Why is money important in a sacrifice?

Another meaning of the word SACRIFICE is the surrender of something prized.
In Church, it is very common for us to hear people saying that they have surrendered their body, soul and spirit on the Altar. However, in most cases, we do not see God's answer materialize in their lives. Why is this? It’s simple. We have two legs to help us get where we want to go. When we walk, we put all of our weight over the left leg, while the right leg moves forward. Then we put all of our weight on the right leg, while the left leg moves forward, right? The same happens when we sacrifice: one leg represents the spiritual part and the other leg represents the material part. Many place all of their strength on the spiritual part – they fast, pray, turn away from sin – but are afraid to act on their faith, rejecting the Altar, which belongs to the body, soul and spirit, this is, the material sacrifice.
"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14.33
The surrender on the Altar means that we are aware that everything we have: house, car, money, children, husband, wife etc., does not belong to us – it is only with us as a loan that God may ask us for at anytime and we should be ready to surrender it to Him on the Altar, even though it may cost us to sacrifice.
"O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own." 1 Chronicles 29.16
You may ask me: Why is money important in a sacrifice?
We have often seen in the news, mothers giving their children up for adoption because they claim that they are unable to raise them, but have you ever seen a mother give a box filled with millions of dollars to someone, claiming that she can no longer take care of that "poor" green paper? That’s right. It is possible to live without children, a husband, family, but not without money because we need it to survive. What we had, what we have and we will have, once surrendered on the Altar, in the hands of God, symbolizes what we were, what we are and what we will be on the Altar.
If you do not want to depend on anyone like a crutch, just on yourself and God, in order to obtain your accomplishments, whatever they may be, then use your faith on the Altar with both legs of sacrifice - spiritual and material. This way, you will not only walk, but you will run in the direction of your successes.
Think!
God bless you.

Photo of the soul

The story of Cain and Abel repeats itself everyday inside Christian churches.
Every day, Christians – good or bad – present their offerings.
Most deposit the fruit of their labor before the Altar, while the minority deposits their first fruits along with the fat on the Altar.
Apparently, Cain's offering had more value because it was voluntary. God did not ask for anything. In the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
It is likely that he attributed the miracle of multiplication to the Lord and wanted to thank Him for it
Offerings given with contempt, offerings given with disdain, offerings given unwillingly, unclean offerings, and all other offerings reflect what is in the heart of the offering giver.
The offering is a colored picture of the heart of the offering giver before God.
If the offering is unclean (wounded), Jesus teaches:
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5.23-24
Very few people know this.
God did not go into detail about the kind of fruit or its quality, like He did for Abel’s offering. He just rejected it due to the heart of the offering giver.
It was brought before the altar and rotted there, the same way that Cain’s life did.
All this because there was something bad in him:
If you do well, will you not be accepted?
If he had proceeded well, it would have been accepted.
Unlike Cain, Abel, a shepherd, brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
Nothing random or given without thought.
He sought and chose from among his enormous flock something that demonstrated faith, love, gratitude and fear.
It was something that reflected his surrender.
He really wanted to please the Lord...
No wonder that, on account of his offering, God testified that he was righteous.
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11.4

The easy way out

Just like it is impossible to have a successful marriage without sacrifice, it is also impossible to keep a pact with God without sacrifice.
You have to sacrifice your will, sacrifice to carry the weight of the cross and sacrifice to walk in the footsteps of Jesus day after day until death.
A Pact, alliance, partnership or marriage requires surrender, dedication and loyalty.
In other words, faith and love.
Besides Calvary, the Lord Jesus continues sacrificing, by tolerating our daily mistakes and weaknesses.
The renunciation of our free will should exist on our part, we should bear the cross of rejection from the children of the world and walk in His footsteps day after day.
Is it easy?
No, it is not.
But who said anything about it being easy to conquer the Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus warns that narrow is gate, difficult is the way and few will find it. Matthew 7.14
He also said that from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11.12
Therefore, whoever thinks that Jesus has already sacrificed and they no longer need to sacrifice is also going to hell, even though they believe in Jesus.
The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the indolent, lazy or those looking for the easy way out.

Keep your faith pure

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" Jeremiah 18.3-6
Meditating on the fact that the vessel was marred in the "hands" of the Potter (God), I understand that the only thing that limits His power is our free will.
One of the biggest obstacles that has hindered the fulfillment of God's purpose in the past generations is the idea, which has become increasingly global, that "we have the right to do whatever pleases us, and it’s nobody's business." Those who have this attitude towards others will inevitably have the same attitude towards God.
In fact, haven’t we treated Him like this sometimes?
When we are young and our faith is "pure”, we think that we have a clear picture of what God wants to do with us and through us. Now that we are older, we realize how far we are from this, and it's all our fault. God has not able to do for us and through us what He "wanted and had planned" because we have resisted His power and allowed other influences to shape us into something much less useful and valuable. Certainly, the altar is where we should keep our "free will". In other words, this is where we should SACRIFICE it.
But there is still hope for those who "want" to be molded by God, regardless of how long they have resisted Him. Saul of Tarsus was a marred vessel while he resisted the power of the Word of God and "kicked against the goads*", but when he asked trembling, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" God turned him into a vessel of honor.
No matter how rotten our lives are, or how long they have been this way, if we "want" this change with ALL our being and strength, God will do this in our lives.
God bless you.
*A goad was a long metal rod with a sharp pointed end, which was used to cause discomfort and pain to animals, making them obey their owner. It was only used on stubborn and obstinate animals.

Proud to be humble

I doubt that the cruelest, most bloodthirsty, biggest thug or greatest pedophile on earth could not move the heart of God when, with sincerity and faith, they humble themselves and cry out for His compassion.
On the other hand, I also doubt that the most religious, biggest tithe giver, most charitable, ardent and religious person could obtain compassion when they try to justify themselves before the Almighty.
Those who want to come before the Lord must be humble and use their faith.
Otherwise, nothing can be done.
No one who is proud, arrogant, pretentious, authoritarian, an oppressor or a tyrant will have a chance to come before the Almighty.
The Syrian Army Commander, who was covered in medals of honor and full of pride, contracted leprosy. His servant suggested that he seek the help of the prophet Elisha.
Loaded with gold, silver and fine clothes to pay for the miracle, Naaman stood at the door of the prophet’s house. The prophet did not receive him, instead, he sent him to bathe seven times in the Jordan River. At first he resisted, but his servant convinced him, so he removed his robes of pride and obeyed. Only after he went into the polluted waters of the Jordan River seven times, his illness disappeared.
Why do so many people have faith in God, yet they haven’t received His favor?
Because their faith does not match their arrogance.
Much less with their pride of being humble.
"Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight’." Luke 10.21
God is not against the wisdom and knowledge of the wise and prudent. But, He is against arrogance, pride and the sense of superiority that many carry with themselves.
On the other hand, babes does not mean ignorant or stupid. It refers to the poor in spirit, who are therefore able to hear and obey His Word. The Kingdom of God is only going to be revealed to them.

A Living Sacrifice

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12.1
Now we can understand why we there are assistants who are active, tireless in the Work of God, evangelizing, counseling people and even casting out demons during many years in the Church, and when we least expect it, they grow cold, suddenly fall away from the faith and stop coming to Church. The main reason why this happens is that these people never surrendered their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Among other meanings, A LIVING SACRIFICE means:
Depriving yourself from something for the benefit of others. When we deprive ourselves of the customs and attitudes of sin, whatever they may be, we are sacrificing (killing) the desires of our flesh. So we become numb to this world and alive on the altar, in perfect communion with God.
HOLY means to be set apart. Do you remember what is written?
"For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?" Matthew 23.19

When we present our bodies as a living sacrifice on the altar, God sets us apart from this world, its sufferings and, in the future, from hell, if we endure until the end, because He wants us to be with Him for all eternity, praise God!
ACCEPTABLE means pleasing, satisfactory. When we present our bodies as living sacrifices; in other words, each time you resist promiscuity, adultery, lying, stealing and all other kinds of sin, God inhales our attitude as a pleasant aroma. He is happy to have us as children, as a living offering on His altar. Do you remember what He said about the Lord Jesus?
"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3.17
Lets make an internal analysis: Who among us, assistants, can God say the same thing to?
THINK!
God bless you.

The Secret Place of the Most High

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91.1-2
With so many tragedies, violence, death plaguing mankind, "the love of many growing cold”, insecurities, fear, despair and the feeling of blatant helplessness on people's faces, the question that refuses to keep quiet is: how can you protect yourself from the attacks of evil?
There is only one place that can protect us, a place where we can feel safe: the "secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty”. There, we are surrounded by the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What harm can befall us? Not even all of hell can touch us, only if they can manage to get over the bodies of these three loyal Guardians.
There is only one way for a person to be affected by the devil in this situation: when he draws them out of the secret place. The devil cannot defeat God, but he can exploit human weakness, like a mother would do with a child when she wants to take his picture. She shakes the rattle behind the camera to attract the baby’s attention.
The devil does the same with those who abide in the secret place of the Most High: he shakes the rattle called sex, need of love, corruption to achieve financial gain, colorful world, internet impurities, etc.
This is what he did with Adam and Eve: he shook the rattle, which attracted their attention to the tree, which was a kind of "tithe" that belonged to the Lord. Adam and Eve lived in the secret place of the Most High, and the devil could not touch them, but he could make suggestions. They were lured by satanic suggestions, and disobeyed God.
When we look back, we see millions of bodies lying in the desert: former members, former assistants, former pastors and former bishops that once lived under the "shadow of the Almighty" and today are spiritually dead, simply waiting for the time when they’ll be brought to the kingdom of darkness – unless they sincerely repent.
It is time to reflect and invest more and more in our communion with God, so that we may develop our salvation with "fear and trembling", Philippians 2.12.
God bless you.