There’s a word of caution before the final outcome of the election that I do not believe was heeded after the results of the 2016 election.   Actually, it’s not something from me, it is in the Bible.

When the “good times rolled” under President Trump, how many Christians obeyed these scriptures? And did we experience the “not good” reaping collectively for not doing so? Individuals who obey the Lord individually can prosper regardless of what is going on with a larger group, but collectively, as a body, as a whole, as nation, did we prosper?

If people struggle, my first question to them would be this. Do they obey these scriptures listed below? God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever and cannot fail if we do all that is required of us.

Psalm 119:89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7 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. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, 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.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

When “the good times rolled” wasn’t this more of the collective mindset of the nation?

Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

20 As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.

Lately, there has been a certain amount of revival to the nation. There’s been more seriousness and prayer than went into the 2020 elections. The effects of living under ungodliness have been felt by more than usual. Sad to say, it usually when things affects us personally, that it spurs us to action.

In the Old Testament, the prophets continually gave verbal warnings from God, but often it wasn’t until the nation disobeyed the warnings and got into trouble that the collective “light bulb” went on and they began to repent and change their ways and do what they had already been told to do in when the Lord gave them his laws and commandments.

Since the coming of Christ, believers are grafted into the seed of Abraham, so these things can be applicable to us today.  For those who say we are not under the law, that is true, Jesus took it to a higher level and if you walk in the spirit you will not only keep the law in substance but in the heart.  It’s a higher call, not a lower one.

It’s beneficial to be able to understand what is coming and change our ways prior to feeling the effects of it, whether good or bad.  And we know from the Word that if we choose aright, and obey rightly, we can experience the good.

Even if there is revival, the pattern of the children of Israel, which the Apostle Paul says to consider as lessons to avoid some of the problems they experiences,  is that when they were hurting they would turn to God in prayer and ask for help. Once they got a little relief, they would backslide, disobey the laws of God again, and because breaking the laws of God brings consequences, they would again find themselves under the feet of their enemies. They had no consistent standard of staying faithful to God.

One of the best ways to be faithful to God is put him first in finances. When you get paid or make money, give your tithe to the local church where you weekly attend, get spiritually fed, where you serve and where you fellowship. Your tithe does not belong to a travelling evangelist. That would be an offering. Your tithe does not go to the local shelter. That would be alms. Where you tithe is where you get your food and reward. Tithe first before paying any other bills. The moment you are paid or blessed in some financial way, tithe. If you will do it consistently and follow the Lord as he leads you, there will be consistent answers according to Malachi and other scriptures.

Each type of giving brings its distinct reward according to the Word of God.

Yes, God can bring blessings, material blessings, but personally, one of the blessings of the tithe is he can help you change … to be more productive … to not make foolish purchases … to not waste money. There are ways within and without where God can help a tither.

We can only experience the blessing of the Word that we obey, not the Word  that we simply read in the Bible. Faith without works is dead.

Works will not get a person born again, but obedience will help a person grow and lead that person into experiences that person would not have otherwise if that person disobeys the Word after being born again.

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

A good way to not serve mammon, at least a good start, is to tithe. It will break the spirit of greed. And if the Lord leads you to give offerings and alms, do that too. There are rewards for each thing God asks of you.

Some people don’t like the word “tithe”.  They say it is Old Testament.  I personally don’t think that the tithe is old-fashioned or under the law, because Abraham tithed before Moses was born, and the law was brought though Moses.

But let’s stay with what some say, it’s Old Testament.  Then a good thing to do would be to pray and ask God what kind of giving is necessary in order to not serve mammon.  What does that look like in anyone’s personal situation?

People like to quote this verse as a promise.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

But it’s important to realize that Paul was speaking to people who had met certain requirements. Any good Bible teacher will tell you to consider the verse in context and to compare it with other verses on the same topic to fully understand what is being said.

So these people:
1. communicated to (or we would say “helped” in modern English)  Paul in his affliction
2. they were the only church that communicated with him in giving and receiving
3. they “sent once and again unto my (Paul’s) necessity”, in other words, they helped him more than once
4. the help was sent by way of Epaphroditus, and so Paul said, “I have all, and abound: I am full”
in other words, the help sent was not miserly or stingy

The results were:
1. fruit would abound to your (their) account
2. it was an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God
and finally, to these people that Paul was speaking to that met these requirements above, it was to those particular people that Paul said …
3. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

A lot of times Philippians 4:19 is quoted out of context. Personally, I like to quote Malachi 3:10-12 for I find it is smart to consider if-then relationships in the Bible. Tithing is an if-then proposition for those who follow those scriptures consistently and continually.

So even if President Trump gets elected, and even if the economy begins to roll again because of ideas he wants to implement (such as getting rid of the income tax which will cause businesses overseas to move back and will help jumpstart the economy), even if that happens, let’s not forget the Lord in prosperity. If we want spiritual and economic revival to continue, we need to follow the rules.

All life has rules. Somehow, we think in spiritual things we can take shortcuts.

In my own life I’ve found that a shortcut usually ends up being a “long cut”.

Slow and steady wins the race. Faithfulness is rewarded.