Beloved in the Lord, the year 2023 has certainly been a year where God continued to cover us with His grace and mercy. In the midst of whatever challenges and circumstances we have faced, God has kept us and provided for all our needs. Now we are continuing to move on the other side of the Pandemic and we praise God for His covering. We join in with the Psalmist when he declares in Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord,
O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”

As an expression of our gratitude and appreciation for what God has done for us I’m asking every person to follow me as I follow Christ in giving a “First Fruit Offering” to the Lord. In giving this offering we are not seeking to pay God for what he has done for us, but rather it is our expression of love and thankfulness!

Some of the scriptures that speak of First Fruit Offering are as follows: Exodus 23:19, Leviticus 23:9-14; 27:30, Numbers 18:13, Deuteronomy 26:3-10, and 1 Corinthians 15:20.

First fruit was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For the children of Israel First Fruit symbolized how God harvest souls. It was an offering to God from a heart of gladness, and it set a standard of giving back to God the best of what God had given to them. The First Fruit Offering was given in memory of Israel’s stay in Egypt, their freedom from slavery, and how they possessed the Promised Land.

Today you and I can consider where God has brought us from and where God is taking us to.  Our testimony is every time I turn around God keeps on blessing me. Every year when we come to the month of December we can look back over the year and declare God has done it again. And we can look forward in anticipation of what God will do for us in the up coming year. Therefore our First Fruit Offering is an offering of gratitude for what God has done, and an offering of thanksgiving for what God is about to do in our lives.

As you give your First Fruit Offering make sure that you give it above and beyond your regular tithes and offering. There is no certain amount that one is to give. Every person is to purpose from their own heart what they choose to give in gratitude of God’s goodness in their life. You can give your First Fruit Offering any time during the month of December.

As you give your First Fruit Offering thank you for following me as I follow Christ,
and I bless the name of God for the Grace and Favor that He will continue to pour
upon your life!

Dare To Dream

Dr. Walter Malone Jr. Pastor/Founder

Canaan Christian Church