say the ride for my life).  We hadn’t gotten far before I was faced with the reality of Whiskey’s character defect in the area of biting.  We were on the trail and Whiskey wanted to stop and eat a little grass, I thought “no problem, if his mouth is full of grass he won’t be so tempted to fill it with my leg.”  But our guide didn’t want the horses to eat along the way, so I was asked to pull up on the reigns and get Whiskey to move along.  That is when it all went wrong, from that point on I realized I was on the back of Sea Biscuit the psycho.

As soon as I pulled the reigns to move him along, his head turned almost full around and he looked me in the eye (like the Exorcist) with anger that a horse should be incapable of as if to say “today you die”.  After that, at every opportunity,  he would turn his head and bite my calf.  The pain of a horse bite can only be understood by clamping a piece of your skin in a vice until it is bleeding and bruised.  Up to this point I tried to “whisper” to Whiskey as a ploy to somehow diffuse the voices he was listening to that told him to kill or maime his rider.  It was the second bite that ended my kindness; it’s amazing what pain will do to cause your fear to leave.

If I’d had a gun, or better yet a stick,  I would have been walking back and Whiskey would be headed to the happy pasture in the sky that day but for what ever reason God hadn’t provided me with a killing option.  But what was I going to do?  I was peeved but helpless to do anything to my torturer.  Then the Holy Spirit (I think it was Him) opened my eyes to something that just might work.

Now what I am about to tell you I have never shared with anyone in my life.  The very next time Whiskey turned to bite my leg (which at this point was red and throbbing) I did something unspeakable…I poked him in the eye.  Yep I did, right in that big brown (evil) eye.  I stuck my finger right in it.  I could immediately see the shock in is horse face.  He couldn’t believe it! As he looked at me through his one good eye, I could tell I had gotten through.  Just then I leaned forward and I whispered in his ears “There is more where that came from”.  Sure enough he tried it again and again I poked him in the eye. I couldn’t get over the satisfaction I felt as I jabbed my finger in his eye only to be face to face with horse shock.  I know right now some of you animal lovers are going “Oh how cruel”.  I have to say to you GET OVER IT!  This horse was evil, I would have driven him to the glue factory myself that day.

It is interesting that later Whiskey, tried to bite me on my other leg and I reminded him with my finger… he had an eye on that side of his head too.  By this time both of his eyes were red and watering and both of my legs were purple and bruised but somehow Whiskey and I had come to an agreement.  You don’t bite my leg and I won’t poke you in the eye, simple as that.  The remainder of the ride was less eventful and even enjoyable.

I learned something that day about troubled marriages and difficult horse rides.  Sometimes you get a different horse than what you originally wanted but with God’s help and some practical steps you can make much more of the ride than what you might think.

I figure some of you are asking what does Whiskey have to do with marriage? If you have already begun the fight to save your marriage you have already made the connection.  When you view marriage through the fence she can often be majestic and beautiful to watch run, but when you climb onto the saddle very often you find that the picturesque expectations you had were only part of the view from a distance.  Up close, marriage is filled with great reward and many times great hurt. When you find yourself in a marriage that has a personality like Whiskey, and you’ve just got bitten you will have to make one of two choices.  You will both get off and try to find a better ride or you will learn that sometimes an old horse that bites can learn a new way to ride.  Just remember you might have to poke it in the eye to get there.

I didn’t realize on that day how much that old horse would teach me about marriage, but he did.  I hope and pray I can help you learn to make your ride all  that God desires it to be.



“At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. “

Daniel 10:2-3

Daniel understood the need to cry out to God for his needs.  At times it is taught that if we call out to God to meet our needs, we are some how selfish or self-centered since after all there are people in the world who have larger or deeper needs than we have.  The Bible teaches something very different about God.  God loves to meet our needs.  One of the prerequisites for Him working in our lives is that we have to ask for it.

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

John 16:24

It makes complete sense that we have to ask first, because only then do we know who to give the credit for what we have been given.  Our thanksgiving can be misguided if we don’t ask, expect and see God’s answer.  The reason for our anemic faith is that we are not consistent in asking, expecting and watching God move on our behalf.  Every time God answers He is established deeper and deeper in our hearts as the source of life for us.

Two of the reasons we don’t ask:  we don’t believe God can do anything about our situation or we don’t believe God can continue to help.  Dealing with the first, simply put, we don’t think God is the answer or gives the answer.  So we work to make things happen on our own. Our faith in Him is so weak that we don’t see God as real and tangible.

The second reason we don’t ask is we feel like God’s answers are a commodity.  We think God’s blessings, attention, and help is limited like our bank account.  It is huge to remember God knows everything all the time, and is every where at the same time, all the time.  God is unlimited by size, scope, and time.  His blessings never run out.  He has no beginning and no end.  Knowing this in theory only will never help us to know Him.  God gives, God meets needs, God heals, God gives favor, and so much more because He then can help our small understandings to be stretched over at least a portion of who He is.  Jesus healed, fed, and did miracles so we could begin to understand who He is.  The miracles of God working on our behalf help us to begin to know Him.  A glimpse of the unlimited power of God is caught through the lifetime of daily dependence on and recognition of God’s provision and deliverance.

Our deliverance wasn’t so we could become self-sufficient, independent people for God, but that we would hold onto God as our resource and strength as He recreates us into a surrendered people in the image of Christ.  He is our maker, creator, and we are His masterpiece.  The people of His making.

My personal Journey

I started my full blown fast Sunday.  The preparation is finished and now I am fasting, listening, and seeking God.

In the past I have fasted for answers, understanding, breakthroughs, and blessings to name a few.  This fast I am seeking wisdom and God’s favor.  I read about Esther’s fast and can relate to her in that she was seeking God because it was sudden death.  God would have to act on her behalf or she and her people would be destroyed.  Similar fasts in scripture are those of Nehemiah and the city of Nineveh.

At this point in my life and in my pastorate, I realize that Holiness isn’t an option but a requirement. I feel today the constant pressure to be the person I need to be.  I still have areas of my life that are strongholds and pitfalls.  I need to be a better person, a more consistent person.

What I’m not…

I’m not committed to God like He requires. At times I want a break from God to do what I want to do, not what He has called me to do.

I’m not consumed with holy thoughts like I should. At times my thoughts are raunchy, bitter, and far from God.

I’m not the passionate leader.  At times I don’t like certain people.  Sometimes I promise to pray for people and don’t do it. At times I’m not a passionate husband.

I’m not always honest.  I don’t tell the truth about some things. Mainly things that will make me look bad or good.  At times I would rather look good in others eyes than I would like to tell it like it really is.

I’m not humble all the time. Pride is often my bed fellow.  At times I can’t even listen to criticism of me or my church family.

I’m not as brave as I want everyone else to think I am. I get scared. I worry.

I’m not selfless. Lots of times I realize I am in things for me.

I’m not responsible. I blame others at times for the things that are my fault.

I’m not forgiving. There are people I have had a funeral in my mind for who didn’t deserve it but they were too much trouble for me so I dismissed them.

I’m not sacrificial. At times I don’t want to give, serve, or do.  I want someone else to.

A lot of things I’m not but I should be. I need God’s help to be more like Jesus. I want to be different. So I fast.

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GOD MUST BE FIRST

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” Exodus 13:1-2 NKJV

That you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s. ¹³ But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. Exodus 13:12-13 NKJV

1. The Firstborn Must Be Sacrificed or Redeemed

2. The Firstfruits Must Be Offered

The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. God will never be on second only first! Exodus 23:19 NKJV

Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; ¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. ⁴ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Genesis 4:3-5 NKJV

3. The Tithe Must Be First

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD. Leviticus 27:30 NKJV

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ² On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 NKJV

So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ Exodus 13:14-15 NKJV

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Our Guest Speaker is Robert Morris