If you are in
need of finances. Please READ this.. God Bless.
There are
three areas on finances in the Bible:
i)
The Tithe and
offerings..
ii)
Giving to support those furthering the
gospel
iii)
Giving to the brethren in
need.
Each one of
these has a promise that goes with it (see the Word He spoke at the end of
this!)
Please understand this.. It is NOT the will of God that
you be broke or in want! - "Beloved I wish (pray) above all
things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul
prospers" 3John2
i) The
Tithe: This is the only time God asks us to prove Him and
then promises to "Open the windows of Heaven upon us and
rebuke the devourer for our sakes" The Tithe is Holy..
(Leviticus) The priest would 'Set it' before the Lord
with reverence. Now days, people seem to have a 'chuck it in
the bucket' mentality. Holy things are always holy. Treat it
as such when you set it before the Lord. Read
Malachi3:8-13
ii)
Supporting the Gospel. A lot of people go around saying
"my God shall provide all my needs according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus" without realising that this is a
'conditional' Scripture. If you read Philippians
4, you will see that the Church at Philippi had sent 'once
and again' to Paul's necessity.. "Not that he
desired a gift but that fruit would abound to their account"
He then went on to say that because of their giving to meet
his needs, God would now supply all
their needs.. There is the general Law of Giving
and Receiving that Jesus spoke of in Luke .. "Give and it
shall be given to you" but here is a specific
instance and Paul relates this Law to
finances..
iii) Giving
to the poor saints (not the world) In 2Cor chapters 8 & 9
- Paul talks about there being an equality amongst the brethren
and quotes the Old Testament Scriptures "He that had
collected little, had no lack, because those that had collected a
lot evened it out with them.. He then makes reference to the
'Collection made for the poor Saints in Jerusalem'
He then
expounds upon the Law of Sowing and Reaping. I call it 'the
general law of life' - "God is not mocked, for
whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" but
here Paul relates it financial issues..
and then says
about the attitude (having a joyful heart, not a grudging one, or
one of compulsion ..ie: 'have to') which God is looking
for when giving into the collection for them and then
comes the promise.. Verse8.. as a result of this..(your giving to
the poor saints with a good attitude) - "God is able to make
all grace (every earthly blessing) abound towards you.. Why?
(here's the result of that every earthly blessing)
a) so
that in all circumstances, you would be self sufficient in all
things
b)
requiring no aid or support
c) and
be furnished in abundance for ever good work and charitable
donation
He then goes
to say that the result of this would cause two things to
happen.
i) The
needs of the saints would be met
ii) Many thanksgivings would abound towards God The Amplified bible version of 2Corinthians 9 expounds this well..
MY TESTIMONY:
Many times over the years, God has miraculously met our needs.. MY JOB: There came a day when I received a phone call from my boss, who basically said that somebody didn't like what I was doing and that he would have to put me off! - I was stunned and started to state my case to him and so on.. he said he would phone me back later on.. I decided that this was NOT going to happen! So for the next hour or two, I walked around and told the thief (the devil) what the Word of God said! ..I was tithing and stood on the promises of God concerning this.. speaking the promise of God concerning tithing, over and over.. A part of the blessing promised in Malachi, was that he would "rebuke the devourer for our sakes and he would not destroy the fruit of our ground" (That includes my job!) Malachi chapter 3. After about 3 hours, my boss phoned me back and sort of mumbled his way through, saying that It was ok and to carry on, he would sort it out! - Praise the Lord! - God said to "Put Me to the test, prove Me in this!" so I did and found He was Faithful and True to His Word and when I believed it and stood upon it.. He made good His promise!! The devourer was rebuked and I still had my job! He doesn't want your money, He wants your obedience so He can open the windows of Heaven and bless you!! I mean, the streets are paved with gold in Heaven! ~~~ MY BUSINESS:After a time of prayer, I decided to start a Print shop, which was sort of strange as I had little money and couldn't print! But the more I prayed about it, the more I was convinced that this was the way His grace (not my ability) had prepared for me... so, we launched out... Mind you, there was a couple of problems: 1) I had no equipment or much money to buy it.. and
2) I couldn't print!
Fairly sizable ones really. Still, we knew it was the right thing to do, so by faith we took a lease on a vacant shop! Now we never told a living soul about this or made our needs known to anyone. During Church one Sunday, right in the middle of praise and worship, the Lord spoke to me and said "I want you to ask me for x thousand dollars" - I grabbed my wife's hand and whispered in her ear what the Lord had said and we quietly asked the Lord for that amount. A week later, I felt impressed to share at church what we were doing. So I stood up and basically told what we were planning to do. We never said a word about our needs at all. Later during the week, someone came up to us and said . I want you to have this and he gave us a check for the exact amount we had prayed for. NOTICE THIS: He said he had just sold his business and this was his tithe and he felt to give it to us!
This amount covered what we needed to buy the equipment to get started..
MORE EVENTS: During the startup of the business, there were times when we ran really short of money! We couldn't take much wages out at first. Yet we kept tithing.. One morning when I opened shop, there was an envelope on the doormat.. In it was some money and a little note saying: The Lord told me to give this to you! Wonderful Jesus! Other time,when we were really short and needed money for housekeeping, my wife went outside the front of our house one night and there was an envelope stuck on the doormat.. again with some money in it.. Who/how that got there.. Heaven only knows but thank God for the obedience of the one He used.. The $5:Another time, quite recently, I was down to my last $20 with little prospect of any money come in.. We supported a young lady through world vision and she had a birthday coming up. They wanted $5 to buy her some crayons and a colouring book. $5 seemed a lot when you only had $20 left.. Yet I felt impressed (that's the leading of the Spirit) to do it.. Within a week, someone came to me and gave me a check for a $1000! GOD HAS NO FAVOURITES:What He has done for one, He will do for all. We have and still do what His Word says.. We give Tithes and Offerings. We give towards the Gospel and we support the less fortunate saints.. and God does exactly what He promised.. 'How' it comes it up to Him!Cast you bread upon the waters and you WILL find it after many days" King Solomon said..
Please read the above Scriptures for that is how faith comes.. "so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" Romans10:17 - I can only give you information but the Holy Spirit gives you revelation!
Read Philippians chapter 4 and 2Cor9
So what do I do? If you are in position where you can't tithe yet.. Then make the decision to! - God looks upon the heart, He knows your motives! - After you have done this, sow some seed! - Whatever you can.. First ask the Lord WHAT to sow.. It can be $5, or you can make something and give it away.. then ask the Lord WHERE to sow it.. Jesus knows where the fish are. The Holy Spirit will guide you.. Then when you give, give it with a cheerful heart, giving thanks to God, Who has freely given us all things through Jesus Christ, our Lord and saviour. THEN ~ Expect a harvest! (that's what hope is.. a confident expectation of good.. Without hope, your faith has nothing to work with.. for the Scripture says.. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews11:1 ~ What farmer plants seed and doesn't expect it to grow and multiply? The Scripture says "He that ploughs, should plough in hope" Plant in faith, believe the seed (object, anything) you have sown, will be blessed and multiplied back to you.. God has said "He that gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater shall multiply your seed sown"... If you don't have any seed to sow.. ask Him for some! - but when it comes, don't eat your seed (spend it) Plant it!.."Without faith (believing) it is impossible to please God" Hebrews11:3 -
I think this is why a lot of us are not receiving like we should be. Do you believe you are are going to receive, or are you wondering? Is there an expectation of a harvest, or just a 'see what happens'? Are we giving out of compulsion or guilt, because we are 'supposed' too? Remember the Scripture in Romans? - "If God be for us, who can be against us. He that gave up His only Son for us, shall He not also freely give us all things together with Him?" ~ Everything we are and have, is because of what Jesus has done for us, not of our works..
God has set in motion the laws of Giving and Receiving.. The laws of Sowing and Reaping.. The Law of Seedtime and Harvest. We don't even need to pray about this!- His Holy Word has declared it! All we need to do is believe it and act upon it and receive from Him with thanksgivings..
Make this a way of life.. Keep sowing seed, for your need. Sow something every week and just keep thanking Him for the multiplying! - to the praise of the glory of His Grace - As you increase, you can be a greater blessing and as the Scriptures says.. "your giving will not only meet the needs of the saints but will bring many thanksgivings unto God"
I would;
1) Give Tithes and Offerings, setting them before the Lord with reverence in your heart for what He has done for us. (if you don't Tithe, then make the decision to, when He prospers you) 2) Find a ministry that it 'out there' doing it'- Preaching the gospel.. (Just lay aside a dollar a week and then send it every month.. It doesn't have to be much! The woman in the bible cast in 2 Mites, less than a Dime, or a Farthing and Jesus saw it!) Give it to the Lord first and then send it to the ministry He has led you to.. 3) Find some less fortunate saints to sow into with a joyful attitude.. If you don't have any seed to sow, either make something and give it/or ask Him for some seed.. He WILL send it. He IS Faithful.
Your blessing may NOT always come to you as money either! ~ His blessing may come as an idea! (That's the one that won't go away despite you thinking it's just you!)
Every day! - Why everyday? - Because every day is a new day, a new beginning.. This IS important.. Look at these Scriptures.. "This is the day (not week) that the Lord has made..' - His mercies are new every morning" - Jesus said.. 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof"
After you have sown some seed..and prayed, set aside some time every day... to BELIEVE. Don't, I repeat, DON'T pray again.. You have already prayed! Now it the time to believe with thanksgivings.. Let's look at the Scriptures. "This is the confidence (faith) that we have in Him, that whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" xxxx _ "What things soever you desire, believe you receive them and you shall have them" Mark11:24 - "What things soever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive" MattxxxxSo get somewhere quiet and believe.. just sit quiet and say in your heart.. "I believe He is multiplying my seed sown.. I believe all my needs are met.." - Have confidence (faith) that He is multiplying it back to you! _ Why?... Because He said so.. "Give and it shall be given you.." Luke6:38 "He shall multiply your seed sown.." 2Cor9.. You have His Word on it.. Then gives thanks.. "with thanksgiving" - "Lord, In Jesus name, I thank you for multiplying the seed you have given me. I thank you for meeting all my needs, I thank you for sending Jesus for us.." and so on.. You can put your own words here... Be yourself and say it from your heart.. Do this every day..ok.. until it becomes a way of life..
The Worldwide Prayer for Finances:
NOTE: During a time of prayer late last year, I was praying for those in desperate need of finances, when He stopped me .. Yes.. stopped me and said.. "You can't pray that way about finances BUT you can pray this!" He gave me what I have called 'The Worldwide Prayer for Finances' It is a simple prayer based on Psalms.. Print it out and pray it every day for others.. as you sow, so shall you reap! - You will find a copy of it Here ~ It's setup to print out..
God Bless
PS: I want to leave you with some words the Lord spoke to me when I was getting discouraged one time.. He saidStreaming Faith Testimony: "That was a message from God. because I wasn't tithing and God has been dealing with me in that area. I use to tithe regularly and I stop. Because of the confirmation you sent I will tithe.
Futhermore I will also sow seeds into others Starting with you. Let me know how to do this. Once again thank-you, thank-you, thank-you Pastor Madden" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ >Do you know someone who would benefit from this article? Simply fill out their address below and send! ~~~