ENGLISH Dante Gebel #825 | The rotten apple
Joshua could not conquer any other city until he removed Achan, “the rotten apple,” from his army. Achan, who did not trust the Divine Providence and so dishonored the Lord by keeping part of the treasure of the conquered land for himself. God highly values our trust. He does not ask for it, does not suggest it or recommend it; He demands it. And managing our finances is a way of letting God know that we trust Him, and that He comes first in our lives. This is what tithing or offerings are all about; giving God the honor and thanks for everything we have. It is not about percentages, but about priorities. Giving first to God in all areas of life, makes the rest be blessed.
[Music]
are we ready yes or no
today I want to begin
with the story of a famous
multi-millionaire a magnet
that lives in Silicon Valley
he belongs to the generation that became
extremely rich with an application and
algorithm or the invention of a new
mobile device in other words he didn’t
inherit his fortune these technology
Wizards that become rich from night to
day online a Visionary an innovator a
leader a businessman a precursor
Italian shoes a Rolex on his wrist a
designer suit
his money is always invested his money
works for him it’s in the market his
plastic is gold he lives the same way he
flies first class
he develops his muscles in the gym
he escapes old age with some discreet
Botox applications not for him to look
swollen like a ninja turtle but you know
things here and there
his stomach is very flat he always
smells very good
what characterizes him his branding is
his power of Seduction in all areas
especially business he’s secure
is a guy that knows where he’s going and
where he’ll arrive tomorrow
he makes up the new generation of
businessmen and he dominates the three
p’s Prosperity posterity and Power
they say these are the three p’s that
you have to dominate in the business
world and up until now
life has been easy for this gentleman
but now he has a question
and for someone that’s so used to giving
orders
it’s very uncomfortable for him to
solicit help
from the son of a carpenter for a man of
his level
to consult help from a villageman is it
something common
it’s not something that he’s used to
but he’ll ask all the same so he goes up
to the man and he says Master what do I
have to do to obtain eternal life the
guy has it all but he wants to be sure
that if on top of what he has now if
he’ll have eternal life and his way of
expressing his question
exposes his erroneous belief system he
thinks he can accomplish eternal life
the way he acquires everything else
through his economic power in other
words he’s saying Master what should I
do come on give me a price and and
that’ll be it
if I can’t pay it here and now then I’ll
have my lawyer send a check and Jesus
answer
tries to make him reflect he says if you
want eternal life be sure to obey all
the Commandments
and the man says well which one’s
exactly and he takes out a tablet to
write some notes tell me which ones and
Jesus says well do not kill
don’t commit adultery do not steal do
not lie honor your mother and your
father and love your neighbor as you
love yourself
fantastic
the guy thinks murder
terminate someone and there’s always
someone that that will dirty their hands
so I don’t have to do it so it doesn’t
count as me killing him adultery
I don’t know it’s nothing no young man
wouldn’t do
and on top of it us gentlemen don’t have
a memory
stealing
nah you know extortion here and there
but that’s just business nothing
personal
false testimony not that I can remember
on top of it all my lawyer speaks for me
honor your mother and your father yeah I
visit them on Father’s Day and on
Mother’s Day always
love your neighbor as you love yourself
hey I pay my employees well so in one
way or another that’s loving them so he
looks at Jesus and he says look I’ve
accomplished them all you know what’s
more now that I think of it
I’ve fulfilled them even from when I was
a child so he brags a bit he hooks his
thumb in his belt just like an
Argentinian
and he says
are there any other Commandments for me
master but now Jesus go straight to the
point and he says yeah you know what I
just thought of another one if you want
to be perfect
go so everything you have
give it to the poor
and you will accumulate Treasures in
Heaven
and the guy goes crazy as a panic attack
and this declaration
leaves this gentleman dismayed and all
the disciples perplexed so that it’s the
the disciples ask well then who’s going
to be saved that way the man left upset
because he wasn’t willing to do that and
Jesus answer left all listeners in a
State of Shock he said for men it’s
impossible for them to be saved on their
own that doesn’t say improbable
it doesn’t say it’s
not feasible he says no there’s no hope
there’s no it’s impossible impossible
that’s why the Young Rich Man thought
that the only thing that separated him
from heaven was a payment with his
credit card and it made sense for him
you work hard you pay what you owe and
there you’re free you’re you’re sent but
Jesus said no no way because what you
need
costs a lot more than what you can pay
than what you can afford so it wasn’t
money that bothered the Young Rich Man
but his self-sufficiency what do I need
to get to heaven
it wasn’t his possessions but his
arrogance his pride it wasn’t his bills
that bothered Jesus or the young man but
his inflated head that’s why Jesus added
in Mark 10 23 how hard it is for the
rich to enter the kingdom of God
but not just Richmond
also those that are educated those that
are strong the good-looking people the
popular people the religious people the
holiest and specifically those that
don’t trust in God
how difficult is it for them to enter
the kingdom of heaven I’m going to tell
you another story
to tell you the Second Story I need to
go a little further back we have to go
back to the Book of Joshua
it’s a book that’s about military
conquest that’s what the Book of Joshua
is but it doesn’t share many military
details because you go to the Book of
Joshua and we don’t know what type of
weapons Joshua used how many officials
made up his army
we have no clue how many men were in
each Battalion we don’t know if Joshua
had
special ops unit we don’t know if he had
a SWAT team what we do know if you go to
the Book of Joshua
is that for them to have Victory and
battles
they had to trust absolutely in God’s
faithfulness they had to depend
exclusively on him so this story
that the one that I’m about to tell you
goes back to Canaan
it was the best real estate on all of
Earth cannan connected Africa with
Europe it had access to the
Mediterranean Sea it was rich in fields
infertile lands and the most important
thing is that that land was a gift from
God to his people that’s the land that
he had given his people seven centuries
beforehand God had told Abraham in
Genesis 12 7.
to your Offspring I will give this land
and now Joshua is ready to claim it
because God set it apart already the
property was for his people Jericho had
been destroyed the Citadel was in Ruins
they were about to take that land that
God had promised years ago
the scene was set for the Hebrews to
take control
and in the last verse
of Joshua 6. it says so the Lord was
with Joshua and his Fame spread
throughout the land the guy was super
famous
Josh was 6 27 says the guy was popular
an influencer of that moment
but as soon as the following chapter
began don’t get lost please don’t forget
about the rich man that we were just
speaking about as soon as chapter 7
begins
a word or a phrase a sentence appears
that bothers and it says but
so chapter six Ends by saying and God
was with Joshua and his Fame spread
throughout the land
as soon as chapter 7 begins it begins
with a but
and it worries me because that but
threatens to destroy the entire
storyline Joshua 7 1 it’s the following
chapter says but
it’s like when the movie gets
complicated right
but the Israelites were Unfaithful in
regard to the devoted things
it happens that a man named akan it is
believed that he had a Salvadorian
mother and a Mexican father according to
theologians probably some watermelon in
there too but you know no Argentinian in
him
he had stolen some sacred things some
sacred goods and so the Lord was very
very angry he was irate against the
Israelites
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard about
acan you wouldn’t be the only one
because almost nobody emphasizes the
story of acan however
his story survived the biblical archive
and for some reason God decided to
register that story and keep it in the
Bible
it’s not a story with a happy ending we
know the sorority it’s not a pleasant
story for a Sunday School
this is akan’s life this is his profile
he had a wife a family
he’s fortunate because the Bible doesn’t
mention
that he had a mother-in-law his wife
must have been an orphan so he had it
all
Bulls donkeys sheep and a tent a home he
had a place in the lineage of Judah
but despite that
he deliberately and shamelessly violated
the order that God had given in Joshua 6
18.
but keep away from the devoted things
so that you will not bring about your
own destruction by taking any of them
you will bring Venom and disgrace to the
land of Israel
just that no one asked so what can we do
no anything that’s made of gold silver
bronze and iron it belongs to God and
because of that it’s sacred
I’ll explain why God gave this order in
a bit but the instructions were clear
don’t make necklaces
from the gold take the city but don’t
make medallions with the bronze don’t
make gifts no knickknacks no bajira
nothing
God had many hopes for this for these
people because through them the Messiah
would come
so he needed them to trust in him and
only him
they couldn’t depend on their own
resources no definitely not
God had to
even in the desert they never lacked
anything
not only did he give them food but he
also clothed them he gave them good
health health
there’s an occasion
in Deuteronomy 8 4 that says your
clothes did not wear out and your feet
did not swell during these 40 years
you never heard that in the desert oh I
have to plunge my feet in fig tree Soul
because they’re so swollen this crazy
guy has been taking us in circles for
for years no one said oh no my tunic
ripped again well where’d you buy it oh
at Ross on on Tuesday for for the
elderly for the
for the seniors discount
[Music]
no shoemakers no tailors they didn’t
have any any work to do no blisters no
bunions
that were ready to kiss beautiful God
took care of them and what was the
secret to continue trusting in God and
for God to care for them remembering
God’s faithfulness all the time God
wanted his faithfulness to be registered
in their biographies anytime they
doubted he wanted them to remember how
God had taken them from slavery and
protected them in the desert before
looking forward towards Jericho they
needed to look back to the Jordan River
back to Egypt and see what God did in
their past that was how they
we’re grateful and that hasn’t changed
even today I think after 2020 after the
pandemic the global pandemic everyone
lived it
it was a socialist virus there’s no one
that can say oh I have nothing to give
thanks for if you survived and if you’re
speaking then you do have to give thanks
you survived you look back
right
and you realize God’s faithfulness I
remember
something even more simple than a virus
I remember a few years back
I write the sermons on Saturday always
to have it fresh to remember it I like
to do it on Saturday unless I’m on a
flight
but either way I mainly do it on
Saturdays and I remember
I I couldn’t find inspiration and time
went by and by and Sunday was upon me
this was a few years back and I thought
this has never happened to me but maybe
tomorrow I’ll Stand before the people
and say I have no no message no sermon
God didn’t give me anything and all of a
sudden I felt that God said to my heart
from the moment you arrived at the
Crystal Cathedral
let’s not talk about beyond that because
God has had me speaking before people
from the age of 19 but he said
from when you arrived at the Cathedral
how many messages have I given you and
at that time the answer was more than
700.
and God whispered to me he said so
you’re telling me I inspired you 700
times and now you think that I’ve
changed you think I’m I’m having a
hormonal mood you think I’m not God
anymore did I get distracted by the
Middle East and so I understood that if
God had inspired me so much in the past
then he wouldn’t stop inspiring me even
if I fail that’s why you have to create
a trophy room in your heart
but a reminder in your soul of God’s
faithfulness and every time we Face a
challenge
we have to look back
this is the only permission we have to
look back to go back to look at God’s
accomplishments in our lives look at all
the payroll checks that he’s provided
all the blessings
that he conceded the help that he’s
given you the life that he’s given you
having breakfast this morning that is
enough to be grateful
right like David
like David before he fought against
Goliath he remembered how God protected
him and helped him defeat The Lion and
the Bear
that’s why you have to revisit the
future we can’t march to Jericho if we
haven’t remembered the Jordan River and
just in parentheses this isn’t part of
the storyline but I’m going to give this
advice to you for the same offering
something you’re not asking me for don’t
become obsessed with Goliath or the
devil
we don’t need to be
specialists
on the hierarchy of hell we don’t have
to lose time studying the devil there
are people that love to study the devil
but don’t give Satan don’t give that
fool a single moment of your day it’s
true that an enemy exists
but the easiest
when there’s a challenge is to
complicate contemplate Christ there’s a
battle out there but the battle has been
won already
Colossians 2 18 to 15 says and having
disarmed the powers and authorities he
made a public spectacle of them
triumphing over them by the cross it’s
done someone needs to celebrate
very well let’s go back to the story of
the Hebrews God wanted the Hebrews to
trust in him and only him
if they doubt then look back just as I
said you’re free I’ll set you free again
just as you didn’t waste away your
sandals and your robes they won’t waste
away in the future he knew what would
happen if the soldiers took Treasures
from the city of Jericho
they would stop trusting in Him and they
would begin to trust in their Treasures
they were nomadic Bedouins
they were gypsies that would be dazzled
by gold God knew that bracelets rings
necklaces would surprise them and the
Hebrews weren’t ready
for something like this for this type of
loot they were born in the desert they
had enough food
and they had clothing but that was it
God says these guys are going to see the
golden they’ll get lost they’re going
across the border and they’ll say I want
the America the um
the
the Jericho dream
and Aiken was proof of this this guy
again Mexican father Salvadorian mother
Nicaraguan grandmother Costa Rican
grandfather he saw the jewels
and forgot about the king let me tell
you let me tell you how this happens how
how this has found out that he had
stolen
it just so happens that a few miles away
from Jericho they were ready to take the
city
there was a small small enemy city named
AI
not like the onomatopoeia of pain but
i a i as in a I like artificial
intelligence and Joshua who was
undefeated in all the battles assumed
that that small city was
an easy easy Victory like Argentina in
the World Cup winning and winning and
winning right
one after another one after another
after Mexico everything else was just a
formality
ah we got three years to go three more
years and I won’t ever mention it again
so he ordered his man to attack AI
in the entire Village of AI
there were just 12 000 inhabitants
Joshua had that amount of men in his
night shift of the army
so he said
a battalion A reduced Battalion 3 000
soldiers and he said you guys go
and soccer when Brazil sends its
Benchwarmers to play in a final Brazil
sends its Benchwarmers and they still
win and this guy was the same he said no
let me send my Benchwarmers I’m going to
have my meal here but you go and defeat
AI because the great city of Jericho is
before us but this is a small City let’s
just get it over with but Joshua would
be surprised in a bad way
AI
had rabid dogs and these dogs bit
everyone and ran them out
Joshua’s division came back
licking their wounds
defeated
and the man of AI
followed they chased the Israelites from
The City Gate as far as the stone
quarries
and the Israelites were paralyzed in
fear
and their bravery vanished
so Josh was Brave man hid beneath their
sheets and they began to tremble and
Joshua didn’t know what to think they
had won every single battle with great
Victory they were unbeatable
invulnerable undefeated but now our hero
has a crisis he tears his robe
he throws himself on the ground and he
says oh Lord Jehovah what’s going on
and he says alas why did you ever bring
these people across the Jordan River to
deliver us into the hands of the
amorites but he challenges Joshua
and he says stand up
what are you doing down on your face
Israel has sinned they have violated my
Covenant
which I commanded them to keep
they have taken some of the devoted
things they have stolen they have lied
and they have put them with their own
possessions
that is why the Israelites cannot stand
against their enemies
I will not be with you anymore unless
you destroy whatever among you is
devoted to destruction unless you find
the rat I just added that but so it can
be more cinematic
hmm
okay it’s not that AI was a formidable
City
but the Hebrew Camp was
poisoned there was a rotten apple in the
Box
there was corruption under someone’s
mattress
so by Divine instruction Joshua inspects
it’s a surprise checkpoint an
immigration checkpoint from tribe to
tribe from family to family until a can
broke down and confessed
the treasures were hidden under his tent
it can confess it’s true I have sinned
against the god of Israel
but amongst the loot
there were 200.
shekels
a beautiful Road from Babylon
and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels I
coveted them and I took them they are
hidden in the ground inside my tent with
the silver underneath
this man had walked like all the other
people
through a city in Ruins that had been
conquered completely all of the city’s
loot was there without protection the
gold the robes the fine silk everyone
saw it all the other soldiers saw it and
they remembered God’s commandment and
they continued on they continued on
their path but when Aiken since he was
you know he had Hispanic blood
he thought that nobody was watching him
he stayed back and he said hey you
continue on I’m going to pee here
he looked to his left he looked to his
right he saw a beautiful robe from
Babylonia 200 shekels of silver and a
bar of gold weighing 50 shekels and he
took them he put them in his bag
he went at a retirement plan he wanted
an ace in his sleeve for his family just
in case God stopped blessing them one
day he at least had some insurance
without
reason God did not trust or akan did not
trust in God he didn’t trust in God’s
capacity to provide so he violated God’s
commandment he took the treasures took
them into his tent
and as he involved his family because to
hide the treasures under the mattress
everyone had to lift the mattress
and because of this Disobedience they
were publicly executed
their belongings were burnt and a
monument was erected it’s a sad
Machiavelli’s story but it’s a solemn
warning for us God is very jealous not
with money but with our trust
he doesn’t ask for it
he doesn’t suggest it he doesn’t
recommend it he demands it
his message is very clear trust in me
and only in me in me
that’s what God is jealous of he doesn’t
make a scene of emotions like a
heartbroken man or a woman he’s jealous
of our trust and so I asked today
what would a search through our tent
reveal today a checkpoint
and if God were to do a surprise
inspection of her heart today
what would God find if we went through a
checkpoint of our priorities question
God today
enter your heart and my heart
and do an audit or a requisition of how
our soul is doing
Paul said to Timothy
command those who are rich in this
Prince present world not to be arrogant
nor to put their hope in wealth which is
so uncertain
but to put their hope in God who richly
provides us with everything for our
enjoyment First Timothy 6 17 now
those who are rich in this present world
that’s us
it’s not talking about Elon Musk or Jeff
Bezos
or the young rich man who went to
question the Lord on how to purchase
eternal life no
if you’re educated enough
to understand what I’m saying now here
and at home
you have enough resources to have
arrived here at the arena or if you have
internet to be able to watch me through
a device then you qualify as a
prosperous person
there’s no problem with that
Prosperity is the consequence of
faithfulness you’re faithful and you’ll
prosper
but worshiping money is very difficult
to identify you don’t have to be rich to
worship money
a person can spend a lot a lot a lot of
money
have a lot of shopping bags
exiting them all because they think that
that’s what makes them feel secure and
another person can be austere saves
money
they don’t eat eggs not throughout the
show they’re devout followers of
stinginess and they do this for the same
reason because they feel secure that way
it’s the same pathology the conduct is
antagonistic one person spans a bunch
the other one doesn’t the conduct is
antagonistic they’re on different polls
but it’s the same pathology if both
people are using money
to feel secure and in control
it’s the same same disease same illness
that’s why
Creed is a difficult sin to detect no
one says I’m I’m greedy because greedy
is intrinsically self-deceptive Creed
can be a toxin for us one we don’t
realize it and um
materialistic culture doesn’t help
especially us Hispanics in the U.S those
that have come here not the not all of
you but the majority you didn’t come
here to worship God or you didn’t come
here to look for a church you came here
to make money and it’s not wrong
the point is
with just breathing in that air of our
materialistic Society in one way or
another we all fight against that
problem
and Jesus wasn’t ambiguous as far as
greed he said no one can serve two Lords
or two masters either you will hate the
one and love the other or you will be
devoted to the one and despise the other
you cannot serve both God and money he
said this in Matthew 6 34 you can’t it’s
one or the other
Paul didn’t say
that the rich should feel
guilty because of the riches who said no
be careful
because it’s
tricky
so going back
to Luke 12 16.
he shared Jesus shared a parable
it says the ground of a certain rich man
yielded an abundant Harvest and he
thought to himself what shall I do I
have no place to store my crops so much
fruit I know
this is what I’ll do I will tear down my
Barns and build bigger ones and there I
will store my Surplus grain and I’ll say
to myself you have plenty of grain laid
up for many years take life easy you
have money in the bank
you have money accumulated for your
grandchildren’s college rest eat drink
and be merry buy yourself a good
Argentinian Malbec if you can’t give
yourself that luxury but tequila will do
but God said
you fool
you scoundrel you rascal
this very night your life will be
demanded from you
then who will get what you have prepared
for yourself
now look at me
this rich man seems like an honest man
a hard-working man that probably crossed
the border and began to work
like a crazy man to have a more
dignified life he sent resources back to
his family he bought himself a home he
got a mortgage and he’s doing well
those that do not work will not eat
this is what the word says but this man
was intelligent enough and smart enough
to do business as far as we know his
fortune
[Music]
hadn’t been acquired in a dishonorable
way there’s no mention of exploitation
or embezzlement in Jesus’s parable
it exposes his talent and his desire to
work hard and so he was successful he
probably wrote a book called 12 steps to
obtain your own Harvest
or maybe the title was Empower yourself
with your grain and your Harvest now
however
Jesus labels him a fool
what did he mess up in
the guy moved to an exclusive
neighborhood in Dana Point
he bought a home with seven bedrooms
on one side of the home there was a golf
course on the other side there was a
yacht docked on its own doc
on the same night he moved he served
himself some Dom Perignon
I’m sure I’m glad no one here knows that
brand if I talk to you about King James
version and different versions of the
Bible you’ll know
he submerged himself in a Jacuzzi
and as he had been resting there for 10
minutes he had a massive heart attack
and he woke up in the presence of the
Lord
who of course wasn’t impressed
with his mansion with his yah or his Dom
Perignon
you fool
this very night your life will be
demanded and then who will enjoy what
you have prepared for yourself
he made plans the problem was that he
didn’t involve God in his plans
God emphasized this man’s arrogance just
like the same man who went to Jesus to
ask what do I have to do to buy eternal
life
the problem isn’t your personal goals
but the absence of God in those goals
the accumulation of riches or thinking
that I can
put something under my tent like a can
is a defense before fear and if God
stops blessing me what will I do and if
I get sick who will pay the hospital
bills
so we’re affirm that we trust in God but
our fear of losing our job or losing our
health or losing our retirement fund it
makes us want to work more and save up
in case something happens and if our
motivation is wrong then we begin to
displease God
any time like it can we place our trust
under the mattress or under our tent
will provoke that God will take away his
favor from our battles and then we ask
why we lose against a small village like
Ai and when we ask why
why there’s rebellion in our home why
there’s dissociation why we fight why
we’re in bankruptcy we ask what happened
with God’s favor in our lives
how can we lose a battle with such
foolishness well because God took away
his favor
we can’t think for one moment beloved
people
that we have something to do with what’s
provided to us our provision our cash
our money
our home our clothes our cars there
aren’t things to buy it in or Trump or
Bank of America or chase
the silver is mine and the golden mine
declares the Lord Almighty
the foolish rich man didn’t realize this
the Widow that went to offer at the
temple realized this remember
a poor Widow but a poor Widow came and
put in two very small copper coins worth
only a few cents calling his disciples
to him Jesus said truly I tell you this
poor Widow has put more into the
treasury than all the others they all
gave out of their wealth but she out of
her poverty put in everything all she
had to live on this story is in Mark 12
42.
this woman only had two cents and
instead of
on bread for herself she gave them back
to God
budgeters and and tax collectors
would have invested this
but she said what are you doing woman
where are you putting your last two
cents
but instead of shaming her Jesus
honored her this woman felt that that
money wasn’t her own
when we think that something’s around
that’s where it gets tough for us to
give
when we think that if we give we’ll be
left with less
when we’re very poor it’s not hard for
us to give because we share rice and
beans like my mother said we’re 40 five
can eat where five can eat six can eat
the six of us died of hunger well at
least we shared
I spent my entire childhood hungry I was
always hungry I woke up hungry I went to
bed hungry I lived hungry and with
diarrhea hungry and diarrhea
because we would drink water from the
faucet it was a disaster and so that’s
why I was so thin I was a featherweight
but my mother said there’s food for
everyone
if we were if as poor as we were what
were we going to complain about
but I remember
a gentleman came up to me I won’t say
who were or when if in case the
gentleman is watching they said I want
you to pray
because there’s a a million dollar
lawsuit that I I’ve done and I told God
that if he makes me win I’m going to
give more than half to the church
and he wanted me to say wow how or when
or what and I said
well do you give some of the money that
you have now do you tithe
red do you offer to a certain cause or
an individual and he said no no I’m
waiting for that money and I said what’s
going to make what makes you think now
you’re going to be generous if you win
this lawsuit if you’re not generous now
because we tend to think that the reason
we’re not generous is because right now
we’re too tight we owe too much
and we don’t earn enough to give out and
we think when I earn more I’m going to
be more generous the problem is that the
principal doesn’t operate this way and
every Church including this one I’m
going to pull back the curtain the
people with the lowest salaries give a
higher
percentage of their salary than those
that are rich
the fact that we’ve sent out 30 million
dollars in the last three years
we did this with people that earn a low
salary
it’s not because we have many
millionaires it’s not because we have
drug dealers here
thank you
now
the more we receive
the more our expenses go up as I always
say the harder it is for us to be
generous if we can’t be generous with
what we have now then we’ll never ever
be generous with more and God knows it
and you might say is God interested in
the money no he’s interested in our
hearts people the Bible says
God does not see as men see men see the
exterior
is the heart
or the quora as Italians say
have you ever heard Italians preaching
it sounds like you’re sending you
sending you to hell
yeah
yes yes yes yes I give my heart to God
yes
God is interested in the heart
greetings to all the Italians watching
on the other side thank you for watching
this
we’re almost done
God continues inspecting our hearts
to see if they truly belong to him
that’s why he said to the young man sell
it all
not because the money the guy had was
bad
with all that money you could feed
children in in
Uganda or have electricity in Cambodia
but he just wanted to test his heart how
much did he trust God so it’s very
important to clarify this question
who or what occupies the first place in
her heart who occupies the priority in
her heart because that’s the question
that akan and the rich young man in the
first story couldn’t get past
the question is is God truly number one
in our lives because if not then we’re
losing time we’re wasting our time here
on Sundays
we’re wasting two hours every Sunday the
Bible says in Proverbs 3 9 honor the
Lord with your wealth you know this
verse
with the first fruits of all your crops
then your barns will be filled to
overflowing
and your Vats will brim over with new
wine
and now I think we’re ready to
understand why did God want the
treasures why was he so severe with
Aiken the guy confessed yeah yeah I I
hid the treasures why was God so severe
why did he exterminate him
in other words what did God need the
gold from Jericho though the owner of
the gold and silver I’m going to tell
you the reason
Jericho was the first city that they
conquered
so Jericho was the first fruit of the
promised land the first fruit
that they should conquer tan cities
first and give one of those cities to
him no
God demanded
that they give to him everything from
the first one and then he said to them
that they could keep the goods and the
loot from all the other cities that they
would conquer that’s how it works give
the first fruits to God
so that everything else is blessed God
said to the Israelites
to honor him with the first city
and then I will help you conquer all the
other cities
and you can keep the loot from the other
cities
and not until Joshua removed the rotten
apple the putrid Apple that Dishonored
God they were not going to conquer any
other City
Whoever has ears listen
not until
they would remove the rotten apple they
wouldn’t be able to continue now
it’s possible that you might have heard
about tithing here at home and I always
clarify
because of a group of
of Rascals
scoundrels
of the Gospel or of the of of evangelism
of the Evangelical world
because of a few Shameless scoundrels
that are scammers I won’t stop preaching
the truth so I’m not going to ask for
forgiveness
for communicating what the Bible speaks
about on tithing and offering
if I keep this for myself it’s like
keeping the cure for cancer as I watch
you die
chemo
let me clarify this
I have no candle at this funeral
it doesn’t affect me or river it doesn’t
benefit us by one cent
this is for you to place your finances
in order it’s for your good not mine
whoever gets up and walks out now is
you’re gonna look bad so just stay
our finances
are the way of showing God that he’s
first in our lives it’s just a matter of
heart
it’s not about
it’s all about giving God honor and
gratitude
for all that he gives us it’s not about
percentages it’s about priorities
it’s about placing God first in our
lives
God is super ultra macro jealous on that
God was always interested in knowing if
he was first in our hearts
that’s why God has always been
interested in the first fruits and the
firstborn
he wants to see what’s first in our
hearts always always
he doesn’t want to be first second third
he wants to be first he needs to be
first so when he says
and we have to sow or offer it’s always
the first fruits not the last not the
leftovers
he said when when you have your your
Lambs give me the first lamb
and you might say does God really want a
lamb he creates them
God didn’t say Let Let the sheep have 10
12 lambs and give me the extras he said
no I need the first one why the first
one because you need Faith you need a
lot of faith to give the first 10 you
have to believe that another 90 will
come
tithing is about giving the first 10 to
God if you say no no once I pay off all
my debts if I have anything left over
then I give it to God no don’t do that
you’re wasting it giving the last 10
instead of giving the first 10 percent
paying debts before offering it saying
well first I’m going to be sure that I
have what I need then if I have any
extras I’ll honor you God is that really
honoring though
but when we give God the first fruits
we’re saying God my faith is in you
my sandals never wasted away my robes
never got torn were saying I want to
give you first your first in every area
of my life and so money will always test
us always always always that’s why Jesus
said
for where your treasure is there your
heart will also be Matthew 6 21.
how do we find with GPS where someone’s
heart is where well wherever their
treasure is in other words God said
money is tied to your heart there’s no
other way
so anytime We unexpectedly receive money
we always have the opportunity to place
God first we receive something extra
what goes through our head
really I’m going to give God I’m going
to give God the first 10 because this
game unexpectedly so giving is a way of
recognizing that he is the one that gave
us that extra money because deep down
inside we suffer from spiritual amnesia
of saying God I need to pay this debt
I was fired I received an eviction
notice and God answers that prayer I’m
going to send you the money to pay that
debt
and we don’t even give it the 10 from
that you see how quickly we forget
that God is the one who covered that
need so when we don’t give we’re
communicating to God that we’re aware
that that money came from him
and he gave us the strength to go and
work we know that that Health came from
him because tomorrow God can shut off
the faucet of our oxygen and we’re like
fish on dry land back like in 2020 and
we won’t work anymore now this isn’t law
this is love this is expressing
gratitude and honor to God so when our
budget’s tight God says all right all
right I’m going to bless you you’re poor
was managing your money
but I’m your father and I’m going to
bless you and I love you you’re full you
dummy I know you’re a dummy but I’m
going to help you
I’m going to put it in your boss’s heart
to give you a raise even though they’re
not giving anyone raises because God
loves you so much
that he might even move a non-believer’s
heart
he might move your mother-in-law’s heart
and she’ll say son-in-law I don’t know
why I’m doing this but here it goes and
all you have to do is give thanks to God
by giving
that summarizes the test of our
priorities
that’s saying that’s the priority
and I truly insist whether you believe
me or not
this isn’t about the money
I could never leave this country or
leave River
or leave streaming
if I had never spoken to you of this
because like I said it’s like keeping
the secret therapy the The Cure
to myself
and this goes especially for Hispanics
because we go through a lot of poverty
those of us that go through a lot of
need we tend to be very hard working
it’s true
but in that
desire that
Obsession of working so much we lose our
priorities I want to tell the people
from Asia Africa Europe Latin America
that here in the U.S us Hispanics we
work very hard two three four jobs and
Hispanic pastors told me that when
a church member finds a new job
when they find a new job that pays them
a little more in a different city they
don’t even doubt for a second whether
they should stay at their congregation
they go straight for the money because
the priority isn’t congregating nor the
family of God nor the church nor prayer
it’s the priority is where do I get paid
more is money bad no idolatry of money
is bad and if it’s tough for you to
digest what Jesus told the Young Rich
Man or how harsh she was with akan and
his family
when I describe Judgment Day to you
you’re going to feel a knot in your
throat
Matthew 7 22 says many will say to me on
that day Lord Lord did we not prophesy
in your name and in your name drive out
demons and in your name perform many
miracles surprising
these people are before God boasting
about themselves
the great trumpet is sounding but
they’re sounding their own
instead of singing praise to God they
sing their own praise
in place of worshiping God
they read the curriculum of their lives
instead of them being mute they speak
they’re in the presence of the Lord of
the king and they boast about themselves
what’s worse arrogance or blindness
you don’t boast about
God’s goodness and how you were used by
him before God’s presence
and the Lord says then I will tell them
plainly I never knew you away from me
you evil doers what do you mean
evildoers they did miracles in the name
of the Lord but the motivation was wrong
so God doesn’t save us for what we’ve
done
only an indelible God can be bought out
with offerings only a selfish God
only a temperamental God that would be
satisfied with the sacrifice only a god
with no soul would sell salvation to the
highest bidder but a great God does for
his children what they can’t do on their
own and this is the message
of the first blessing plethora the poor
in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven
so it doesn’t matter how much we earn it
doesn’t matter how much we have
do we agree yes or no that is why
God asks us again
what would an audit reveal an audit of
our tent reveal today
if God today were to inspect your heart
what would he find if we went through a
checkpoint of our priorities
today right now in this very moment
could God do a requisition or an audit
of your soul I ask myself this every
single day
because there’s no spiritual stature
where that doesn’t happen to anymore
with money
if you have a little bit or a lot it
doesn’t matter you can have a a
miserable mind or miserly mind I always
ask myself God am I managing well
because if we have food and clothing we
have to rejoice
that’s all we need
all the rest comes
from vacancy is it bad to have a nice
house no the problem is if that home
takes away your sleep or if the vehicle
that you dream of takes the first place
in your life
we always have to remember our order of
priorities in my case as soon as I
realized that I’m the rotten apple
immediately I looked to reorder my
priorities immediately
we’re not in the times of the law where
I’ll be executed I always have the
Providence of running to his grace but I
don’t want to be a corrupt man much less
poison my family what’s worse is the
entire camp
because of my behavior I would never
forgive myself if we began to lose
battles
because of the poison I have under my
mattress and what’s the poison under my
mattress believing
that you can assure your future and be
in control of something only God is our
provider and God is very jealous about
who we placed our trust in our what and
I insist he doesn’t ask for he doesn’t
suggest that he doesn’t recommend it he
demands it
and he says now trust in me and only in
me
many years ago
David Wilkerson who is now in the
presence of the Lord
the pastor that founded many rehab
centers called Youth Challenge he
visited Buenos Aires while I was still
living in Argentina and he shared an
experience that impacted my heart
forever and he said
he had bought about five lots to be able
to construct buildings that would
function as rehab homes
he had them all around the globe
but he continued he was still renting
his home and one day he told his wife
hey we’re getting old
we should have our own home
just in case one day our ministry ends
and the blessing stops flowing we don’t
have anything we haven’t constructed
anything for ourselves and he confessed
that he bought a home in Florida not a
mansion but just a worthy home in Miami
and before he secured it just as soon as
he had purchased it as soon as escrow
opened up a hurricane came
and took away the home everything that
he had invested or at least the initial
payment
and he got upset with God and he said
Lord I bought 50 lots for you
and the home that I bought for myself
was taken by a hurricane and the Lord
said to him the home wasn’t the problem
it wasn’t the want to rest on the Warm
Sands of Florida
that’s not what brought you here but the
fact that you stopped trusting in me you
said in case God’s blessing stops
you think that with what you’ve done and
how you’ve served me I won’t take care
of you in your old age you think I won’t
take care of your children even your
third and fourth generation even if they
don’t serve me
you think I’ll stop blessing you
really
do we truly believe that
do we believe that God will say it
doesn’t matter how you’ve served
an unjust manager here on this world
pays us for our hours that we’ve worked
and we think God is going to abandon us
even if we mess up even if we stumble
to have a plan B
case the Mana runs out tomorrow he will
provide one day at a time one at a time
if you’re rich poor a millionaire one
day at a time your health is one day at
a time today you have health tomorrow
who knows today you have a home you had
breakfast and maybe you’ll have lunch
but tomorrow who knows
if we didn’t learn this during the
pandemic and we’re just a bunch of
stubborn people
the provision and Providence is daily
when we say give me 10 men as instead of
one what we’re saying is God I don’t
want to have to come back tomorrow to
ask you for more but God says that’s a
lie you’re not asking me for provision
you’re asking me to not depend on me
so if today we’re going to say to the
Lord that are from here on out we’re
going to honor him with our hearts and
that he’ll always be our first fruit
I celebrate those that congregate here
on Sundays because Sunday is the first
day of the week these are the first
hours of the week that blesses your week
it’ll bless the rest of the week yes or
no
I bless those that sow I bless those
that give
what comes in from a contractor a TV
show or a radio show or a conference or
a book it urges me I’m not trying to
brag but I immediately have to set aside
temper the first 10 for the Lord I don’t
want to take what belongs to my partner
and up until now I’ve done well
I don’t know what it’s like to not
depend on him he takes care of my health
he takes care of my family he sustains
me he takes care of me on planes even if
it’s Avianca he brings me back home
he gives me Health he gives me my voice
my mind hasn’t failed me not that I can
remember
he keeps my neurons in their in their
places
he lets me walk stoically stand before a
crowd hear around the globe all I have
is gratitude and I say all you’re asking
me Lord all you’re asking me for is just
a part not the last but the first and
it’s always been that way the first ten
percent it’s a priority it’s what a what
a bride would ask her groom or a groom
of her bride I want to be her priority I
want to be the first spot in your heart
and that’s what God will always ask us
for
and everything else will come
additives
God loves you so much
that he won’t
stop you from completing or fulfilling
your dreams and how do I know this will
because I’m a child and I have children
I don’t say just the food that they need
no but if I can I spoil my children
don’t we like to buy them the shoes that
they dream over the iPad if we can we
give it to them
and God is a is a father that knows how
to give if an unjust father knows how to
give good gifts what about our father in
Heaven
but not with the wrong motivations if
there’s a rotten apple in her heart
it will make the whole box
God has allowed us to be a river to the
rest of the world a blessing we’re going
to celebrate the King of Kings come on
if you can’t get on your feet and give a
grand Applause to the King of Kings the
Lord of lords give thanks for this word
that reaches our hearts Hallelujah
let me tell you something before we say
goodbye to the rest of the world you
know what I like
about when God speaks to us sometimes he
makes us cry sometimes it makes us laugh
very much and sometimes he speaks harsh
but you can see it’s it’s the menu
the diet that we have with God we we
need a balanced diet of carbs proteins
and this is a message that’s necessary
Rivers offering is
this is great we’re always thinking of
how we can send more to the rest of the
world this doesn’t come from need it
comes from the fact that God said to me
teach them what I’ve taught you
the right way the good way so that you
don’t lose any battles out there so that
no one goes out into life
and be exterminated by a small village
you don’t deserve it you’ve worked very
hard you worked very hard to lose a
battle so that a bankruptcy comes along
and takes her home so that you live in
debts so that the fine print on the
credit cards Eat You Alive
I don’t want you to to work to pay off
instead of earning you don’t deserve it
and what’s the secret it’s not looking
for a new job or asking for a new card
it’s not a new president it’s not a
republican in office the secret is
always always always here or in any
other place in the world it’s a place in
God
the priority in our lives and all that
we do all that we give
try and pray first thing in the morning
read the Bible first thing in the
morning
fast first thing in the morning
try and seek God as soon as you wake up
before you hear the news try and listen
to praise or Worship in your car if you
place him as a priority in your life
your life flips 180 degrees really it
works
be ready for a surprise audit at any
moment and at any moment he’ll say how’s
your heart doing you’ll say perfect
now if someone
looks into your checkbook you see they
can see where your priorities where your
money goes
and so quote unquote you’ll be condemned
to blessings and divine success because
that will take you to open doors Open
Heavens someone needs to believe it say
Amen do you truly believe it
we’re going to pray Lift Your Hands to
Heaven and say father thank you for this
moment lift up your hands to Heaven
we’re going to pray together father
thank you for this moment I’ve
transmitted what I believe you told me
to tell these people
I’ve told your people this word that I
know surges from your heart and you’ve
told me tell them
that I will take away all burdens
anything that affects them anything that
doesn’t allow them to be happy they will
be prosperous and blessed Lord I believe
that it pours out today but not that
magical Prosperity those ridiculous
pacts no obedience pour us out and in
obedience there’s prosperity and in
obedience there’s blessing
I’m going to fight your battles for you
says the Lord I will fight I will defend
you there are people here that need that
needs God to defend them there are
people that don’t know how to defend
themselves because even lawyers even
those that want to help you even the
accountants don’t know what to do but
the Lord says come to me seek me and I
will make it so that your finances are
in order I will make it so that your
heart is in order remove the putrid
Apple from the box says the Lord take
away what’s rotten because I will not
oppress I will not bless if there is
poison under your mattress take away the
poison the Venom and you will see
blessing over your account and I stand
before the living and the dead like
Moses I stand on the front lines of
river church and I say Lord with the
authority you’ve given me
I take away all putrid rotten apples any
anathema any Spirit of of stealing of
dissension of
of selfishness
and I pour out your blessing now come on
those that have to baptism of the spirit
interced as the spirit gives you
utterance begin to cry out pray to the
Lord and say Lord You’ve spoken you’ve
blessed us the Lord speaks of the first
fruits in your health and your and your
finances in your heart and your soul and
your mind and your spirit blow God blow
Upon Us pour out upon us your glory
to a greater measure more more until it
overflows until it’s so great that it
surprises us may the glory of God flood
your heart and your mind come on lift up
your hands if you’re in a financial
crisis if you need to get out ahead God
has shown me he showed me yesterday
while I was at home people
that were burdened with their finances
and God says to me today today I will
bless you
a blessing is coming something that you
weren’t expecting a win from another
Direction but remember remember
where the Salvation comes from remember
to look back David to The Lion and the
bear because that’s how you will face
Goliath remember where I brought you
from remember my faithfulness because
I’ve blessed so many and as soon as
they’ve received the blessing they
forget the provider of the gift remember
Church remember how God blessed you
remember how God took you out
of that hunger
it’s not the government that’s not any
politician there’s no one that can give
you what I will give you says the Lord
lift up your hand and drink receive say
Lord this word is sealed in my heart in
my soul and in the spirit and I believe
it presence of the spirit Blow from the
north south east and west pour out your
glory now
foreign
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until it overflows
until they’re Surplus
thank you Father oh how you love us how
you love us
how the lord loves you how the lord
loves you little one little boy little
girl how the lord loves you
come on come on come on there’s this
checkpoint now but the Lord says in my
grace and my Mercy come on
take all fear take it all out of the
from below your mattress everything that
doesn’t allow you to trust in him
oh holy spirit of God
come on continue continue just a few
minutes more
I told you that my greatest fear is I
don’t know I think I’ve had this fear
for 15 20 years but losing my mind
I work with my mind and I say no
question
I don’t ever want to lose my mind or or
inherit the I saw my mother’s
Alzheimer’s
I saw her losing her mind and I said God
just such a such an intelligent woman
but
allow me to keep my mind in my old age
and he said to me just as I’ve been in
your first days I’ll be in your last
days and if I lose my mind
it’ll be because God says I don’t want
him to suffer so I’m going to take away
some of his neurons
when you leave your health and your
economy under his control your home your
your your your children
his yoke is easy and his burden is light
you don’t have to worry
the point is to trust in God has he
failed you until now no he was with you
yes
when you went through the pain did you
bring did he bring you here yes did you
eat are you healthy yes so then why is
God going to change because you’ve
messed up no he when he went up on the
cross the amount of times you would mess
up and he died for the sense that you
committed the ones you’re committing now
and the ones you will commit the lord
loves you so much that he won’t leave
you trust in his faithfulness be happy
cling on to him and have a good life
until you have to go to Eternity or if
he comes to search for us may God bless
you may he protect you
by marvelous people until next Sunday
bye bye bye God bless you
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is
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it is
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oh
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this is
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foreign
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everything
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