Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

Introduction: This week we will be looking at understanding whether our prosperity is tied to our giving and giving alone or perhaps there is more to it? There is a misconception that receiving financial abundance is totally and exclusively tied to one thing—giving… Giving is good and we have been taught/brought up to give as little or as much as comes to our hands, right? We are taught to give so that we can receive right? Or receive so we can give! So of course giving is important. However, it is NOT the only key to prosperity.

SEVEN REASONS WHY GENEROSITY LEADS TO PROSPERITY:

1. To expand your horizon and increase your opportunities, you must be a giver.

Proverbs 11:24 (Message): “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” 

2. You must know a generous giver is blessed in everything they do.

Deuteronomy 15:10 (NLT): “Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.” 

3. One way for a fresh wind to blow in your finances.

Proverbs 11:25 (NLT): “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

4. Generosity guarantees that your needs will be met. . .and that you will have enough left over to bless others.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT): “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Notice this verse says “. . .you will always have” it doesn’t say you might have, you could have, you should have. . .no it says “YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED AND PLENTY LEFT OVER. . .”

5. Your generosity always provides immediate benefits with a guaranteed return.

Generosity not only gives you a guaranteed future . . . it provides immediate returns on your investments. Ecclesiastes 11:1 (Message): “Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.”

6. When everyone else is getting bad news from their employer, the news media or the world, those who are generous are getting good news.

Psalm 112:5 (NLT): “Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.” 

7. When you give even in troubled times . . . when you do the right thing and bless others, you will even get a bonus. Ruth 2:11 in the Message Bible says:

“Boaz answered her, "I've heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. God reward you well for what you've done—and with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you've come seeking protection under his wings." 

So yes based on the above it may seem giving is in some way tied to prosperity however there are other ways to also prosper such as:

•      Getting Wisdom and Understanding

Proverbs 19:8 (Amplified Bible):“He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good.”

We hear this often enough “get wisdom, get understanding” but what or how really does that work? Well one way to gain wisdom and understanding is removing yourself from associating with negative people, distance yourself from people who don’t care to find direction or their purpose. But rather put yourself in the company of people who have a hunger, a thirst and a passion for wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.”

Notice how the Scripture doesn’t say that Satan would destroy you but rather lack of knowledge destroys people.  Satan just helps people enjoy staying ignorant.

Knowledge gives us access to right information which in turn will not only promote, motivate but also give us confidence. Remember what we earnestly desire will be drawn to us . . . and that puts us on the right road to prosperity.

•        Listening to and taking instruction

Proverbs 16:20 (NIV): “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

Remember it takes more than listening however. You must be a doer of the Word as well. Act on what you hear.

•         Hard Work

Proverbs 13:4 (NLT): “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”

NKJV says the soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing…… It’s not enough to just desire something and not work at getting it. Desire is a step towards something but desiring alone gets us nothing. Desire with hard work however produce prosperity. When you work hard, God’s law demands that you receive your reward.

•       Doing what is right

The key to doing right things is speaking right things. What we think about we speak about which then bring about our thought.  That’s the progression to have right things which will cause us to prosper. Make speaking the right thing a habit.

Psalm 81:10 (NLT): “For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”

•      Not worrying about the prosperity of others

Psalm 37:7 “Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.”

Any time you spend questioning God or talking with others about why the ungodly prosper is time where the enemy has diverted your focus from what God wants to do for you to what’s happening to others around you.

CONCLUSION

You see, the Bible does not just speak about God prospering us. The Bible also speaks of us making our own way prosperous. That's why we should not only teach the spiritual aspect of prosperity but also encourage each other to identify their skills and interests and to seek God as to how He might be leading us vocationally.

We need to get the best education we can possibly get and gain a broad range of knowledge about the world we live in. It's true that we should trust in God as our source rather than placing all our confidence in a job or the economy. But that doesn't mean that financial prosperity is totally unrelated to a person's occupation.

Parts of this study was culled from “The Midas Touch” by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Isekhua Evborkhai

INTRODUCTION

So far in our study we have continued to stress the importance of providing a proper balance on important Christian truths. We have seen how easily people can emphasize a particular idea or concept so much that they carry it to an extreme. Their attitudes erroneously hinged on the assumption that if a little bit of something is good, then a whole lot must be better.  What usually happens is to handle this extremity, another group rises to correct the overemphasis. Unfortunately, often their "correction” heads off to the opposite extreme—because "too much" of this idea is so offensive, let's get rid of it altogether. You might say they tended to "throw the baby out with the bath water."

The result of these extremes is that a great gulf is created between the two extreme positions, and often misunderstandings and animosity arise. People in both camps get so caught up in the conflict that they forget the original motivation of both sides, which was to do good and bless people. And in their overzealousness, both sides often lose sight of the original truth!

We have referred to handling balance in our studies so far by calling the basic truth—the biblical position—the middle of the road, and the extreme applications as the ditches on either side of the road. For some reason, it seems like the hardest thing in the world for the Body of Christ to stay balanced on a subject.

Take note that it is not just bad people who get into a ditch. Good people—sincere, well-meaning Christian believers whose zealousness for the truth is commendable can allow their zeal to exceed their wisdom. I believe that even some of the Christian leaders whose failures made national headlines in past years did not intentionally set out to hurt anyone or to fall into error. They went out on tangents and got away from the main purpose and central truth of the Gospel. Once off track, it was all too easy to go downhill in a hurry.

THE MONEY BALANCE

Bearing the above in mind, let's now discuss the issue of balance when it comes to money. Ecclesiastes 10:19 says:

“A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10 says

“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

In considering money balance, people tend to end up in one of three positions:

CONCLUSION

Proverbs tell us two simple truths that can change the way we think about money.

Firstly, Proverbs 17:16 says:

"Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?"

Proverbs 19:10a says:

“It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury…"

So, more money is not the solution, but wisdom and a principled life is!

Proverbs 11:4 [MSG] says:

“A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst.”

The appropriate money balance the church needs is one that prioritizes wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 says:

“Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.”

Parts of this study was culled from The Midas Touch by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction: The message on the transfer of wealth from the sinner to the church is not new. It’s been around (and is still is) for quite a while and has become one of the popular theme in the prosperity gospel messages. Will there really be an end-time wealth transfer? This is what we will be looking at from the perspective of the scriptures.

1. AN IN-DEPTH PEEK INTO PROVERBS 13:22

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.”

• The happiness of men depends less on their external conditions than on their personal virtues.
  “A good man is satisfied from himself.” The effects of a man’s habits are transmitted to his children, and even to their descendants. They derive from his character a sufficient and a permanent inheritance.
• The instruction of a good man is an inheritance to his children. The habits which a young man acquires under his father’s eye are the foundations of his character. Even talents are subordinate to virtues, and good affections are of more importance in human life than the most splendid ornaments of an unprincipled mind. He who adds to good paternal character the principles of liberal knowledge and the views of a liberal mind sends his children into the world with those precious endowments without which the wealth of the rich serves only to render them more conspicuously contemptible or unhappy. 
• The example of a good man is an inheritance to his children. The character of a father lies at the foundation of his influence, and the effect of his paternal solicitude depends on it. His habits are his most successful admonitions.
• The care and protection of providence are an inheritance to a good man’s children. A good man will use his best endeavor to qualify his children for the business and duties of life; but his chief dependence is on Providence. He commits his children to God. His paternal labors are sanctified by prayer. It is an ever-working law that God “shows mercy unto thousands of them that love Him,” and to their children after them. 
• The kindness of faithful men is an inheritance to a good man’s children. Their success in life must in part depend on the assistance and the friendship of other men, and the purposes of Providence in their favour are accomplished by means of those whom God raises up to assist, or to guide them. God selects the instruments of His purpose from all the variety of human characters. Kindness done to the child of a good man may become the means of transmitting virtue and prosperity through successive generations. 

2. IS THERE ANY BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR END-TIME WEALTH TRANSFER?

• First consider the similarity between Proverbs 13:22 and how Jesus approaches the concept of giving in Matthew 6:19-21. Jesus says, “lay up treasure for yourselves in heaven.” When we give we are storing up riches in heaven. The wicked on the other hand are not setting aside for eternity and that is the contrast we should draw. In Luke 12:16-22 Jesus shares a parable that conveys this same idea. Those who are laying up treasure in heaven will benefit in the end. Those who are not will see all they have done pass out of their hands.
• The teaching on wealth transfer rises from a fundamental flaw that argues that ALL Christians should be rich. It fails to take several other factors into consideration. First wealth is relative. Bill Gates is wealthy to most people, but to a Haitian who makes about $90 per year an average earner in any developed world is a Bill Gates. Second it fails to consider that only in America and other developed countries can the wealth we enjoy even be contemplated. The average daily wage on planet earth is $2.
• Also, there is no scriptural support for this teaching in the New Testament especially as it relates to what we are supposed to be actively believing God for. We should also be weary of building a doctrine or basic belief on a single scripture (Matthew 18:16)
• As the Church does its job and gets people born again, there will be more people giving their tithes and offerings for the work of the Lord. But we need to be careful about coveting the world's money. We shouldn't be so concerned about getting sinners' money transferred into our hands. Our concern should be getting their hearts transferred into the Kingdom. We should be focused on their receiving what we have (eternal life), not on our receiving what they have (material goods). Paul said to the Corinthians, "I seek not yours, but you" (2Cor. 12:14). As a minister, he was not focused on their money, but on their souls.
• The Apostle John said the following about some ministers who traveled with the Gospel:

“because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.”

[3 John 7]

Other translations of this verse emphasize the point:

"... accepting nothing from the heathen" (Goodspeed)

". . . taking nothing from the people of the world" (Beck)

".. . and declined to take anything from pagans" (Moffatt)

"... and they accept no help from non-Christians" (Phillips)

Our job is not to try to get the wealth of the world. Our job is to faithfully use the wealth we already have through faithful giving to the cause of the gospel) to get the Gospel out.  Statistics indicate that twenty percent of church members provide eighty percent of church revenue and that the average American Christian gives only six percent of his income to the Lord's work. Imagine where we would be if those percentages were where they ought to be!

Conclusion:

The Bible does teach that when the Church returns with Jesus after the Tribulation and He sets up His Millennial Kingdom on earth, we will be inheriting all of the wealth of the sinners at that time. There is nowhere in the New Testament where we are supposed to be focused on getting their money now. Instead, we should be concentrating on seeking the hearts of the unsaved and faithfully using the finances we already have.

Part of this teaching was taken from “THE MIDAS TOUCH” by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION:

Last week, we looked at receiving to give as a twist to the norm of giving to receive that we are usually used to. We learnt that God gives us much so that we can give away much! (2 Cor.9:11a) and that we receive because we need to give. We don’t give because we want to receive!

This week we will continue to look at giving; and this time, more specifically giving to the poor/needy.

1. THOSE IN NEED - JESUS IN DISGUISE 

Mathews 25:34-40 says:

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Notice here that Jesus said He was represented by the poor!

Also, in First Corinthians 10:31, the Apostle Paul wrote,

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

So, when you give to the poor, do it as unto the Lord. Goodwill bless that. When you tithe and give offerings to your church, do it as unto the Lord. God will bless that. When you give an offering personally to a minister or to anyone else, do it as unto the Lord. God will bless that.

2. THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT GOD HAS HUGE CONCERN FOR THE POOR 

The Bible is filled with verses clearly showing that God loves the poor and is offended when His children neglect them. See Proverbs 17:5; 19:17; 22:2, 9, 16, 22–23; 28:8; 29:7; 31:8–9

God's Word gives us insight into His heart for the poor and instructions on how we are to care for them. If we truly have faith in God, we must also share His concern for the poor.

3. BE IMITATORS OF CHRIST – DEALING WITH SELFISHNESS

Think about it. We have money to buy our favourite sweets, to go to movies, to spend on things, but when it comes to someone other than ourselves it becomes a problem. When it comes to others, selfishness kicks in. We are told to be imitators of Christ. Was Christ thinking only about Himself when He died on the cross?

If you were in need wouldn’t you want someone to help you? Instead of judging, ask yourself that question whenever you see the needy.

4. BENEFITS THE LORD’S PROMISE FOR CONSIDERING THE POOR 

Psalm 41:1-3 (KJV) says:

“Blessed is he that considereth the poor: The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

1. Deliverance from trouble: You will be delivered from troubles of all sorts. It could be something such as avoiding a car accident or delivered from some form of addiction. Or you could be delivered of troubles or problem before they even get to you.
2. Divine Preservation: The Lord Himself will protect you and keep you in good condition of health. Renewing your youth like the eagle. Yes, getting older is inevitable, but "ageing" isn't. Now, that is better than any product on the market to slow down ageing as you grow older.
3. Kept Alive: God has every reason to keep you alive if you continue to glorify Him in and with every facet of your life. But more especially when you consider the poor.
4. Blessings Here on Earth: Apart from the rewards and blessings in heaven, the Lord guarantees us blessings here on earth; giving us the good of the land.
5. Deliverance from Enemies: God will not allow you fall into the hands of your enemies; known and unknown but rather, He will rescue you from them.
6. Sustenance and restoration in times of Sickness: God himself will nurse you in sickness and restore you back to health.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, in all our giving; whether in church or outside the church; we don't have to respond to some sensationalized, goose-bump-raising offering or appeal to give productively and effectively into the Body of Christ or any other cause for that matter! Paul instructed us to give as we purpose in our hearts.

Sure, there may be occasions when we are led by the Spirit of God to support an individual or cause. We should obey the Spirit of God. But most of the time, we should be systematic in our giving.

We should support our local churches on purpose with our tithes. We should find ministries that are producing good results and purpose to sow faithfully into those ministries as well as support those we know who are less privileged.

Any giving may be profitable to the giver, and any giving may as well be unprofitable to the giver. What counts is that the giver does it as unto the Lord.

Parts of this study was culled from The Midas Touch by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION: In last week’s study, we looked at First fruits; the origin of this practice in the old testament and its application in the new testament for present day believers. We learnt that the First fruit offering is a recognition of God as our source. It illustrates giving to God from a grateful heart, and it sets a pattern of giving back to Him the first (and the best) of what He has given us. Finally, we acknowledged that not being under the Old Testament Law, the Christian is under no further obligation than to give cheerfully and liberally as we see in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. In Today’s study, we shall be considering an interesting twist to giving . . . Receive and Give.

GOD’S ULTIMATE EXPECTATION

The reality here is that it is a cycle of giving. God is a just God, so He will not ask you to give what you don’t have. So, He gives us; as we see in 2 Cor.9:10-11a (NLT)

“10 For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest. 11 Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help.”

Emphasis on Verse 11a - God will give you much so that you can give away much!

In Genesis 12:2; when God was assuring Abraham of the blessings ahead of him, He spelt out the purpose when He said: "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. The CEV says: “I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.”

In other words, the reason you are receiving from me is so that you will give to others!

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING

One of the most interesting passages in the Old Testament describes how the Israelites who had been carried captive into Babylon finally were allowed to return home to Jerusalem. They gathered together inside the walls, Ezra the priest read to them from the Law of Moses, and the Levites explained it to them.

Let's read the account in Nehemiah chapter 8.

So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read. 9Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.” 12Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.

Notice what happened. After the people heard the Word of God, Nehemiah told them to celebrate with joy. They ate. They drank. They shared with those who had nothing. Because they understood the words that have been made known to them!

In the New Testament, Jesus shared this same understanding with His disciples in Matt. 10:8 "... freely ye have received, freely give".

This is the biblical pattern. This is what Christianity is all about. You receive, and then you give. We are channels/conduits of God’s blessings to the world!

We receive because we need to give. We don’t give because we want to receive!

THE BENEFITS

Once we have received, God expects us to give to others. And once we do, Luke 6:38 becomes real to us

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

There are many other promises of the benefits of giving that also become real to us, but we should give cheerfully and generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 LB says:

“But remember this—if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.  Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes.”

Proverbs 11:24 (NIV) says:

“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

CONCLUSION

Giving money is a great way of showing our love to God and seeing how He uses us to bless others. This also helps in enhancing our relationship with Him because, it teaches us to find our security in God and to rely on Him for all our needs. As we give, our attitude is transformed. Rather than asking, “How much of my money should I give to God?” we ask, “How much of God’s money should I keep for myself?”

We must give with a glad and generous heart because the very act of letting go of money does something within us. It destroys the demon greed and allows generosity to grow.

“God does not prosper us for the purpose of raising our standard of living. 

He prospers us so that we can raise our standard of giving” - Harold Herring

Parts of this study was culled from “The Midas Touch” by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

INTRODUCTION:

In our last lesson, we considered if giving to the poor is a good investment. The word of God is very clear about the consequences of neglecting the poor in Prov.21:13 “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered”. God’s blessing is also attached to helping the poor in

Prov. 19:17: “He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed.”

We also must not make the mistake of thinking giving to the poor brings less blessing unlike giving to the work of the ministry. Every God instructed giving goes with specific blessing.

We shall be studying about firstfruit today. The origin of this practice in the old testament and it application in the new testament for present day believers.

1. FirstFruit in the old testament; Exo. 23:19a, Lev.23:9-14

“The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.”

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a [b]sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. 14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”

Firstfruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. Firstfruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision. It was a divine instruction from God to Moses.

Every time we obey God’s instructions there are always blessings attached to obedience.

 Prov.3:9-10 “Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

God not wanting to appear to man as a Dictator, grants man the freewill to enjoy virtually endless benefits ONLY on the condition of total obedience, to the giver of these benefits -The Almighty GOD.

2. Conditions for the Firstfruit offering;

a) FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be taken to God’s house (Exodus 23:19; 34:26);

b) FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be delivered to the Priest of the Nation (Lev.23:10; Numbers 18:42) otherwise known as the High Priest as at then in Israel (Numbers 3:32);

c) FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING shall apply to all a man engages in for livelihood (Deuteronomy 18:4);

d) FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be accompanied with worship (Deuteronomy 26:10);

It must be offered once and during each cycle of harvest, which was yearly in biblical time (Nehemiah 10:35). It must however be noted that in situations of multiple planting seasons within one year,

e) FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING becomes due after each harvest exercise;

3. References to Firstfruit in the new Testament; Rom.16:5, 1 Cor.16:15

“Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.”

“I urge you, brethren you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints.”

Paul here, was writing to believers who understood the meaning and significance of the firstfruit offering according to the old testament law.

In the New Testament, the firstfruits offering is mentioned seven times, always symbolically. Paul calls Epaenetus and the household of Stephanas “the firstfruits of Achaia” (Rom. 16:5; 1 Corin. 16:15).

His meaning is that, just as the firstfruits offering was the first portion of a larger harvest, these individuals were the first of many converts in that region.

James calls believers “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (Jam. 1:18). Just like the sheaf of grain was set apart for the Lord, so are believers set apart for God’s glory.

The concept of firstfruits is not used in the New Testament in reference to financial giving.

1 Cor.15:20 refers to our resurrected Christ has firstfruits; “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

The final mention of firstfruits in the Bible is in Rev.14:4;

 “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were [c]redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”

This is referring to the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who will spread the Gospel during the Tribulation. They will have a special role in Heaven and are claimed by God and Jesus as special representatives of those who are saved.

However, just like there are no specific teachings on tithing in the new testament, but the reference of Jesus to it in Matt.23:23, believers who obey the practice of tithing will continue to harvest the benefits.

So also is the practice of firstfruits offering, When we honour the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase, the blessing attached will follow our obedience. Prov. 3:9-10;

 “Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Firstfruits can be our first income in the beginning of the year, the difference between our old and new income during a raise. It can also be a portion we are willing to honour God with during a windfall, sudden increase or multiplication.

Conclusion.

In summary, firstfruit offering is a recognition of God as our source. It illustrates giving to God from a grateful heart, and it sets a pattern of giving back to Him the first (and the best) of what He has given us. Not being under the Old Testament Law, the Christian is under no further obligation than to give cheerfully and liberally (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction: So, who is a poor person? “lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified” (Merriam-Webster).  Deficient or lacking in; Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society. (Oxford).

There is no doubt that poverty’s reach is both widespread and devastating. God’s people cannot be indifferent toward those in need, because His expectations for us in regard to taking care of the poor are woven throughout the entirety of Scripture. The first part of Proverbs 14:31 says, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker.” Proverbs is, in fact, filled with verses clearly showing that God loves the poor and is offended when His children neglect them. The consequences for ignoring the plight of the poor are also made clear in Proverbs Proverbs 21:13: “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered”. And note the strong language in Proverbs 28:27: “He who closes his eyes to [the poor] receives many curses.”.  

We will consider some strange teachings relating to giving to the poor and the examples that Jesus gave us in the scriptures.

1. Contrasting Teachings about Giving to the Poor

• Teaching that giving to an anointed personality will bring a greater blessing to the donor than giving o the poor or supporting the local church's ministry at the expense of the poor. These teachers imply that because they have a "special anointing" like Jesus, they have a gift—a Midas touch to multiply money back to the donor and impart great blessings.
• Some of these ministers actually suggest that there is not much blessing in giving to the poor by quoting Proverbs 19:17: “He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the Lord, And the Lord will repay him for his good deed.”
• Referring to the above scripture, some ministers allege that giving to the poor is not too good an investment. They say, "Giving five dollars to a poor person is a loan to God, and He will pay you back five dollars.” You get back just what you 'loaned' to God. But if you invest that five dollars in a ministry with a 'higher anointing,' you can expect a multiplied return."
• Jesus’s statement about always having the poor with you in John 12:8 has been mis-interpreted to mean that the poor aren't worth much, that they're a dime a dozen. This teaching is totally wrong and thoroughly unscriptural. Such suggestions are completely false interpretations of Proverbs19:7 and John 12:8.

2. Truth about Giving to the Poor

• The idea that "loaning" a dollar to God by giving it to the poor will only bring a repayment of a dollar is not consistent with other Bible examples. John 5 tells how Jesus "borrowed" Peter's boat. He got into the boat and asked "the big fisherman" to put out from the shore so He would have a platform to teach the crowd of people who had thronged about Him. Then Jesus repaid Peter for the loan of his boat.

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” [Luke 5:4-7 NIV]

• In the very next chapter of John's Gospel, we find the account of the feeding of the five thousand. You know the story: A little boy gave his lunch of five small barley loaves and two fish to Jesus, who multiplied them to feed the multitude of hungry people. When everyone had eaten, the disciples gathered up the leftovers—twelve baskets full! (see John 6:8-12.). It is believed that Jesus gave those twelve baskets of bread and fish to that little boy who had given his lunch to the poor, "loaning" it to God. Several people must have had to help him carry all that food back home. He was repaid for his loan with bountiful interest.
• People often quote just one verse of Scripture on a subject that seems to give a certain impression, but they ignore many others. You can't build a doctrine on any one scripture. The Bible says, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13:1).
• The New Testament is equally clear as to how we are to take care of the poor. One verse that nicely summarizes our expected charity is found in the first Epistle of John:

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth”

(1 John 3:17–18 ESV)

• God's Word gives us insight into His heart for the poor and instruction in how we are to care for them. If we truly have faith in Jesus, we must also share His concern for the poor. Jesus commanded us to love one another (John 13:34–35). And what better way to demonstrate the love and kindness and compassion of Jesus Christ than by reaching out to the “least of these” among us?

Conclusion:

The Bible has much to say about helping and ministering to the poor. Let's start with the verse some ministers misuse. In John 12:8, Jesus says, "You will always have the poor among you." What Jesus really meant is disclosed in the Old Testament verse He was quoting:

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be open-handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land" [Deut.15:11 NIV].

So what Jesus was really saying, in essence, was this: "There will always be poor people to help, and you should help them as much as you can. You'll always have opportunities to help the poor, but I'll only be here a very short time."

Part of this teaching was taken from “THE MIDAS TOUCH” by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In the past few weeks we have been looking at several lessons that will help us; as believers avoid abuses and false practices as it relates to Biblical prosperity that has become the order of the day these days. Last week, we looked at the true definition and practical application of the hundred-fold return Jesus referred to against erroneous teachings surrounding it. In today’s study we will be looking at another possible error to avoid in the guise of 'Debt-Breaking' or 'Money-Multiplying’ Anointing.

THE HONEST TRUTH

The truth remains that fundraising has become a fact of life—a necessary part of every effective Christian organization if it is to survive. Gordon Lindsay; one of the leading ministers of the Pentecostal movement and the healing revival in the twentieth century wrote the following: “[Money] is an important element in promoting Christian work. Its availability to a considerable extent governs the scope of our activities. It is, therefore, natural that a minister looks for ways and means by which he can secure necessary funds for the work that he feels called to do. But here lurks many pitfalls in which the unwary may stumble. The line between the permissible and the objectionable is sometimes very thin. Some men have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for missions, and their work is to be highly praised. Others have raised comparatively insignificant amounts, and the manner in which it was done or the way they used it, has called forth strong condemnation. If people are told that the money is to be used for a certain purpose, and it is spent largely for other things, then it is being raised under false pretenses. This is a sore point. Certainly, there are costs in raising missionary money. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't speak the truth.”

There has been claims in that past about some preacher who either claims—or is said by others—to be especially anointed to "break the power of debt" over people's lives or to be able to "multiply people's money back to them." In most cases, this “special anointing or ability” can only be activated by giving an offering to this minister or the organization he represents. There is however no scriptural backing to such claims. Unfortunately, it is simply a scheme to raise money for the preacher, and ultimately it can turn out to be dangerous and destructive for all involved. We need to be extremely careful about elevating certain ministers to higher-than-human status. Our focus should be on God rather than man.

THE EXPECTED RESPONSE

Certainly, money can be more productive for the Kingdom of God when it is sown into a productive ministry. And there are gifted ministers skilled at building confidence and motivating people. But Christians should be giving to help get the Gospel out and to do God's work, not to get some "highly anointed minister" to multiply their money back to them.

Acts 14:8-18 tells the story of when Paul and Barnabas ministered in the city of Lystra, and a lifelong cripple was raised up, leaping and walking. When the people of the city saw what had happened, they cried, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men." They called Barnabas Jupiter and called Paul Mercurius. The Bible says the priests of the city brought oxen and garlands to offer a sacrifice to them.

To restrain the people from worshipping them, Paul and Barnabas had to run among the people and testify that they were just men in the service of the Living God. It seems there is something about human nature that wants to elevate certain people to god-like status. But these days, you rarely see such actions; instead these so-called ministers allow the weak to elevate them and make them believe that if they put money into their hands the will somehow, magically, bring increase and multiplication of their finances. This can quickly degenerate into wrong motives or covetousness as many could be tempted to give, not just to bless God's work, but out of greed for the material gain they hope to get for their own selfish purposes.

THE PITFALL

A person who feels that he is in bondage to debt may give a hope against hope that the minister will help him get such a miraculous return from his offering that he can pay off his debts and get a fresh start.

Kenneth Hagin writes:

“I've heard of people with large credit-card debts or medical bills who had been told to expect "supernatural debt cancellation." Then, through a computer mistake or human error, they received a statement showing that they no longer owed anything or owed a substantially smaller amount. In some cases, a bank deposit was posted incorrectly, giving them credit for a larger amount that was enough to pay off an indebtedness. There is nothing "supernatural" about these kinds of events. Trying to take advantage of them will only lead to more trouble. If some kind of mistake is made in which a Christian is credited with money that he knows doesn't belong to him, he has a moral, ethical, and biblical obligation to rectify the matter.”

How many of us will do this today?

It's been said that as a young man, Abraham Lincoln worked as a clerk in a store. A woman came in one day and purchased some items. Lincoln added up her bill, and it came to two dollars and six and a quarter cent. She paid the bill, was entirely satisfied, and left. Later, Lincoln began to question his calculation. He refigured it and realized the bill should have been two dollars even. That night when he locked the store, he walked two to three miles to her home and paid her the six and a quarter cent.

The Bible says, "If you see your brother's ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it" (Deut.22:1-3 NIV).

SUPERNATURAL WEALTH TRANSFER

So, what about Ecclesiastes 2:26 which says: “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

How then did God intend for this supernatural wealth transfer happen?

The Lord’s intention is that the fruitless labour of the sinner in heaping up his often-ill-gotten gains is not altogether wasted. His treasure is passed into hands that make a better use of it than he has done.

Proverbs 28:8 says, “He that by usury and unjust gains increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor,”

And in Job 27:16-17, the Bible says: “Though he heaps up silver as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.”

Also see Proverbs 13:22, A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”

God can and will supernaturally transfer the wealth of the ungodly to those who fear him. But not His children who seek after wealth like the ungodly; propelled by greed and not His children who don’t seek to please Him or are void of wisdom and knowledge.

CONCLUSION

For most people, getting out of debt is not an instantaneous or overnight process. They don't experience a single miraculous “breakthrough" in which God dumps a big lump sum in their lap. Usually it involves many months—maybe years—of hard work, diligence, good money management, wisdom, living within one's means, and the blessings of God that come through faith. Matt. 25:16-17 tells us the one way of multiplying resources. Hard work!

“16 The one who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he [made a profit and] gained five more. 17 Likewise the one who had two [made a profit and] gained two more.”

The minister who claims to have a "debt-breaking" or “money-multiplying" anointing is in danger of being led deeper into error. Instead of presenting a balanced message of the full Gospel and fulfilling the call of God on his life, he may become a narrowly-focused "specialist," dealing only with money and financial gain. He may even develop into such a skilled fundraiser that he becomes a "hired gun," brought in by other ministry organizations to raise money for them (for a "cut" of the “take"). Instead of living to bless people, strengthen local churches, and advance the cause of Christ, such a preacher runs a great risk and faces great temptation of focusing only on what he can get for himself and his purposes. Somewhere along the way, his original call and mission gets laid aside. The Apostle Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away" (1 Cor. 9:27). That is much too high a price to pay for money.

Parts of this study was culled from The Midas Touch by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction: The idea that God will reward our giving by paying a one-hundred-to-one return on what we give to His work has become a very popular concept. It is almost commonplace to hear ministers refer to it at offering time, urging people to "give generously and believe God for a hundredfold blessing." What really did Jesus Christ mean when he mentioned “hundred time as much” in the scriptures? Does the hundred fold return (literally and mathematically) work for everyone who gave money offerings and tithes? Is it even possible? We will consider these and many more in our study today.

1. THE HUNDRED FOLD RETURN

“Peter started saying to Him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed You [becoming Your disciples and accepting You as Teacher and Lord].” Jesus said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up a house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,  who will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms—along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.” [Mark 10:28-30 AMP]

• Notice that there is nothing said in this passage about tithes or offerings. The context refers to people who have made an absolute commitment to follow the call of God upon their lives, leaving their former possessions, families, and lifestyles behind. See also Luke 18:28-30
• Jesus responded to Peter by saying, "Every man who sacrifices his all for My sake, and the Gospel's, shall receive a hundredfold in this life of houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, children, lands, and persecutions".
• What did Jesus mean when He said they would receive a hundredfold of houses and family? Wiser men than me who have spent lifetimes studying the Scriptures and the life and times of Jesus have given their interpretation. To these itinerant evangelists who would become missionaries to the world, traveling alone with little more than the clothes on their backs, He promised that houses in strange lands would open their doors to them—a hundred, if need be. He promised that as they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and won souls to Christ, they would enjoy fellowship with countless brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers—a multiplied family of faith.
• Is the hundredfold return available for us today? Yes, of course, it's available for all who have left everything to commit their all for the sake of Christ and the Gospel!
• Does the hundredfold return mean that when we give an offering, we should get out a calculator and compute the monetary payback we expect to receive at the rate of one hundred to one? In other words, if we give a dollar to God's work, are we promised that He will give us a hundred dollars back?
• Let's consider a hypothetical example of what would happen if an individual actually had this happen just seven times in his life. Since the purpose of prosperity is to provide believers with the resources to do God's work, we'll assume that once this individual began his giving with a dollar and received his multiplied return, he "reinvested" the total amount back into the Kingdom of God by giving again. Here's how that scenario would play out with the hundredfold return working a mere seven times: $1 x hundredfold return reinvested seven times over will yield  $100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion dollars!)
• At the time of this writing( THE MIDAS TOUCH), the man with the most financial wealth in the world is considered to be Bill Gates of Microsoft; his net worth is estimated to be as much as $85 billion. So a person for whom the hundredfold return worked as described above would have 1,176 times more money than Bill Gates!
• Perhaps you know of a Christian who has been very generous in his giving and has strong faith in God's ability and willingness to give prosperity to His children. Let's say that over the years this person accumulates a net worth of ten million dollars. Most people would agree that this individual is quite wealthy—that financial prosperity is a reality to him.
• However, this wealthy Christian's ten million dollars is a microscopic fraction of what could be realized on the hundredfold return on an initial dollar offering reinvested seven times as described above. In fact, that ten million dollars would have to be multiplied ten million times to equal the hundred trillion dollars hypothetically received by the individual who had his single dollar returned a hundredfold just seven times over.
• Consider also that almost any Christian who is faithful in tithes and offerings would not have begun with a single dollar, but hundreds of dollars! If the hundredfold return worked literally and mathematically for everyone who gave money in an offering, we would have Christians walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but quadrillions of dollars!

2. INTERPRETE THE WORD OF GOD CORRECTLY

“Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” [2 Timothy 2:15]

• Overemphasizing or adding to what the Bible actually teaches invariably does more harm than good. Over the years, many believers have leaped to false and totally unrealistic conclusions regarding teachings such as the hundredfold return. Feeling that they have been promised remarkable, extraordinary, and phenomenal returns, some have ended up disappointed and disillusioned when the result didn't materialize as they envisioned.
• Going back to the original question—should a believer expect a monetary payback at the rate of one hundred to one when he pays his tithes or gives an offering? Absolutely not! Then why do some preachers teach that? Well, ministers are just human, like everyone else. Sometimes they make mistakes. Every now and then, an idea or concept comes along that sounds really exciting; people are really taken with it and eager to respond to it. It's easy to just jump on the bandwagon and go along with the crowd without taking the time to search out the Scriptures and examine the idea in detail.

“Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”

[Matthew 13:8-9]

• The parable above was not talking about money. The seed is the Word. The stony and thorn-infested ground has no return at all—some who hear the Word do not respond. But even in good ground, the amount of return differs. Some Christians don't grow and develop much—maybe thirtyfold. Others may develop more. And some become great, devout, faith-filled, productive Christians—the hundredfold folks. In other words, they receive the maximum benefit from the Word of God they have heard.
• And the other commonly used hundredfold passage that we looked at earlier isn't about giving money, either. Mark 10:28 through 30 is talking about Christian service. Jesus wasn't talking about multiplying tithes and offerings.
• It is quite possible that there may be some individuals who have given a certain amount and received a multiplied return on it, perhaps even a hundredfold—but not on every dollar they have ever given to the Lord!

“If your tithes and offerings last year were $5,000, did you receive a hundredfold return of a half million dollars? If you gave a total of $20,000, did you receive $2,000,000? Do you expect to? I think you get the point. I did, too, and that's why I no longer tell people to expect the hundredfold return on their offerings. I just stay with what the Word of God says: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over ..." (Luke 6:38). I always claim the "running over" blessing.” – Kenneth E. Hagin

• Conclusion:

Please understand we are not trying to be cynical, nor are we trying to take away anyone's faith concerning God meeting his or her needs. But we believe it is important that we be realistic and sound in what we teach. We must "rightly divide" the Word of God and carefully seek the truth in interpreting the Scriptures.

Part of this teaching was taken from “THE MIDAS TOUCH” by Kenneth E. Hagin

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In last week’s study we asked ourselves a very important question: “Is Financial Prosperity a Sign of Spirituality?” And in answering the question we learnt how thinking, teaching and believing that this is true is erroneous. Today’s study attempts to address another error. A popular teaching in recent years; that giving should be mechanically linked to getting. On other words, if you need something, give something. Sow a car to get a car. Sow a suit to receive a suit. Although this is not out rightly wrong, it is another example of taking a basic truth and carrying it to the extreme. Like any other biblical truth, there is a ditch of error on both sides of the road; and thus, balance is required.

Genesis 8:22 says: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Luke 6:38 says: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

PLACING THE TRUTH IN VIEW – STRIKING THE BALANCE

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 says:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

On one side of the road, there are some people who do not seem to realize that God wants to bless them as we see in verse 8. They have no understanding at all of the practical application of the law of sowing and reaping in their personal lives. As a result, giving for them is strictly a matter of duty. They may give, but they have no faith or expectation whatsoever about receiving anything from God. This is unfortunate because they undoubtedly miss out on some of the blessings that God has for them.

On the other side of the road are the greedy folks who are attempting to use their giving to manipulate God. They try to make the offering plate some kind of heavenly vending machine—put in your offering, pull the handle, and get your blessing back! This is certainly the wrong motive for giving.

Some people go so far with this kind of thinking that they get into foolishness, giving away their car in the hope of getting another, presumably better, car. These people sometimes end up walking for a long time!

It is a natural, God-given phenomenon that we usually reap more than we sow! (See Luke 6:38, Prov.11:24); but there is a thin line between the exercise of faith in sowing and covetousness! This thin line is called “motive”.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Romans 8:14-17 says:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

There are several instances when God would deal with an individual about giving his/her car to some person or ministry. And the person obeyed the Lord out of their love for Him, God blessed them in return, with another vehicle; and sometimes better ones. But God's specific, personal direction for one individual does not become an across-the-board doctrine for the whole Church. There is no spiritual formula to sow a Nissan and reap a Mercedes.

Many preachers have used the story of the widow of Zarephath as an example of a person giving out of her need and being prospered in return as a doctrine for giving. According to First Kings 17, there was a famine in the land, and this poor widow was down to her last handful of flour and few drops of oil. She was about to prepare one last meal for herself and her son and then starve to death. Elijah, the prophet, asked her to prepare a cake of bread for him first and then cook for herself and her son. He told her that the Lord said, "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land"(see First Kings 17:14 NIV). When she obeyed by giving bread to Elijah, her supply was miraculously multiplied; she received bread. Jesus referred specifically to this event in the very beginning of His earthly ministry. He said in Luke 4:25-27 NIV:

"I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian"

GOD OPERATES ON PRICIPLES, BUT HE IS NOT STEREO-TYPED

The Bible clearly teaches that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). His love and blessings are available to all. But there is no absolute spiritual law that says every individual will experience the love and blessings of God in exactly the same way.

Jesus has made healing available for all. But we see from His dealings that not all lepers will be healed in the way that Naaman the leper was.

He also made prosperity available for all, but again, not all people are going to be prospered the way the widow of Zarephath was. God did not tell every leprous person to dip seven times in the Jordan River, and He didn't tell every needy person to give their last bit of food to Elijah. There are no one-size-fits-all rules for healing and prosperity.

CONCLUSION

If the Lord speaks to you in a clear and compelling way to give your coat to someone, then do it. But give it out of love and obedience to God. In that case, I believe God will reward you and not leave you shivering in your shirt sleeves. But be sure of your motives in giving your coat. Don't do it just because you heard the testimony of some other person who gave away a coat and was blessed with a new leather jacket. Don't say, "I want a leather jacket, too, so I'll give away my coat."

Our motives are crucially important. We need to be willing to give in obedience to God even if we never receive one thing in return. We must keep our hearts right and guard against covetousness. At the same time, we need to realize that God does want us to have faith, expecting Him to meet our needs.

Parts of this study was culled from the Midas Touch by Kenneth E Hagin