"BUT WHEN IT PLEASED GOD, WHO SEPARATED ME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB AND CALLED ME THROUGH HIS GRACE,
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood."
Galatians 1:15,16 (NKJV)"WHO HAS SAVED US AND CALLED US WITH A HOLY CALLING, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began
TO WHICH I [Paul] WAS APPOINTED A PREACHER, AN APOSTLE, AND A TEACHER OF THE GENTILES."
2 Timothy 1:9,11 (NKJV)
-> The Relief
• After a period of TIME when God has seen your faithfulness and commitment in the work He assigned you to do, you begin to receive BLESSINGS from those whom you have blessed Or ministered to.
- God may release Or send some souls, people, to you that you may minister to them.
- Note: Some Ministers used to abuse the relief provided by God and allow laxity.
IF God has seen your faithfulness and commitment and decided to reward Or compensate you, that does not mean you should go to sleep, it is the time to put more effort in the work you are doing.
THE reward Or compensation is an incentive to stimulate you, spur you to work the more. - Some ministers usually do not experience relief because they are not under any covering and do not practice the PRINCIPLE of giving.
- Some are not sowing: if you are not tithing, either your personal or that of your ministry, you may be experiencing disappointments—there might be a financial drought.
THE people whom you ministered to might not be blessing you with their material things (Luke 8:1-3).
• The self
- When I started out in the ministry, people are being blessed under my ministry, because I could do Spiritual exercises: fast, pray, and stand with them to overcome their predicaments.
- But the people were not coming to stay or abide under my leadership, they were not becoming members of the Church we started that I was pastoring.
WHENEVER God BLESSES them, they will not do anything for our ministry or give anything to me; they take the blessings to where they go to church. - Even some will tell me that God told them to buy things or give money to their pastors.
- I will be wondering, Why God is not telling them to give to me who has been fasting and praying with them to get breakthrough, IS God partial? No!
• If you are relating with someone as a mentor Or Spiritual father:
- You attend his meetings.
- You sow seed to his life and ministry. You sow up to go up.
- You pay your ministry and personal tithe to the place.
- You receive impartation and prophetic Word from such.
- You receive counsels and instructions from such.
-> Candid truths about finances in the work of ministry
• Money is an important issue in the work of ministry.
- If you have a genuine vision and you have no money to finance it, the vision
MAY be suffocated. - God uses finances to train His ministers, check or test the faithfulness of His ministers, give direction to them, and teach them lessons if they erred, derailed, or disobeyed His instructions or His express commands.
- Therefore knowing how to handle money in the work of ministry is very important.
• On finances
- Do not depend on human beings for money, trust and depend on God.
- God does close some doors and open some other doors to provide for the needs of His ministers and His work: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, HE WHO OPENS AND NO ONE SHUTS, AND SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS" (Revelation 3:7).
- Any door which God has closed, do not try to re-open it, if you do, you may beg later (Isaiah 22:22).
- Let God be your source, not man.
BE sensitive enough to know the doors that God has closed and the ones He has opened.
DO not rush at the new doors being opened, and do not idolize anyone giving to you or your work.
MAKE yourself scarce, dignify yourself, and do not go about begging (1 Corinthians 9:18).
BE more prayerful and be sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
• The truth is:
- If you nurse the idea, think that someone will help you, give to you or your ministry, God might allow the person to disappoint you—he or she may not support your work.
- If, in your heart, the reason why you are ministering to someone is for he or she to give to you, when God answered their prayers, God might turn the heart of the person away from you.
"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY."
1 Peter 5:2 (NKJV)
- If your are getting attached to someone, being too close, because of their money, Or such usually give material things to you, God might turn the heart of the person away from your ministry.
- If you are thinking in your mind, imagining how someone or people will give money to your ministry, God might close the pockets of such against you, and cause them to desert you and your ministry.
- If a minister begins to pray with anxiety over someone’s matter, agitating that God should grant the person's requests because of the possibility of getting rewards, money or other material things, God may not answer such a prayer.
EVEN if the prayer is answered, the person might not give you anything, because your motive is not right, you have secretly idolized the person in your heart. - You should know THAT it is not everybody you LABOUR on that will bless you, but God will compensate you in some other Way, through some other people, if you are faithful in whatever you are assigned to do.
"And when I was present with you and in need, I was a burden to no one, FOR WHAT I LACKED THE BRETHREN WHO CAME FROM MACEDONIA SUPPLIED. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself."
2 Corinthians 11:9 (NKJV)
- He does as He WILL, allow Him to have His way.
• Take note:Sow the seeds and be consistent, do not be weary in well doing: "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9).
- Ask God what to do with whatever money that comes to your hand, that you may not eat your seed.
SOME money that comes to your hands are not meant to be spent, they are SEED to sow, while some are bread to eat.
"NOW MAY HE WHO SUPPLIES SEED TO THE SOWER, AND BREAD FOR FOOD, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness."
2 Corinthians 9:10 (NKJV)
YOU should be able to differentiate a seed from a bread.
SOME money given to you, or sown to your ministry are not meant for spending—either for you or you ministry, they are SEED you have to sow.
- Know that if you are not able to discern, differentiate between a seed and a bread, and eat you seed, you may experience hardship.
- Your seed must not be eaten, it must be sown, that you may not suffer or beg at the time of harvest: "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
- You should understand timing in the seed sowing and harvest, in the programme of God for your life and ministry.
- The truth is, if you are a giver, God will always have a way of rewarding you, He can never let you down.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED