A Kindom Offering

A Kindom Offering

"And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all." Luke 21:3

A friend of mine was telling me about a teaching that she had heard on the difference between being a "kingdom person" or a "church person". She said that the teaching was very good, but when the preacher got ready to take up the offering, what he said really bothered her. He told the congregation not to give a "church" offering, but to give a "kingdom" offering- (from all accounts he meant that they should put in a big offering that was becoming of someone who was blessed and favored of the Lord).

I would like to clarify something, just because you put "big" offerings in the offering plate doesn't necessarily mean that you are a "kingdom" person. One day Jesus was sitting near the treasury watching people come and put money in the offering. In this story He mentioned two different people- those who were rich with plenty to spare and a poor little widow woman with only two mites. He was also showing us a picture of "kingdom" people and "church" people. Kingdom people are those who give everything without reservation to God (whether it's a little or a lot); they are those who don't hold anything back from Him no matter what it cost them; they don't give to be seen of man. In the story of the rich young ruler, the thing that stopped him from "entering into the kingdom of God" wasn't the fact that he didn't give, it was the fact that he wasn't willing to give it all- he wasn't willing to give everything he had to God; holding nothing back for himself. (Luke 18:18-24) Church people, on the other hand, give but they always make sure that they save something for themselves to fall back on should they need it (they give "out of their abundance"). They also like for others to notice what they are giving.

Being a "kingdom" person is a state and condition of the heart,"The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21b) - not the amount you give, not the ability to give big offerings, it's not how much you posses materially, it's not what kind of car you drive or house you live in or name brand clothes you wear. Thank God if you can give big offerings, but the size of the offering doesn't determine who is and who isn't a kingdom person.

Have a great day. A real kingdom offering is... yourself (given without reservation to God).

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><>