Building People. Spreading Hope.

Showing posts with label Finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finances. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Sow a Seed and Reap a Harvest

God created us to be fruitful, multiply, increase, and impact the world. When God created you, He put everything you need to fulfill your destiny. He wants you to reign as king through Jesus Christ. However, if you want more in life then you must sow a seed to reap a harvest. 

It is our Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. You are not going to break heaven’s bank by expecting more from God. If you desire more influence, increase, joy, and abundance, then you must first plant a seed for that harvest. Jesus said, “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:2 NKJV). 

Like you, I make it a point to give tithes and offerings. Earlier this year, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to tithe not from my present revenue but from my expected income. Honestly, it was a stretch, but I decided to do it by faith. I sowed financial seed based on my anticipated return. The very next day, I received ten times more than what I had planted! I am not saying that we should give in order to receive, nor am I advocating that we will always receive an instant harvest. Nevertheless, the Bible teaches us that seeds have power to produce of their own kind. A seed can produce harvest that is thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. The Bible also says, The God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised” (Deuteronomy 1:11 NLT). 

The Scripture says, “You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7 NLT). The law of sowing and reaping is not limited only to finances; it works in every area of your life. Seed produces its own kind. So whatever you lack, sow a seed by faith. If you need healing in your body, pray for someone else to be healed. If you want more friends, become a friend. If you need encouragement, inspire someone. If you want more love, start loving the people God puts in your path—starting with your own family. 

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25). Generosity is always a response to faith and a reflection of our hearts. Victor Hugo in Les Misérables said, “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness.” 

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT). That is exactly what Jesus did for all of us. He loved us so much that He laid down His life so that all who believe in Him can inherit eternal life—that is millions and billions of us! 

The Kingdom of God is set up to meet your every need regardless of what goes on here on earth. You no longer have to bear the weight of your own provision. You do not have to be anxious or worried as you enter into this faith mentality. You have the legal right to access the benefits and blessings of the Kingdom. 

If you are sick, God wants you healed! If you are addicted, God wants to set you free. If you are broke, God wants to prosper you. If you feel hurt, God wants to comfort you. God promises to save your whole household. Your faith can bring heaven on earth. Put your faith to work! When you believe, and declare God’s Word over your situation, your faith goes to work. Dying on the cross, Jesus paid the price for everything you will ever need to thrive in life. 

1 Kings 17 tells the story of a widow and her young son in Zerephath. They were on the verge of starvation. When Elijah the prophet shows up, he asks her to prepare a meal for him. It was an outrageous demand. But God never asks us to do something without blessing us in return. He does not need our stuff. He is after our hearts. Elijah made the widow an interesting promise—if she serves him first, her supply of flour and oil would never run out. The woman did as she was asked and she witnessed a miracle of abundance. She and her household ate for many days to come because the jar of flour was not spent, nor did the jug of oil go empty. 

I believe that God wants us to enlarge our capacity to receive so that we can become a blessing to the world. Since you are connected to the Source, your supply will never run out. Enlarge your measure of giving. Sow seeds of love, kindness, time, resources, and friendship. Volunteer at your church, school, or another organization. Reach out to the elderly. Invite people to your home and be hospitable. If we give a spoonful, we will receive a spoonful. If we give a bucket, we will get the same in return. If we give from a place of in abundance, we will receive an overflow. Whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you—many times over!

“Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity” (Luke 6:38 MSG). 

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Building People. Spreading Hope.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Living in the Overflow

We are living in a challenging time. People are losing hope and feeling discouraged. However, God’s plan for our lives is to live in the overflow. The overflow is a display of His power and love for us to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ask or think.

Get ready because the overflow is coming. You will experience an excess of wisdom, favor, relationships, talents, promotion, and resources. Whatever the circumstances, God's plan is to bring you to a place of plenty. He wants you to have an abundance of peace, joy, and resources. Here is the key: He wants you to overflow with His blessings so that you can be a blessing to the world.

Sam was born in 1918 to parents who were farmers. The family was poor and witnessed the Great Depression. The young boy did many chores to help his parents make ends meet. He milked their cow, bottled up the surplus, and delivered the fresh milk to customers. Sam also delivered newspapers and sold magazine subscriptions to make ends meet. After completing high school, he attended college but worked various jobs during that time, including waiting tables in exchange for meals. After graduation, Sam joined the US Army during World War II. When he returned, he managed a variety store at the age of 26. He took a loan in order to buy his first store and developed crucial business concepts that would later become the key to his success. His store offered lower prices and better-stocked shelves than any of his competitors. Soon he opened a second store. Within three years, his sales volume grew to $225,000. Sam went through much trial and testing, before he opened the first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. Forbes named Sam Walton the richest man in America from 1982 to 1988. In 1992, at the time of his death, he owned 1,960 Wal-Mart stores and employed 380,000 people, generating $50 billion in annual revenue. He served as an elder and Sunday school teacher at his local church. He also generously supported various charitable causes.

When you honor God, He will repay you for your faithfulness. Like with Sam, God has already designed overflow with you in mind. He has lined up the right people, promotions, good breaks, increase, influence, and favor for you. God is going to cause you to stand out, break barriers, and go further than anyone in your family.

You may feel down today. Perhaps you lost your job without savings in hand. God is still on the throne. Heaven’s economy knows no lack, struggle, or shortage. God has promised to meet all your needs according to His riches. You will overflow to the point of bursting at the seams and spilling over. God wants to make you an example of His goodness. Because the goodness of God leads people to repentance.

The Scripture tells us that Isaac, Abraham’s son, lived in a foreign country that was going through a famine. God told him, “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. Through your descendants all the nations of the world will be blessed.” Despite the famine, Isaac planted crops, and in the same year, reaped a hundredfold because God blessed him. It sounds like the time we are living in, does it not? Many of us are going through challenges and trying to make ends meet. Let me encourage you that if you stay in faith, praise God in the storm, and thank Him in advance, you will see miraculous provisions. Do not worry about how the economy, Wall Street, or the job market are doing. Remember that God is your source and knows exactly how to bless you! Since the beginning of the year, I called 2020 a blockbuster year for those who believe. I believe that it will be even more miraculous despite the current situation because God will get all the glory! The Bible tells us that Isaac became rich and his wealth continued to grow. The Philistines envied him because of all the flocks, herds, and servants that he had. When you honor God, His blessings will chase you down. You do not have to look for the blessing, the blessing will find you.

During the current stay-at-home order, a friend and ministry partner of mine lost his job. Since last year, his place of employment had been cutting corners. His salary was cut in half. Remarkably, my friend did not panic; instead, he prayed and thanked God for provision and a new job opportunity. Just two days later, on a Thursday, he received a call for an interview the next day. He had an interview that Friday and was hired on the spot. Now his salary is now twice as much as it was before. In addition, he can buy stocks in a publicly traded company.

Friend, God knows how to take you from barely making it to a place of overflow. He wants to give you an abundance of peace, joy, health, and resources. His heart is to bless you so that you can become a blessing to the whole world. Let us declare this confession of faith out loud with me: “My God will supply all my needs. I am living in the overflow. I have a surplus of everything good in my life. I have more than enough. I am furnished in abundance. My storehouses are full and overflowing. My cup is running over. I am overflowing with God’s favor. I will lend and not borrow. I am blessed to be a blessing.”

“May every one of you overflow with the grace and favor of our LORD Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:23 (TPT).  
 
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