When it comes to various sports, it is an accepted fact that there are different rules for each sport. There are also different muscles used in each sport. While you might have a Tim Tebow who moves from football to baseball, it would be unlikely for a heavy weight wrestler to move to ballet. There are different rules and different muscles for each sport.
And, regardless of the sport, it is necessary to be “all in” in order to succeed. If something is done half-heartedly, the results are less than satisfactory. A good coach looks for the person with the heart to the game, not one just going through the motions.
Likewise Jesus indicated that one has to be “all in.”
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
One of the biggest tests of finances is the test of the tithe. Those who tithe, consistently, find out the promise is true. But those who dabble with tithing, and only tithe once in a while, may not be as enthusiastic, because sporadic tithing, like sporadic trips to the gym, may not yield the desired results.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, 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.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
Where should you tithe? You should tithe to wherever you get your spiritual food.
You don’t eat at McDonald’s and pay Wendy’s. Neither should you get your spiritual food from one church and pay elsewhere. You can give offerings to other things … missionaries, evangelistic crusades, outreaches like Samaritan’s Purse; there are many good places to give offerings and you should pray for direction from the Lord as to where to donate. But the tithe is the Lord’s and the storehouse is where you draw your spiritual meat from, likely your local church or maybe an online church.
If week after week you draw spiritual meat and strength and never give back, never pay your tithe, you put yourself in the position of being chastened.
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Years ago … years ago … there was someone who was able-bodied who would not work. Not … could not ….. but … would not. At one point in prayer, there was a word of knowledge that God hates a liar, and so the next thing you know, something happened and the person could not work, because he would not work when he could.
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.
If you say that sounds harsh, sometimes for the salvation of a soul things get a little rough. Sometimes the only time someone will look up to God and pray is when that person is on his back in a hospital bed.
Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.
Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.