Prove me Now

"Prove me now" (Mal. 3:10).

What is God saying here but this: "My child, I still have windows in Heaven. They are yet in service. The bolts slide as easily as of old. The hinges have not grown rusty. I would rather fling them open, and pour forth, than keep them shut, and hold back.

I opened them for Moses, and the sea parted. I opened them for Joshua, and Jordan rolled back. I opened them for Gideon, and hosts fled. I will open them for you--if you will only let Me. On this side of the windows, Heaven is the same rich storehouse as of old.

The fountains and streams still overflow. The treasure rooms are still bursting with gifts. The lack is not on my side. It is on yours. I am waiting. Prove Me now. Fulfill the conditions, on your part. Bring in the tithes. Give Me a chance. --Selected


I can never forget my mother's very brief paraphrase of Malachi 3:10. The verse begins, "Bring ye the whole tithe in," and it ends up with "I will pour" the blessing out till you'll be embarrassed for space. Her paraphrase was this: Give all He asks; take all He promises." --S. D. Gordon


The ability of God is beyond our prayers, beyond our largest prayers! I have been thinking of some of the petitions that have entered into my supplication innumerable times. What have I asked for? I have asked for a cupful, and the ocean remains! I have asked for a sunbeam, and the sun abides! My best asking falls immeasurably short of my Father's giving: it is beyond that we can ask. --J. H. Jowett

Life's Windows

Life's Windows

Malachi 3:10
And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Have you ever noticed how God provided for you when you were out of work? Not only did He sustain, but He kept you with your dignity. You didn't have to walk with a hung down head. You see that alone ought to tell you that you're not surviving because of your job, because jobs come and go. Possibly you have been married and perhaps your spouse died or moved away and you kept on surviving. Have you had your health and then all of a sudden it was gone and God kept putting food on your table. You're not surviving just because of your health.

God is the one that makes ends meet. Whatever your needs are, God has a window for that need. If you need a friend, he will open up a friend window; friends are worth more than money. That's why if you have one good friend, you should cherish that friendship. Most people don't have a lot of friends in a lifetime; they have associates. Associates will get in your business and tell it all over town and laugh while you're falling down. A friend will love you in spite of problems. There's a difference between an associate and a true friend.

If you need help, God has a help window. If you need health, He has a health window. If you need finances, He has a financial window. If you need a mind to be regulated, He has a mind-regulating window. He says, "I'll open the windows of heaven and I'll pour you out blessings that you don't have room enough to receive." You see God is not concerned with how much you have, he just wants you to be in his will. He just wants you to put him first and give him the first part of the money that He has allowed you to make.

365 Days in the Presence of God: Daily Devotions from the Sermons of Dr. Frank Ray.

Trust God Sunday

I pray that everyone had a wonderful time in the Lord on yesterday as God certainly blessed the Macedonia church family on our first "Trust God Sunday". I learned this concept from my pastor, Dr. A. Glenn Woodberry at Greater Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

It was an initiative to try and get the church to commit to 100% tithing, not through gimmicks or tricks but a strong emphasis on what the Word of God says.
10I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test(CEV)
Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, (NIV)
Try it! Put me to the test! (NLT)
Test Me in this way, (HCSB)

We asked every member who was not a tither to "put God to the test" on the first Sunday in October and commit to tithing. If God doesn't keep his Word, you lose nothing but if He does what He says He will do, you gain everything.

We also asked everyone who is already a tither to commit in addition to their tithe on the first Sunday in October to bring a sacrificial gift to the Lord. The amount of the gift was to be between them and the Lord, for my retired saints, $5.00 over is a sacrifice so we asked God to lead them in this amount.

The Lord led me to preach on Matthew 14:22-33, "The Boat or the Water". The Lord was gracious and I want to thank our Fine Arts Ministry for their skit before I preached which helped set the atmosphere for the text. I also want to thank the production committee who built me a lake and provided me a boat which I preached from Sunday.

I was worried about preaching from the boat as first its not traditional and maybe I was doing too much. I became further worried when I saw too many cameras, cell phones and other devices flashing and filming as I said Uh oh, they gonna take your baptist card for this. However, in the short 19 months that I have been here as "pastor", I have never felt more free during the preaching moment than I did on Sunday.

In regards to the results, it was overwhelming. The testimonies began to flow almost immediately after church. I wasn't concerned about an amount or total as I am trying through the Word of God to create a lifestyle of giving not just a one day shot in the arm for the treasury. However on Sunday, God tripled our normal offering.

I praise God for all the members of Macedonia who decided to take God up on his offer and "Put him to the test" and God will keep His word. I look forward to even more testimonies to come. Thank you Macedonia for letting me be your Pastor and enduring my crazy attempts to make the Bible real in your lives. Don't give up on me!

Malachi 3:10-12 (English Standard Version)
10(A) Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby(B) put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open(C) the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11I will rebuke(D) the devourer[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12Then(E) all nations will call you blessed, for you will be(F) a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.