God's Wrestlers
Spiritual Dose
The month of September 2016.
Tagged:
September For Spiritual Service (SSS 2016) Edition.
SSS 16 Friday 16th, September 2016
Topic: Act of Spiritual Service 4
Sub- Topic: Revelation: New Secrets of Sowing and Giving.
Text: Eccl. 11:1
We have been taught so many principles of giving and sowing one of these general principles is the Reap As You Sow (RAYS). Yet, for decades, we still encounter technical questions from people who have "sowed" but could not "reap" or who did not "sow" but "reaped" or who "reap" where they have not "sown".
Interestingly, this people conclude that " God may be Partial". Hello! God is not partial, we are the ones who is partial in obeying the principles in it completeness. If you are not convinced, I like you to know that even Apostle Peter was once like that, but when he discovered this reality, hear his affirmation:
Then Peter began. “I see, beyond all doubt,” he said, “that ‘God does not show partiality,’ Act 10:34 20cNT Version (20th Century New Testament).
Before we see reasons why people miss this principle and the introduction of this new discovery, I like us to know what sowing and giving really means. Perhaps, those who claim to have been sowing may know truly if they are indeed doing so.
What is Sowing/Giving?
Sowing
To sow means to scatter, disperse, or plant seeds. Christian sowing is not planting of seeds, it is scattering of seeds. That sounds discouraged. As simple as that sounds, people misunderstood it, because they ask "how can I scatter and reap?". That is how God preordained it:
Scatter your bread upon the waters: for you shall find it after many days. Eccl. 11:1 LBH Version
When you scatter, you have lost it, water cannot repay you, it cannot bring it together, water however has inhabitants that feeds on your bread, but you do not know them by name. This is the correct principle of sowing. We do not plan seed in sowing, we scatter seeds. Scatter means scatter, should we attach anything to it?:
Just as it is written, “He has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.” 2Cor. 9:9 NET.
It is the scattering that make sowing meaningful. The more you scatter the more you sow into the lives of people that you may not know and to God, that is doing what He desires.
Sowing again, for Christian means to scatter. Indirectly, what you scatter may be planted, and produce fruits, but the result of your sowing comes from God:
So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth.
The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. 1Cor. 3:7-8 NET
When we sow aright, the bible tells us that it shall come back to us even after many days (when the seed has yielded harvests). That sound magical, but that is how God ordains it.
Giving
To give means to transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone). This is the definition for Christians. In giving, we don't wait to receive back, the ownership has been changed, we don't give and still feels "at least, I am the one who give him". When we give, it is assumed that the substance does not belongs to us any longer. In fact, it is as if you have never for once own it and so, you don't have to expect a pay back as we do in our strange generation today. May God rescue us from strange doctrines.
Good. We often quoted this scripture to defend our entitlement to receive when we give:
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38 KJV
This is correct, but let look at it from a simpler version:
Give to other people and God will give to you. He will give to you more than you gave. He will fill your pocket until no more will go in. It will be so full that it will come out over the top. How you give to other people, God will give to you.’ Easy English Version
Clearly we see that, it is God that give back what we give to people not them. People are disappointed when they give gifts and the person seems unappreciative or did not do the same when they need similar help. They have forgotten that, it is God who pays them back:
Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the LORD— the benefit of his gift will return to him in abundance. Prov. 19:17 ISV
Emphatically, when you give to someone who can repay you on the note that he can, you will receive the reward from him and not from God. But if otherwise, the scripture says expect abundance. May God give us understanding.
Key Things About Sowing and Giving.
Kingdom Sowing/giving is not for everybody.
Well, as anybody can sow/give even in the church, but rewardable and approved kingdom sowing/giving is acceptable as a spiritual service from believers. This is socking to know. It is exclusively for those who have accepted the gift of God first. What will a dead man give? What will a poor man give? What will an empty man give? The scripture is clear about the giver (God) of the seeds and the sower (man):
Now He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for eating, may He supply and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. 2Cor. 9:10 MKJV
For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest. 2Cor. 9:10 TLB
God is the giver of seed. The first seed God gave was His Seed- Jesus. Now this Seed died and later we see result. His Seed brought and still bringing many seeds back to Him today. See Gen. 3:15, John 3:16, 2Cor. 5:19.
God gave this Seed unconditionally even when we are not worthy or having the ability to pay back. The bible says to us that it was when we were still sinners, that Christ died for us. See Rom. 5:8
It is crucial to know that God is the first sower and the giver of all seeds to other sowers. We cannot claim to sow when we don't have the seed and we cannot have the seed unless God gives us, now He has given us His seed. When we receive Him (the Seed- Jesus), then we are qualify to sow.
Many people would dispute this fact saying, "but unbelievers do sow to God big things and they are richly blessed in return". Where will the record be? In heaven's record or in the church record? Anyone who is not born again has no record in heaven. I repeat, anyone who is not born again has no record with the kingdom of Our God. The bible told us that those who feared the Lord spoke to eachother and God heard them and a book was open in heaven before them. See Mal. 3:16
Remember also in the book of Revelation 20:12 the issue of the book and the books. What book will those seeds unbelievers sows into your ministry be recorded even if they enjoy a return. The bible has a name for such seeds. The are called dead works. See Heb. 6:1
Sowing's Attitude.
It is more surprising than expected if we see some act and attitude of sowing that flood the service of God today. Whatever attitude we give, once it is different from that of the attitude associated with correct sowing, we may miss the result.
One of such attitude is that what you sow is what you will reap. This means two things- Quality and Quantity. In this case, both are important:
Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. 2Cor. 9:6-7 The MSG
A delightful gift is a quality one while a lavish gift is a quantity one. You may give little, but let it be of good quality. That is, let is be a cheerful one.
Another attitude of sowing is directional Sowing. Although you don't expect to receive from where you sow, you sow to what you desires. For example, if I need a car from God. I may decide to sow into my friends car by buying his fuel. This direction is clear in the scripture:
Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Gal. 6:7 NLT
If you desire a big ministry from God, sow into a big ministry prayerfully. If you desire a child from the Lord, sow into a family that just gave birth and so on. By so doing you will reap the same.
Similarly, a very important attitude of giving is that, you give without expectation.
Again, you give who cannot repay you. This is not permanent anyway, but watch the motive of your gift.
Don't give bribe and call it a giving attitude. Giving is different from bribing.
You cannot give and sow at the same time using the same substance. You can only do one with one substance.
Giving is compulsory, it should be a lifestyle not necessarily during occasions or seasonal celebrations.
Sowing is not compulsory. It is for those who can risk their substances to get overwhelming result of supernatural blessings. It is for spiritual business investors.
Why The Principle Fail to Work for Some People.
The principles of sowing and giving has not for once fail. Those who thought the principle does not work for them have either misapplied it or did not apply it at all but assumed to have done so. The ways people misapplied this principle are numerous:
First, competitive giving. Mr. A gave #5million, I will give $5million. God is not interested in that kind of giving. It is called contest among men and who ever wins, wins, and nothing more. What God desires is that everyone should purpose in his heart "not in his mouth" on what to give. See 2Cor. 9:7.
Second, show-casing giving. Why should people know that you are the one who give that money for the project? The bible clearly say that you have just gotten your reward:
"Take care not to be doing your charitable giving before men, so as to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have not a reward from your Father in heaven. Matt. 6:1 EMTV.
We have such heresies common among churches today. They come out openly to be seen and declare to the church. I will you #1million. Some people will even engrave their name on their gift to God who gave them the gift in the first place. May God have mercy upon us. Amen.
Third, shared-glory giving. This is not usually know by people except the giver himself. All the steps, the discussions, the going about is for people to know that he has done something. Most of us are guilty of this unconsciously. God is jealous when we do that. He wants his glory fully given to him and not shared between us.
Keep This Word:
Don't give because you have enough and don't avoid giving because you don't have enough. Giving must cost you something.
Scatter and Turn Back Approach (STA) and Give and Forget Approach (GFA)
As the name simply shows. When we scatter, we turn back and thank God for the grace to sow and thank God that the return would come having followed the principles and obeyed them. You might pray to know the right direction to sow but you don't need to pray for the return. The scripture informs us that when we are willing and obedient, the bible says "we shall reap the good of the land". See Is. 1:19.
Isaac in Genesis chapter 26 did not sow because he was an expert. In fact, the bible told us that there was a famine in the land at that time. But, he obeyed God. God said stay there and sow. He did, and he reaped an hundred fold.
And the Lord blessed him until he passed the three stages of prosperity.
Prosper, Prosperous, and Very Prosperous. See verse 12.
Let me say this, obedience brings blessings on your seed apart from 100% reaping.
Many people have struggled with God in sowing when he commanded them because that is their last penny. But if we will learn this principle just like Abraham did, we shall soon lend to nations. See Gen. 22.
Give and Forget Approach (GFA) is difficult if we should look at it carnally. But it works when we obey.
See the movement that occurs when we give in Luke 6:38 KJV:
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Give: good measure
Pressed down.
Shaking Together
Running Over.
If you drop #500 in a big bag and thousands of people do the same for example. When it is shaken together and it is poured out can you pick yours again? Of course no. You pick someone else. Yet, more than one this time. So give and expect from God. Gods pays well. When you give to the person that cannot give you back, you have just lend God that things. Your borrowing to God would be repaid in folds with mouth-watering interests.
God never lack a soul won to the kingdom daily because He sowed His Seed- Jesus. You will not lack, if you learn to sow.
I receive grace to sow desperately, both for myself and for you in Jesus name. Amen.
Blessed are you because you read. Remain blessed forever!
Femi Falade A
God's Wrestler
Femlex1@gmail.com
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