The blessing of Heaven

We did not have much money when we came to Vernon; we were on welfare. Unfortunately, these funds were not enough to physically get by on and feed the both of us, so we prayed. The next step we saw was to go on disability assistance, which still did not give us enough funds to meet our needs. We had heard somewhere that you did not have to pay tithes on welfare cheques, so we didn’t, because we were afraid we wouldn’t have enough money to live on. Then we heard the biblical teaching on tithing at Living Faith (LFMC), but we justified not paying tithes by saying, “We are doing other things to bless people, like taking them to church, giving them rides, and buying them coffee.” The Lord was blessing us for these acts of kindness, but we still were not getting ahead.

Then, during one service, the message came forth that if we put the Lord first by paying our tithes to Him, He would open the windows of Heaven and keep the devourer from us (Malachi 3:10–11). The Lord said, “Try Me and see what I will do.” So we tried the Lord and began to pay tithes, and true to His Word, He opened the windows of Heaven and poured out more than a blessing. He poured out abundance, more blessings than our little apartment could hold and more food than we could eat. Favor surrounded us everywhere. I found a job and was faithful in that job. Even when other employees’ hours were cut back, I was increased to full-time work. Then my wife got a job too, not just one offer but two. We held God to His Word in our time of need, and our needs were always met.

We believe we are under an umbrella of covenant blessings and protection because we are connected to this body of believers and to our pastors. We are truly thankful for that connection and for the covering and guidance it provides. God is changing lives, and there is a beautiful domino effect where, if one member of the body rejoices, the rest of the body rejoices as well.

— Vernon, BC, Canada