19 “DO NOT lay up for yourselves TREASURES ON EARTH, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 BUT lay up for yourselves TREASURES IN HEAVEN, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO."
Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)
• In the first part of this teaching, we have treated and mentioned two types of offerings, through which a Believer can invest in God's Kingdom.
- Other points are treated in this part two of the Teaching.
• Continued from part 1:
(ii) Projects commanded by God (Exodus 35:20-22).
- There are projects commanded by God and when you give to such projects, you cannot but receive a REWARD from God.
- You have to be part of whatever project in your local church, and the Ministries which God has used to bless your life.
THE visions of your pastor, the Prophets who speak to your life, has to be invested in. - God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle in the wilderness, that His PRESENCE might be with them. Moses received the instruction on the mountain, and he relayed it to the whole congregation of Israel when he descended:
4 THEN Moses said to the whole community of Israel, "THIS IS WHAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED: 20 So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. 21 All whose hearts were STIRRED and whose spirits were MOVED came and BROUGHT THEIR SACRED OFFERINGS TO THE LORD. THEY BROUGHT ALL THE MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE TABERNACLE, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. 22 BOTH MEN and WOMEN came, ALL WHOSE HEARTS WERE WILLING. THEY BROUGHT TO THE LORD THEIR OFFERINGS OF GOLD—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. THEY PRESENTED GOLD OBJECTS OF EVERY KIND AS A SPECIAL OFFERING TO THE LORD" (Exodus 35:4,20-22 (NLT).
(iii) The Needy: the poor or needy in the household of faith, are agents of Blessings for those who are mindful of them (Proverbs 19:17; Galatians 6:9,10).
- When you give to the Needy in the household of faith, you have invested in God's Kingdom (2 Corinthians 9:6-8,12). GOD is in the Business of human development (Proverbs 21:13; Hebrews 13:16).
- If you joined hands with God in developing, managing, changing, and improving, Humans; lives of others for good, you will not be without rewards—Blessings from God:
9 AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, for in due SEASON we shall REAP if we DO NOT LOSE HEART. 10 THEREFORE, AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, let us do GOOD to all, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH" (Galatians 6:9,10 NKJV).
READ: Proverbs 19:17; 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
(iv) Ministers of God
- The Ministers of God are Blessing Carriers.
- If you give to a genuine Minister of God, you cannot but receive a REWARD for it: "HE WHO RECEIVES A PROPHET IN THE NAME OF A PROPHET SHALL RECEIVE A PROPHET'S REWARD. AND he who RECEIVES A RIGHTEOUS Man in the name of a RIGHTEOUS man shall receive a RIGHTEOUS MAN'S REWARD" (Matthew 10:41 NKJV).
- God has put His children under the care of different Prophets, Ministers (Hebrews 13:17).
- If God is blessing you through the Ministry of a Minister; a Pastor, or Prophet, or Whoever; and the Minister is living in squalor, unpleasant conditions; you are undoing your Blessings.
- You should give to the anointing that BLESSES you: 6 LET HIM WHO IS TAUGHT THE WORD SHARE IN ALL GOOD THINGS WITH HIM WHO TEACHES. 7 DO not be deceived, God is not mocked; FOR WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, THAT HE WILL ALSO REAP" (Galatians 6:6,7 NKJV).
- Sow to the LIFE and the WORK of your Prophets, the Ministers whom God has used to bless you spiritually (1 Corinthians 9:11,13,14).
- If you spent or used on yourself or other things that belong to you, money or whatever you supposed to give to your Prophets; the Ministers whom YOU have been blessed through their Ministries, things may turn down for you financially.
- Through observation, It is discovered that stingy people, those who are tight-fisted, always have any number of problems to grapple with.
• If 1you wanted to be part of the Kingdom shareholders, you need to start now!
- Buy shares in God's Kingdom, by Giving to God and His work: tithes and offerings—you give to the mission work, projects commanded by God, the Needy and the poor in the household of faith, and the servants of God.
- To justify what God has given you or blessed you with, you have to invest in His Kingdom. In other words, to prove that God has not made a mistake in blessing you with those material things of yours, you have to reinvest in His Kingdom, His work, And His people on earth.
- Note: You GIVE or Sow what you are having, to receive whatever God has for you—whatever you are desiring to get from Him.
- To receive Kingdom dividends, you had to give consistently, and as you are instructed or commanded by God.
- Some give only when they heard a message or teaching on Giving, afterwards they stopped.
- It should be a continual thing. A seldom Giving would not get or command heaven's attention.
- You provoke heaven with your Seed, for a release of abundance. Solomon gave a thousand burnt offerings, and he got God's attention. God appeared to him with a blank cheque that he should write whatever he wants:
3 AND SOLOMON LOVED THE LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: SOLOMON OFFERED A THOUSAND BURNT OFFERINGS ON THAT ALTAR. 5 AT GIBEON THE LORD APPEARED TO SOLOMON IN A DREAM BY NIGHT; and God said, “ASK! WHAT SHALL I GIVE YOU?” (1 Kings 3:3-5 NKJV). - God could NOT but take notice of Solomon's offerings!
• If there was any professed Christian who does NOT practice Giving and he or she was prospering materially, I want you to know that the source of such a person's wealth or Blessings might NOT be of God.
- There are many in the church Today who go to the devil for money. They pretended to be Christians, but they are NOT:
15 TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE, BUT to those who are DEFILED AND UNBELIEVING NOTHING IS PURE; but even THEIR MIND AND CONSCIENCE ARE DEFILED. 16 THEY PROFESS TO KNOW GOD, BUT IN WORKS THEY DENY HIM, Being abominable, disobedient, AND DISQUALIFIED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK" (Titus 1:15,16 NKJV). - The source of their wealth or money is not God. That is why it is difficult for them to give to God and His Kingdom in the first place.
- Whoever has God as his or her source would not hesitate to honour God with whatever they have.
- Whoever does not believe in the totality of the Bible is NOT of God. Keep away from him or her that you might not be contaminated:
"DON'T be fooled by those who say such things, for “BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER" (1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT). - The end of such is destruction, except they repent genuinely.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
- Hold of sicknesses is completely broken in Jesus' name.
Peace!