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“If I win the lottery, I’ll tithe.”

Ever hear someone say that? The words may change a bit from one get-rich-quick scheme to another, but the sentiment expressed stays the same. Yet the truth is, the more a person earns, the less likely he is to give at least 10 percent.

According to the Barna Organization, fewer than 10 percent of born-again Christians tithe (give 10 percent) to God! The people most likely to do this, in fact, are those who earn the least, and even that is not a high percentage. Only 8 percent of those making $20,000 or less tithe. And the percentages keep dropping as the income rises, to only 1 percent of those making $75,000 to $99,999. (After that the percentage of tithing does rise some.)

Still, it appears that the more one has, the less likely he is to tithe. You would think the opposite would be true. Surely the more one has, the easier it is to give. But that is not the case. As one prospers, the heart can be affected, drawn away from heaven to earth, from that which is eternal to things that are temporary.

Jesus’ words strike at the heart of both the problem and the person: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Want to check your heart? Check your checkbook! That book will have the evidence to confirm what holds the attention of your heart. Focus on making deposits in the bank of heaven.

Do a check of your checkbook. Does it reflect a life that gives to God?

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.02. Live for God, on purpose, giving back to the Lord, for He has given you everything!

Victory Over Stress

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by stress, and wondered just what caused it? There is something called the “Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale” that lists life events, and assigns them a numerical value, according to the level of stress they can cause. For example, death of a spouse is rated at 100 points. Divorce is 73 points, and marriage is 50 points. Pregnancy is worth 40 points, and buying a house is 31 points. We have all just gone through the holiday season. Christmas is rated at 12 points! Personally, back in the early 90’s, within one year, I changed jobs, sold one house, moved, rented a temporary dwelling, bought another house, and had our second child! My combined “stress scale” was in excess of 225 points!

We all will experience stress at some time in our life. At times the stress will be heaver than at other times. But, the real issue is not whether we will or won’t have stress, or how high on the stress scale we score – but, rather, how can we gain victory over the stress!

This Sunday we will continue our “Victory Is Mine in 2009!” series, dealing with this very topic. Be sure to join us as we discover how we all can have “Victory Over Stress!”

Grace to Give

“But as you abound in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us – see that you abound in this grace [of giving] also.” – 2 Corinthians 8:7

How often do you use, or hear others use, the word “grace” in conversation? It is one of the most often-used words in Christianity, but one of the hardest to define. For instance, “grace” is the word at the root of spiritual gifts in the New Testament, and as such represents special favor or ability from God. Grace, directly or indirectly, almost always refers to power or ability from God to live supernaturally.

For that reason, when it came time for Paul to ask the church at Corinth to participate in his financial rescue plan for the suffering church in Jerusalem, he knew it would only happen by the grace of God. Why? Because he was asking people with few and limited means to give generously.

So in 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 the word “grace” appears four times, and twice more in chapter nine on the same subject. It takes God’s grace to give, and even more grace to give sacrificially—the same kind of grace Jesus Christ displayed when He intentionally became poor that we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

If you struggle to give, and resist giving sacrificially, ask God to give you grace.

A giving Savior should have giving disciples!

from Dr. David Jeremiah’s “Today’s Turning Point” daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

How to Walk Through
Life’s Hot Spots

Living through the pressures of life can be compared to walking through fire. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah believed that if you have faith in God, you can walk through fire and not be burned. He didn’t promise that you won’t feel the heat, just that you won’t be burned.

Keep On Walking.
A surefire way to get burned is to stop walking. When you are afraid, or under extreme stress, or hurting — keep going. You will get through if you keep dealing with the everyday tasks at hand to the best of your ability. PERSEVERE

Remember That This Difficult Time Will Pass.
It may feel that you are in a repeating time warp, but realize that pain is time-limited. All problems have a beginning and an end. BE PATIENT

Make Rough Times Work For You.
Not everything is good, but the Bible reminds us that everything can be used for good if you submit your will to God. Look for ways to learn, grow, or cope in your pain or stress. HAVE COURAGE

Take “What Is” And Make The Most Of It.
Make lemonade from your lemons. You are not called upon to create perfection from every situation, only to make the most of it. Don’t waste your time on ceaseless complaining, but look for meaning and joy in all situations. BE CONTENT

Clean Up Your Own Trash.
Stand on your own feet and don’t try to blame others for your problems. You are not a victim. Choose to live the rest of your life with a controlled response to what is happening. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Be True To Your Self.
You will have more strength for dealing with ordeals in life if you have the courage to be true to your own values. Hypocrisy destroys internal energy. MODEL INTEGRITY

Be Gladder Than Madder.
Expressions of gratitude calm the soul and clear the mind. SHOW GRATITUDE

Have As Much Fun As You Can.
Anticipation of fun raises the level of your energy. Learn to laugh through your trials. DISPLAY HUMOR

Determine What Is Within Your Control.
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can choose the frame you put around your experiences. You can choose how you will deal with all situations. EXHIBIT INTERNAL CONTROL

Be Enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm literally means, “God in us.” If He is in you, let your life so shine. Learn to love life. Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire. SHOW YOUR PASSION

How Much Money Do
You Have, Lord?

Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, tells the story of a time when their church needed two million dollars to relocate to a larger facility. The only problem was they didn’t have the money. One day, the board members told Dr. Stanley to get a loan from the bank because the deal sounded good. However, Dr. Stanley told the group that they needed divine direction, so they all packed their gear and took off for a state park for the weekend for a time of prayer. All weekend they prayed earnestly that God would give them direction and help them resolve the problem that they were facing.

When they finally left the park, they still didn’t have any clear direction about how to purchase the building. But they were committed to waiting on God. A few days later, Dr. Stanley had a message to call a man he had never met. He lived in another state. The man said that he wanted to help Dr. Stanley’s ministry.

Immediately, Dr. Stanley called him back, and the stranger said, “I have had you and your ministry on my mind the past several days. I notice that you never ask for money on the broadcast, and I was wondering if you have any needs.”

Dr. Stanley explained the situation about the building and how they needed two million dollars to purchase it. The stranger said, “I think I can handle that.” And he gave that church two million dollars. That church had a problem; they gave their problem to Jesus; and their problem was solved.

Toss Your Bread into the Ocean

“Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.” – Ecclesiastes 11:1

Picture yourself standing on the beach with a loaf of bread in your hand. You break off one piece, then another, throwing the chunks of bread into the waves until the loaf is gone.

“Cast your bread upon the waters,” was a bit of advice King Solomon gave in Ecclesiastes (KJV). Did he mean for us to actually throw bread into the ocean? No. Writers of the Bible often used word pictures to help us understand the truth.

“Be generous!” Solomon is saying. As water is an unlikely place to throw bread, do kind deeds to unlikely people, not thinking of receiving anything back.

What happens when we “cast our bread on the waters”? Kind words and deeds act like boomerangs. Cast them out to a needy person and you’ll find that when you’re in need, someone will cast bread your way.

By generously sharing your money, possessions, and time, you open the door to God’s blessings.

Random Thoughts...

1. Do the math... count your blessings.

2. Faith is the ability to not panic.

3. Laugh every day, it’s like inner jogging.

4. If you worry, you didn’t pray. If you pray, don’t worry.

5. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

6. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

7. The most important things in your house are the people.

8. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

9. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

10. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

The Last Impression

A pastor, known for his lengthy sermons, noticed a man get up and leave during the middle of his message. The man returned just before the conclusion of the service.

Afterward the pastor asked the man where he had gone. “I went to get a haircut,” was the reply.

“But,” said the pastor, “why didn’t you do that before the service started?”

“Because,” the gentleman said, “I didn’t need one then.”

As we continue our “Victory is Mine in 2009!” series, I am expecting God to continue to bless us and help us all to walk in victory this year! Come expecting the Lord to touch you in a mighty way this week here at WFA! We are indeed MORE than conquerors though our Lord Jesus Christ!