Key 2: Invest in the Kingdom of God: There is a very simple key given to us by Jesus Christ showing what our priority should be in life. "But SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mat 6:33), some people want to seek other things and expect the kingdom to be added to them. That shall never be. Your primary investment should not be in education, business, job or family. Your primary investment should be in the Kingdom so that every other aspect of your life is protected by God. The major goal that God has given us in this life is to win souls and make disciples of all nations. This is God's desire for every believer, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mar 16:15). This is not a great suggestion, it is a great command and great commission. When you do not put money into the gospel, you have lost the whole point of what prosperity is about. God wants His children to prosper but when they foolishly refuse or forget to sow the money into the gospel, He blocks the supply from the source. "For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and THE PROSPERITY OF FOOLS SHALL DESTROY THEM" (Pro 1:32), God will never permit you to prosper when you are still a fool and your mind is not renewed to his purpose of wealth. God wants you to prosper and He clearly spells it out in the Word, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest PROSPER and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3Jo 1:2). Many have complained about the preaching of the prosperity gospel and shut their ears when they hear the mention of that word. Is the message I am declaring to you a "prosperity gospel"? Beyond any shadow of a doubt it is and I will not even mince words about it. Why do we preach the prosperity gospel? Because God preaches the prosperity gospel. Why should I share anything that is outside the word? I certainly would declare God a liar if I do not preach the prosperity gospel. Newspaper columnists do not dictate what should be preached in the church of Jesus Christ. Whether they ridicule Men of God or not, the gospel shall still be proclaimed to the poor that Jesus wants them to be set free from poverty. That was the very first message that Jesus preached, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD" (Luk 4:18-19). The gospel or good news was first of all proclaimed to the poor. The good news was not that they were going to remain poor but that they are going to be made rich. Jesus even added that the year of the Lord's favor was being preached. This was the year of Jubilee when all debts were cancelled and all the slaves were set free. This shows us that the first gospel Jesus preached was a prosperity gospel. Whose gospel should you preach, the religious unbeliever's gospel steeped in dogmas and traditions of men or the gospel of Jesus the Son of God? What steps should you take to start operating in the God-kind of prosperity? The first step is tithing. Without tithing, a man confesses and demonstrates that God is not His source. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In TITHES AND OFFERINGS. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will REBUKE THE DEVOURER for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal 3:8-11). Many saved individuals would readily condemn a thief caught stealing on the street and some carnal ones would even venture to cane or stone him. However, this is commonly done by the hypocrites. The greatest thieves that we have on this earth are not those who rob men on the streets or who take bribes but those who rob from God. The repercussions of robbing God are much greater than that for robbing man. Some believers think that they will prosper when they fly out to another country. You should come to the understanding that the devourer, the devil, does not need a visa to find you where you have flown and devour your finances. A curse follows everyone who robs God and keeps back the tenth of all his increase from Him. When the believer gives back a tenth of all the Lord has entrusted Him with, the windows of heaven are opened over His life. A blessing is poured out that even your pockets and bank account cannot contain. Some argue that tithing was done away with in the Old Testament. It could not have been done away with since Jesus mentions tithing, "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, TITHING ON EVERY NICKEL AND DIME you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God's love. CAREFUL BOOKKEEPING IS COMMENDABLE, but the basics are required" (Luk 11:42 MSG). Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and tells them that it is commendable for them to tithe and they should continue with it but that they should not forget justice and the love of God. He never condemned the Pharisees for tithing and neither does He condemn us. We are supposed to deliver our tithes to our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who is supposed to receive them, "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth" (Heb 7:8). The one who lives forever is Jesus Christ and He has the right to receive our tithes under the New Covenant. Where should you tithe? The Bible gives you the place, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse" (Mal 3:10a). The storehouse is the place you should take the tithes, and this is the place where you receive your spiritual food from. When you receive spiritual ministry from an individual, it is a commandment in the Word of God that you should minister to that person in physical or material blessings, "Let him that is taught in the word COMMUNICATE unto him that teacheth IN ALL GOOD THINGS" (Gal 6:6). Or as the Geneva Version states it, "Let him that is taught in the worde, make him that hath taught him, PARTAKER OF ALL HIS GOODS" (Gal 6:6 Geneva), showing that a man who is taught should allow the teacher to be a fellow partaker of all his physical goods. The ministers stand in the place of Jesus Christ as His representatives and receive the tithe as a right.



The second revelation in investing in the Kingdom of God is sowing seed. Everything in the world began with a seed. "While the earth remaineth, SEEDTIME AND HARVEST, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night SHALL NOT CEASE" (Gen 8:22 KJV). God made a decree to Noah that seedtime and harvest shall not cease. As long as we are still living on this earth, seedtime and harvest shall not cease. It shall only cease when the earth is no longer in existence. This spiritual law is as sure as the coming of night and day. The entire kingdom of God in heaven and on earth is compared to a man who casts seed into the ground, "And he said, So is THE KINGDOM OF GOD, as if A MAN SHOULD CAST SEED INTO THE GROUND; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (Mar 4:26-29 KJV). God has ordained that His kingdom should run on the seed system. God's system is not similar to the world's system. The example used is of a farmer who sows seed into the ground. The farmer knows that when he sows the seed he should go back and sleep expecting a harvest. God Himself operates in the seed system, He gave up His only son Jesus who was a seed, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to THY SEED, WHICH IS CHRIST" (Gal 3:16). When God sowed His seed, Jesus, just like the farmer, He laid back in expectation of the mighty harvest of billions of souls, "After this I beheld, and, lo, A GREAT MULTITUDE, WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" (Rev 7:9). Note that the Apostle John saw the harvest of souls after God had sown Jesus as a seed, he could not even count the harvest since it was a great multitude that no man could number. God expects you to imitate Him and operate under the financial seed system, "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents" (Eph 5:1 MSG). You should imitate your Heavenly Daddy. Like father like son.
            God expects you to sow the best seed if you desire a bountiful harvest, "But this I say, He which SOWETH SPARINGLY shall REAP ALSO SPARINGLY; and he which SOWETH BOUNTIFULLY shall REAP ALSO BOUNTIFULLY" (2Co 9:6). Do not expect a big financial harvest if all you are sowing is coins. Sometimes I feel like caning people who criticize preachers who do not accept coins. Who do you think they are helping? They are helping you by showing you that without planting a big seed you will not receive a big harvest. Apostle Paul himself assured the Philippians that he was not that badly in need of their seed, but that he was desiring for them to reap a great financial harvest after having sown into his ministry, "Not because I desire a gift: but I DESIRE FRUIT THAT MAY ABOUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, A SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLE, well-pleasing to God" (Phi 4:17-18). The Apostle called their seed an acceptable sacrifice, showing us that there are some sacrifices that are unacceptable. Coins are not an acceptable offering if you have the ability to sow more. God is not moved by your need, He is moved by your seed. Men think that God's system of meeting emergency needs is saving accounts. Nothing further from the truth. God's way of meeting emergencies is seed according to tycoon Solomon, "CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth" (Ecc 11:1-2). Since God knows the evil that is coming later on, He expects you to sow your seed, here referred to as casting your bread upon the waters. Just like the farmer is assured of the harvest after sowing the seed, you will surely find that bread after many days. There is a due season that you have to wait patiently for after you sow the seed, never give up during the waiting season because you will waste your seed and will not reap any harvest, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP. And let us not be weary in well doing: for IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, IF WE FAINT NOT" (Gal 6:7, 9). You will surely reap a bountiful harvest if you patiently await the due season.
            Another important law of the seed is that you should sow the seed in the right soil. Jesus spoke about the parable of the sower where the sower went out to sow the seed in the field. Four kinds of soil are described, "Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, SOME FELL BY THE WAY SIDE, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And SOME FELL ON STONY GROUND, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And SOME FELL AMONG THORNS, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And OTHER FELL ON GOOD GROUND, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred" (Mar 4:3-8). Not all the seeds sown landed on the right soil. One of the reasons why people have condemned God's Biblically established seed system is because they have sown their seed in the wrong soil and failed to receive the expected harvest. You should first of all examine the soil to see what kind it is. The soil should preferably be ministry that is fulfilling it's God given vision in preaching the gospel and making disciples of all nations. You cannot sow your seed into a ministry that proclaims bondage rather than liberty. How can you sow into a ministry that does not even believe in healing or in God's financial seed system? Jesus told us how we can tell the wrong soil, "YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Mat 7:16-20). You need to be led by the Holy Spirit not by your eyes or your emotions when you sow seed. Only those who are led by the Spirit are the true sons of God, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come" (Joh 16:13). The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth concerning the area of giving also.
In the next issue we shall look at the role confession plays in the harvest. We shall also look at the third key in God's financial principles. You need to stop being simply a hearer of the word and start obeying. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like" (Jam 1:22-24 MSG), go ahead and sow your seed in faith!
    

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