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Matters of Faith: Tithing will open up the floodgates of Heaven

After you've been a Baptist for over 30 years, you earn the right to poke a little fun. Do you know the difference between three Presbyterians and three Baptists?

With three Presbyterians, you have three opinions. With three Baptists, you have six opinions (rimshot by Doug C).

What is the one time when all Baptists in the room are in agreement? When it's time to pray before the potIuck meaI.

On to more serious matters.

It is no secret that one of the main reasons married couples have so many arguments today is due to money problems. Nine times out of 10, I will ask a young couple if they use the truth about money in Malachi 3:10, and they say, "No, what do you mean?"

This verse is very powerful and will help everyone, especially couples who need to get a handle on their finances. On top of that, putting this verse into practice in your life will also allow the Lord to bless you in ways you can't even imagine.

It is interesting to me that in the "ways of the world," people are very optimistic. Yet in the "Word of the Lord," people are very pessimistic. One example of this is when looking at statistics for Illinois and national averages regarding the lottery. Seven out of 12 people on average purchase a $1 lottery ticket every day. In Illinois, that is $7 million spent everyday or $49 million a week spent on Lottery tickets ($2.54 billion dollars/year). Wow! Yet the chances of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 20 million, and the odds are worse as the payoff increases. People are still somehow optimistic about their chances.

Now God has always fulfilled the promises He makes in His Word, the Bible. He always does (100 percent of the time) what He says He's going to do. So His word is a guarantee. "The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever," Heb 13:8. His word says in Malachi 3:10 ... to bring 10 percent of our earnings (whole tithe) to his storehouse. When we tithe 10 percent of our earnings, the Lord says he will "Open up the floodgates of Heaven and pour out a blessing until it overflows."

Did you hear that? Pour out the floodgates of Heaven!

Yet many people will say, "Well, I make $4,000 a month, That's $400 and that's a lot of money. I can't afford to give that much." Trust me friend. You can't afford not to give your 10 percent. What belongs to the Lord, belongs to the Lord and He can get it in many different ways.

Quit being pessimistic when it comes to God's Word,

His Word is a guarantee. The only guarantee the world has for you is that it will take from you time and time again, also known as "the devourer" (vs .11). Do yourself a favor and put yourself in the position where the Lord can open the floodgates and pour out a blessing on you until it overflows.

People also say, "Well, God could bless me anytime He wants."

But my friend, He will not go against His Word and He cannot bless disobedience because He is a just God. If you still are not convinced, ask someone that you know who gives 10 percent of his or her tithe each month to the church and listen to what he or she says.

I believe the Lord can bless you in more ways than just finances, it could be your health, happiness, work and family relationships. The ways God can bless you really are endless. Put yourself in a position where God can bless you in a powerful way from this point forward. Start this Sunday and see with your own two eyes.