Give God Everything

When we give God everything, He fills us with His Spirit; it becomes a tangible presence in our lives. But to receive this anointing we have to surrender everything first, so that God can fill us with all His power and glory. When I was a child God didn't call me as an evangelist, pastor or missionary, He asked for everything, a life fully surrendered to His purposes. - God asks the same of you; will you surrender everything to God so that He can give you the gift of His Spirit?

God so impressed Romans 12:1 on me when I was a teenager: 'I beseech you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' God is talking about normal service, nothing exceptional - for every believer - the norm. Today the churches are talking about being normal, taking care of yourself, not working too hard... But the challenge is 'reasonable service' - giving your whole life as a 'living sacrifice'! Everything! God didn't call me to be an 'evangelist' or a 'preacher' - He said He wanted ALL of me!

If you want to receive the fire of God, the point at which the fire falls is at the altar of sacrifice! In Leviticus 6 the command of God is, that when the priest lights the fire on the altar, that fire must never go out! What did the fire consume? Not just the wood, but the sacrifice! The way you keep the fire burning on the altar is by putting on more and more sacrifice! If we want to see the increase of the fire and the power and the glory of God in our lives, we've got to put more sacrifice on the altar! Then the fire will come!

We need to spend more time in prayer and seeking the Face of God in order to build that altar, then when we put ourselves on it, the fire of God will come down and consume our lives!

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Don't let the fire go out!

I was so excited when I read in Leviticus 6:13 that when the priests lit the fire they were told it must never go out! I received the fire of God when I was 13 and it has never gone out! I've seen too many people who allow the fire to fade, but if the fire is from God, the command is that you must not let it go out! The Apostle Paul told his protegee Timothy: you must fan into flame the gift of God (2 Timothy 1:6). It's your responsibility. You can only keep the fire burning by putting more sacrifice on the altar. In Romans 12:1 Paul writes: 'I'm pleading with you' - he's using expressive language - I'm pleading on my knees, I'm fighting a battle with you, I want you, I need you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice!

And now, I will shock you! Paul goes on to say, 'The reason I'm talking to you like this is because that is just your NORMAL, REASONABLE Christian life! This isn't exploits, it's just what is DEMANDED of every Christian man and woman. What is 'reasonable service'? 'Reasonable service' is what the mechanic does to your car when it breaks down and you pay him to put it right, and only when it's right is it 'reasonable service'! Or you have somebody to clean, or paint, or build your house - but if what they do is only what they are paid for, they're not giving you anything. You pay for it, so it's 'reasonable service'. Christian!! Jesus, the Son of God, gave His whole life for you on the cross - and your reasonable service is to give Him your life!

Chosen for a purpose

Has God called you into ministry?

Jesus said in John 15, 'You did not choose Me, I chose you!' If you are serious about serving God, it is essential you are called and chosen by Him. When God called me, He did not call me as a pastor, preacher or evangelist, He simply said, 'David, I want everything!' - 'I want your time, your money, your family: everything!' The call of God on my life, and the calling on your life, is to serve Jesus; we must serve Him in whichever way He directs.

A few years ago I revisited the place in Brighton where God first spoke to me when I was 15 years old. I was with a group of young Christians walking along the beach, but God was speaking to me, challenging me. God was saying to me, "I want you David!" And the devil was saying, "Don't you realise you're saved, you got baptised in water, filled with the Holy Spirit – that’s enough!" But God was saying, "I want YOU!" He didn’t say, "I want you to be a preacher, I want you to be an evangelist, a missionary…" – God said, "David, I want ALL of you, EVERYTHING! – Your life, your family, your time, your house, every single thing – I want the lot!" People talk about tithing, the biblical pattern of giving a tenth of your income to God, but a long time ago I tried the opposite, keep a tenth for yourself, and give God 90 percent! You cannot out-give God! Give everything! The more I give Him, the more I receive financially, the more power of God I receive! – Give and you will receive, 'pressed down and running over!' – This is why God says, the only 'reasonable' thing is to present your body as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God! – And this is only the beginning, the norm, the 'reasonable' bit! I want the un-reasonable, the extra-normal! I don't just want to receive the Holy Spirit like everybody else, I want a double portion, a treble portion, ten times, a hundred times more! I'm hungry for God! I need that anointing, that power! Jesus told of the servant who did everything that was expected of him, what was reasonable – but the master did not thank him – it was expected of him. But I want to receive! The more you give, the more God gives back! I remember that tremendous challenge when God said to me, "David, I want YOU!" That night I had to say, "Lord, I’ll give you everything!"

After I went to bed that night I had wild dreams that the preacher wouldn't turn up next day in church, dreams of evangelising... Next morning was the most glorious day ever! I got out of bed, on my knees, and said, "Lord, I have given you everything, now I will do whatever You want, I am all Yours!" I was expecting great things! I went downstairs full of excitement. Today was the day when I was going to start preaching to thousands… But the first thing I saw was a row of dirty shoes – I have never liked cleaning shoes then or now – and the Lord said, "Clean those shoes!" And I did it because I had made a commitment. I polished those shoes as if Jesus Himself was going to wear them! That's reasonable service. You don't start at the top, you start at the bottom. I didn't start by evangelising in great meetings. I started witnessing as a boy in the street, in my school. Where did your salvation begin? Your salvation began when Jesus GAVE, when He paid the price – His sacrifice on the cross. That's where our ministry has to begin – giving – its only reasonable service.

Didn't Jesus say in Matthew 20:27-28, 'Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'? We have the false idea that success in the Kingdom is all about bright lights, fame, celebrity; no! God called us as servants. If you want to be the greatest in the Kingdom, then serve willingly in obscurity.

Listen to 'Chosen for a Purpose': http://davidhathaway.podbean.com/e/chosen-for-a-purpose-featuring-vinesong/

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"We did it together"

When David's wife, Zena, died in December among her final words were, "We did it together". David often preaches from Romans 12:1 on offering our lives as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service. To be in ministry is a sacrifice; it was a sacrifice for Zena, especially when David was in prison for Bible smuggling, and the many long periods when he was evangelising in Russia and Siberia. She knew it was God's calling on his life and wouldn’t allow anyone to stop him. Her first words on being given her terminal diagnosis were, "David, you must carry on with the ministry!" Days later David was holding the largest evangelism he had ever held, with thousands of souls saved, reaching the whole nation live on national TV! She knew her eternal home was heaven and wanted others to have the same assurance. - That is why next week David will be Ukraine, followed by ministry in Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Slovakia and UK.

As she passed to her reward Vinesong's song 'Heaven' was playing. Using this song we have made a photo tribute of the ministry she sacrificed for. May it be a blessing to those of you who have also lost loved ones.

'I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.' (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, KJV)

Post by Ministry of David Hathaway.

Reasonable Service

Is this reasonable? Get to work for the Kingdom. 

God so impressed Romans 12:1 on me when I was a teenager: 'I beseech you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' God is talking about reasonable service, nothing exceptional - for every believer - the norm. Today the churches are talking about being normal, taking care of yourself, not working too hard... But the challenge is 'reasonable service' - giving your whole life as a 'living sacrifice'! Everything! God didn't call me to be an evangelist or a preacher - He said He wanted all of me!

A few years ago to celebrate my 60th anniversary in ministry, I revisited the place in Brighton where God first spoke to me when I was 15 years old. I was with a group of young Christians walking along the beach, but God was speaking to me, challenging me. God was saying, "I want you David!" And the devil was saying, "Don't you realise you're saved, you got baptised in water, filled with the Holy Spirit - that's enough!" But God was saying, "I want you!" He didn't say, "I want you to be a preacher, I want you to be an evangelist, a missionary..." God said, "David, I want ALL of you, EVERYTHING! - Your life, your family, your time, your house, every single thing - I want the lot!" People talk about tithing, the Biblical pattern of giving a tenth of your income to God, but a long time ago I tried the opposite, keep a tenth and give God 90%! You cannot out-give God! Give everything! The more I give Him, the more I receive in return! - Give and you will receive 'pressed down and running over!' - This is why God says, the only 'reasonable' thing is to present your body as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God! - And this is only the beginning, the norm, the 'reasonable' bit! I want the un-reasonable, the extra-normal! I don't just want to receive the Holy Spirit like everybody else, I want a double portion, a treble portion, ten times, a hundred times more! I'm hungry for God! I need that anointing, that power! Jesus told the servant who did everything that was expected of him, what was reasonable - but the master did not thank him - he only did what he was employed to do (Luke 17:7-10). But I want to receive! The more you give, the more God gives back! I remember that tremendous challenge when God said to me, "David, I want YOU!" That night I had to say, "Lord, I'll give you everything!"