As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
My two favorite peach growers pointed something out to me in I needed to elaborate on a subject of offerings to God. They were absolutely correct in this as I often get things sorted out in my mind in how to do things and forget the details so others wonder what I am talking about.
During our Bible reading (we’re currently in Numbers), we read about the various offerings and talked about how we don’t sacrifice bulls and so on any more, as Christ was the Perfect Sacrifice. As such, what we came to about the pour offering was that it is not necessary in the way it was in the Old Testament, but rather something you do to show love and respect.
The thing the Holy Ghost pointed out to me in Bible study and it was that God in every instance took what was not the best. I do not mean that God will accept crippled cows or things like that, but when God says First Fruits, as in like the first born in animals. Those animals are usually smaller and not good for the genetic foundation, so God was doing herd improvement.
For tithes, God said that He required 10% but then says you just had to spend it at the Temple enjoying yourself, even with strong drink. No that does not mean you get to get drunk, but it means that God wants you to acknowledge He is the Source of all things, and then for you to enjoy those things with Him.
In offerings of rams and bulls, it speaks of the fat of rams. If you look at the offerings, God got fat and some innards. The Priests got the boiling pot hooks which they could stab at things and get their share, but just like in the Passover, when it was your lamb that God provided, you got to eat it and enjoy it before God.
The key is as Richard and Stephanie stated by the Holy Ghost in it is the intent of the heart. Cain brought an offering before God with a mindset that he was doing God a favor. Abel came with an offering in humble sincerity that he appreciated all God did for him. In the Old Testament God says to HEAR and OBEY is better than offering the fat of rams. God requires people to care about each other as that is what is the essence of the Law and Grace as Christ proved in His offering of Himself.
Whatever we offer before God, whether a prayer, a song, a thought, an offering of things, it is always the "cheerful giver" in being thankful to God with Joy. God knows when you have a crappy life or you can not afford things. He does not expect you to bankrupt yourself, but He certainly knows when you are pissed off and thinking, "Yeah God wants too much and doesn't deserve this as I have needs too".
Put it this way, say there is a multi millionaire and they donate to Blah Blah charity to get noticed, but then go on the cheap to God like pouring out some bottle water while saying, "Hey God that charity is like giving to you", when that is a lie as it had nothing to do with God but their vanity. That is what Jesus said about the Pharisees giving money in public for all to see, and why the Widow's mite was more as they gave from their riches, but she gave all she had.
I believe that all things are good as St. Paul teaches. So if your heart drools over a beer, and that is the better than gold to you, and if you offered it as a pour offering before God, that has meaning to God. That does not mean though that you can offer whores to God and in some cases it does not allow you to pour beer out to God as people with different sensibilities might be offended and you know some dope drunk would orgy it up to their harm. Offering to God like prayer is a private thing.
I may have mentioned this before, but I set up a large rock and have an apple tree growing over it. It is pretty and I consecrated that boulder as an altar and I "offer" on it every Sabbath eve. I am poor so most would consider it a mockery, but it is a homemade olive oil lamp I built out of a glass vaccine bottle, washer on top and a paper towel wick, housed in a 303 soup can with a bail I made, and a glass chimney I purchased as the cats or coons keep breaking them, all inside a tin coffee can. The coffee tin is when I have lots of wind.
It is simple offering, simple prayer and simple blessing of Moses.
It would be junk to most people, but it is holy as it is for God and I do this out of respect. If I was rich it would have been gold lamps, but if Iwas rich now I would still keep it, because it's worth is being God's now and from where He led us.
Think of it this way in Christ is the complete sacrifice, like a wedding ring which is permanent, but your wife still likes getting presents. Offerings to God are the showing God you appreciate Him in your Spiritual marriage to Him.
I would that God was more impressed with my wooing, but we both know in this relationship that even this blog is all Him, so I pretty much come empty handed every time as everything is His.
Personally in my being such a cold blooded bastard, I have problems with sacrificing animals as I do not think anything of me is worth another life. Would I gladly offer to God the bits He requires, and consume like the lamb on the Passover. Yes I would, but I would have to apologize to God that I am not killing little lambs, and would have to be for me to be fully joyful in it, a fully grown virgin whether. That is not balking at God, but just my sensitive nature. That though does not mean people get to offer spam lambs or tofu bulls as there are limits which should be common sense.
Every Christian is offering to God most meals, as they pray before God in eating the food. That is breaking of bread in a covenant every day.
Up to a point in common sense, what God moves a Christian to interact with Him is what is right as people know what is acceptable and unacceptable.
Come before God and enjoy being with Him. This is what pleases God. You can't bribe God or con God, but offerings out of the sincerity of the heart is what God accepts.
May God accept your good offerings and tolerate the good intentions we have in falling short in Jesus Name Amen and Amen
agtG
