Table of Contents
Have you ever asked yourself the following questions: How come I have given and given tithes and offering but nothing seems to be coming forth? How come some people who are not Christians seem to prosper? For this and many more questions we will try to understand what happened.
What if you don’t give God what happens? Does he notice? Yes, In Mark 12:41-44 Jesus noticed the widow who gave from heart and those who did not. Haggai 1:3-11 He see what you have done for yourself and how you have neglected his work. So, he lets the devourer to devour Haggai 1 God allows holes in your finance (holes of sickness, lawsuits, drug problem, drunkenness etc). It might happen in stages Joel 2:25-28 So start doing the right thing and some of this thing will go away
Example of People Who Honor Prophets
Matthew 10:41 He who gives to prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet’s reward. The widow brought first bread to the prophet Elijah and there after it broke the cycle of lack and want. 1 Kings 17:13-14 The lady without a child noticed that and built a house for Elisha and she received a child and also when the child died the same house she build was used to bring back the child to life. 2 Kings 4:8-10-37 The sooner you notice that this is a man of God in time the sooner you get connected to the heavenly through him
In 2 Chronicles 20:20 It says A prophet you don’t honour can’t bless you so don’t get used to the anointing and the anointed. Make sure this the right prophet for you but how will you know look for the connection did your life change or not.
Even if you are a leader like peter who was very close to Jesus, he still gave he gave Jesus his boat(Luke 5:3) and that broke the limitation of poverty. Before peter had chosen to put his work and his money 1st he was suffering no catch but after he received Jesus not as a friend who the work together but as a prophet everything changed. God reminded me that a prophet has reward not because the prophet is poor but because you honour him.
Jesus did not say we pray away problems related to money but he said we overcome them by giving to govt what belongs to it and to God what belongs to him. He did it by paying taxes why did he not pray it off. Mark 12:17. If a Sangoma can’t accept to be misused what about God?
The world works on the principle of giving what you give Matters. For every action there is reaction If you give God sees and reacts by either sending an angel like the case of Cornelius who used to give heavily God sent an angel(Acts 10:31). In other cases if the giving is way too big God appears and grants the desire like Solomon offering God appeared and gave wisdom and wealth bible says Solomon was wealthy (1 Kings 10:23). Job also was a giver and God made him richest in the east(Job 1:1,3).
Jacob made a promise if he prospers, he would give God a 10% of everything and God kept his part of the bargain by making him wealthy (Genesis 28:20-22). Where your heart is your treasure. Genesis 22:1-3 Ask God for what to give God told Abram to give his son.Abram after he offered his best God showed up and proved for his needs.
Story Of Lack Of Self less Giving
There was a millionaire who stood before a crowd and said, you know how I became a millionaire? I gave the first dollar, which I earned to God all that I had was that one dollar. And that’s how God has made me get millions today. He went back to his seat and as he just sat down, a poor widow leaned to him and said, I dare you to do it again. Now you have millions. Give it away. God will give you billions when he couldn’t trust God. Give your best to people
Just like a farmer scatter and has more we should give for various causes and when the returns come, we will be happy. The only way we can increase our income is by giving no matter your income look at the young boy who gave her whole meal and the result was it benefited the who crowd and also the boy but it started by the giving of the boy. I am sure the were people with more there but did not give. Remember heaven is moved by the heart of the giver
The principle of giving a portion started before the law. Abraham and his descendants gave a portion. They called it a tenth of everything that they had to the Lord out of what God had given to them (Genesis 14:20). Then Moses included that principle in the law. And then New Testament has all kinds of examples of giving. None of them are less than what was prescribed with that Old Testament principle. Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.
Story of William Colgate Principle Of Sacrifice
When your amount goes up, whether that’s a pay check, gift, an investment, whatever it is, when I gain, I’m to out of that always regularly, systematically give a portion of that to the Lord. e.g., William Colgate had to close down his initial business, he was determined to make a success of soap making. Encouragement came through the Bible and through a friend.
In Genesis 28: 20-22 he read about Jacob who made a commitment to God as he left his home. William was faithful to God and kept his promise. As God prospered him, he began to give more to God. From 10% his giving gradually changed to 20 % then 30% up to 90%. The more he gave, the more he earned. William Colgate died in 1857, but his name is still not forgotten.
There were times that God called his people to deep levels of sacrificial giving. We think always a portion is a sacrifice. So, you give some of it. It’s when you get beyond the always a portion that you are living in that area of sacrificial giving.
People will connect with you in accordance with your ability to give what you give decides what you get, the quality and quantity of what you can give decides the benefit you can receive.e.g. When you are at an interview, tell the interviewer what you can give. It decides what you get. You need to know whom you are giving and what you are giving. If you give nourishment to a Thorny Bush (dead ministries), it may grow large and obstruct your way vice versa. Therefore, decide what, who and where you want to give.
Satan attacks our finances and not our prayers because He knows that’s when we prosper, the Church moves forward. Most of our prayers are controlled by our financial status. Remember givers are rulers. When you give to God, God makes you a ruler.
Giving is a principle which can’t be changed by praying, fasting etc remember even the non-believers know it and apply it and it works. e.g. In 2 Kings 3:27 there was a king who was about to be defeated and gave his son as a sacrifice and God saw how great his sacrifice was and let the king win.
In Deuteronomy 16:16 People knew you should not go to God’s house empty handed. I don’t have anything look at the widow who gave a mint to Jesus. Jesus did not say to her Go back and use that mint you are poor but he collected it and blessed her. The lady with little flour still Elijah insisted to receive the 1st bread and when he or Jesus received it he offered it to God 1st and then this broke the limitation of poverty.
Your sacrifice is a point of reference (a vow) the church is the altar and pastor is the priest so make a good offering e.g. Cain offer a bad offering You know what happened, Esau and Jacob’s case Jacob collected the birth right and blessing through the best sacrifice(Genesis 27:30-31).
We need to repair the broken altar so we need materials to do so Just like Elijah did and God showed up. According to James 5:17 Elijah was an ordinary man who was backed by a great God. He did many great things but failed to Apply the principle of Giving and receiving correctly. Because it shows he had nothing he was doing for God to bless so he relied on heaven to feed him no wonder he was materially poor. He expected only to receive.e.g., feed by ravens(1 Kings 17:2-16) and also by widow.
Even His follower Elisha burned all his business so you can’t be with a business and expect to give so also, he was used to expecting for people’s help. Remember Borrower is subject to lender (Proverbs 22:7)
If you take a cup of hot water straight from boiling teapot (God your source) and keeping it either aside for a while away from source it loses steam and get cold and will need the source to warm it again. So if God gives you and now you keep giving and giving with receive from others you others and also God you will end up dry(u will give all until there is nothing to give)
Have you noticed that some people are very good at giving, but they’re not very good at receiving and vice verse? there’s a great secret for those who have a hard time receiving. It is a great secret in receiving, because receiving is actually giving in a sense that if you make yourself available to receive, you’re giving another person the pleasure of giving and they actually feel it’s worth the feel, love and generosity you’re bringing.
So there’s a lot of people also who are giving and giving and giving and giving and giving all the time and running dry. There is an art in receiving and there’s an art and giving focus on where it’s coming from, if you’re giving from a state of ego, you’re going to get disappointed and you’re going to get tired and worn out.
Every relationship is one of give and take. If you want prosperity. Then help others to become prosperous. You need to empty the cup and allow new space for the new things to come into your life.
In Acts 3:6 But Peter said to him, “I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!” So, you can only give what you have. Also check who is your associate are they struggling too
Same peter but this time with Jesus on his side in Matthew 17:27 However, so that we don’t offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you.” Jesus connected peter with highly resources.
As in 1 Corinthians 15:44 we continually exchange physical as well as spiritual things. Every thing you see is made up of energy and so when you give you give out energy and so you need to receive so as to survive. When this principle isn’t operational then it lead to poverty and sickness and eventually death which needs to be restored. Look at the dead sea it only receive but never gives so it stop nature flow and then it dies.
Job 36:11-12 If they obey God and serve him, they live out their lives in peace and prosperity. But if not, they will die in ignorance and cross the stream into the world of the dead.
God always looks at your heart (I Samuel 16:17). We are familiar with the saying; givers never lack, and the giver’s hand is always on top. Isn’t it true that you can’t spray fragrance on somebody without leaving a trace on your palm? You can’t give what you don’t have. if you don’t have money, you’ll be limited in what you can give,
If you want to attract blessings from God, be kind to those who do not deserve your kindness, in fact, give to people who can’t pay you back. Be informed, if it is done without love, it makes no sense and gives no value, neither does it add value, and as such doesn’t attract blessings.
According to the law of giving and receiving because it is in giving that we already received. Nobody can be a receiver if you have not given on to God. So, if you want to receive more love, forgiveness first, give love, forgiveness. if you want to receive more money, first, give more money away. Always be ready to give more in order to receive more. Mathew 6.2 when you give a must not if you give
Ecclesiastes 11: 6,4 Do your planting in the morning and in the evening, too. You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one planting will do better than the other. If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.
Regular Giving
1 corianthians.16.2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
This booklet should be like standard(flag) Isaiah 59:19 just like Moses was given by God a staff (Exodus 4:2-8) to ward off fight giants of debts, poverty etc. To Jacob it was a stone (Genesis 28:20-22). Just put it in your business,office incase of a crisis or even put your cards,debt list in it and you will see God at work. God said test me through your giving Malachi 3:10
If Jesus knew how to run his father’s business Luke 2:49. Jesus had a treasurer it means he keep an account How can we not? Should we not follow his example? We will start with this for our members in month of April to write their Tithe/Special Offering/Church Projects Booklet
Pastor Nathaniel
I enjoyed your write up. God bless you