UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING (2)

SOW IN A GOOD LAND

TEXT: Exodus 35:29; Luke 6:38

We saw yesterday the necessity and significance of giving to God’s work. If you missed the message, this link would take you there: www.facebook.com/DrBukolaWilliams/posts/532212766889516

It is scriptural to give and to be taught and told to give. Don’t condemn a preacher who teaches about giving to God. Not everyone who preaches this truth is hungry like Paul said (Phil. 4:11). It is however error to put ‘sowing seeds’ above ‘winning souls’. It is unscriptural to force people to give. To engage in manipulative persuasion in order to get people to give to God’s work is injurious to God’s principles of giving.

In scripture, people gave willingly (2 Corinthians 9:7). This is God’s pattern for giving. God does not accept any offering, giving or sacrifice that is not given willing (Exodus 25:2; 35:5). If they forced you to give and you gave grudgingly or angrily, they accepted it, but God did not accept it, so there is no reward attached.

As we round off on this, here are certain principles which would help your giving;

(1) BE MOTIVATED BY LOVE

Don’t give because you want to receive; give because you love to give and as an expression of love and thanks to God who first gave you what you have. If you give, you will receive. But your primary aim for giving should not be to receive. Your giving should be “love-based” and not “want-based.”

(2) THE FIRST AND BEST GIFT IS YOURSELF

Giving is not just about money. And your life must have been given first to God before He can accept your offering and sacrifice. God is interested in your soul and not your money. Anywhere you find yourself and they talk money more than Heaven, that is a wrong place – flee for your eternity!

(3) SOW IN A GOOD LAND

Not every land is good. There are many gospel-launderers and money preachers around who have coordinated and strategized patterns of extorting money from their members and others. They have turn God to a magician and money doubler (God forbid) who they claim will give you N1 Million for every N100 thousand you sow into their lives and ministries. Some if not many of them are false preachers and if your money enters their lives, it is not a good land – it has neither reward nor record in Heaven.

(4) DON’T WAIT TO BE TOLD; LOOK OUT FOR NEEDS

You don’t remind God it is time for your daily bread, He is committed to it. The same way, you should not wait to be asked for help. Look for needs and meet them.

One of the wrong ways to live is to live for yourself. To live for self is to limit your step. Something should leave your hand to others.

Don’t condemn a preacher who teaches about giving to God. Not everyone who preaches this truth is hungry like Paul said (Phil. 4:11).

UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF GIVING (1)

SOW IN A GOOD LAND

TEXTS: Exodus 35:29; Luke 6:38

God is both interested and committed to the physical components of the church which include the building, facilities and humans that do His work. As much as emphasis and priority is accorded to spirituality, the physicality should never be ignored. God is not against building Church structures provided they are in line with His will and His work. He identifies with the needs of the Church such as lands, instruments, payments of salaries, etc.

More so, it is not wisdom for a man to expect angels to descend from Heaven and build physical structures for Church or places of worship. It is not wisdom to expect angels to take foods to the pastor’s house for him and the family or to expect the man of God to pray for instantaneous multiplication of the almost finished food stuff at home. It is obvious that there are necessities in the body of Christ and it is believers responsibilities to be committed to meeting these needs.

People do not give for many reasons. Some do not know how to give, some have been victims of gospel commercialization (no thanks to gospel prosperity merchants), and still some people are stingy. To claim to love and serve God yet your money does not flow in the direction of God’s work; that love is questionable. You not only owe God your heart, you owe Him all your life – your money and other resources. If God does not have access to your money then money has become an idol to you.

It is scriptural to give and to be taught and told to give. Jesus taught giving;

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

There are many things to be done in the name of God, in the house of God and for the fulfilment of God’s purpose. The resources do not fall from Heaven. God has given it to people but some of the people do not know God gave them what they have so that He can use it for His work. It is not everything that enters your hand that should enter your mouth! Your tithe is for God. You must give other offerings to God. You must give to people – the needy, servants of God, etc.

When Moses was to embark on the work of the sanctuary, the people ‘willingly brought offerings unto the Lord’ (Exodus 35:29; 36:5-7). At a point, they were bringing too much and Moses told them to stop bringing. At the construction of the temple, people gave for God’s work as well.

It scriptural to give; no doubt. Anyone encouraging you against giving to God’s work is speaking with another spirit and not God’s Spirit. Even the Holy Spirit is a giver just like the Father and the Son are givers. However, there are some dimensions of giving and receiving that are unscriptural. Not all grounds are good grounds and if you put your seed there, it would be waste.

>>> TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW

NEVER GIVE UP TRYING

TEXT: Micah 7:8

Many people think that being in the will of God means life becomes an automated process supplying everything you need and taking you to everywhere you should be. The fact that you are in the will of God does not mean there won’t be challenges, but it means that no challenge can swallow you up and you come out victorious. Even in the will of God you need patience.

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36)

The fact that God has promised you something does not always implies that it comes at first trial. That you do not get it at first attempt does not mean you are a failure neither does it imply God is a liar. God cannot lie and He does not make empty promises. Provided trying again is not a sin, then you need to give it another try.

Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric bulb had failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the electric bulb. Today we used the electric bulb because someone refused to be discouraged or accept failure for a result. The same Thomas Edison, teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being (according to them) “non-productive.” But he did not doubt himself or his God-given abilities.

Failure is not the same as the end of the road. When you are traveling on a road and you encounter potholes, do you discontinue the journey and turn back? No, you don’t. The same way, failures are like minor potholes on the road to greatness in life. When you encounter one or more, just keep going; your destination is far more important than they. That you failed once or was rejected should not end your life. Doors can be shut and roads can be closed, but provided Heaven has not closed down (and cannot), there is hope for you.

Failure looks like a dark cloud, but inside every dark cloud is a mighty rain and the darker the cloud, the heavier the rain. The road to greatness may not be smooth, but the land of greatness is made of gold.

Elijah prayed six times but nothing showed up, but he didn’t give up. At the seventh time, rain came! He held to God’s promise in 1 Kings 18:1b;

“Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth”

Dear friend, don’t let one blow of disappointment, rejection, failure hand you a technical knockout in destiny and eternity. Rise up! Even if strength is gone and it means to craw, be sure you are moving forward and Heavenward.

EYE SERVICE VERSUS HEART SERVICE

TEXT: Matthew 6:1-5

One of the reasons why it looks as if people serve God and help people and yet nothing happens to them is because their motivation is faulty. The desire to be noticed by people is the reason many are not noticed by God. What moves God is not just what you are doing but why you are doing it.

Just the way there are Biblical Pharisees, there are present day Pharisees. These are the people whose motivation for helping you is because they want others to see them as kind. When they help you they say it loud for the world to hear. This kind of charity has no reward in Heaven.

There was a time I was watching TV and heard some announcements. They were mentioning the names of some people and families that made contributions to homes for orphans and widows. They would mention their names and also the amount they donated. I didn’t know why these people could not take the gifts to the concerned homes but chose to take it to the TV station so that their names could be aired. This kind of giving carries no reward…it is “eye service” and not “heart service.” God says;

“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Matthew 6:2)

Even in the church, there are people doing service to please men and not because they think about God. When nobody is watching or around to supervise them, they won’t be concerned, but the sight of the leader is the reason why they work. These people are bothered about what people think about them and not what God thinks of them. This is hypocrisy.

More so, there are people who are only believers in the church but at home they are something else. Their ‘church record’ is brilliant but ‘home record’ is shameful. Some do not pray at home or read the word of God, but in church their voices are loudest and they are always interested in talking and leading. It is this environmental Christianity mind-set that has opened the way to worldliness in the church.

Beloved, it is time to get it right. Let God be the reason why you do what you do. Be real and not fake. Nothing fake has eternal life in it. To live a fake life is to endanger one’s Heavenly eternity.

EMPOWERED ABOVE ADVERSITY

TEXT: Psalm 89:20-23

Sometimes people wonder why they attract adversaries lead among who is the devil. Any man with a great destiny and a glorious eternity in Heaven attracts adversaries. That you are born puts you on the devil’s wanted list – he wants you in hell! And the moment you activate the clause of the Blood of the Lamb over your life, you put the devil under pressure to do all he can to make you guilty of the cross. But he is an ancient loser because of the Blood.

Every man determined to fulfil divine destiny and make Heaven at last has two (2) categories of enemies. David had these two (2) categories of enemies and Jesus also encountered them. The first category is made up of those who do not like you and do not hide it. These are like the Philistines in David’s life and the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. They are many around. They don’t hide their anger at your success. But they will continue to get angry because you will continue to succeed in God.

The second category includes the pretenders; they don’t like you but they don’t show it. If they have their way they would even try to stop you. They smile at your presence, but they boil inside. They will end up boiling and bursting because God will keep on keeping and raising you. They are enemies who disguise as friends. But if you are spiritually sensitive and discerning, you will know them and live wisely around them.

Are you to now go about suspecting everybody? No. Are you to now become afraid? Never! If the devil is under your feet, then witches and destiny opposition partners are under the ground. No devil or demon from hell can stop you from fulfilling God’s purpose in life and reigning eternally with Him. What then should you do?

(1) WALK IN THE AUTHORITY GIVEN YOU

You are not fighting a new battle; Jesus won it on the cross. What you need to do is to stand on the victory He gave you. Pray and stand on God’s word; declare your victory and healing and send sickness and satan back to hell where they belong

(2) WALK IN LOVE

No matter how strong hate it, it is dissolved by love. Joseph’s love quenched the hatred and injustice of his brothers and Potiphar respectively. Where love dwells, grace is emitted. The devil cannot understand or survive grace, and cannot overcome love. Don’t take vengeance and never fail to forgive.

(3) LIVE HOLY

Nothing defends and empowers like holiness. It takes righteousness to live and excel above wickedness (Gen. 30:33; Job 27:6). Holiness is the nature of God; if that nature is in you, whatever cannot dare God cannot (come) near you.

(SPIRIT SWORD DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Thursday, 8th May, 2014. YOU CAN READ SPIRIT SWORD DEVOTIONAL AT: www.drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com OR Visit www.treasuredhouse.org)