| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( F ) SOWING AND REAPING / GIVING AND RECEIVING / TITHING The scriptures establish the methods of sowing and reaping and giving and receiving and tithing; 22. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. - Genesis 8:22 38. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. - Luke 6:38 6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. - 2 Cor. 9:6 9. (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) - 2 Cor. 9:9-10 30. And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. - Lev. 27:30 There are certainly many other scriptures which speak in regard to sowing and reaping, tithing and giving and receiving. ( See also Galations 6:7-9 / Genesis 14:18-20 / Malachi 3:8-12 ). The present day prosperity message includes many if not all of the numerous and various scriptures regarding sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving. What then is the problem with the message? The deception and error of the prosperity message is that it has taken the scriptural truths and in a subtle manner caused those truths to distort the motive and purpose for why the Christian should give and sow and tithe. The reality and truths of tithing, sowing and reaping, giving and receiving have been made the focus and that upon which the Christian should rely for getting their own lack supplied, needs met, and desires fulfilled by God our Father. The methods of sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving are scriptural truth and those things in turn can be a blessing to the Christian of today. However, with that being said, God in no manner has ever meant for those methods to be that upon which His own children should rely in order to have their own needs and wants supplied and fulfilled. God alone holds that position of reliance and support. At least He is supposed to. Go back to section C and reread through those scriptures. Not one of those verses ever involve the issue of sowing and reaping, tithing, or giving in order to receive. Not one of those verses ever make a requirement or pre-condition of tithing, sowing and giving which the child of God must first fulfill and satisfy in order to be blessed of God the Father. Why is this? Simply because God who is mercy, grace and love first responded and initiated His blessing to us when we were His enemies and dead in sins( Eph. 1: 3-5 / 1 John 4:8-11, 19 ). God first gave and demonstrated His love by freely giving us Jesus Christ, His beloved Son ( John 3:16 / Romans 8:32 ). Because God our Father did that act of love, then now that you and I in turn responded positively to that act of love, God is now our Father. We are reconciled to Him and no longer Gods� enemy. Therefore, as God has freely given to us, we in turn as His children freely give to other people ( Matt. 10:8 / 1 John 4:11 ). But that giving is never meant to be a prior requirement which must first be satisfied by the Christian so that God can continue to bless and benefit the Christian. That giving, or tithing or sowing is strictly for the benefit of the recipient and them alone. Praise the Lord. That being the case, now all you and I ( as Gods� children ) need to do and are required to do is simply ask our loving, merciful and gracious heavenly Father for what we need or have want of. Simple as that. God has always loved us. He freely gave us His Son for our salvation and eternal life and therefore because of His love to us God will also freely give us whatever else we have need or want of when we simply come to Him in prayer and ask; 21. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. - John 11:21-22 As Christians, you and I need to simply and in child-like faith make our petitions, supplications and requests to our heavenly Father for whatever we need. Believing that our Father has heard our prayerful requests and will, without question or doubt, fulfill and meet those various needs. Real straight-forward, real simple. But the present day prosperity message has blurred and muddied that simple truth for the Christian. The prosperity message has made the methods of sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving to take the place of God the Father upon who the child of God alone must rely for meeting his/her needs and wants. The prosperity message says God can�t or won�t bless you if you don�t give tithes. God can�t bless you if you first have not sown or given anything. But this message is not scriptural truth. Gods� Word does write and teach of the methods of sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving. Yet, God has never meant for those things to be upon which His children are to rely for getting our needs met. Those methods are for the sole purpose of benefitting and blessing other people and their needs and wants. That is why we tithe and sow seed and give. Not in order to benefit and bless us, the giver. Not to meet our needs and supply our wants. But simply to be a blessing to others. If we make the tithe, sowing and giving a requirement we then violate the motive and purpose for giving as established by Jesus and Paul; 7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. - 2 Cor. 9:7 35. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. - Luke 6:35 Can and does God use the methods of sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving as ways in which He blesses His children? Without question, yes. Still, God has many and numerous ways in which He blesses His children. Therefore, God alone should be the one upon whom His children rely when we have needs and wants that need to be met and supplied. Gods� children should never rely upon the methods of sowing and reaping, tithing, giving and receiving for meeting our needs and wants. Gods� children should always rely on God and Him alone, asking and requesting in prayer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |