MAKING THE COVENANT CONNECTION !

MAKING THE COVENANT CONNECTION ! That means we shouldn't just toss checks or any financial resources into a bucket on Sunday morning. We shouldn't give just a few dollars to the church now and then. We ought to make tithing a central part of our fellowship with God. We ought to prayerfully and reverently bring our tithes to Jesus our High Priest and release our faith every time, as a fresh expression of THE BLESSING. Many pastors and preachers think that the tithes belongs to them. Wrong ! That's right ! Tithing is where THE BLESSING is expressed. For "here men and women that die receive tithes; but there he or she receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth." "Brother Lewis, surely you're not saying that Jesus actually follows the example of Melchizedek !" No, I'm saying that Melchizedek's ministry was pattern on the ministry of Jesus. Melchizedek was operating in Jesus Anointing, standing in the place of the High Priest, ministering the elements of Communion----the bread and wine that symbolizes the body and the blood of our Savior. He was administrating THE BLESSING on the basis of what Jesus was going to do, not just for Abraham, but for all the families of the earth. According to the Bible, when Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes of all, he was actually bringing his tithe to Jesus because that's who Melchizedek represented. Abraham understood far better than many Christians today just how significant that covenant interaction was. He knew the Communion elements representing blood covenant, meant that God was pledging His own life to him. He understood that God was swearing an oath to him that would never be broken--- He would cease to exist before He'd ever break His covenant with Abraham. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them and end of all strife. Where in God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the in immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of on the whole set before us: which hold we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:16-20). The Communion elements and THE BLESSING Abraham connected with by faith when he tithed, completely anchored Abraham's sword in the reality that his covenant with God was his source. So when the king of Salem tried to wrangle him into a financial deal, Abraham--- overflowing with this revelation--- exploded with the words, "I won't take as much as a shoestring from you ! Let no man said he made Abraham rich but God !" As New Testament believers, we are to have that same attitude ! We should connect with THE BLESSING through the tithe, and then turned to Satan and say, "Get away from me, you liar ! I don't need anything you have. I have a covenant with Almighty God, and He has made me rich--- spirit, soul and body."