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Weekly Parashah |
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| Torah: Gen. 37:1–40:23 | Haftara: Amos 2:6–3:8 | Brit Chadashah: Jn. 2:13–4:42 Mt.1:18-25 |
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| Vayeshev (And he settled) |
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Scripture: |
Genesis 37:1 – 40:23
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Torah |
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Joseph, Favored Son37 Now Jacob dwelled in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the genealogies of Jacob. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.+37%3A1%E2%80%9340%3A23&version=TLV |
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Scripture: |
Amos: 2:6 - 3:8
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Haftarah |
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6 Thus says Adonai: |
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Scripture: |
John 2:13–4:42
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Brit Chadashah |
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13 The Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple, He found the merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves; also the moneychangers sitting there. 15 Then He made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the Temple, both the sheep and oxen. He dumped out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. 16 To those selling doves, He said, “Get these things out of here! Stop making My Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your House will consume Me!”[a]18 The Judean leaders responded, “What sign do You show us, since You are doing these things?”19 “Destroy this Temple,” Yeshua answered them, “and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Judean leaders then said to Him, “Forty-six years this Temple was being built, and You will raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was talking about the temple of His body. 22 So after He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He was talking about this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Yeshua had spoken. 23 Now when He was in Jerusalem for the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, seeing the signs He was doing. 24 But Yeshua did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for He knew what was in man. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jn.+2%3A13%E2%80%934%3A42&version=TLV Matthew 1 : 18 - 25The Miraculous Birth of Yeshua18 Now the birth of Yeshua the Messiah happened this way. When His mother Miriam was engaged to Joseph but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, made up his mind to dismiss her secretly. 20 But while he considered these things, behold, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by Adonai through the prophet, saying, 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”[a]24 When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of Adonai commanded him and took Miriam as his wife. 25 But he did not know her intimately until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His name Yeshua. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt.1%3A18-25&version=TLV |
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Parashah in 60 seconds |
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Tithes and Offering
Tithes and Offering
CBN.com – The Law of Reciprocity
As Pat Robertson stated in his book, The Secret Kingdom, Christ's admonition to "give and it will be given to you" defines a remarkable spiritual principle. It can also be called the law of reciprocity, which is quite evident in the physical world: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Smile at another person, and he'll probably smile back at you. Be critical of others, and they'll respond in kind. As you give, you will receive. Give generously, and you'll receive in like measure.
Why Should We Tithe?
Since God owns everything — "the cattle on a thousand hills" and all there is — it might seem that He doesn't really need our tithes and offerings. He doesn't need them, true, but we need to give them. For, in instructing us to tithe, God is helping us to understand the law of reciprocity.
In addition, failure to tithe means we are actually robbing God of what is due Him. In Malachi 3:8-9, God spells out the results when the nation of Israel does not repay Him what they owe:
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me."
When we tithe, we receive many blessings from God.
"Give,and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap" (Luke 6:38).
And what blessings were promised to the people of Israel, if they would once again tithe!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.Test and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:10-12).
We are also told that when we give to others, we give to God:
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).
The Importance of Being Earnest
Yet, we should give not only because God expects us to. Our sincerity in returning to God a portion of His bounty is equally important. We're told:
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7).
The apostle Paul also tells us that we receive according to the way we give:
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
Luke likewise admonishes:
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
However, we're warned against making public our acts of giving:
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1).
An offering
An offering on the other hand is that what comes out of our access, it is anything, beside, above, or beyond our giving in tithes. When our first fruits (the tithe) is given it stands above or beyond the test of time and before the blessings of God. Within Eagle Wings Charismatic Ministries we stress that Tithes and Offering is between you and God, it is not something WE require. We however have seen in our own lives and that of others the blessings that God bestows upon them that are joyful and faithful givers.
God's Outpouring of Blessings
When we're generous to Him and to others, God rewards us in a very generous fashion.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.' Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (II Corinthians 9:8-12).
What Should I Do Now?
In the Old Testament, the Jews were instructed to take their tithes" to the storehouse," which was the temple — the center of religion for the entire country. Today, since the Body of Christ has so many manifestations (churches, colleges, television and overseas ministries, hospitals, relief agencies, etc.), people can choose where their tithes should go.
It's important that you give your tithe to the place that feeds you spiritually. If you're a church member, you should honor your own church with consistent financial support, since membership entails responsibilities as well as privileges.
Done on a regular basis, giving serves as a constant reminder that God is our provider. You alone will decide how to account for your stewardship of the financial blessings God gives you — and how to honor Him with your tithes and offerings. May you be richly blessed as you are obedient in your stewardship to Him!
Blatently copied from CBN.com because we couldn't say it in a better way
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