Are you asking yourself that question and can’t seam to come up with a good answer or are you doing what I’ve been doing in the posts immediately preceding this one?  Well, all of those posts are things that are bothering me and a lot of other people from what I hear.  But, I woke up this morning listening to my pastor and something she said reminded me of previous teaching from her and Dr. Scott.  What I remembered was teaching about having pockets with holes in them.  But, I’ll get to that in a little bit. First I would like to tell you a little story.

    In the late 50s when I was about 10 or 11 years old I got an urge to go to church.  There was a little church down on the corner of the street we lived on and I was living with my grandparents at the time so I asked my grandmother to go with me because I was a little scared to go by myself.  While we were sitting there waiting for the preacher to start his sermon I saw a sign on the wall and asked my grandmother what the word on the sign meant.  She said she didn’t know but she knew that it was something we were supposed to do.  Now my grandparents were not church going people but my grandmother had gone when she was young and she did read the Bible, what she could since she had to quit school when she was in the fifth grade to take care of her 7 or 8 brothers and sisters while her parents were out in the field working.  She was born in 1900 so you can get an idea of about when that was.  Even though she didn’t finish school, she had more common sense in her little finger that 10 other people had in their whole bodies.  Anyway, I never could find anyone that could tell me what the word meant.  It may be coincidence, but my life seamed to go down hill after that.  I was doing good in school and even finished 3^rd in a spelling contest and after that I had trouble spelling all the words in the weekly spelling test in class.  I started getting picked on by bullies and others that pretended to be friends started turning my head toward things that today I realize were more geared toward their pleasure than my good or well being.  But all of that is another story and one I really don’t care to get into other that to say that my life kept going down hill and everything kept getting worse.

     It has been said that GOD’s Grace is really amazing and HIS ways are not our ways.  I can attest to that personally.  What I have learned from my teachers is that GOD won’t just let you go through trials and tribulation and hard times, HE’ll put you through them to test your faith.  And I can tell you honestly that mine was really tested.  But, HIS Grace will prevail. 

     The word grace has been used in a lot of ways throughout history and even many ways in the Bible.  As a greeting, as a good-by at the end of a letter, as expressing GODs favor.  And that’s the most important way.  GODs FAVOR.

     GODs Grace is also multicolored because there are many ways that HIS grace is expressed.  And speaking of color, no one color is the sole recipient of HIS grace.  You can be black, white, red, yellow, green, purple, turquoise or even paisley.  HIS grace applies to everyone and can be obtained through JESUS CHRIST.

     Now some of you may wonder what this has to do with the mess we are in.  Well, remember what I said about things kept getting worse for me.  Even with the shape I’m in now, if it wasn’t for HIS Grace, I might be in a lot worse situation or even dead.  And that is where this country is right now.  We are still here hanging on by a thread because of HIS Grace. 

     This country was great at one time now; everyone has trouble making ends meet.  Maybe, just maybe it’s because this country has turned it’s back on GOD and the founders that HE used to create this country.  There is a good or I should say, are good examples in the Old Testament of the conditions we are in today.  As I’ve been taught in Haggai where the people stopped building GODs House.  In that particular case HE was referring to a building.  In the New Testament context GODs House is somewhat different.  According to the Greek used in writing the New Testament the word Church comes from a couple of different words.  My memory is perfect so please forgive me if I misspell the words.  Ecclesia in the Greek means, “out called ones”.  This is where the Latin languages get the word for church.  It is obvious by the Spanish word for church “Iglesia”.  The other word is Curiacon, which means “The LORDS”.  This is the word that can be traced through German, Scottish, and English down to today’s Pronunciation Church.  The difference is in the New Testament the words mean a people not a building.  But the verses in Haggai are just as relevant.

     I’m not one for quoting scriptures and even though I am looking at them while I’m writing this, I’ll try to put it into my own words so hopefully I can get my point across.

     In Haggai Chapter 1 verse 4 the LORD of hosts, which means GOD of everything animate and inanimate, asks if it is time for you to live in your houses and let mine go to waste.  In today’s society, we are more concerned about our own personal needs than anything else and it seams that anything GOD might want is put to the back of the list.  No wonder why the younger generation seams to want less to do with HIM and hardly ever even thinks of HIM.  We as parents have failed them because we didn’t emphasize HIM and HIS importance the way we should have by acting like and treating HIM like HE is no more than butler to do our bidding or a figment of our conscience to be there when we were troubled about something.  Talk about belittling GOD.  And we wonder why so few people even believe these days.  In verse 5, HE says consider your ways.  Think about what I just said.  And then, in verse 6 HE says, you’ve gone out and worked your butt off and really produced a lot.  But, seams like you still don’t have enough to eat or drink or your clothes don’t last as long as they used to and the money you bring home sure doesn’t last as long as it used to.  Kinda like the old song My Pockets’ Got a Hole In It”.  Not exactly the right title but it makes the point.  Then HE says again “Consider Your Ways”.  Verse 8 talks about getting together what it takes to build HIS house.  In today’s context it’s not physical items but a mental, emotional and spiritual frame of reference.  And with that certain physical items come naturally in an over joyous manner.  Then back to where we are today, we went out looking to do our best to be the best we can be for ourselves and our family still leaving GOD out of the equation.  And, it always wound up being not quite enough.  WHY, BECAUSE GOD SAID I DID BLOW UPON IT BECAUSE MY HOUSE DID LIE WASTE AND YOU RAN TO YOUR OWN HOUSE.  And we stand around and wonder why we do everything we think we can possibly do and things still aren’t quite right.  And nobody even thinks that if we put GOD first HE will take care of everything else.  HE will provide for all your needs.  In the next verse GOD calls for a draught on the land and what most people who read it probably miss is the last few words in the verse “and upon all the labour of the hands”.  Sound familiar?  Aren’t we having problems finding work for everybody today?  I don’t know about you but it kinda makes me wonder.

     Is that what is happening today?  Is that why there is no work to be found?  Could this be why we are under a Government that appears to be making everything it sticks its nose into worse? Could this be why the rest of the world looks down their noses at us when they used to look up to us?  Maybe Malachi Chapter 3 might give a few answers to those questions. 

     In Malachi Chapter 3 verse 7 GOD says “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.”  Then HE is asked, “Wherein shall we return?”  Then GOD gives an example of the way back.  HE starts of by asking, “Will a man rob God?” and says; “Yet ye have robbed me.”  Then the people ask “Wherein” or in today’s language, how could we possibly rob God?   GOD says in tithes and offerings.  How many today can say that they pay their tithes and give offerings to GOD.  Usually with a multitude of, LAME, excuses or rationalities like saying all these preachers do is take up money and nothing gets done or you don’t need to got to church to learn GODs word you can go sit on a log and read it yourself.  In Malachi 3: 9 GOD says, “Ye are cursed with a curse:” (a bitter curse (damnation)) “for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”  Have you felt the “whole nation” is cursed the way things are going today? 

     Then in verse 10, GOD gives you a way out of the curse.  HE says bring all the tithes (plural) into the storehouse, what we call the church house where we receive our spiritual food, that there may be meat (in today’s context medium of exchange or value), “and prove me now herewith… 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.”

     In other words, GOD just turned what was perceived a law into a promises of blessing you can’t contain for bringing your tithes and offerings to HIS storehouse where you are taught HIS word.  

     HE continues on in the chapter talking about other things the people have done and also with more blessings that HE will bestow on the people if they listen to him and respond as HE says. 

     Including that All nations shall call you blessed, there have been those that say it is vain to serve GOD, others say what’s the profit in keeping his ordinances or walk mournfully before the LORD, the proud, those that work wickedness and even those that tempt GOD are even delivered.  Yes even those that are in high places and seek to turn this country from the way it was ordained “are even delivered” if we all “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.”   

     In later verses GOD says that a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD and they shall be mine said GOD when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him.  Then you’ll be able to return and discern between righteous and wicked, between the servant of GOD and the servant of evil.  And, not be a gullible sucker like Khrushchev, who said socialism and communism will subversively take over this country, called us.  And, in this country today, it looks like he was right.  Which way would you rather have it?  God’s way, or the way of the world, the flesh and the devil.  Something everyone in this country needs to think about.  Seriously!!  How much longer will we hang on by a thread?  How long before we decide we would rather have HIS Grace than anything we could possibly attain on our own?  How Long!!

                                                                                                                           Harry

P.S.:  Have you figured out what that word was that I asked my grandmother about yet?

         In case you haven’t, it was tithes. 

                                                                                                                           Harry

P.P.S.:  I’ve been troubled and today realized that I didn’t include the verses in the New Testament for those who think that tithes don’t apply to Christians.  So here they are.  One from Jesus and three from Paul.

 Mat 23:23  Woe^G3759 unto you,^G5213 scribes^G1122 and^G2532 Pharisees,^G5330 hypocrites!^G5273 for^G1063 ye pay tithe^G586 of mint^G2238 and^G2532 anise^G432 and^G2532 cummin,^G2951 and^G2532 have omitted^G863 the^G3588 weightier^G926 matters of the^G3588 law,^G3551 judgment,^{G2920 (G2532)} mercy,^G1656 and^G2532 faith:^G4102 these^G5023 ought^G1163 ye to have done,^G4160 and not^G3361 to leave^G863 the other^G2548 undone.^G863 

1Co 9:11  If^G1487 we^G2249 have sown^G4687 unto you^G5213 spiritual things,^G4152 is it a great thing^G3173 if^G1487 we^G2249 shall reap^G2325 your^G5216 carnal things?^G4559  

1Co 16:1  Now^G1161 concerning^G4012 the^G3588 collection^G3048 for^G1519 the^G3588 saints,^G40 as^G5618 I have given order^G1299 to the^G3588 churches^G1577 of Galatia,^G1053 even^G2532 so^G3779 do^G4160 ye.^G5210  

Gal 6:6  ^(G1161) Let him that is taught^G2727 in the^G3588 word^G3056 communicate^{G2841 (share materially)} unto him that teacheth^G2727 in^G1722 all^G3956 good things.^{G18 (physical things)}                                                                                                                                             Harry