tribute Noun An act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.

he payed tribute with an emaciated flea-bitten donkey. He too brought a sheep and although it had four legs, one of its feet had rotted off due to sickness and decay. The culmination of the eldest sons tribute climaxed in a presentation of a blind goat... What happened to the concept of This story is my interperetation of Malachi 1. The king endowed his sons with the same wealth and capability, but the tribute varies vastly. Now, I ask myself, which tribute pleased the King more? The youngest or the eldest sons? First Fruit? Our Kings court and first love is His Church. Now the question remains, do you serve the King and His court with the best you have to offer, or do you serve Him with the expendables, the useless leftovers? This would reflect on your wallet, schedule and worship time. So, do you measure up? Love is synonymous to sacrifice. Of course the youngest. He payed tribute to the king with the best of his crop. His First Fruits. The eldest on the other hand offered the expendable leftovers. No King or Governor would ever be pleased with a second hand tribute. It disgraces him publicly, to the disgust of the crowds. Each tribute reflects the degree of respect each son has for the kings court. The youngest truly honours his father and his court with gifts worthy of their governor. The eldest is just a slap in the face of the kings grace and empowerment. PS - You already are... Love which is not sacrificial is known only as, LUST. The paradoxical words of Jesus ring true: Those whom die will truly live. Now, imagine this... If everybody served and payed tribute to God and His Church the way you did, would the church be in a better or worse shape than it is currently? Would Gods name be glorified if you ran and managed and served his church? Ive been in ministry for seven years now and a phrase I commonly hear is, I do this for a living, I DONT WANT TO DO THE SAME AT CHURCH TOO.

magine a King in his throne room, awaiting in anticipation for his

two sons to come and pay tribute to their Father and Noble King. Upon arrival the crowds debate the degrees of oppulance the gifts would ammount to. Their father has empowered them into wealth and thus the expections of the audience were high. The princes enter the throne room and present their gifts. On the Kings left his youngest son, and on his right the eldest. The youngest presents his tribute first: The cream of each of his livetock. His greatest and most precious stallion, groomed emaculantly, his most prized ram with the whitest wool one has ever seen and his largest and strongest bull calf fattened to perfection. The eldest son too brought livestock from his camps, but instead of impressing his father with the best,

First Fruit