Jesus sat near the offering box and saw the rich give their offerings. A window also gave two copper coins and Jesus said that she gave more than everyone.
Jesus was not watching how much but how people gave. David says in 2Sam 24:24 that he would not offer to God that which costs him nothing. Paul says in 2Cor 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. Isaiah 64:5 says that God meets with those who rejoice in doing righteousness. God does not look at the amount you give but how you give to him. Do you give to Him just to have a reputation before men that you give to God? God doesn't accept your offerings. Do you give grudgingly or out of necessity? God does not accept your offerings. God loves those who give cheerfully in thankfulness to God and who give that which costs them something.
Some were talking about the temple how well decorated it was and Jesus warned that no stone will be left upon another. When asked when that will be He said; let no one deceives you.
The devils masterpiece in this days is deception. You must be careful that you don't get deceived.
The things that deceives us are riches. Mat 13:22. Riches deceive many people who think that because they have acquired wealth God is pleased with them. Material prosperity is not a sign that God is pleased with you. Look at the richest people in the world and you will realise that very easily. It just means God is good to everyone, both the rich and the wicked. Ps 145:9, Mat 5:45.
Our strong desires(lusts) also are deceitful. Eph 4:22. They deceive us that we will get satisfaction when we fulfill them but we are left even more emptier. Only God can truly satisfy us.
Sin also deceives us. Heb 3:13. It deceives that it's not serious and you will not reap the consequences when you hide it.
The devil is also known as the deceiver of the world. Rev 20:10.
The only hope we have of not getting deceived is if God will protect us from deception. But God also allows someone people to be deceived and believe a lie. 2Thes 2:10-12. Those who do not love the truth so as to be saved but enjoy pleasure of wickedness, God allows them to be deceived. When God convicts of something wrong with you and you silence your voice of conscience; you are a prime candidate for deception. If you justify yourself rather than admit that you are wrong and set right things that needs to be set right; apologise to those who hurt and have taken advantage of, restore what isn't yours, and whatever your conscience convicts you of....you are on a dangerous road towats deception. Learn to never silence your conscience.
We deceive ourselves through many ways.
We deceive ourselves when we become wise in our own eyes. 1Cor 3:18. Learn to humble yourself and admit that unless God helps us, we are weak and foolish.
We deceive ourselves when we think we can live in sin and still inherit the kingdom of God. 1Cor 6:9. Just because you are in church and you serve and you give and share testimony doesn't mean you will enter the kingdom of God. If privately you are living in sin, you will from your church go to hell unless you repent. You service and giving will not be accepted by God. See Isaiah 1:11-19
We get deceived when we think we will not be affected by the friendship we keep. 1Cor 15:33. The company you keep will corrupt you. Choose your friends wisely; they determine your moral standards.
We deceive ourselves when we begin thinking we are very important People in God's work. Gal 6 :3 Especially after being in God's service for a long time, we can have a feeling that we must be respected and people have to seek advice from us and we begin making demands on others who we think are inferior to us. We are not that important. God's work went on wonderfully well before we were born and it will continue on wonderfully well without us and even after we die. Let's humble ourselves and become unworthy servants. Luk 17:10
We deceive ourselves when we think that the decisions we are constantly making daily will not determine our future. Gal 6:7.
Our spiritual lives today are a subtotal of all the decisions we have been making daily. If you decide to please the flesh or obey the promptings of the Spirit in your heart; it will determine where you will end up. You will reap what you saw in your daily decisions.
We deceive ourselves when we only hear God's word and not obey it. Jam 1:22. Your bible knowledge doesn't determine how spiritual you are but how much you obey determines your spiritual level.
We deceive ourselves when we think we know God and are spiritual but cannot control our tongues when provoked or in private. All our Christian activities, our service and giving are worth nothing. Lack of control of our tongues in private or when provoked cancels out all our Christian activities. Jam 1:26
We deceive ourselves when we say we have no sin. Jn 1:8 When we think we are ok and there is nothing wrong with us. We deceive ourselves. If you humble yourself you will judge yourself and you will constantly see areas in your lives you need to improve, something's you need to change the way you do them and something unchristlike like that you need to repent of. When you think there is nothing wrong with you, you will constantly see the sins of others and judge them. Don't deceive yourself lest you allow the devil to deceive you.
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@Blessed Mshindi Mambo
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