Cain and Abel were brothers who gave offerings to the Lord (Genesis 4). Cain's offering of fruits did not please God as much as his brother's offering of the fat from the firstborn of his flock. One gave the best he had, the firstborn of his animals, while the other didn't seem to put as much thought and intentionality behind his offering.
Many of us are like Cain in this way. We are casual in how we approach God when making our offerings. These offerings may be of praise or thanksgiving, prayers, intercession, fasting, the payment of tithes and offerings, or our Bible study. As a result, our sacrifices may not produce the effect we expect.
Remember Cornelius? The angel who visited him said, "your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God" (Acts 10:4). Notice it wasn't the sacrifice of animals that garnered God's attention here. Instead, one man's righteous lifestyle triggered the Lord to reach out. He believed in Jesus and lived as such, obeying His instructions to take care of those in need.
He clearly took his walk seriously and that brought him a great reward. His experience is a lesson for us - modern Christians - to do the same.
Apostle Paul teaches us how we can achieve this in Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
God wants us to make our very lives a sweet-smelling offering to Him. We should develop a lifestyle of righteousness and change how lax we are about the things of God. For instance, do we take our prayer time seriously? Do we set aside quiet time for Bible study or can anything and anyone distract us? Is living by God's word a serious thing for us? Or are we abusing His grace and the salvation it brings? Are we listening to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to change us so we become more like Jesus Christ our paradigm?
When we fail to do these things, we fail to give God an unblemished offering. And when that happens, we may fail to see the blessings we expect to see. God is concerned that His people take things seriously when it comes to Him. We must be cautious not to be like those whom He said are destroyed for their lack of wisdom in Hosea 4:6. And He said in Malachi 1:14 - “But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished— For I am a great King,” Says the LORD of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.
May the good Lord, in His grace and mercy, help us to bring Him an unblemished offering. May we take the things of God seriously so we approach His throne of grace with the boldness that reverence brings, IJMN, Amen.
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CLOSING PRAYER
Jesus, thank You. If not for Your sacrifice, where would we be? Thank You for being the perfect illustration of how seriously we should take the concept of the offering. Please help us to do so at all times, that our actions and lifestyle will rise to the Lord as a sweet-smelling incense.
Lord, I call on You to kindly take all the glory and praise for today's fellowship and ask You to show mercy, grace and great affection to today's participants. Thank You for their lives. May Your righteous right hand lift them from all troubles and carry them to the place of victory and blessing.
Guide each one and keep them safe till we meet again by Your grace, IJN, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
Have you ever given God a blemished offering? Today is the day to repent for it. Please note, repentance isn't just about saying sorry. It is about choosing to change and putting that choice into action.
Dear God, thank You for being concerned that I do not go the way of those who lacked knowledge and were destroyed for it. Thank You for pointing out today's lesson so I can be more mindful to take my offerings and sacrifices to You more seriously. Lord, help me to do just that. Grant me grace and the nudge of Your Spirit that I do not forget Your desire for an unblemished offering from me. Help me and be my constant guide as I make changes in my behavior so I come before You with the reverence and honor You always deserve, IJMN, Amen.
If there's one thing we regularly talk about here it is the need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us so we are more pleasing to the Lord. So, having read today's message, what changes can you make so your time with God is unblemished? What can you disconnect from so He gets all your attention? Please share so others can get ideas. The Lord's Spirit and His Son will surely help us all.
Sovereign Lord. You are the Almighty. Full of power and might. I thank You for this opportunity to lift up the healing needs of my prayer subjects before You today.
Almighty God, Your word is clear in Isaiah 38:16 - Your words and your deeds bring life to everyone, including me. Please make me healthy and strong again.
Father, I know that satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. However, You are the God who said that You came to bring life and life to the fullest.
I therefore call on You, my Creator, to send forth Your word to heal the sick. Let Your word transform their diseased bodies and clouded minds. Uproot whatever You have not planted, Heavenly Father. Bring the enemy's plans to steal, kill, and destroy to an end in the lives of my prayer subjects, IJMN, Amen. Make them healthy and strong again, IJN, Amen.
From JIR - I pray for discernment for all believers. Lord, I pray that You stir our hearts to dedicate time everyday to read the Word of God. I pray that we read it with full understanding and clarity. I pray that You move in our hearts to understand and apply what we learn to our lives. I pray that our love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement, Phillipians 1;9 (KJV), and we grow in our faith and understanding the more we read the Bible. I pray that You open our hearts to receive the truth and we change and live our lives fully for You, my Lord. IJMN. Amen.
Father, I thank You for Your word states that even the lawful captive shall be set free because of Your power, Your might, Your word and Your Spirit.
And so, Lord, I stand on Your word and declare that the strongmen holding souls captive on LSA are shredded for Your glory. I speak the name Jesus into every place they are gathered. I bind them in the name of the Savior Jesus and decree that their chains are broken and their captives are set free.
Every strongman of fear, lack, spiritual deafness and blindness, antichrist, lies, deception, gossip, slander, libel, rape, death, sexµal perversion and immorality, suicide, intrusive thoughts, distractions, witchcraft, New Age practices, occult, demonism, devil worship, anxiety, self cursing, blasphemy, coarse language, thieving, and all others are broken. They fall and brash because the presence of my God is here. Like Dagon, they stand no more.
And God, as these souls experience liberty, I pray that they encounter Christ, believe and receive the Holy Spirit. That they be filled thoroughly so that those they were set free from cannot return with seven more evil spirits.
IJMN, I thank You for Your victory, Amen.
From JIR - I pray for this fellowship to flourish and those who are lurkers and infrequent visitors to receive, take heed and apply to their lives all of the messages and lessons conveyed to them through the Holy Spirit. I pray that You, Lord, stir their hearts to fully live their lives for You and give their lives to You. I pray for those who are frequent visitors and participants to be blessed with all of the spiritual gifts we need to be equipped with to be the best servants for You that we can be. I pray that we root ourselves in You, remain rooted in You and endure to the end. I pray that Your will and purpose is done in our lives. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Lord I pray for those affected by the plane crash in Philadelphia last week. Please bless their families with the strength needed to carry on and get through losing their loved ones. I pray that You comfort them at this time and wrap them in Your love. Lord I pray that You help guide those who were displaced due to their houses catching on fire to a shelter and provide them with the provisions and assistance they need to recover from their loss. Lord I pray You give guidance, wisdom and knowledge to those within the aviation industry to set new safety guidelines in place to prevent any more similar incidents from happening that occurred in DC and Philly. IJMN. Amen.
Thank You, God, for bringing Your people out of the month of January 2025. If we are honest Lord, the month was filled with calamities. From drivers running down people in New Orleans, that incident in Vegas, fires destroying communities, and a horrible air disaster.
But Lord, another crash in Philly took lives, left people hurt, and left many shaken.
God, You are not the author of confusion and so we call on You to provide peace as an expression of Your mercy and grace. Still the turmoil in the nation.
Psalm 145:9 - The LORD is good to everyone and has compassion for everything that he has made (GWT).
We place these United States before You and call on You to pour out Your mercy upon the nation and its people. Not because we are righteous but because You Lord are righteous and holy. We lean on Your compassionate nature and plead for Your mercy upon this land, IJMN, Amen.
Lord, God Almighty. Please open the gates of heaven upon Your people. There is so much suffering and struggling that only Your mercy and grace can bring to an end.
Father God, please have mercy. Please pour out Your compassion for You are He who longs to be compassionate.
Please help people. Hear the cries of the needy as they cry out to You, Lord. IJMN, Amen.
PRAYER TIME
It's time to pray for other people. As we've learned today, let us take this seriously and pray zealously for those we know and those we don't.
Remember that the fervent prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective (James 5:16).
From CMC - All I can do is say Thank You Jesus.
My heart is full of gratitude. Lord you are all that matters!!
Brought me out of the valley (Valley)
Open my eyes and now I see (clearly)
He said He's got me
Jesus said hold on to me (to me)
Even while I was doubting (Doubting)
He talk say my darling
You can trust me
From JIR - “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
Psalm 28:7 KJV
From JIR -
From JIR - Lord Jesus, Glory! Hosanna in the highest! You are Who I look to. I thank You for life. Thank You for hope and a future. None is above You. My redeemer. Thank You for keeping me covered in Your feathers. You are Who I will trust. All that I have is Yours. I surrender all to You, Lord. IJMN. Amen.
God, I'm grateful. I know You are coming. You are He who is faithful and never fails.
Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for Your patience. Thank You for Your love.
To You be all the glory forever!
From CMC - Happy Tuesday! Thanking God for every good thing. I hope you all are doing well!
Father God, thank You for giving me Your Word. Scripture is brimming with truth and life, and I never want to take that for granted. I know that I am easily distracted, but I also know that You give me the strength to persevere. Show me how to meditate on Your Word so that I don't disobey You. Teach me to prioritize my relationship with you above everything else. In Jesus name, Amen.
From JIR - Thank You Lord. You are worthy of all praise. I bow at Your feet and I thank You for Your devotion to us all. Your grace and mercies are new each morning and I am so thankful. It is a privilege and honor to call You God. How blessed we are. Thank You Lord for showering us in Your love. Our Creator. There is none above You. You sit in the highest heaven and make earth Your footstool. Almighty God I give You all praise. All glory is Yours. IJMN. Amen.
Elohim.
Adonai.
Nissi.
Rapha.
Yeshuah.
Shammah.
Gibbor.
God there will never be enough ways to describe how great You are.
Thank You for being too great for us to be able to fully qualify!