ACT OF GIVING 6 Chapter Five: Who Do You Give To?

G.o.d: You give to G.o.d through your offerings and t.i.thes. Never see anything you give to G.o.d as a donation, because G.o.d is the creator of everything in existence, He owns the universe and He is not in need. He can freely take from what He has created and even create more. He had asked us to pay our t.i.the and offering not because He needs our money but because He wants to give us opportunity to be blessed.

Your offering is what you give as a gift or contribution to something for a worthy cause. We give back to G.o.d out of what He has given us.

Your t.i.the is the one-tenth or ten percent of every of your income. It belongs to G.o.d, you don't touch that. t.i.thes are given to meet the needs of those working in the house of G.o.d. G.o.d said in Malachi 3:8-11;

"Will man rob G.o.d? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How are we robbing thee?' In your t.i.thes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full t.i.thes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil and your vine on the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts."

If you don't pay your t.i.the, it is counted as robbery to G.o.d and it attracts a curse. Before, when I was younger I had the mentality that when you pay your t.i.the it is a waste, that you are just giving your money that is not even enough for you to some men of G.o.d in the church who have much, little did I know that I was cutting short my blessing. Paying your t.i.the regularly brings about open heaven to your resources and harvest. He said he will rebuke devourers for your sake. If you don't pay your t.i.thes regularly, devourers like sickness, thieves, debts, disasters, accidents, and many more that will waste away your money will always come.

When I started paying my t.i.the, I started receiving divine favour from G.o.d and from people I least expected. I hardly misplace money and I spent less than when I didn't pay my t.i.the. Things I needed to pay for or buy was given to me freely. I was spending grace and not money. My life became smooth and sweet. When you pay your t.i.the the windows of heavens will be opened to you, you don't have to struggle to make money or to survive; good things will always come to you easily. When you give to man you are saving, when you give to G.o.d you are investing because it will always come back to you in multiple folds.

"Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." - Prov.3:9-10

Seven Prophetic Blessings of Paying Your t.i.the according to Malachi 3: 10 – 12 are;

• G.o.d will open the windows of heaven for you.

• G.o.d will pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

• G.o.d will rebuke the devourer for you.

• The devourer will not destroy the fruit of your labour.

• Your vine in the field shall not fail to bear.

• All nations will call you blessed.

• You will be a land of delight.

The Needy: You can also give to those who are in need, who are less privilege than you like the widows, the orphans, the fatherless and the poor. You ought to have compa.s.sion on the poor and needy to give to them. The poor and needy don't have anything to pay you back when you give to them, but it is G.o.d that rewards you. You lend to G.o.d when you give to the poor.

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deeds." - Prov.19:17

Giving activate spiritual blessing. He who gives to the poor will never lack.

"He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many curses." - Prov.28:17

G.o.d has blessed you to become a blessing to your nation. Anyhow or any way you can help someone in need in your society, do it with a joyful heart.

I feel pain in my heart whenever I see people in need around me, so I am always willing to give and help them. Anytime I don't have what to give I feel a burden in my heart and pray to G.o.d to provide for them and provide me with what to give to them. When G.o.d sees that your heart is moved towards helping his people, he will then use you as a channel to help and bless them.

"If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does G.o.d's love abide in him?" - 1 John 3:17

G.o.d loves you and expect you to express His love to everyone. When you allow yourself to be used by G.o.d to bless others, you will become G.o.d's amba.s.sador on earth and people will see G.o.d's love and glory through you. You will be blessed for being a source of blessing to people.

"Blessed is he who considers the poor, the Lord delivers him in the day of trouble;

The Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the Lord; thou dost not give him up to the will of his enemies.

The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness thou healest all his infirmities." - Psalm 41:1-2

Prophets and Men of G.o.d: Prophets and men of G.o.d are G.o.d's servants that he has placed over you to help you grow spiritually. They are to be honored with what you have. You honor them by giving to them, and he who gives to the Prophet receives the Prophet's reward. To honor someone is to highly value them and bestow value upon them. You have to give something valuable to your Pastor or Prophet. These men intercede for you and teach or reveal to you the secret of the kingdom that will bless you and make you prosper.

"Surely the Lord G.o.d does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the Prophets." - Amos 3:7

They are amba.s.sadors or representatives of G.o.d in your life. They reveal the will of G.o.d to you and they must be honored as well.

"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching." - I Timothy 5:17

Anytime your pastor or prophet minister to you and you are blessed, you should be grateful and look for how to honor them with what you have in appreciation of what G.o.d has used them to do in your life. When you honor a man of G.o.d, his heart becomes glad to pray and bless you more.

"But we beseech you, brethren, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work." - I Thess.5:12

Do you really love your Pastor, Prophet or Men of G.o.d that G.o.d has placed over you to preach, teach and admonish you in the word of G.o.d? If you do, giving to them is a way of showing and expressing your love to them.

Kingdom advancement (The Gospel): You can give to advance the kingdom of G.o.d, give to ministries, missionaries and churches to help propagate the gospel to the lost souls. How much do you love the lost souls? G.o.d loves us so much and want us to share his love out to the lost souls. We are called to go into the world to preach the gospel to the w

hole creation (Mark 16:15).

"All this is from G.o.d, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ G.o.d was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespa.s.ses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." - II Cor.5:18-19

G.o.d has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. You are saved to save others. You can give to support the ministry and kingdom advancement. Jesus loves sinners; that is why he came to die for them and redeem them. How much you love sinners will determine how much you can give to propagate the gospel to win them. Jesus said in Mark 10:29,

"Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time"

Jesus showed his love for us by giving his life so that we can give our life for other brethren.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:15

Sacrificial giving is an accelerator of divine blessing. Love is sacrificial in nature and in manifestation. The platform upon which sacrifice stands is the love of G.o.d. If you have the love of G.o.d in you, you will sacrifice to win the lost souls into His kingdom. It will take your money, time and energy.

Parent: You can give to your parent; your father, mother or guardian. They are the ones G.o.d has given to you to take care of you and train you to become successful. You are commanded by G.o.d to honor your parent.

"Honour your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your G.o.d gives you." - Exo.20:12

It is the first commandment with a promise. When you honor your parents, you highly value them and bestow value upon them. What value do you place on your parents and those whom G.o.d has placed to guide you through life? You can honor your parents by giving them gifts and presents to make them happy. You care for them and render service to them to make their heart glad. It is not only money you can give to them, you can give them your time, be with them and spend some quality time with them.

There is always blessing attached to honoring your parent. They are,

• Divine blessing: this is G.o.d's blessing attached to honoring your parents

• Parental blessing: this is the heartfelt blessing your parent releases on you by honoring them.

To be successful and be fulfilled in life you need these two blessings. No matter how high you go in life you are still subjected to your parents and you are to honor them. Do not wait until you are very rich before you start to honor and give to your parents. Start with the little you have, buy them clothes, shoes, food stuffs and many other things you know they love.

Household of Faith: These are your fellow brethren in the Lord. You are to show love to one another and encourage one another in the faith. When you love one another it builds unity among you and the church of Christ is strengthened.

"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." - Gal.6:10

You are to give to your fellow brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:29)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13: 34–35

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality." - Rom. 12:9–13

Enemies: Jesus Christ also commanded us to love our enemies, these are those who are not your friends and who seek evil intention towards you and try to hurt you.

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." - Rom.12:14

Jesus said in Luke 6:27-30,"But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your s.h.i.+rt. Give to everyone that begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again."

You are not to revenge any evil done to you; you overcome evil with good and allow G.o.d to take your vengeance. Doing good is for your own good, revenging or paying evil for evil will not be of any good to you because evil will not depart from those who do evil.

"If a man returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house." - Prov.17:13

"Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is n.o.ble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of G.o.d; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his heap." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Rom.12:17–21

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return and your rewards will be great and you will be sons of the most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your father is merciful." - Luke 6:35-36