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Love Must Be In Your Giving

Many have taught for years that if you sow a financial seed into a ministry, you will reap a harvest from that seed. This is from the popular scripture in 2 Corinthians 9:6: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Many ministries have used this passage in receiving an offering whether in person, or via direct mail, television, radio or some other form of media. However, I have seen a whole new insight to this concept.

If I was to sow a seed in another man’s field, like we do when we give to a ministry, who reaps the harvest? Do I go into this man’s field when the seed has been transformed into precious fruit and take the produce? Of course not! If I sow into another man’s field (a ministry), then the ministry reaps the harvest. In the spiritual sense, the harvest should be souls being saved, healed and taught God’s word. I don’t harvest that seed whatsoever. It is the ministry’s seed and so is the harvest— Just like if I sowed into another farmer’s field, that farmer would benefit, not me.

The benefit to me comes from Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38, “Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

My friend, Jim Richards, points out that this scripture refers to judging people, not money. (Look at the preceding passage…”judge not and you will not be judged.”) However, this is a principle of God’s kingdom.

So my point is this: there must be love in your giving. Why? Because the one to whom you give will reap the benefit. If we sow in love, then we are so happy to see someone else receive the fruit of our gift. We will be pleased beyond measure because of the love we have for the recipient of the fruit! Certainly, we will receive eternal benefit from the good the ministry does with our seed.

Love, not money, is the currency of God’s Kingdom. Money is worthless to God; albeit, He provides it to us for our subsistence.

When our Heavenly Father sees our heart is full of love when we give, THEN He knows we have really given something. Therefore, what do “men give unto our bosom” when we give….LOVE. We receive a reciprocal blessing of love from men, pressed down, shaken together and running over; men will give love unto our bosom! WOW, now we are talking BENEFIT.

Of course, our Father has promised to meet our material needs, but when we have love in abundance “in our bosom” this means relationship equity. When this happens, we are truly rich.

“heart” graphic from Creativity103.com

RSS Feed facebook digg this Monday, September 8 2008 in Podcasts | 0 Comment(s)

II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” I want to help you turn your heart toward Him. In John 4, it tells of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman about true worshipers. Worship means to turn to, or bow, or kiss.

Listen below or download the file here.

Click here to download "Turn Your Heart Toward God".

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Listen below or download the file here.

Click here to download "Communing with the Father".

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Ben helping people come into the presence of God through worship at Cottonwood Church where Bayless Conley is pastor in Los Alamitos, CA

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John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Al things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (This includes you and me).

In Him was Life and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend it.”

Jesus also confirmed this in John 10:10 “I am the way the truth and the life…no man comes to the Father except through me.”

The ONLY thing that we can draw life from is our relationship with Christ. Many people try to “suck” life out of material possessions, status, money, position, friends, and even spouses children. This not only leaves us unfulfilled, it negatively affects our relationship with these people.

I am encouraging you to go to the Father, through His Son Jesus, and draw from the well of life which never runs dry. He is waiting for you, ready to fill you with strength, health, peace, joy, but most importantly, the revelation of His Son Jesus…from this source flows everything you could ever need to be fulfilled in this life, and for eternity.

And from this source, you will find the light to guide you.

What do you think? Have you tapped into the source of life?