"Therefore,... I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."
Acts 26:19 (NKJV)
"While the earth remains, SEEDTIME AND HARVEST, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, AND DAY AND NIGHT SHALL NOT CEASE.”
Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)
• Seed Sowing Principle brings favour on you and the work of ministry you do
- There is a seed time and a time of harvest for all you do (Genesis 8:22).
- There cannot be a bountiful harvest without a consistent sowing Plus obedience to other principles (Genesis 26:1-6).
- What provoked God’s BLESSINGS and FAVOUR on Solomon is the seed offerings he gave to God (1 Kings 3: 3-5).
- Bountiful harvest is as a result of regular sowing (Ecclesiastes 11:1,6).
IT is your gift that will open the doors, Or make a way, for you (Proverbs 15:16). - A giver would not lack favour: "24 THERE IS ONE WHO SCATTERS, YET INCREASES MORE; AND THERE IS ONE WHO WITHHOLDS MORE THAN IS RIGHT, BUT IT LEADS TO POVERTY. 25 The GENEROUS soul will be made RICH, And he who waters will also be watered himself" (Proverbs 11:24,25).
• In Sowing
- You sow seed in obedience, as you are commanded by God, and you should not be sentimental about it.
- Seed sowing might be with tears, at times, but it has rewards: "THOSE WHO SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY. He [she] who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his [her] sheaves with him [her]" (Psalm 126:5,6).
- You cannot be obedient to seed sowing principle and regret!
• Sowing in the right place.
- Sow to the right anointing, the anointing that blesses you and lifts you deserves your seed—money or material things.
- As a Minister, reaching out for souls should be of utmost priority in your ministry, when you reach out for souls, it gladdens God's heart and brings favour.
- God will always favour a ministry that is mission based.
- Do not limit your ministration to the members of your church alone. Reach out to minister to other people outside your fold, those who are not part of the congratulation you pastor.
• Reach out wide
- Touch lives and lift people’s burdens. Some may not come to your church, but God would want you to minister to them—to do the work of a pastor in their lives.
- There are many who claimed to be Christians who lack pastors.
THE reason being that many pastors have left their places of assignments, hence God is looking for those who will care for such souls. - There are pastors whose god is their belly, they set their minds on earthly things: 18 "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR BELLY, AND WHOSE GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME—WHO SET THEIR MINDS ON EARTHLY THINGS" (Philippians 3:18,19 NKJV).
- They are looking for money to buy designer shoes, and money for food.
- Having material things is all right, it is not bad, because you need them, we live in a material world, pastors should have them, but they should not be the reason, basis, for what you do for God—they should not be the reason for your services in God's vineyard.
- You should have a good heart, compassionate heart, a heart to bless the people God has brought your way.
2 "SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, serving as overseers, not by COMPULSION but WILLINGLY, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY;
3 NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, but being EXAMPLES to the flock;
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, YOU WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF GLORY THAT DOES NOT FADE AWAY."
1 Peter 5:2-4 (NKJV)
- Love the people and lift them out of their predicaments without any reservation, God will reward you for your labour of love (Hebrews 6:10).
- The truth is, if your motives in the work of ministry are all about money, you may not get it.
- If you are labouring all because of the money you want to get or make, you may be disappointed.
- You know, you are not dealing with Man but God, and God knows the intents of your heart: "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, AND SERVE HIM WITH A LOYAL HEART AND WITH A WILLING MIND; FOR THE LORD SEARCHES ALL HEARTS AND UNDERSTANDS ALL THE INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, HE WILL CAST YOU OFF FOREVER" (1 Chronicles 28:9).
- If your motives are wrong in the services of the Kingdom, God would see to it that you do not get the material things which have been your focus.
- God would always frustrate a covetous leader.
• Do not allow pride
- Pride makes you not enjoy the favour of God, He humbles the proud and exalts the humble or meek (1 Peter 5:5).
"God resists [fights, obstructs, or stands against] the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6 (NKJV) - Humility makes you a candidate of favour.
• In summation:
(i) Success and Favour COME when you are doing what God has asked you to do.
(ii) Favour comes when you obey the seed sowing principle.
~ Give personal tithes and corporate tithes—ministry tithes, or company tithes.
~ Give to the project commanded by God.
~ Sow to the life of your prophet—the servant of God who speaks to your life.
(iii) You experience favour when you put yourself under the covering of your prophet or pastor.
(iv) Favour comes when you are Kingdom minded, you always think on how to
favour the Kingdom work—expand the work of God: "besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: MY DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL THE CHURCHES" (2 Corinthians 11:28).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!