Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Don't eat your seed

Scripture speaks about the tithe and the offering as being a seed. When we bring our tithes and offerings into the house of the Lord we are planting a seed into the soil of that house. What we sow we will reap. We receive financial and spiritual blessings when we sow our finances into what the Lord is doing.

I know one couple who tithed from their wedding gifts. They had a rather large wedding and received about $30,000 in cash gifts. After prayerfully considering where to tithe that money they sowed it into a well known prophet who had blessed them through her books. About six years later they were then introduced to that same prophet; they now consider her a spiritual mother and covering for them and their ministry. I firmly believe that some of those doors were opened because they chose to sow into that soil. I also believe that their ministry had doors opened because of the blessing of that seed.

What do you desire to do in your ministry? Do you desire to move in signs and wonders? Then sow into ministers who move in signs and wonders. Are you desirous of an evangelistic anointing? Then sow into evangelists. Those who receive a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the prophet's reward.

We must also sow into what we see the hand of the Lord upon. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and His descendants walk in that blessing to this day because of that offering (Hebrews 7:1-10). Our sowing unlocks blessing for future generations. We don't want to sow into dead soil. We must sow into ministries that are advancing the Kingdom & moving in the ways that God has called them.

Tithing must be done with our first fruits. When a farmer would harvest their crop they would first set aside a portion as seed for the next year. They would not eat that seed no matter what. Sometimes a farmer would have a small crop and their entire harvest would be set aside as seed for the next year. In the same way we must treat our first ten percent as sacred and set apart for the Lord. The Lord can do more with our ninety percent than we can do with our hundred percent. If we honor the Lord with our tithes and our first fruits then He will always provide. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Malachi 3:10)

The question is what do we have our faith in? I have never heard a story of someone who walked in righteousness, tithed faithfully, and did not experience the Lord's provision. It's easy to tithe out of our abundance- it's a lot harder when we receive our paycheck and it isn't even enough to cover all of our bills. Don't rob God. I have learned this in the past year. I have always honored the Lord with my tithe- even when I didn't know how I would have gas or food for the week. And the Lord has always come through in amazing ways. It is incredible how He can stretch our money or bring in income from unexpected sources.

Ask the Lord to give you the faith and the encouragement to tithe. Ask Him for guidance in which ministries to sow into. Ask Him to enable you to bring in not just the full tithe but an offering as well that is above and beyond. As you do this you will see even greater things released into your life. I speak blessing and multiplication over you, your family, your finances, your career, businesses, and every area of your life as you walk in the blessing of Abraham.

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