5 SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if PROPHECY, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 or MINISTRY, let us use it in our ministering; he who TEACHES, in teaching;
8 he who EXHORTS, in exhortation; he who GIVES, with liberality; he who LEADS, with diligence; he who SHOWS MERCY, with cheerfulness.
9 LET LOVE BE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. ABHOR WHAT IS EVIL. CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD."
Romans 12:5-9 (NKJV)
• Major areas of Giving:
I. Tithing (Deuteronomy 26:10).
When you tithe, you lay the foundation for financial success.
Tithe is a tenth, ten percent, of your income that you give in the church you attend. You do it with love for God in your heart; in righteousness, faith, and cheerfulness (2 Corinthians 9:7).
II. Offerings (Proverbs 3:9,10).
a. Giving of offerings to the Missions. If you are not inclined or felt compelled to go, then send or support those who are sent with your money. The work of the Kingdom is the most productive, the solid business, that you can and should invest IN.
THERE is no business investment as solid and certain as the work of the Kingdom, to be invested in (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 8:1-3).
b. Giving to the ministers of God (1 Corinthians 9:9-14; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:14-19).
WHEN you give to your pastor, prophet, or whoever minister has been used to bless you, you have allowed or given a place to God to release His blessings on your life through the act.
YOU provoked the anointing of God on a minister; your prophet or pastor, for blessings, through Giving.
c. Giving to the Needy or the Poor: "IF YOU HELP THE POOR, YOU ARE LENDING TO THE LORD—AND HE WILL REPAY YOU!" (Proverbs 19:17 NLT).
WHEN you give to the Needy or Poor, you have given God an opportunity to work with you on your finances—given Him the opportunity to bless you and also to help that person or people in need.
BELIEVERS who are blessed with abundance are meant to serve as a hope for the Needy, Poor, or the Hopeless or Helpless:
12 BECAUSE I [Job] DELIVERED THE POOR WHO CRIED OUT, THE FATHERLESS AND THE ONE WHO HAD NO HELPER. 13 THE BLESSING OF A PERISHING MAN CAME UPON ME, AND I CAUSED THE WIDOW'S HEART TO SING FOR JOY. 15 I WAS EYES TO THE BLIND, AND I WAS FEET TO THE LAME.
16 I WAS A FATHER TO THE POOR, AND I SEARCHED OUT THE CASE THAT I DID NOT KNOW" (Job 29:12,13,15,16 (NKJV).
d. Giving as Praises to God.
Give as a praise to God for whatever you expected Him to do in your life. Do not be need conscious, but be seed conscious.
• If you had a need, think of what to Give for the need in your life to be met. Not to be thinking or to devise in your own way, how the need would be met.
This is a spiritual principle, It could only be understood by those who are spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:14). If you asked an unbeliever or a natural person, or a carnal Christian or body-ruled believer, to give to have his or her need met, such would say you asking them to bribe God before they could receive from Him:
12 NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHO IS FROM GOD, THAT WE MIGHT KNOW THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN FREELY GIVEN TO US BY GOD.
13 THESE THINGS WE ALSO SPEAK, NOT IN WORDS WHICH MAN'S WISDOM TEACHES BUT WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES, COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL. 14 BUT THE NATURAL MAN DOES NOT RECEIVE THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS TO HIM; NOR CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED" (1 Corinthians 2:12-14 NKJV).
The principle of sowing and reaping is being practiced when you give in order to receive from God. He also promises to bless in return when you give in order to receive. It does not mean you are bribing God to receive from Him: "GIVE, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE. YOUR GIFT WILL RETURN TO YOU IN FULL—PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE, RUNNING OVER, AND POURED INTO YOUR LAP. THE AMOUNT YOU GIVE WILL DETERMINE THE AMOUNT YOU GET BACK"" (Luke 6:38 NLT).
No one can bribe God! (Acts 8:18-22). Giving is a biblical principle, like other principles that govern the world. There are natural principles, laws of nature, which If you decided to go against, you might have a dirge to sing.
The principle of Giving, sowing and reaping, is meant that you give what you have as a seed and expect it to germinate, and produce the fruits to be harvested (Genesis 8:22).
The Kingdom principle to get your needs met is, God what would You want me to Give or Sow that I may have my needs met? (Luke 6:38).
• You have a function in the body of Christ. Truly, some have the Gift of Giving as a motivational gift (Romans 12:8). However, every believer must be a Giver.
The major key to material or financial prosperity in the Kingdom is Giving.
The thought of prospering financially or materially without a genuine commitment to Giving could be a mirage or an illusion—hope or wish that cannot be a reality.
If you see someone who claims to be a believer in Christ Jesus, thriving and prospering in what he or she does, and such is not committed to Kingdom investments, Givings; the source of such a person's wealth or prosperity could not have been of God.
Because the pattern through which the person is being blessed, as a believer in Christ Jesus, does not agree with the Bible—is not consistent with the Word of God. And no experience can negate the Word of God!
• Note: there are Teachings against the biblical principle of Giving, financial success, and this subject is being criticized now across the social media platforms.
SINCE this piece is not taught that we might collect money from you, I want you to meditate or ponder on it before you discard it.
WHATEVER you are giving, I want to encourage you to do it in your local church or to the ministry you had been blessed through.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
An end comes to that sickness in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. And the affliction will never rise again in Jesus' name.
Peace!
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!