Speaker 1Hallelujah. You know, I laid a foundation concerning the kingdom of God, the kingdom we belong to, the kingdom we belong to, that every kingdom has its own structure, its own governing principles, every kingdom and its system, the system by which it operates. Every kingdom have their own, they have their own taxation system, health system, educational system, and all of that. And we belong to a high kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. I'm telling you that the kingdom we belong to has its principles, has its principles. And Israel was chosen of God and God actually gave those principles to Israel for them to live by. So although they were great workers, they were not good workers. They were not good workers. And all of that. And the getting all that they did, and the getting their businesses and career and everything was the governing principles, what God gave to them, for them to be established economically. So God gave them the first fruit. And I'm telling you that I said that the principles for giving cut across all dispensations. But the practices are unique to each dispensation. The practices are different, but the principles are all the same. So God gave them the first fruit, the tithing, the freewill offerings, the seed sowing, the alms giving. The alms giving is what we give to the poor. So it's an all-encompassing system with God give to his people. And they never fail. God's principles never fail. He says if you be willing and obedient, you eat the good of the land. Sometimes the reason we don't eat the good of the land is because we are not willing. We are not willing to abide by all of these principles. And we are not also obedient. It is wanting to have an open heart and to be willing and to embrace biblical economics. These are the principles of biblical economy. If we embrace them, God is faithful to fulfill his word because God cannot lie. He said, I have sworn in my holiness unto David. I will not lie unto him. He says my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which has been done to me. It has gone out of my lips. God cannot break his word. Scripture cannot be broken. God cannot lie. What is written is steadfast. Forever, O God, thy word is settled in heaven. Hallelujah. And we see Israel, when they abode by these principles, they were massively blessed. Yeah, massively blessed. I said the Jews form only 2% of American population out of 300 million. The Jewish form 6 million. And one-third of the multi-millionaires in America are Jews. Because of the principles, which governs the kind of kingdom culture and attitude from their upbringing, that is what they are taught. So it becomes part of their lives. They are givers. Giving is the base of society, as I established in the second service. It is the base of society. And according to Forbes, the 40 top wealthiest in America, 45% are Jews. Yeah. Very powerful people. 25% of all Nobel Prize winners go to the Jews. And 20% of the professors in the U.S. or the leading universities, 20% are all Jews. So these are blessed people. But you know that the church. Or the Israel of God. The church of God. We are to walk in higher dimension. Jesus says we are in the world, but not of the world. We are in the cosmos, but we don't belong to the cosmos. So there are principles. We belong to a higher system. If we will abide by it, economically we are going to be different. We are going to be blessed. Praise God. God is not against you being blessed. He's against you being greedy and being selfish. But God's purpose is for you. Not just being blessed, but being a blessing. That the blessing will flow to others. That's the reason we are on earth. To be a blessing to many people. Hallelujah. So there's a first fruit. The first fruit is yearly. According to Nehemiah chapter 10, 35 to 37, it is yearly. The tithe is monthly. It is the first one-tenth of your income. But the offering is weekly. The offering is weekly. So God has a plan for the year, for the month, and for the week. Someone will say, but this is too much. It's not too much. That is the kingdom you have found yourself in. You are born again, and you are born again to this kingdom. You can be born again and not operate by these principles, and it's going to cost you. Yeah? So, the offerings are weekly. Offerings are weekly. So, the first fruit is your first income, first 100%. The tithe is the first 10% monthly. How about the weekly offerings? How do you give? How are you supposed to give your weekly offerings? Because I've seen people who do guest work at church service. They have not even planned their offering. So at church service, they begin to think, what should I give? Thousands of Ghana is here. 20 Ghana is here. Which one should I give? A certain guy was going to give, and he had 20 Ghana and 50 Ghana. So, he just took the money from his pocket, so he didn't know which one he was giving, whether it was the 20 Ghana or the 50 Ghana. So his heart smote him. He said, what am I doing? So as he was giving, he just opened his hands a little and saw that, lo and behold, it was a 20 Ghana. That he, everyone was, everyone was dancing. Then he began to increase his dance. The dance was not to glorify God, but it was because yes. If you have greater revelation, you'll rejoice when you give more to God. So I want us to read from the Passion Translation, 1 Corinthians 16, verse 2. The Passion Translation, 1 Corinthians 16, verse 2. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 2. Alright. Now it says, every Sunday, now say every Sunday, each of you should make a generous offering by taking a portion of whatever God has blessed you. With. And place it in safekeeping. Hallelujah. Now, your weekly offering is dependent on how much you've gotten in the week. Your weekly offering is based on your weekly prosperity. So based on how much God has prospered you in the week, you strike a percentage with the Holy Ghost based on how He has prompted your heart. And you give out of that percentage to God. Now, there are some people who have made their mind that every Sunday they are giving 10 Ghana, or they are giving 5 Ghana. It doesn't matter which Sunday. So every Sunday in a month, say, May, so they will just make 40 Ghana, 10 Ghana for each week. It doesn't work like that. Because you see, if this week, let's say this week, let's say this week, God gave you 1,000 Ghana, and you brought an offering. And the following week, God blessed you with 10,000 Ghana. Why should the offering be the same? If this week you got 10,000 Ghana, and the following week you got 10,000 Ghana, God expects your weekly offering to be greater than the previous week. Because it is according as God has prospered you in the week. Take your time and read other versions. It's according as God has prospered you in the week. So if in a week, what God gave you is higher, your offering must be higher. Praise God. Now, if God gave you 1,000 Ghana this week, and he gave an offering, and then the following week, God gave you 10,000, and he gave the same offering, what it means is that you have robbed God of his portion. Now, God didn't say we have robbed him only in tithe, but he says we have robbed him in offerings. Many are concerned about robbing God, but many are concerned about robbing God only in tithe. Many are concerned about robbing God only in tithe, but many are concerned about robbing God only in offerings. Many are concerned about robbing God only in offerings. We also rob God with our offerings. And the angels are just looking at you. "Wow, this guy, look at the amount of money we've brought you this week. Is that what you can use to honor God?" The angels are just amazed. Is that what you can give God? Because what we gave you this week is far greater than what we gave you last week. Why are you bringing the same offering? So to give the same offering, whilst God has prospered you more, is to rob God. of his offering. So he says, you have brought me this, So if you don't give God what is due, you are robbing God. By the way, if you give God what is due, how do you know what is due? It depends on you and God. Because God speaks to our hearts. Sometimes you know. That is why your offerings should be prepared. You see, you don't decide to give offerings Sunday morning. The amount shouldn't be given on Sunday morning. The beginning of the week. Now, from Monday to Saturday, as God blesses you, you set your offering aside. That's what honors God. Set it aside. You don't wait on Sunday morning and you get something. No. As the inflow comes, you begin to set something aside to honor God. And if you do that, you begin to see changes in your finances. And no more blessings will come your way. Now, the Bible says that he that swears sparingly shall also reap sparingly. And he that swears bountifully shall also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9, verse 6. I want to quote to you the Greek, what the Greek actually says. Because when he says he that swears sparingly, in the Greek it is in the present continuous tense. It says, he that sows little, and sows little, and sows little. That's the Greek. He that sows little, and sows little, and sows little, and sows little, and sows little, and sows little, shall also reap little, and reap little, and reap little, and reap little, and reap little, and reap little. That's how the Greek actually is. So, every Sunday you are giving little. January you give little. February you give little. March you give little. Every Sunday, little, little, little. No wonder what is coming to you is always little, little, little, little, little, little, little. And you are wondering, why is God doing this to me? God is doing nothing to you. You are doing this, that's to your own self. You are doing this to your own self. But he that sows wealth bountifully shall also reap bountifully. God's word cannot lie. And the word reap bountifully is the same Greek word for the blessing of Abraham. That the blessing of Abraham will come upon the Gentiles. So, the way to access the blessing of Abraham is also by giving. Hallelujah. And Abraham was blessed in all things, and we are the seed of Abraham, and we are heirs. So, your giving will open doors to access your rich heritage in Christ. Hallelujah. Now, the first thing I want you to know about your weekly offering is that, your offering communicates honor. It communicates honor. Exodus 34, verse 20. Can you give me the NLT? Exodus 34, verse 20, the NLT. And I'm just reading the last part. It says, No one may appear before me without an offering. Have you seen it? No one may appear before me without an offering. Do you understand? Can we all read it together, the last part? This is royal protocol. No one should appear before me without an offering. God doesn't want you to come before him without an offering. And this is a principle that cut across every generation. Don't appear before me without an offering. Because you know what? When you come before God, He wants you to come with a tangible sign of honor. Because he is the king. You don't come before the king empty-handed. He wants you to come with a tangible sign of honor. With a sense of honor. And that is your offering. The question is this. Doesn't God know that there are poor people among his people? How about those who are poor? I've heard people saying, I can't go to church because I don't have any offering. One man was in the church. He didn't have any offering. He said, Lord, I don't have any offering. I don't have any offering. gifts It was communicating to Solomon. That's what's my estimation of you. It communicates how I feel concerning you. It's a tangible sign of honor. And by the time she was leaving, Solomon gave her, the Bible says Solomon gave her more than she gave Solomon. If you calculate all that Solomon gave, it is roughly about $1 billion. Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba. So anything you give to God, actually you'll get more. You can never beat God when it comes to giving. But you're giving communicates honor. That's why anytime you're offering that you brought to church, communicate your feelings about deity. Don't think your offering is for the pastor. Except you're not a believer. It's actually for God. Don't think it's for the church. It's for God. Until the mind is renewed, you'll be where you are. But it's for God. It's for God. You see, you remember the wise men. The wise men, they are called the Magi. The Magi. You see, when Jesus was born, the wise men, of course, they are not three wise men. The Bible didn't say three wise men. Wise men. Historically, historically speaking, the wise men that went to Jesus were 600. Minus the servants that went with them. Because the servants carried the goods. They are called the Magi. The Magi, they were the wealthiest men on earth at that time. They were kingmakers. They were the most powerful people on earth, the Magi. But history tells us that, told us that when the Magi went to Rome, Nero was afraid. He literally shook. He was shaking on his throne because he thought the Magi, they had come to dethrone him. They were so powerful that with one word, they can enthrone you. With one word, they can enthrone you. They can dispose you. Kingship. And they were the wealthiest group on earth. So, they said, where is he that is born king of the Jews? What happened is that the Magi, when you become a king, they come to honor you based on your level of kingship. Your level of honor. And so, somehow, they knew that the Messiah had been born. Because of the prophecies of Daniel. They came from Persia, from the east. And they had been influenced. They had been influenced by the prophet Daniel. And even the pagan world, they were in anticipation of the birth of the Messiah. Because Daniel gave the exact time the Messiah shall come. According to the prophecy of his 70 weeks prophecy. He gave the time frame with which the Messiah shall come. So, even the pagan world was in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. So, when Jesus was born, they didn't, when Jesus was born, they waited for about two years before they went to see Jesus. They didn't go to Bethlehem. No. They didn't go to see the baby. The Bible says they went. They went to the house to see the young child. It took some years because they couldn't just casually go. They had to prepare their resources well to honor him. Because they knew. Let's see Matthew chapter 2. How do you honor a king? Matthew chapter 2. Let's read verse 1. Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. In Judea. In the days of Herod. Herod the king. Now, I want you to see Herod the king. No, I said I want you to see. See the king. K-I-N-G. The K is in lower case. Isn't that not so? Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. The next verse. Saying, where is C? That is born king. Look at the K. Capital K. Herod is king. Small K. But where you see that is born king. Capital K. And in the Greek, the word king here. Literally means the absolute monarch of the universe. The greatest emperor that is born. The greatest emperor in the world. So, they knew that the one who is born is not an ordinary king. They knew it. Thank you. They knew it. Therefore, they prepared their offerings. It was massive. They opened their treasures. The Bible is the word treasure. In the word tesaros. It was huge. Because they were honoring the Lord. Hallelujah. So, your offering is your sign of honor. Your tangible sign of honor. Anytime you come to church, you say, Is that your offering? Is that how you are treating royalty? I'm the king of kings. You are not just casting stones at me. You are putting something into the offering bowl. You are honoring him. Praise God. Secondly, your offering is your worship. It's your worship. Worship. In fact, when I came to the first and second service, by the whole eye, I was so glad how people were worshiping with their offerings. And that is powerful. Your offering communicates worship. Some 96, verse 8. Psalm 96, verse 8. Let's see what it says. Give unto the Lord the glory due his name or the glory he deserves. He says, give unto God the glory he deserves. The glory due his name. There is colon. Now, colon is telling us how he can do it. How it should be done. So, he says, give unto the Lord the glory he deserves. The glory he deserves. Then, colon, he's telling you how it should be done. Bring an offering. So, your offering is the glory he deserves. Your offering is the glory he deserves. You worship him with your offering. That is why in Leviticus 22, verse 24, when you bring an offering to God, the offering, you shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised or crushed or broken or cut. Neither shall you make any offering thereof in your land. For instance, if you have money. When people come to give offering, if you look at the money they are giving to God, very dirty money. Dirty. You see, the offering is not planned. The money itself is suffering. You see, the money is struggling to breathe. The money is dirty and to add to it, they squeeze it. And they No, don't give offering that way. It's worship. It's worship. So, do you know what must be done? All the money that comes to your hands in a week, select the best, the need test currency. And set them aside. So, you have a lot of money. Take time and select the nicest ones and set them aside. Because it's communicate honor and it is your worship. Aside. You can get the nicest of envelopes just for offering. And anytime you get money, use the dirty money for transaction. But the nicest money use it to honor God. So, set it aside. And put it in an envelope. And when you come, you see, the way people squeeze the envelope, no. Make it neat and nice and presentable and worship God with it. That is kingdom attitude. It's a good attitude of worshiping God. Praise God. And as you do that, when people bless you, most of the time, the money is nice. I realize that as I give nice currencies, nice ones comes to me. And I give God the nicest ones. It's honor. When it comes to tithe, your tithing, your weekly offerings, make sure it is neat. Nice currencies. Yeah. Sometimes you have to change them from the bank or something. Your tithe. It should be nice. The nicest of money. Because it communicates worship to God. Hallelujah. So, it's worship. It's worship. It's worship. Now, the Bible says, you cannot serve God and mammon. You hate one and love the other. The Bible says, in Matthew 6.1, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Where is your heart? And it is not difficult to locate where your heart is. I can locate where your heart is. I just have to trace where your money goes. If I trace where your money goes, I can see where your heart is. Because Jesus says, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So, if you give to God, your heart will gravitate towards God. But it's not just giving miserly. He didn't even say where your gift is, where your treasure. That means something you treasure, you bring to God. Constantly give what you treasure to God, and your heart will follow after God. Colossians 3:5 says, says, convert your sense, which is idolatry. The last part, convert your sense, which is idolatry. You know what convert your sense is in the Greek? Someone who decides to hoard, the person has the money, but he decides to hoard it and will not give to others, will not give to God. Hoarding the money is convert your sense. That's the first definition. The second definition is giving my salary. You have it, but you are not giving what is due. You are giving my salary. It is convert your sense. The Bible says it is idolatry. You are worshipping money. If you cannot let money go, you have made mammon your God. Especially giving to God. God is the first you have to give to. Giving to God your offering. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. We worship God with our offerings. Hallelujah. Praise God. Thank you Lord. Okay. Let me show you again how you must give. Let's go to Luke 21. Jesus made certain comments concerning, Jesus went to a church one day. When I say church, I mean a synagogue. And he looked up and saw the rich man casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in the theater two might. Now this woman was so poor. There are two Greek words for poor. The word used for poor for this woman is abject poverty. One who makes her living by begging. So this woman was extremely poor. Extremely poor. The next verse. And he said of a truth, I say unto you that this poor widow has cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God. The they were rich guys. Now let's see verse one. And he looked up and saw the rich men. These were dusted. The word rich men here is the word for plutocrats. People we call filthy stinking rich. They were very wealthy. I mean very wealthy. And Jesus saw how they were given. Now let's go back to verse four. And Jesus was examining how they were putting money into the treasury. Especially in Mark's account. He was looking into it and seeing how everyone was giving. This is Jesus. So what you put in, he was, watching. Jesus was watching. Watching what everyone would give. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's still watching what you'll give today. And he's still watching what you're giving next week. He's still watching. He's still watching. He says for all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God. Let me explain what it means. Of their abundance. The word here means they gave their excess. What it means is that these were wealthy guys. But this is how they used their money. After they have paid all their bills. After they have used their money for all their needs and all their wants. After they have used their money to sort out whatever they will ever need. They've paid the bills. They've paid the fees. They've paid everything. The excess and the extra that they don't need. You can have excess and extra. That costs you nothing. You don't need the extra or the excess that you don't need. Which you can spare. That is what they brought onto God. That's the weight of their abundance. So God was not their priority. The extra or the excess which they can spare. So people come to church. God doesn't like your tips. People come to God and what they give. They give God tips. Like you do when you go to a restaurant. When you go to a restaurant there is a main meal. Then what you do is that you give the waiter or the waitress some tips. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I had some comments from some restaurants in the US. They said that the people don't give tips at all are the Christians. Hey! Hey! That's it. That's it. They don't like working on Sundays because when these church guys come they don't give tips at all. Start giving tips. But don't have that attitude when you come to God. You know the way we give to God we are tipping God. It doesn't communicate honor. We give God our leftovers. You give God what doesn't cost you. So you've used all your money for the week. The extra or the excess. You wouldn't even give your girlfriend that amount. Even your girlfriend wouldn't give that amount. But you just pick something and you just out of the abundance. What is extra? What is excess? What they didn't need? That's what they give to God. But she of her penry has cast in all the living that she had. Jesus said for this woman she gave all her living. You know what it means? That means that she gave everything she could survive on. After this offering, there was nothing left she could survive on. That was what moved Jesus. She gave everything. That means that how God values and estimates our offerings, the offering you give is not how much you give but what is left after you have given it. It's not how much you give but what is left after you have given. Because someone can give five cities and the angels are rejoicing. Wow! The angels are happy. Another person gives 10,000 and the angels are frowning. Because for what you have given, you have $1,000,000 in your account. God didn't expect that. The one who gave five cities, the person only has 20 Ghana. Or seven cities. And God is moved by what the person has done. So what is left after you have given? That is what moves God. Hallelujah. So Jesus examined the treasury. The treasury was what is called the court of the woman. Now the woman couldn't attend to the temple. But they put the treasury at a place called the court of the woman. Because they also need the offerings of the woman. So they accessed the offerings and Jesus examined everything. Today he's examining the same thing. You know why? In Numbers chapter 7 we have the offerings of 12 princes of Israel. There were 12 princes that brought offerings to God. 12 princes representing the 12 tribes of Israel. Now all the princes brought into a long, I don't want to read it, long list of offerings each of them brought to God. Very long list. But they all brought the same identical offerings. They brought the same offerings to God. So this is it. I read this chapter, I don't understand. Because 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 brought the same offerings. The Bible could have said, so these are the offerings the 12 princes brought. They all brought the same offerings. Then you summarize it. Because God is so economical in writing the Bible that he doesn't waste any single space. We need more space in the Bible. But you know what God did? God took the first prince and the Bible recorded everything the first prince brought and wrote about the second prince and recorded the same thing the first prince brought as the one the second prince brought. The same for the 12, but they all brought the same offering. But the Bible specifically repeated the same offerings 12 times. You know why God did that? God is communicating something. How carefully he records every offering we give him. God is careful in recording all the offerings we bring. He doesn't generalize it. Your offerings are recorded. Do you know that the offerings, your offerings are recorded? Even the offerings you gave today are recorded. And some of the offerings are memorials. Some of your givings, like Cornelius, are memorials in heaven. There's a memorial for you in heaven. So when you get to heaven, you can go and check the records. All the offerings you give every Sunday is there. Don't you know you have a bank account in heaven? Not that I desire a gift, but fruit that will abound onto your account. Fruit that will abound onto your account. Some of your account in heaven is fat. You have fat accounts. Others have lame accounts. - Ask your neighbor, what is God recording about your offerings in heaven? Are the angels happy with it? If your grandma is in heaven, your grandma will go to the road and check your offerings and say, ah, this is my grandson, is that how I taught him how to give? With all that God has blessed you, is that what you can give to him? So our offerings are recorded, it's a record. So give to God faithfully, and give to God to honor him. Honor him with your offerings and worship him with your offerings. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Why should you give the offering? The Bible tells us that your offering connects you to the anointing. Numbers 18, verse 8. Your offering connects you to the anointing. Numbers 18, verse 8. Look at what it says. And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, Behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave offerings. Aaron, I have given you the charge of my offerings. Of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel, unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing. I have given you the charge of all my offerings, by reason of the anointing. Now he connected offering with anointing. Your offering, for instance, in this ministry, there's a corporate anointing in this house. There's an anointing in this ministry. You see, the anointing flows from the head of Aaron to his beard and goes down to the skirt of his garment. It's a kind of corporate anointing. That is meant for this house. Your offering causes you to engage the anointing in the ministry and also on the set man of God. He's told Aaron, I've given you the charge of the offerings because of the anointing, by reason of the anointing. By reason of the anointing. So you engage the anointing by your offering. The grace of God is released upon you because you engage it through the offering. Certain anointings, you access it through the offering. And it is the anointing that destroys the yoke. It is the anointing that destroys the yoke. The anointing brings favor. It brings promotion. There's so much blessing in giving. I lived in Cape Cod when I was young and there's this woman, a very noble woman. She was a political figure. She was dying. She was dying. Dying. The doctors had declared that she was going to die. But she didn't die. She lived. The sickness disappeared. And according to her own testimony, an angel appeared with a scroll. And the scroll had tightened her offerings. The angel said, you're not permitted to die because of your offerings. A very notable woman in the political arena. But she feared God. In Philippians 1.7, Paul says, in all my defense and in the confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace. That's what Paul said. He was speaking to them. The only church who were great givers. He says, ye are all partakers of my grace. That means the same grace on Paul, the whole church was experiencing that grace. The same grace Paul was enjoying, the whole church was enjoying that grace. It's possible. He said this because of their giving. Because of their giving. Another time he told the church, my gosh has supplied all your need according to his riches in glory. Now the Greek actually said, the God of me, not my God, the Greek says, the God of me shall supply all your needs. The God of me, the God I've experienced. The same experience I've experienced with him. The God I have known, the God of me, will give you that alike experience. The same experience. So when you put your offering, you engage the offering on the altar. You engage the offering of the house. You engage the offering, the corporate anointing. Sorry, you engage the anointing when you give the offering. You engage the anointing. I've given it to you by reason of the anointing. So they can engage and connect to that. Many are disengaged from the anointing because they don't give. There are different shades of the anointing. But this is the corporate anointing that is meant for specific purposes. Hallelujah. Praise God. It's very important. Why should you give your offerings? One very important thing about your offerings is that your offerings, when you give your offering, it doesn't only honor God as king, but your offerings remind God of his son. Your offering reminds God of his son. That's very important. Philippians 4 verse 18. It reminds God of his son. The Bible calls your offering, but I have all and abound. I am full and abound. I am full. I am full. I haven't received of Epaphroditus. The things which were sent from you, an order of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Now, he calls offerings the aroma of sweet smell. The aroma of sweet smell. Now, this is the same word for the burnt offerings being a sweet-savor offering or aromatic or fragrant offering. Now, there were five offerings in the Old Testament. Three of them were called sweet-savor offerings. Two of them were non-savor offerings. The ones that were non-savor offerings were the sin offering and the trespass offering. Because the sin offering and the trespass offering reminded God of your sins that were put aside. But there were three offerings, the burnt offering, the peace offering, the green offering. When the smoke ascended, God smelled it and it was an aroma of delight and pleasure to God. God smelled it because those animal sacrifices reminded God of his son. It reminded God of the devotion, the obedience, the beauty, the excellence of his son. God cannot forget, but he loves to be reminded of the beauty of his son, the devotion of his son, the obedience of his son. Hallelujah. And the way the burnt offering, the aroma ascended to heaven, the same word is used for your giving. And your giving, when you give to God, is a sweet odor. That means your giving reminds God of his son, of the obedience of his son. Hallelujah. The same word. And he says, it is well-pleasing. In the New Testament, there are a few things that are well-pleasing to God. If you see the word well-pleasing, there are two main usages of the word well-pleasing in the New Testament. The first one is about Jesus. This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased. The next one is our offerings. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices, God is well-pleased. Hebrews 13 verse 16. And in this verse, God is well-pleased. So your offering pleases God. Your giving pleases God. There are a few things he's well-pleased. He's well-pleased, number one, concerning his son. And number two, in your offering, he's well-pleased. Hallelujah. Praise God. So when you give your offering, you engage in anointing. Not only that, it is well-pleasing to God. And it, truly, truly, pleases him. Now the third reason is that your offering, it proves the sincerity of your love. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 8. It proves how sincere your love is. You cannot say you love your spouse without giving to your spouse. Honey, I love you so much, but when it comes to giving, you'll never give her. It's not correct. Paul says, Lord, I love you. God says, prove it. How do you prove that you love God? He says, by what you give to God. One day, I heard a story by David Ibioyemi in Nigeria. He said he was in church and he said, Lord, I love you. And he said, the Lord told him, prove it. He took a check. It was time for offering. He took a check and wrote one million dollars. Took it and put it in the offering bowl. The offering bowl. Not special giving. Ordinary Sunday offering. He put in one million dollars. It was even the ushers that saw it. They were shocked. How can this one just give one million dollars for offering? Just ordinary offering. One million dollars. That's what your offering can grow. You see, the offerings were given five years. It shouldn't be given the same offerings today. And recently, he made a statement. He said, the least offering he gives every Sunday, he said it publicly, $12,000. Pastor said, Lord, increase my faith. If you have faith, I say, muster seed. I'm telling you, $12,000. He says that's the least every Sunday. day. And the midweek, when it comes to midweek service, he gives, I think, what's it, $4,000. Do you know that? Winner's Chapel, Bishop David Oyepo, when he goes to, every branch wants him to come and preach there. All the branches want him to preach there. When he goes to a church branch and puts in an offering, his offering is what they used to construct. It's what they used to construct the church projects, the church building. That's Sunday offering. My. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It proves the sincerity. The sincerity of your love. You can't say, Lord, I love you, Lord, I love you, Lord, I love you, and you're not giving to him. You're not practicalizing the love. Practicalizing the love. Never think they started giving to God that amount. No. It was systematic. It was gradual. They began to ingrow in it. Yeah. Let me show you what David gave to God. 1 Chronicles 29. Verse 3 to 5. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God. David loved God. He says, I have loved thine house and the place where thy honor dwelleth. I have loved thy house. You love God, you love his house. Because of my affection, I have set my affection to the house of my God. David was in love with God. Giving proves the sincerity of your love. He says, I have of my own proper good. Now, that's old English. Proper good means my own personal account. Proper good. My own. Other versions would tell you my own private account or my own personal account. I have of my own private good, proper good or personal account. Of gold and silver, which I have given. I have given to the house of my God. Over and above, the word over and above, check other versions. In addition to all that I have previously given. Over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. Now, David had already given everything Solomon will ever need to build a temple. He gave it. Now, scholars say that what he gave was about $270 billion. In gold, in silver. But after all that was given, David said, apart from all that he had given, in addition to it, this is what he gave from his personal account. 3,000 talents of gold. You know what a talent of gold is? This is about a billion. This is about a billion dollars. And 7,000 talents of refined silver. This is about $500 million or something. I think so. I hope I'm not wrong. Pastor said personal account. Yeah. To overlay the walls of the house with all. In addition. He said because he began by saying because of my affection. Where is your affection? Where have you set your affection? The affection is not only towards your spouse, or your beloved, but most of all towards God. Now, let's continue what David said. The gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. This is what he said. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? He was calling others to also give. This is King James, but you can read other versions. He calls giving consecration. Who then is willing, he said this is what I have done, David announced his giving. It is not wrong to announce your giving. Yeah, the giving we should hide is almsgiving, giving for the poor. You see, who then is willing to consecrate his service, he calls your giving to God your consecration, consecrated service. And the word consecration literally means the filling of the hands. When you read from Adam's book. From other versions, you see the filling of the hands. It was used in the ordination of the priest. When the priest, priesthood were ordained, they had to open your hands this way and filled your hands. The priest, when they were ordained, they were not supposed to appear before God empty. Their consecration to the service of God is what they bring to God. God calls that consecration. So he calls your giving consecration. He calls your giving, being consecrated unto God. So if you are not giving, it is not consecration. So God sees your giving to God as your consecration unto him. So giving has a lot of benefits. Hallelujah. Because I have set my affection for the things of God. Now let me give my last point in this category. I'll be, I'll be ending very soon. You're giving reveals, your offering actually reveals your obedience to the gospel. It reveals your obedience to the gospel. Second Corinthians 9 verse 13. Whilst by the experiment of this ministration, they glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution. Can you give me? As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God for your generosity to them and to all believers who prove that your obedience to the good news of Christ. Your giving proves your obedience to the gospel of Christ. King James says it demonstrates that you are subjected under the gospel of Christ. Are you submissive or subjected to the gospel? What do you give to God? Jesus says in Luke 16 verse 9 and 10. I say unto you, make to yourself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. And when ye fail, ye shall receive everlasting habitation. Verse 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in a match. And he that is unjust in the least. He calls money the least. So money is the acid test. Whether you are a good steward or you are not a good steward. You are a steward for over your money. Your money actually is not yours. It belongs to God. And he has made you a steward. Stewardship means you own nothing. You are just a caretaker of God's resources. And look at the next verse. It says that if therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon. Who will commit to your trust the true riches? How you use money faithfully determines how God will use you. That's the verse. Listen. If you are not a good steward to us. Money. God can't even use you the way he wants to use you. So he says if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon. He says who will commit to you the true riches? That means that when it comes to money. You don't manage your monetary affairs well. Under God's instruction. You know true riches. Authority. Wisdom. Revelation. Ministry. Anointing. And other things. He says he can't commit to you. Because you are not faithful with money. So you can go and lie down at Achia Mountains and fast for today and for tonight. Use me oh Lord. Use me oh Lord. Use me oh Lord. Use me oh Lord. Lord use me on Monday. Use me on Tuesday. Use me on Wednesday. Use me on Thursday. Use me on Friday. Use me on Saturday. Use me oh Lord. Use me oh Lord. Okay. God actually wants to use you. But are you usable? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Many are available but they are not usable. But God is saying are you faithful with your tithing? Are you faithful with your offering? Because if I don't faithful with the least. You have to be faithful with how you give to God. In his house. Faithful how you manage the rest of your money. How you give to your spouse. How you manage your finances in your home. They are all very important. Once you manage your finances and give to God it affects the rest of your money. You are able to manage it well. Proper home management. Even giving to your parents because it's part of giving. Praise God. And caring for others. If you manage your finances well, giving to God is due partially in the week. It says, God will commit to you the true riches. Hallelujah. Authority. There are certain dimensions of authority God may not give to you if I'm not faithful. That's what the Bible says. Kenneth Hagin of blessed memory said the Lord told him to give something and it was difficult for him to give it. He said he struggled. But almost like he was giving gradually, but he gave anyway. Three weeks after, he went to pray for someone who was sick. The doctors had given up on the woman to die. When he went there, Jesus said, just take a hand and say you are healed. She took a hand and she was healed 100%. Kenneth Hagin said when he turned, Jesus spoke to him and said, if you had not given what I told you to give, I couldn't have used you the way I wanted to use you. Giving is connected to how God, it's amazing. God just says so. Now in the verse 10, it says he that is faithful in the least is also faithful in the much. But you see, the Greek is in the present tense. He that can believe or he that is believing for the least can believe for the much. So when it comes to faith, the first step on the ladder of faith is believing for money. If you can believe concerning your finances, believe as in, trust God. When you take your money to put in the offering bowl, as though your money is gone, but it's trust. The reason people cannot give is because they have trust problems. They don't think God will honor his word. Yeah, they don't think God will honor his word. All your complaining and all your grudging and all you being withholding is just problems with unbelief and trust. Will God say what he said he would do? Because I've seen people giving and I don't see what is happening. The devil can give you a lot of examples. Do it the Bible way because he doesn't feel. If you're able to let go and give, the Bible calls that faith. You let go and give and trust God for supply. He calls it faithfulness. If you can believe for the least, it says, you can believe for the much. So believing for finances is the least you can use your faith for. That's the acid test. Then you can believe for the much. The much, what is the much? Healing is greater. If you cannot believe for finances, how can you believe for healing? Because it says believing for money, the area of money is the least you can use your faith for. Hallelujah. Praise God. May we honor God. May we honor God. May we honor God. May we honor God with our substance. Our substance. Ecclesiastes 11 says, cast thy bread upon the waters. For thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven and to eight. Let's see it. The next verse. The next verse. Now it's about giving. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. If the tree fall towards the south or towards the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. You know what he's telling us? Now Solomon is telling us about giving. He says that the law that governs giving operate like the law of gravity. Now the law that regulate giving is like the law of gravity. Now here he's talking about the law of gravity. If a tree is falling towards the south, if a tree is falling towards the south, if a tree is falling, there is a law at work. But where it is falling, that is where it will fall. It will never miss it. If a tree is falling towards the south, where it's supposed to fall is where it is falling. So he says, inasmuch as gravity cannot fail, he's saying your giving cannot fail. That's what he's saying. In context, from verse one, he's talking about giving. So I'm telling you that if the law of gravity is faithful and doesn't fail, the law of giving does not fail. Because God's integrity is behind it. And finally, in Philippians 4 verse 15, look at what it said. Philippians 4 verse 15. Now you Philippians, know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. No church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving. Now, the word giving the word Greek word here, lepsos, it's not really the word for receiving. Because receiving is decomai. The word lepsos here is the word receipt. Receiting. You give and you have the receipt. Giving and receiting. Can you imagine? That means that we really have a bank account in heaven. Anytime you give, there is a receipt that is assigned for you in the spirit. You know that when you go to a bank and you tell them that, oh, I give. I give. I came to give. Make a deposit. 10,000. And they are telling you that, no, you didn't come to the bank on Monday. And you claim, oh, I came to the bank on Monday. They will ask you for what? Your receipt. And once you show your receipt, it is an infallible proof that you actually give. Praise God. Anytime you give. Have you come to a place where, when it comes to prosperity, people confess prosperity, but it's not total. It's like the two sides of the coin. Let me ask you a question. If a woman is believing for the fruit of the womb and is confessing in Jesus' name, I'm a joyful mother of children. I'm going to have children and never get intimate with the husband. Would that happen? And we have no more Mary. We wouldn't have any Mary again. So, once you confess, you have to be intimate with your husband. You can't say, I'm just confessing and nothing is going to happen. Yeah. That's what, prosperity is like that. You confess. It's like the two sides of a coin. One side is confession, confessing the word. The other side is giving. It's giving. So, if I'm not practicing it, you are confessing, confessing, confessing, but nothing is happening. But anytime you confess what you're giving, you know what? You are showing your receipt. But because of your receipt, you are laying claims to this, this, this and that. And heaven shows off your receipt and go like, yes, he can have it because he has a receipt, which is a proof of his giving. And because he has given, he has to receive what he is demanding for. Because there is a receipt, which is a, which is a proof of what he has given. Hallelujah. And God is faithful. May we plug into all the principles of the kingdom. First fruits and tithing and offerings. And may we honor God the next Sunday when we come to church. If I next week when I come to church, may your offering be different. Look for the best currencies. Look for the best envelope. Come and honor God. As God prospers you next week, strike a percentage from that prosperity with the Holy Ghost according to how he has prompted your heart. And pray with it and come and give God. Don't decide your offering, on your offering when you come to church. It's too late. When you prepare it, God will see how serious you are. And God is going to honor you. Come with a tangible sign of honor and never come before him. Bring an evidence of honor and glorify him and worship him with your offerings. Lift up your voice and glorify his holy name. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Oh, Oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Because of my affection for the house of God, I have given from my own private account my proper good. Do you have affection for the house of God? What is your love? Your giving proves the sincerity of your love. And to prove the sincerity of your love. begin to pray the spirit as you renew your mind concerning your offerings renew your mind renew your mind if you give sparingly you reap sparingly if you give little and little and little and little you reap little and little and little and little if you give god what you can spare you have not honored him your giving is your attitude towards royalty your attitude towards royalty give unto god the glory he deserves bring an offering and call upon come to his court your offering your offering god keeps record of your offering god keeps record of your offering god keeps records of your offering if you are willing and obedient he says you will eat the good of the land the best of the land thank you jesus thank you jesus We honor you with our offerings. We renew our mind. We worship you with our offerings. Thank you, Jesus. God is able to make all grace abound towards you. That ye always have an all sufficiency in all things. May be able to abound unto all good works. Give and it shall come back to you. Good measure. Press down. Shake it together. Will God cause man to give to your bosom? We will worship you with our offerings. We will not give any harm. We will give motivated by your love. Our giving is fragrant, aromatic offering for you. It's a sweet aroma. Your giving is a sweet aroma. Your offering is a sweet aroma. It reminds him of his son. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
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