Finances Part 2: by John Reynolds.
Last Year, whilst sitting at my desk, the Spirit of the Lord descended upon me and for the next hour or so, taught me about finances and how to prosper in the Lord, especially in the poorer countries. ("Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as you soul prospers.." 3Jn2)
It applies to us all but was particularly directed to those in what the world calls 'third world' nations. People, even Gods people, think that because their country is not wealthy, that God cannot prosper then in it.. Wrong.. very wrong! (more about this a bit later)
God has set down spiritual laws for 'whosoever will' as Jesus said. These laws will also produce 'wheresoever will' as well! God Almighty is not limited to our surroundings or circumstances, if you will apply God's Word and walk in His ways.. "I watch over My word to perform it" Jer)~ "No Word from God is void and without power"
The Law of Genesis:
God's laws were laid down at the time of creation and haven't changed.. "I am the Lord, I change not" and this includes the Law of Prosperity.. or the Law of Increase. "As long as the earth remains, it shall be seedtime and harvest" This is not just talking about farming! Jesus said "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" This applies to good things as well as bad things.. "What so ever" The Law of Giving and Receiving
This is spoken of by the apostle Paul and directly relates to money and financing the gospel. He is talking to the Church at Philippi.. "No church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving" He went on to say that it wasn't that he desired a gift but he "desired fruit that would abound to your account" Phil4:17 Note; There are TWO types of fruits spoken of in God's Kingdom.. The 'now' fruit and the 'eternal' fruit. Just as there are 2 births.. "you must be born again" and there are 2 deaths.. "and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" There is a 'temporal' one and an 'eternal' one. So there are two kinds of fruits. Jesus encouraged us to.. "bring forth fruit into everlasting life" ~ In 1Cor 2, God says.. that He will "multiply your seed sown (that's the 'now' increase) and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (that's the eternal part!) What grace! He blesses the seed that we sow now and gives us an eternal reward to go with it!! The Law of Giving and Receiving, relates specifically to 'Giving to those who are 'out there - doing it' Paul believed it was the churches role to do this. "When I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving.." He then continues to say to those who had given and supported him.. "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" You hear many Christians say this.. but it is a 'conditional' scripture.. First.. You sow seed into a ministry.. then God promises to meet all your need. Basically.. They gave to Paul.. Now God will give to them. Giving and Receiving. He spoke to me once and said: "I want you to stop operating in the law of buying and selling. It is a profitless system for a child of God. A system based on greed, a desire to get gain for ones self. I want you to operate in the Law of Giving and Receiving"
The law of buying and selling, is often referred to as the Law of Commerce. The Law of Sowing and Reaping; Whilst this law covers every aspect of everybody's lives.. "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" The apostle Paul again relates an example to finances.. both the 'here and now.. and the eternal' This time it concerns giving to God's people in need. 2Cor9
"As touching ministering to the saints.." He was referring to a financial gift that the Churches had been collecting and now wanted to give to the poorer brethren.. Here he first talks of the 'amount' "He that sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly" Then he goes on to say about the 'attitude'. "Let every man give as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, for loves a cheerful giver" He then, inspired by the Spirit of God, makes some amazing statements. To the person who does this, he says, "and God is able to make ALL grace abound to you" Why? "That you, being self sufficient in all things, may abound to every good work" I will read a clearer translation.. "God is able to make all grace, every earthly blessing, abound towards you, that you, in all circumstances, would be self sufficient in all things, possessing enough to require no aid or support and be furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation" 2Cor9. Here, you clearly find God's will for His people.
1) You own everything you have.
2) You don't owe anything or have any need to borrow.
3) You are able to give as the need arises or God leads. Just about all of us would like to be in this position! Yet ALL we have to do is to operate in His laws by.. a) Giving to those who are ministering the gospel. b) Giving to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are less fortunate. That's not hard is it? Jesus said. "Come learn of Me... My yoke is easy and My burden is light.." Plus, He even offers us the seed to sow in the first place! "Now He that gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, shall multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.." so if you have no seed to sow.. ask Him for some and He promises to send it.. just believe and gives thanks until it arrives.. The Word of the Lord: When God took Israel out of Egypt, He told them about the land they were about to go into.. In Egypt, they produced food by watering the crops with a 'paddle' system that they operated with their feet. but the new land was going to 'watered from the rains from heaven' This not only spoke about a 'natural' water but a supernatural water.. the rains from heaven. This refers to the Holy Spirit Who is also called the 'latter rain' Jesus said "that out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of life giving water. This He spoke of the Spirit.." There is a natural rain and a supernatural rain.. God basically said that they had produced food by their own efforts in Egypt but now they were going to produce it by God's efforts.. He was going to send the rains.. This is a type of 'works'.. or what we can do.. and the other is a type of 'grace' or what God has prepared for them that love Him. Here's what the Lord said, especially to countries experiencing droughts.. He said to the Israelites. 'The Land that you are going into, is not like the land that you came out from, for it is watered of the rains from Heaven' "You cannot sow 'natural' seed in your country and rely on the rains to give it life and cause it to grow.. but you can plant seed into the Kingdom of Heaven! When you plant seed into the good ground, you can then water it with the rains from heaven. If you mix faith with it and pray in the Holy Spirit, God will give life to that seed and cause it to grow and produce a harvest for the glory of God" Now DON"T run off and plant seed anywhere! Why not? Because that is 'works' It's based on what I can do, not on what the Lord has prepared.. "The good things that God has prepared (past tense) for them that love Him" That's what grace is. "Fear not little flock. It is your Fathers good pleasure (gives Him great joy) to give you the Kingdom" So don't rob Him of His joy, by doing it yourself! After the disciples had given the use of their boat to Jesus, the Lord said.. "Cast your nets to the right hand side" They did what HE said and the nets were filled to breaking! They could have done one of three things here. 1) Nothing! "Lord we have laboured all night and caught nothing" said Peter. 'I've tried that, it didn't work. I'm tired Lord..'
2) Cast their nets to the other side and also caught nothing.
3) or, just believe and do what Jesus said.. "Nevertheless, at your Word" said Peter. Isaac planted seed in the land, "..in the time of famine and receive a hundredfold the same year" Notice it was in the land God had given them.. He planted where God said, regardless of circumstances. This crop grew with no water!! There was a famine on! God has to have something freely given by man to multiply! When faced with feeding a multitude, Jesus asked "What have we?" A little boys lunch fed thousands. Elisha told the widow woman to feed him first, even though it was their last meal! Then the miracle came! You can't freely give something to God in faith and love, without Him multiplying it back to you! You can try to out give Him if you want.. but you will lose! ~ "..God will multiply your seed sown.." It may look impossible for God to get it to you!~ But.. "The things that are impossible with man, are possible to God" ~ "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" "In desperate need, sow some seed" This is what the Lord told me to tell people, when I was considering how many requests for prayers for financial needs, that were on a certain website one time. Jesus didn't say 'pray' about finances.. He said 'give' ~ "Give and it shall be given you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, shall men give into your heart" As I told a Pastor who needed push bikes for his people. "Plant a seed" It's so easy to pray for money! but all we really need to do, is to start to operate in the laws of 'giving and receiving' and 'sowing and reaping' and ensure a constant supply of finances all your lives.. both for yourself and the ministry God has called you too, or support.. Plant a seed for your need! a) Ask the Lord 'what and 'where to plant it! Don't do anything until you know what to do. When He shows you, simply obey with a willing heart, believe and give thanks. b) Gives thanks everyday for the harvest.. He is faithful and true. c) When it comes.. Take a tenth (the tithe) and give it to your church or wherever you get fed! d) Take some of the 'increase' and ask Him 'where' to plant it again.. e) Do this for the rest of your life.. with thanksgiving! "But I don't have any seed to sow!" That's ok.. He will provide it.. "He that gives seed to the sower..' If you purpose to be a sower, then He will get seed to you.. This is how we live.. We give away our Healing CD's and post them all over the world. We 'ask and believe' Him for seed to sow every day.. and more emails arrive with requests for Healing Scripture CD's.. We then make a CD and present it to Him as an offering with thanksgiving.. and ask Him for more. (seed) We don't have a church or a congregation to provide for us. We have to operate in His ways and believe Him. The harvest comes in different ways. Recently, we suddenly received an offering from the other side of the world. Sometimes we get business ideas and grace to make them happen. Remember.. He is on your side.. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" The God, Who cannot lie, Who is faithful and true, is looking for people to show Himself strong on their behalf. "the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro across the earth, looking for someone to show Himself strong on their behalf" How awesome is that Scripture! The Most High God, The Almighty, Our God and Heavenly Father, is actively out there looking for someone! Why? So He can show Himself strong on their behalf!! Are you that someone? Are you saying "Over here Lord? Here am I" I encourage you to take a step of faith today and purpose to operate in His ways.. "Ask and you shall receive, that your joy be full" Spend time with Him on these scriptures, until they pass from head knowledge to heart revelation.. Then ask him 'what' and 'where' to plant some seed.. God Bless John ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ PS: Notice this! Although the church at Macedonia spent a year preparing and laying up their offering for the poorer brethren, They didn't have to wait a year before the promise of God would start to work in their lives. Isn't that awesome! How come? 'God looks upon the heart of man' When the angel appeared to Daniel who had been praying for 21 days, he said.. "The day you did set your heart to understand and chasten yourself before your God, I was sent to you.." Not when he prayed but the day he set his heart to!! God looks upon our hearts! "All things are open and naked before Him.." ~ "as a man purposes in his heart, so let him give.." 2Cor9 Do you know someone who would benefit from this article? Simply fill out their address below and send!
We DON'T get their email address. It goes directly from you to them.. . www.johnreynoldsministries.org
God's laws were laid down at the time of creation and haven't changed.. "I am the Lord, I change not" and this includes the Law of Prosperity.. or the Law of Increase. "As long as the earth remains, it shall be seedtime and harvest" This is not just talking about farming! Jesus said "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" This applies to good things as well as bad things.. "What so ever" The Law of Giving and Receiving
This is spoken of by the apostle Paul and directly relates to money and financing the gospel. He is talking to the Church at Philippi.. "No church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving" He went on to say that it wasn't that he desired a gift but he "desired fruit that would abound to your account" Phil4:17 Note; There are TWO types of fruits spoken of in God's Kingdom.. The 'now' fruit and the 'eternal' fruit. Just as there are 2 births.. "you must be born again" and there are 2 deaths.. "and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" There is a 'temporal' one and an 'eternal' one. So there are two kinds of fruits. Jesus encouraged us to.. "bring forth fruit into everlasting life" ~ In 1Cor 2, God says.. that He will "multiply your seed sown (that's the 'now' increase) and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (that's the eternal part!) What grace! He blesses the seed that we sow now and gives us an eternal reward to go with it!! The Law of Giving and Receiving, relates specifically to 'Giving to those who are 'out there - doing it' Paul believed it was the churches role to do this. "When I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving.." He then continues to say to those who had given and supported him.. "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" You hear many Christians say this.. but it is a 'conditional' scripture.. First.. You sow seed into a ministry.. then God promises to meet all your need. Basically.. They gave to Paul.. Now God will give to them. Giving and Receiving. He spoke to me once and said: "I want you to stop operating in the law of buying and selling. It is a profitless system for a child of God. A system based on greed, a desire to get gain for ones self. I want you to operate in the Law of Giving and Receiving"
The law of buying and selling, is often referred to as the Law of Commerce. The Law of Sowing and Reaping; Whilst this law covers every aspect of everybody's lives.. "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" The apostle Paul again relates an example to finances.. both the 'here and now.. and the eternal' This time it concerns giving to God's people in need. 2Cor9
"As touching ministering to the saints.." He was referring to a financial gift that the Churches had been collecting and now wanted to give to the poorer brethren.. Here he first talks of the 'amount' "He that sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly" Then he goes on to say about the 'attitude'. "Let every man give as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, for loves a cheerful giver" He then, inspired by the Spirit of God, makes some amazing statements. To the person who does this, he says, "and God is able to make ALL grace abound to you" Why? "That you, being self sufficient in all things, may abound to every good work" I will read a clearer translation.. "God is able to make all grace, every earthly blessing, abound towards you, that you, in all circumstances, would be self sufficient in all things, possessing enough to require no aid or support and be furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation" 2Cor9. Here, you clearly find God's will for His people.
1) You own everything you have.
2) You don't owe anything or have any need to borrow.
3) You are able to give as the need arises or God leads. Just about all of us would like to be in this position! Yet ALL we have to do is to operate in His laws by.. a) Giving to those who are ministering the gospel. b) Giving to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are less fortunate. That's not hard is it? Jesus said. "Come learn of Me... My yoke is easy and My burden is light.." Plus, He even offers us the seed to sow in the first place! "Now He that gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, shall multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.." so if you have no seed to sow.. ask Him for some and He promises to send it.. just believe and gives thanks until it arrives.. The Word of the Lord: When God took Israel out of Egypt, He told them about the land they were about to go into.. In Egypt, they produced food by watering the crops with a 'paddle' system that they operated with their feet. but the new land was going to 'watered from the rains from heaven' This not only spoke about a 'natural' water but a supernatural water.. the rains from heaven. This refers to the Holy Spirit Who is also called the 'latter rain' Jesus said "that out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of life giving water. This He spoke of the Spirit.." There is a natural rain and a supernatural rain.. God basically said that they had produced food by their own efforts in Egypt but now they were going to produce it by God's efforts.. He was going to send the rains.. This is a type of 'works'.. or what we can do.. and the other is a type of 'grace' or what God has prepared for them that love Him. Here's what the Lord said, especially to countries experiencing droughts.. He said to the Israelites. 'The Land that you are going into, is not like the land that you came out from, for it is watered of the rains from Heaven' "You cannot sow 'natural' seed in your country and rely on the rains to give it life and cause it to grow.. but you can plant seed into the Kingdom of Heaven! When you plant seed into the good ground, you can then water it with the rains from heaven. If you mix faith with it and pray in the Holy Spirit, God will give life to that seed and cause it to grow and produce a harvest for the glory of God" Now DON"T run off and plant seed anywhere! Why not? Because that is 'works' It's based on what I can do, not on what the Lord has prepared.. "The good things that God has prepared (past tense) for them that love Him" That's what grace is. "Fear not little flock. It is your Fathers good pleasure (gives Him great joy) to give you the Kingdom" So don't rob Him of His joy, by doing it yourself! After the disciples had given the use of their boat to Jesus, the Lord said.. "Cast your nets to the right hand side" They did what HE said and the nets were filled to breaking! They could have done one of three things here. 1) Nothing! "Lord we have laboured all night and caught nothing" said Peter. 'I've tried that, it didn't work. I'm tired Lord..'
2) Cast their nets to the other side and also caught nothing.
3) or, just believe and do what Jesus said.. "Nevertheless, at your Word" said Peter. Isaac planted seed in the land, "..in the time of famine and receive a hundredfold the same year" Notice it was in the land God had given them.. He planted where God said, regardless of circumstances. This crop grew with no water!! There was a famine on! God has to have something freely given by man to multiply! When faced with feeding a multitude, Jesus asked "What have we?" A little boys lunch fed thousands. Elisha told the widow woman to feed him first, even though it was their last meal! Then the miracle came! You can't freely give something to God in faith and love, without Him multiplying it back to you! You can try to out give Him if you want.. but you will lose! ~ "..God will multiply your seed sown.." It may look impossible for God to get it to you!~ But.. "The things that are impossible with man, are possible to God" ~ "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" "In desperate need, sow some seed" This is what the Lord told me to tell people, when I was considering how many requests for prayers for financial needs, that were on a certain website one time. Jesus didn't say 'pray' about finances.. He said 'give' ~ "Give and it shall be given you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, shall men give into your heart" As I told a Pastor who needed push bikes for his people. "Plant a seed" It's so easy to pray for money! but all we really need to do, is to start to operate in the laws of 'giving and receiving' and 'sowing and reaping' and ensure a constant supply of finances all your lives.. both for yourself and the ministry God has called you too, or support.. Plant a seed for your need! a) Ask the Lord 'what and 'where to plant it! Don't do anything until you know what to do. When He shows you, simply obey with a willing heart, believe and give thanks. b) Gives thanks everyday for the harvest.. He is faithful and true. c) When it comes.. Take a tenth (the tithe) and give it to your church or wherever you get fed! d) Take some of the 'increase' and ask Him 'where' to plant it again.. e) Do this for the rest of your life.. with thanksgiving! "But I don't have any seed to sow!" That's ok.. He will provide it.. "He that gives seed to the sower..' If you purpose to be a sower, then He will get seed to you.. This is how we live.. We give away our Healing CD's and post them all over the world. We 'ask and believe' Him for seed to sow every day.. and more emails arrive with requests for Healing Scripture CD's.. We then make a CD and present it to Him as an offering with thanksgiving.. and ask Him for more. (seed) We don't have a church or a congregation to provide for us. We have to operate in His ways and believe Him. The harvest comes in different ways. Recently, we suddenly received an offering from the other side of the world. Sometimes we get business ideas and grace to make them happen. Remember.. He is on your side.. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" The God, Who cannot lie, Who is faithful and true, is looking for people to show Himself strong on their behalf. "the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro across the earth, looking for someone to show Himself strong on their behalf" How awesome is that Scripture! The Most High God, The Almighty, Our God and Heavenly Father, is actively out there looking for someone! Why? So He can show Himself strong on their behalf!! Are you that someone? Are you saying "Over here Lord? Here am I" I encourage you to take a step of faith today and purpose to operate in His ways.. "Ask and you shall receive, that your joy be full" Spend time with Him on these scriptures, until they pass from head knowledge to heart revelation.. Then ask him 'what' and 'where' to plant some seed.. God Bless John ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ PS: Notice this! Although the church at Macedonia spent a year preparing and laying up their offering for the poorer brethren, They didn't have to wait a year before the promise of God would start to work in their lives. Isn't that awesome! How come? 'God looks upon the heart of man' When the angel appeared to Daniel who had been praying for 21 days, he said.. "The day you did set your heart to understand and chasten yourself before your God, I was sent to you.." Not when he prayed but the day he set his heart to!! God looks upon our hearts! "All things are open and naked before Him.." ~ "as a man purposes in his heart, so let him give.." 2Cor9 Do you know someone who would benefit from this article? Simply fill out their address below and send!
We DON'T get their email address. It goes directly from you to them.. . www.johnreynoldsministries.org