Exodus 35:5 (KJV)~ Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
As I read this chapter, it occurred to me once more how the heart plays a big factor in decision making to do for the Lord as a Believer. I try to echo this in all my SheSpeaks4U Seminars 4 the Heart and Mind. Thank you Holy Spirit for giving me an additional understanding found specifically in this one verse about having a willing heart. I get it! Yeah!
Can I share something with you? Sure. I made a decision last November to try one of those Read the Bible In A Year plans received from a church that I visited. I never thought much of those plans because I felt it wasn’t spirit led. However, God proved otherwise and I am doing well with it. He is speaking to me through verses I’d never given a second thought to over the years. I do miss picking out what I want to read over and over. My four older bibles have been marked up pretty good and I hate typing notes on my IPAD using that bible app, it’s just not paper. I have a love for writing on paper.
So my daughter-in-law asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, I told her that I wanted a medium size KJV bible, because I did not want to start writing in the 20 pound bible I inherited from my pawpaw. Lo and behold, she bought me one with a matching bible tote and faith diary to write in. In the bible she wrote “To my real mother…” Aww that made me shed tears. Not many DIL’s consider their mother-in-law much, other than a babysitter. As I was following the yearly plan in Exodus, she came to mind and the many who are trying to build bigger churches with unwilling and unable people came to mind. Thank you for your reading patience.
And now, let us move along to a heavy message that should heave the heart of those that claim to love God, but their heart is not stirred with the Spirit of God. You may get angry about this message, and that’s ok, just don’t wake up tomorrow with the anger still in your heart. (Ephesians 4:26 message coming soon to a WP blog near you) I assure you the message is neither from me nor the evil one.
The text in Exodus 35-36 and the Holy Spirit showed me several things about having A Ready, Willing and Able Heart:
- A willing heart does not give sacrificially nor give according to legalistic issues. (It’s all SPIRITUAL)
- A willing heart does not have to involve pecuniary giving. (Everyone is not financially able to give, irrespective of what is preached)
- A willing heart is flawed when one gives after receiving a brash call (usually from the pulpit) to do so.
- A willing heart automatically produces an overflow (clothing, food, and appliance donations to homeless shelters is a great example; when storms hits, people give what they have with a willing heart to rebuild and help others)
- A willing offering occurs when a person gives of their knowledge, time, understanding, wisdom, on-hand items, and their gifted abilities when their “heart is stirred up” to do something for the Lord. (These abilities show that one is filled with the Spirit of God.)
To sum it all up, the following verses should explain what the Holy Spirit led me to understand about giving to and doing for the Lord (You should read Exodus 35- 40, to get to the nucleus of it all):
Exodus 35:10-And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;
Exodus 35:21– And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
Exodus 35:29– The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
Exodus 35:31– And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
The Outcome of A Ready, Willing, And Able Heart is here: Exodus 36:5-7- And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
Another thing beloved…The Holy Spirit just reminded me of this and the scripture. The glory of the Lord will fill those that have such a heart. I’m not saying you’ll be walking around with a shiny face like Moses had, but someone will notice His glory in you. Let us not forget that our bodies are also the Lord’s tabernacle. (TYHS) Exodus 40:34-Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
I was in the midst of a sermon preached that made my heart sick a while ago. The glory of the Lord was nowhere in the midst of that tabernacle. I love it when the Lord shows me when people are emitting twisted words while making demands on the body of Christ. There is a falsehood floating around in many small and even large churches about the “need” to build buildings costing millions upon millions of dollar to “house the people of God.” Quite a few people that I have come in contact with through my seminars believe this to be an ongoing negative issue within small churches. Lo, the Lord will handle the building of a building, whatever the cost, in His time. The focus does not need to be on a building; it needs to be on the heart and souls of those Believers who have lost their heart for Christ and for those who do not know Christ.
Why do people think a “new building will” automatically “change” a person into having a ready, willing, and able heart for God? Wisdom Speaks- A new atmosphere will not change the people of God that are dead set in their non-Christ-like behaviors and attitudes; those that have a return to Egypt lifestyle mindset, a stiff necked people. Remember the Israelites that were led by Moses? I know of one church with about 150 members that sold their three million dollar building in order to purchase or build a six million dollar building. Needless to say, that church lost quite a few members because of “greed from within and a relocation that caused life long family members to leave…” The church was “not experiencing any growth”… so I asked why would they sell and relocate. Their response blew me away-“…pastors and leaders are always trying to build new churches and compete when they get tired of being in an older building….and then the prosperity sermons started…” This is a message to those that believe a “bigger and newer eye pleasing church will allow us to do more ministries to bring in more members.” Strike 1, Strike 2, Strike 3 – You’re out.
God is watching every behavior and hearing every word that does not glorify Him concerning His tabernacle, i.e. your body. It’s not about doing more ministries, nor is it about “eye pleasing” others. It’s about preparing those bodies inside the church to go outside of the church to spread the Gospel of Christ. It’s about preaching and teaching those in the body of Christ how to become a more ready, willing, and able member led by the heart that God has instilled His Spirit within. Isn’t that what Jesus did with his disciples and other followers? We’re always running around here like a chicken with his neck broke claiming “Jesus is the head of my life” with an unrented, unwilling, and non-penitent heart toward others in the body of Christ. Negative behaviors of and toward those already in the body of Christ does not glorify God. That’s a sure sign of a heart attack taking place in the body of Christ.
The Spirit of God has been beating me down for the last year (February 14, 2015) about getting this message out. Actually today is the anniversary date for me to share the entire message. Believers of Christ just can’t build a church on a rock when its members have not truthfully and wholly consecrated their heart to the Lord. You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, unless it is the Lord’s will. It’s not always about building a structure made of steel, wood, plastic, and bricks. Again, our call is to build up one another first in Christ and by sharing the message of the Gospel of Christ outside of church walls. We are also called to work with the gifts the Lord imparted to our hearts for His church. No brash demand, eye pleasing service nor new building can glorify God with a people lacking a willing and stirred heart.(Missing in Action)
Let us ask ourselves as shepherds and sheep, did God ever abandon those that He gave a willing heart to build something for Him? Again, buildings (old or new) do not help people to come to Christ, nor does it improve the heart’s status. It is those members in the body of Christ that worship Him in spirit and truth filled with a willing heart from the Spirit of God that will lead people to Christ to do for Him. Remember the cleaning of the cup from the inside is what makes it clean?
Peradventure, the outcome that took place in Exodus 35:7 will happen, then a new building may be built because of the spiritual overflow. We must start believing what Jesus said in John 4:23-24- But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Message Finale– You as a shepherd and/ or a sheep must spiritually have A Ready, Willing and Able Heart to build up and out for the Lord. A stressed out congregation can not comprehend what it is to have a willing spirit. When the building up in Christ comes first, then comes the “stuff” you have will be “sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.” (TYHS) Peace 2 you beloved.
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