The Power of Sowing and Reaping

          When we give to God, God promises to bless us in return. The Israelites were told to give to the poor and to expect God’s blessing in return, “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10 NIV). The sage writes, “Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return” (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NIV)

Wisdom literature declares, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV) and “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV).

The last book in the Old Testament reads, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10 NIV).

Paul writes, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV) and again, “A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7 NIV).

            There is no dispute in the body of Christ concerning giving because virtually every church asks their members to give to the work of the Lord. The area of disagreement is in the area of receiving. Can the believer expect something from God in return for his giving? I believe the answer is yes. God is a rewarder.  “He rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).  

Check out my book: The Power of the Seed 
Have you ever given to God? Are you ready for your harvest? If so, this book is for you! You will discover: * How to create your future with a seed. * How seeds can meet your needs. * How the seed you sow determines the harvest you will grow. * What does the Bible say about tithing? * Plus, over 365 more secrets of the seed. Pastors, this book will give you a new offering sermon every Sunday for two years.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

 The purpose of wealth is to bless others. God blessed Abraham so that he could be a blessing to others. The purpose of God’s blessing is revealed in God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless you…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3). Abraham was blessed to be a blessing and the believer today is blessed for the same reason. The blessing of God is not given for personal enrichment, rather it is given so that the believer can help others and spread the Gospel. This wealth with a purpose is echoed when Paul says, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV).

A Biblical definition of prosperity is found in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “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” (NIV). Some have argued that the blessings of the New Testament are intangible, spiritual blessings, but it is tough to square this perspective with the phrase “all things.” When the verse says God is able to bless abundantly in all things, how can one argue that “all things” means “only spiritual things?” This verse also gives a proper balance to the believer’s wealth. God wants to supply all of the believer’s needs, but not his greeds. The purpose for wealth is that the believer will “abound in every good work.”  

Does God Want His Children to Be Blessed?

The Bible demonstrates that God blesses His followers with material blessings. God gave Adam the very best (Genesis 2:8-14), blessed Abraham and because of this blessing, Abraham became very wealthy (Genesis 13:2), God blessed Isaac (Genesis 26:12-14), Jacob (Genesis 30:43), Joseph (Genesis 39:2-6; 41:41-43), enriched Solomon (1 Kings 3:13; 10:14-29), and blessed Job (Job 42:10-17).

God gives believers the power to get wealth. “Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant…” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV). God promised physical blessing to Israel for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and promised a multitude of curses if they disobeyed (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

God promised Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV).

To the righteous, the Psalmist promises, “whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3 NIV). The Lord “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27 NKJV).

Those who fear the Lord will be blessed with wealth and riches. “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:1-3 NIV).

The righteous man will receive blessings and prosperity and his family will be blessed. “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord” (Psalm 128:1-4 NIV). “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it” (Proverbs 10:22 NIV).

Jehoshaphat promised the Israelites, “…Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful” (2 Chronicles 20:20 NIV). When the Jews were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah promised them, “the God of heaven will give us success” (Nehemiah 2:20 NIV). Many of these promises of material wealth are from the Old Testament, but there is no reason to suppose they do not equally apply to those under the New Covenant which is supposed to be an even better covenant (Hebrews 8:6). 

God is a Good God!

             Evangelist Oral Roberts was famous for saying “God is a good God.” Roberts often told the story of how, as a young pastor in Enid, OK, he was reading the Bible one day and came across 3 John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (KJV). He jumped up and ran to tell his wife, “Look honey, according to this verse, God wants us to prosper and to be in health.” This verse became the foundational truth of his ministry. He began to preach the goodness of God in a time when many preachers were saying that God wanted people to live in poverty and sickness. Roberts' focus on God's goodness opened the door for people to believe for healing and prosperity. 

I also believe God is a good God. The Psalmist says, “You are good, and what you do is good…” (Psalm 119:68 NIV), “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1 NIV), “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9 NIV). Believers are commanded to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8 NIV).

Everything God made in the beginning was good (Genesis 1:31). God wants to give good things to His followers. “No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11). “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (James 1:17 NIV). It is the goodness of God that brings men to repentance (Romans 2:4) and God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Help Us Sponsor a Bible School Student

We are excited to tell you about our friends Jonatan and Karla Picado from the nation of Costa Rica. We are sponsoring them to attend Victory Bible College this year.

I originally met Jonatan in Costa Rica at a T.L. Osborn crusade. At the time, he was nineteen-years-old and excited about serving God. We became friends and kept in touch.

A few years later, he invited me to come to Costa Rica for a crusade meeting in his hometown of Pérez Zeledón. The following year, Jonatan invited me to return to Costa Rica for several more Gospel Festivals. Together, we did a total of fifteen mini-crusades in towns and villages across Costa Rica. At these crusades, thousands of people were impacted by the Gospel.

Then Jonatan met and married his lovely wife Karla. They have now been married for four years and they have a cute little boy named Samuel.

Jonatan has worked with me as a crusade director in several different nations in Central America. He has a powerful call from God on his life and he is dedicated to leading people to Jesus.

As I worked with Jonatan, I felt that it would be beneficial for him to get more training. So, this year Jessica and I decided to sponsor him to attend Victory Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a ministry of our home church, Victory Christian Center.

I teach at Victory Bible College and it is a powerful school where students receive practical training through Christian service in the various departments and outreaches of the church. VBC has a goal of imparting life experience, ministering restoration and empowering students with personal knowledge of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

We worked hard to secure a student visa from the United States Embassy for Jonatan and his family. Once it was granted, we flew the Picado family from Costa Rica to Tulsa. Right now, King Ministries is covering the cost of Jonatan’s tuition at Bible school and purchasing his schoolbooks. We are also providing a place for his family to live, a car for them to drive, insurance, and food.

While Jonatan is here in the United States, he is volunteering to translate some of my books into Spanish and he will be helping us with our upcoming national outreach in the nation of Belize.

After Jonatan finishes Bible school, he plans to return to Costa Rica to preach the Gospel. We consider the cost of sending him to Bible school as an investment in his future and in the future of Costa Rica.

Education and Bible training is important. Once, Billy Graham was asked how he would reach the world if he only had three years to finish the task. Graham replied, “I would use two years to study and learn and I use the third year to preach the Gospel.”

This is the first time we have invested in the training of a co-minister from Central America and I want to ask you to help us with the cost of hosting this family.

Tuition and books at Victory Bible College: $1,700

Plane Tickets: $2,400

Cost of Housing: $4,500

Car and Insurance: $2,000

Food for Three People: $2,700

Total Needed: $13,300

Your gift this month will help us to sponsor the Picado family to go to Bible school. Thank you for your generosity.

Click HERE to give.