I was not very knowledgeable of biblical things when I first got saved. People told me I should tithe. I did not know what tithing meant so I prayed about it and went to the word of God to determine what I should do. The word was very clear. I never have prayed about it since. Didn’t need to – to me it is one of God’s “absolutes” that you read about. Just read them once and it’s done. You just do it after that. The next step was should I tithe on the gross or net. The way I see it is this – God gave me the job – so He determined the gross. Man determined the net – so I tithed on the gross. I have never missed a tithe in all my years of serving Him. I don’t tithe so God will bless me, but because I tithe, God blesses me.
Let me share with you several instances of how this has happened over the years. Early in my work experience, things at work were difficult. There were no raises, promotions or anything being given out. Every thing was locked down. Office supplies were not even being bought. One day my boss called me in the office. He started off by saying he could not explain how this happened but that I got a raise. He said that is was impossible. I explained to him that God knew that it was needed so it happened. Man nor circumstances can’t stop God’s blessings if He determines it is to be so in your life. Pastor Mike talks about our positioning ourselves for God’s move/ blessings in our lives. Once we are positioned correctly and following God, it is not a matter of “if” blessings will come but “when”.
Another instance was when I got a call from my mortgage company saying they wanted to change how my escrow was being paid. They indicated that I could receive money from this change. I did not give this any more thought. Who would think that a mortgage company would send you money. I certainly didn’t. During this time, my son was in the army stationed in South Korea. He was calling home collect. I started putting money away thinking the phone bill would have to increase. Over the next few months, they did increase but nothing substantially. Then one day, I received in the mail a $500.00 check from my mortgage company. I was overwhelmed. I told my wife to think about what we should do with it, whether we should bank it or spend it. The next day I received a phone bill for $499 and change. Now I was blown away. Here God moved on the mortgage company to redo my escrow account to pay for this bill. That agent could not have known that God moved on him to have my escrow redone. When God wants something done in your life – it will happen.
The last event that I want to share (there are so many more) was quite recent. Back when the economy took a hit, my company introduced a pay cut for everyone. I did not change my tithe at that time because I felt that I could still make the monthly bills. Then they cut the pay again. While I was getting ready to write the tithe check to reduce it to my new gross amount, I was saying – “I hate doing this.” I didn’t want to reduce the tithe. I no sooner finish saying this to myself when I heard Him say to me –“increase them.” I got real quiet and He said it again – “increase them.” I said – “you’re on.” I increased the tithes. This was a stretch. However, in EVERY case when it looked like the money would run short, God would send a blessing. My wife and I would just thank God because we knew He was doing it. No one could have known the step of faith that we took in increasing our tithes. And it didn’t stop there. Not quite a year after I increased our tithes, I was getting a performance evaluation. Now in the last five years up to this point, I have had 5 different bosses, none of which I have ever seen. They are remote. We only interface by phone or email. Our group falls to the bottom of the pay raise list when we get a new boss because the boss doesn’t know us. The chances of getting a raise or a promotion is slim, if at all. In my case I had not received any raises or bonuses even though my performance appraisals were good. Everyone in our office (even today) complain because they can’t seem to get a raise. Well I did get a raise – that was at the end of 2010. God again moved on my behalf. I reminded my wife that since we increased our tithes, God gave me a pay raise. So in the beginning of December of 2011, I told my wife that I wanted to increase our tithes again, because I had a certain amount that I wanted to give to God. She agreed. It would be another stretch. Just a couple of weeks after I made that decision it was again time for my performance appraisal. This was from another new boss who has a total of 68 people. To my surprise, I got another raise. Now let me tell you how incredible that is – I was once a manager and I know that you never give raises out in back to back years to one person because you just don’t have the budget to do so. God was moving again.

Pastor Mike had recently spoke about increasing your tithes in faith and then to watch God bless and not to wait for God to bless then increase your tithes. This certainly was true for us and can be true for you. Position yourself and follow God and it will be so.”

When you don’t get your rest, you don’t feel the best during the day. This was affecting my entire outlook on my days and nights. One night in prayer at the church, after taking communion, the Word of the Lord came that because of the blood of Jesus, someone was being healed of severe insomnia. I immediately embraced this for myself and thanked God for speaking this. That night, I purposed in my heart not to take melatonin, even though, in the natural, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would really happen after two years and four months of insomnia. I had to counteract this fleshly thought by thanking God for taking the time to speak to me and believed Him to take care of this. The next morning, I realized I had fallen asleep with no melatonin or any sleep aid whatsoever. The following night, the enemy tried to tell me it was a coincidence and it wouldn’t last. I again realized that I must combat this negative thought by verbally thanking God again for what He was doing. I spoke it out so that I could hear it with my own ears and so that Satan himself could also.

Today is the first time I have shared with my family what has happened because it has now been over two weeks with absolutely no melatonin or any sleeping aid! That night in prayer I was not even asking for His help just praying for His will and favor to be on the ministry. He blessed me that evening as I was ‘seeking first the kingdom of Heaven’….(Matthew 6:33) Praise be to His Holy Name!

I want to encourage everyone to give God glory for what He has done in your life and in the lives of your family. There were 10 people Jesus healed with only one returning to give Him thanks.” Let us be like the one!

Also the Bible teaches us in Revelation 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Remember, what you speak is powerful!”