Minister: Pastor Dr. Ayo Ajim
Text: Gen 26:12-14 (NLT)
Topic: FLOURISHING AND THRIVING SUPERNATURALLY THROUGH OBEDIENCE – UNDERSTANDING GIVING
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.”
The earlier verse of the above passage let us know that there was famine in the land and this was Gods response to Isaacs response to the economic mayhem that occurred at this time. Difficult times are cyclical and not unique to our time or generation. The question should be what should the response of the insightful children of God be in these hard times? because those who lack understanding complain, argue or murmur, and they do not understand that economic crisis is Gods desire to transfer wealth.
Peter fished all night and caught nothing in Luke chapter 5. He met Jesus who asked him for his boat, this implies that every time you meet with God, He always ask you for what you have. Never confuse magic with miracle because magic is producing something out of nothing and often times are tricks and deception. To get miracle, you always have to put all that you have in the hands of the master to turn it to be more than enough. God can never take advantage of you, every time he asks you for something, it is to give you something great in return. When God asks you for your best it is because He already gave you His best.
God will bless you everywhere. It will be a mistake to think that your destiny is tied only to a particular place. You must become dissatisfied with just flowing with the masses, you have to go deeper to understand. The God we serve is not a pizza God, He is a river God, that is all sufficient.
The essence of God is that He is a giver. Love ventilates itself through giving. Love is seeing an evident by giving. Everything or everyone God control gives. You know God is in control of your life when you are a giver. Luke 6:38” Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Giving does not start with when you have, but with what you have right now. Give anything of value that you have to be a blessing to everyone else. Paul also emphasized this in 2Cor 9:6-8 (KJV), the key to having all grace as Christians is giving.
FOUR FACETS THAT YOUR GIVING OUGHT TO HAVE:
- Systematic:it is what we call tithe, the first ten. It was designed by God to bless you and has existed long before the law. Abraham tithed everything he had and God blessed him in all things. Gen 14. Just as God is committed to bless you, you must also be committed to bless His work. God willingly chose to put the mercy of His work at the disposal of the obedience of His people. If we all become disobedient, the gospel will dry up and as well dry out. Giving is God’s way to have us fund His works so that He can fund our lives. That is why Satan attacks giving so much because he knows that if he can confuse us, he will not only short circuit God’s work but also our well-being. Tithe is the first ten percent of our earnings given into God’s ministry. God does not deserve remnants; it is for every believer to bring tithes into the work of God. The hundred fold blessings according to Jesus in Mark chapter 10 comes with persecution, so we decide if we want to be blessed and persecuted or remain poor and popular. God connects us with prosperity when we become radical tithers. When we walk with God, we have to understand that it is not everything that comes into our hands that is for our own consumption. Eating everything that comes into our hands is tantamount to destruction, that is how we got sin. When money comes into our hands, we have to know that it is coming through us because if God can trust it through us, God will get it to us. 1Cor 16:2 (NIV)” 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.”
- Spontaneous:Galatians 6:10 (NIV)” Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Paul calls this an opportunity. Do not squander the opportunity to do good to people. When God gives an instruction to give, He is not trying to use you, but bless you. Giving is the real ministry. What is it that you can help or bless people with? Everything is not necessarily based on money, stop materializing everything.
- Strategic: So many things that occurred to us in our lives has nothing to do with God or devil, but it had everything to do because we messed up. David messed up and God told him he had to take responsibility for it, then he proposed in his heart not to give God what will not cost him anything. In response to this, God stopped the plague, 2Sam chapter 24. When you are a leader, destinies are connected to you. If you mess up, you affect countless lives.
- Sacrificial: this is the giving that you do and as long as you live, you will never forget. Do not let the enemy talk you out of destiny. Allow God guide you so He can lift you to where you belong. Giving is beyond money, it is about releasing what you have to change somebody’s life. Sacrificial giving’s are always things people do and never forget, these are the kind of things that triggers God’s response like nothing else.
