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1 Samuel 9:6-9 

6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.)

 

~The Prophet Samuel was given a gift by Saul at the time a request was made unto him. Saul would not even consider going before the Prophet without a gift. Saul was not treating Samuel as a psychic, he was honoring this man of God. Samuel did not become a psychic either by accepting the gift. 

 

Exodus 23-14-19

14 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. 16 You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 17 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God. 18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning. 19 “The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.

 

~God told His people that they were not to appear before Him empty handed, and to bring their first fruits. When you pull on the anointing of God's vessels, you are coming before the Lord as well. 

 

1 Kings 17:8-16

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

 

~God commands Elijah to go visit a widow who God had commanded to feed him. When Elijah arrives, he did not ask her what her need was or if God even had another reason for him being there aside from food.  He asked for drink and food. When the widow told him of her pending calamity, Elijah still told her to prepare him the last bit of food that she had. You see, for God to bless and provide favor to this widow, she first must be obedient to God and serve this prophet. Once she fulfilled that, God used Elijah to not only take care of her immediate needs, but God took care of her needs for the rest of her life. 

 

Matthew 10 :1; 10:8-15

1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  9 Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, 10 or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support (wages). 11 Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy [who welcomes you and your message], and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. 12 As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’]. 13 If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of] peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God]. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14 Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust[of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties]. 15 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].

 

~Here Jesus is sending out the twelve to do the Kingdom ministry. Jesus tells them that they will not need to take a lot with them, including money because the people they minister to will support their journey. "The workman is worthy of his hire and wages…” Many have used the phrase "Freely you have received, freely give." from verse 8 to justify not sowing into a ministry. It is clear from verse 8 that Jesus was talking about their gifts and anointing being freely given to them, as they did nothing in their own efforts to receive it from God. And the person receiving the benefit of their gift is free to receive it as well.  If Jesus was talking about money here, He would not have then told them right after in verse 9 and 10 not to take much with them, especially money, and that the people would support their ministry, thus giving them what they needed to continue on.  Jesus goes on to tell them who to receive and who to reject as they go out to the towns and villages. Jesus did not send the twelve out to minister to everyone, but rather only a select group of people that Jesus considered worthy. Jesus states that if someone does not receive them, then they are to take back their blessings. Taking back a blessing was a HUGE deal in these days and times. This was not a light act that they were doing nor taken as such by the people around them. This is also in line with Jesus saying "freely to receive" as some people will not want to accept their ministry, again not referring to money. Jesus is making it clear that those in ministry are to be treated well (taken into the people's homes and served), or there will be a penalty against those that reject God's messengers worse than the destruction of Sodom and Gormorrah. 

 

Philippians 4 :15-20

15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

~Paul is talking to the Philippians, and he states that only this church entered into a partnership of giving and receiving. Notice the phrase Giving and Receiving. He goes on to talk about how they have supported him even while he was in other regions. Paul then speaks about the gifts and blessings they gave him, and how this was way beyond his natural needs. Paul was in surplus, not just getting by, scraping for his next meal. Paul tells them about their heavenly rewards because of what they have done for him. And Paul desires for them to continue, not for his own sake, but for their own increase in blessings from God. Paul is clearly stating that those that give to ministries will also receive from God in return. Paul is not telling them to stop their support because he should not have this much and should be poor instead. What good does being poor serve God or the Kingdom, if money and resources are what is needed for all ministries to have an impact on the world.  No ministry can grow and expand just scraping by. If we are waiting on God to use someone else to support a minstry that we are personally being blessed from, then He surely will. What we reap, is a direct result from what we did or did not sow. We will eat the good fruit that we have sown into.  You are blessed when you bless those that serve you. 

 

1 Corinthians 9

3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? 8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

 

~Paul is answering his critics about his ministry and money. He defends his rights to receiving financial and material support for his spiritual work, and states it is no different than the rights of any other type of labor. God calls some people to use their gifts and talents in the marketplace. They are compensated with a salary or hourly wage. God calls some people to use their gifts and talents in full or part-time ministry. They are to be compensated just the same. Does not all gifts and talents come from God? Does not all labor either in the marketplace or in ministry honor God just the same?

 

Malachi 3:8-12

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld]. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this whole nation! 10 Bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. 11 Then I will rebuke the devourer [insects, plague] for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the field drop its grapes [before harvest],” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” says the Lord of hosts.

 

~God is pretty clear here what happens to the people who do not bring their tithes AND offerings. God also clearly states what He will do for those that do follow His instructions. Tithing is your duty. Offerings is your overflow and sacrifice. If you find the enemy attacking your life repeatedly for long periods of time, look at your giving. God states you are cursed when you disobey Him with your money. 

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God has established proper etiquette for how we are to deal with finances and ministry support. Unfortunately today, this is lost among far too many of God's people. No Ministry can keep going for the Kingdom without financial support. It is clearly impossible. God operates on what is in the natural and since the beginning of time, we are to work and be compensated for that work. It costs money to do nearly every aspect that is involved in running a successful ministry. Just as it costs millions to print the Bible that you hold in your hands. If you are blessed by a ministry, consider giving back into that movement of God. Where you sow your time and money is what you will reap. Jesus did not self-support His ministry. No traveling carpentry business. People sowed into Him, gave Him shelter, food, clothing etc. and money. Jesus needed money. He lived a natural life just as a normal human. People saw the Anointing over His life and wanted to be a blessing to Him. When you see the Anointing over a ministry for God, be a part of it. God will supply all of the Kingdom Ministry needs, and He will do it through His people who sow. God clearly states that those that sow will find blessings and breakthrough in their life. The Holy Spirit impresses upon the heart's of people to sow into those doing the work of the Kingdom. People have a choice to obey God or not. We will all reap what we sow in every area of our life. Think about how Much FURTHER the KINGDOM could go if God's people did put Kingdom First and sow heavily into Ministries on the frontlines. We will answer to what we did and did not do for Christ

 

 

 

We are in the Season of Deuteronomy 1:11 May the Lord, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, just as He has promised you!  

                                                   ~May the Lord Rest upon your household 1000 fold return

 

You are such a Blessing. God loves you so Deeply. Let His Love Shine on you Today! 

 

                                                                                                          God Bless you!