The fire has come: Beyond Tithes and offerings PT11

The blessings of the Lord upon you Dear Readers,

I am writing to all of you who frequent this web site! Our God is an awesome God and is moving so powerfully here in the Western USA and Rocky Mountain states! Words can even describe God's awesomeness! This is a much longer teaching than I thought. This is the third draft. It has taken me 8 hours to write this! It has been a labor of love, but under great attack. I lost all the edits twice and had to do them over. I pray you will not stop reading this because of it's length but open your heart to the hidden power in the Word of God!

There are so many churches and ministries working for the Lord. All of them are asking for your prayer and financial support rightfully so. The question for us today is where should you place the precious finances God has entrusted to you? May I state as being a Pastor for 24 years, that your tithe belongs to the storehouse of where you attend. They are entrusted with your care and welfare and should be faithfully supported by your tithes and giving. The question I am addressing is where does God desire you to sow your offerings and where to put it?

All I can say on this topic of genuine giving is this, "that all we are, all we have, all we will ever be" is the only offering that will truly satisfy His heart. This is the same offering He has given to us, and the offering He commands us give one another. "Love one another as "I" have loved you. "

This is a most precious commandment. It is a treasure in the heart of God for it involves the truth of His word to us, "no greater love than this than a man lay down His life for His friends." I have found that this total commitment or abandonment to the Lord requires great suffering from time to time. A dear precious sister in the Lord had to reminded me this week of this truth again.

This thought of "filling up the sufferings of Christ," is not new to me and it never has been. There are many ways suffering comes into our lives. We suffer because of sin's effect in the world. We suffer the consequences of our own sins upon our lives and family. We suffer because we have sowed wrongly and make wrong choices. But there is a suffering that comes, not by sin or any other reason, accept the walk on Gethsemane Road!

This is not a road of "self suffering." There are many in the Body of Christ suffering with a "martyr spirit" that is not of God, it is just stupidity! But there is a suffering that comes by the road God has caused us to walk upon. I was rightly reminded this week that Jesus, the Son of God, had to LEARN OBEDIENCE through the things He suffered. Yes, beloved He suffered at Calvary, but He truly suffered through out His whole life on earth.

Can you imagine having the power to heal everyone, everywhere all the time and can only use that power as the Father wills? Imagine having the power to feed the whole world and not allow one person to be starving? Imagine having the power not to let his "earthly Father Joseph die!" Think about the pool of Bethesda where the angel troubled the water for healing and Jesus walking by all those waiting to get in to be healed, and only being allowed to heal one blind man!

There is a purpose when "suffering comes into our lives when it is not caused by sin!" A purpose that will cause us to trust and cling to Him as never before. It is here the Lord works the "giving up our life for Him" in living reality. It is here we learn with Job, "thou you slay me still will I trust you." I was Pastoring a local church many years ago when the Lord spoke to me these words, "It is not enough for the sheep to lay up their lives for the Pastor's, but the Pastors are to lay up their lives for the sheep."

I knew this word was to bring me new understanding into the ministry call God had upon my life. This understanding came in the late 1980's. The Lord revealed that with our present understanding Pastor's see the people who come to their church to help them fill "THEIR MISSION!" I was taught that the people who attend the church are there to help us with "OUR PLANS, OUR VISIONS, OUR CHURCH CALL!" There is an absolute truth in that, but the way that is expressed in a church is misinterpreted by us leaders, the Lord revealed to me. It is not intentional and I am blaming no one. It is just a fact that God need to bring into the open.

This was not easy for us leaders to understand. It sure was not easy for me to see because that was what I was taught to believe and build. The Lord in His love and grace stated that this understanding is upside down. I needed a revelation from the Lord to correctly understand the way His body is made to function together in unity. I could not understand this concept until I began to understand His extravagant love for His body.

The true purpose of the Ascension gifts of the five-fold ministry is to serve. He has actually called us to get underneath God's people to lift them up in answering "their call" first before "our call and church vision can be realized. We as "Holy Spirit Ascension gifts"are called to pour out our life for those the Lord allows us to shepherd or be sent to. The Lord requires of us to make a diligent seeking of His heart to teach us His love for each under our care, and to show us each person as He sees them.

We are required to spend much time with Him for His needs and the needs of His people. Only in that place of seeking can we hear from God to know his heart in building and serving the saints in the power of the Holy Spirit. Beloved, this change of understanding that He worked in me quite early in the ministry was critically important to understand the work of the Third day that is now upon us. In the last few years the Lord summed up this understanding with this statement to share, "I do not want you to build a church, or a ministry, but establish the Kingdom of God in men's hearts."

This change of understanding allowed me by the grace of God not to see His people for my need or to help me fulfill my call or vision! I began to see how BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL each person is to the Lord. My call was to be given fully, poured out completely in helping and lifting the precious saints to become that beautiful gift God made them.

When God sends me to an individual, church or region, I don't minister in the way that we would call "normal ministry." I can not go to a meeting and just bring a message, pray for a few folks, leave and get an offering. God has sent me there to pour out my whole life to those He brought me to. Many days that means laboring all day and night with very little sleep or even time to eat.

I was taught in the early days of ministering not to let the people get "to close" to you. We were taught to keep an "arms length" apart from the people. Today so many ministries have Body guards, chauffeurs, security to keep the people away from them. I understand that from a security stand point and it might be necessary, but very few ministers linger after a service to be with the Lord and His people. Where did that come from, the heart of God? Before meetings even start God often moves in building His people. There are divine appointments, encounters and prayers that may be released even before a service start or after it is over. We must remove the "off the clock" mentality from his ministers.

We are on the Lord's time and not ours, and we are called to pour out our lives as a drink offering until the Lord says we are done. I know I can not stop until God says I am done with you. Often I have to stay and continue to minister to the Lord and teach the hungry ones on staying and lingering in God's presence as Joshua did.

In Mexico, I had to stay at the keyboard for 45 minutes until the Pastor's son came back to say goodbye. He had a heart like David and was a true worshipper. The Lord's manifest presence waited for the young man to come. I had to keep playing the keyboard until the Lord drew Him back. The young man came back and I had to tell Him the Lord was waiting here for him like Joshua. The presence of God flooded Him immediately. He fell under the Holy Spirits power for the next 45 minutes weeping and crying in His presence.

Could you imagine if I did "normal ministry" and didn't wait? I was dead tired in my Body, everybody else left and was eating at the table, but God required more of me. Did I love Him enough to stay there? What if the young man didn't come back? It was risky and costly to obey the Lord. What was everyone else thinking of me? I do not write these things to lift me up in any way. I just did what God required and God did the rest and gets all the Glory!

After many meetings, God would have me instruct worship teams, leaders or youth to encourage and strengthen them in what God had done in their hearts at the meetings. This takes a lot of time and energy. The question is who do we belong to and how much do you love them? I am not saying these things to boast, GOD FORBID! When we travel or here at home, my day often start at 5am and stop after midnight! I needed to understand that the call God has given us is costly and it is not done 9-5 Monday through Fridays or just on Sunday's and Wednesdays.

Until we realize that we are called to "fill up the sufferings" of Christ," we can never truly get underneath His precious ones to lead them to Him to fulfill their calling. It is costly to be a servant of God beyond any thing you can imagine, but with the greatest of rewards as God's people grow in love with Him and one another!

You are probably wondering what this had to do with giving? Everything beloved reader, everything. God is restoring Shepherds after His own heart and true ministry that will esteem the other better than themselves. One of the other sufferings that has come in ministry is in the area of finances. When the Lord called me to answer His call, I was only 2 weeks old in the Lord. I had never heard God speak to me before and wasn't expecting Him to at this service.

I was in Virginia at my Sister's church as the Preacher was giving His message, the Lord had me turn to Mathew chapter 10. I read the section about the selection of the twelve, but as I read the part of their commissioning my heart began to burn and God began to speak. He had me read this chapter and write in my bible, Building Block #1.

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: Mat 10:6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.

This may not be a place we would look to answer the question of where does God want me to place His money, but it really is if you have ears to hear. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. I have spent the first part of this article sharing with you the cost and price to answer the call. I needed a deeper understanding of what it meant to "lay my life down for my friends or to "pour out my life as a drink offering." I had freely been given this Ascension gift of the Lord and I had to 100% freely give and pour it out. This was God's commandment. As I read a little further this verse was like a FLAME in me and I knew though I was only 2 weeks old in the Lord, that this was a WORD from GOD to me.

Mat 10:9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses; Mat 10:10 no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

I did not understand the suffering and persecution I would face because of this word. There is a divine reason He sent out the twelve and told them not to provide for themselves. I am writing this today to answer the question, where does God want me to sow my finances. First fruits go to your local church, but what about the other giving we are called to do.

Every single ministry is asking for your financial support to fulfill their vision. So where do you put your seed? There is a giving that must be birthed a new with this new third day arising in our midst. The heart of this giving is what the Lord longs for between us, love for one another as He has loved us. Our present understanding of sowing involves giving to ministries or people who are in need.

Many give to TBN, K-LOVE, CBN and these ministries are doing the work of the Lord. But I can say this, I have had people who have supported their ministries call them when we had a need, and they would not help. Why, I don't know? Perhaps God would not allow them to help so we could trust Him deeper. The point is however, LOVE must be the root of all that we do including the motives of our giving.

When the Lord gave us the "Ascension gifts of the five-fold ministry" He called them GIFTS. What are you to do with a gift given to you? You are to cherish and care for it. That is why they are gifts. With my old understanding of church, my call was a job, though I never treated it that way. God is my employer and I am His employee, therefore I am not a gift where God has sent me, I am a worker!

Everyday we go to McDonald's and workers serve us there, do we really have any real connection or love bonds with them? No! He sent the Apostles out taking nothing with them for a Holy divine reason. "The workman is worthy of His wages." How serious is this to the heart of God we shall soon see. Many are not going to like this teaching and may even listen to voices of accusation say, He just wants my money! I can't stop that from happening, but for those who have an ear to hear there is something deep and wonderful the Lord wants to release in your heart for the days to come.

There is a deeper dynamic in giving that God wants to bring to His church. It is rooted in absolute love for one another. Today our giving should not be based on what makes us feel good but what makes God feel good. This is a wonderful truth set forth in Phil 4:10-14.

I know many ministers have suffered great lack in their ministries and hardly make it day to day. Other ministers have great abundances available to them and live very well. I can't judge or understand this disparity, perhaps God will make this clear in the days ahead. But I do know, there is SOMETHING TOTALLY MISSING IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HEART OF GIVING IN OUR NATION! As we examine these verses of scripture let us get the heart of God concerning the Love the Body should have for these Ascension gifts.

Php 4:10 But I am very glad in the Lord that your care for me has come to life again; though you did in fact take thought for me, but you were not able to give effect to it. Php 4:11 But I will not say anything about my needs, for I am able, wherever I am, to be dependent on myself.

Notice the words "that your care for me has come to life again." I do believe that in this new day dawning this will come alive in the heart of the Bride for the gifts God has given her to help her. The Apostle goes on to say I won't mention my needs, but does tell THEM HE HAS THEM, and He is able to be dependent upon himself.

Oh how leaders and the Body of Christ love that scripture. I have heard many times, "Paul made tents, why don't you." I have often replied I will as God leads or tells me to. Many have gotten angry at these words, and even some church leaders get anxious when a new work comes in town, because they are afraid people will start "GIVING" to the new work. I have seen them even raise up against that new work just to keep the money in their ministry or church.

Php 4:12 It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need. Php 4:13 I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength. Php 4:14 But you did well to have care for me in my need.

Paul understood this and suffered it in His own life. He was accused of not working for wrong motive and then for working for wrong motives. Yet in suffering he learns the secret of contentment whether full or hungry, wealth or in need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. None of us can predict what we will have or not have, but we must learn to be content in all circumstances. I am still learning this every day more and more.

Verse 14 says, "But you did well to have care for me in my need." He now establishes from the heart of God that this is something that is WELL PLEASING TO GOD! When the Lord called me and sent me forth, He gave me this word of instruction:

Mat 10:9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses; Mat 10:10 no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

This is a hard concept for the church and it's leadership to understand. I realized that this call would not allow me to have office hours, nor could I take this call and make it a 9-5 job. I could not take Monday's off just for a day off, because the Lord doesn't take a day off with me. I had to learn that rest is in God, and He knows exactly when I should rest or go away for a time of refreshing.

I had to learn to follow His Spirit's direction and instruction not just for the sheep, but my family and all God was going to send me to. My heart's desire is to be able to travel at my own expense and not have to receive even an offering, but God had to correct me here! He had to show me that was the pride in my heart that didn't want to be dependant upon Him or anyone else. He had to show me, "the workman is worthy of His wages."

Many times I cried out to the Lord why? I could go out and get a "secular job"again and provide for myself. Many in the early days of the ministry call suggested that I do that from time to time. Leaders even said let him die, he is worse than an infidel! I understand the persecution involved with the call of Mathew chapter 10. As the fruit of the calling became more evident, God silenced many of these lions voices against me.

I cried many nights because of those words hurting and wounding me. I begged God to tell them and help them understand what He asked me to do, but often He did not do that. As a missionary it is a little easier to try to "raise support." Which we still do. Many words have come about starting a Christian company and the profits go to the work of the ministry. This would lighten the burden on God's people. Beloved, we have tried to do both. But do you know where we end up, right back to where we started from?

He says, "whatever city I send you, don't take gold, silver a wallet or any means of support." Isn't that kind of a stupid requirement, God? You know what people are going to say, "he just wants your money, or we don't have enough for ourselves how can we help you." The Lord's answer to this is, "that is exactly what they will say, and this is the attitude I need to expose in the hearts of my people."

Beloved, when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the first fruits visible after the fire came upon them was that people "no longer considered what they had their own." WOW, talk about miracles. People who had lands and properties sold these lands and laid them at the Apostle's feet. The Bible said, there was not one needy one amongst them,(Acts 2:42-47) because they loved each other as we have never seen before in history or even now. They laid their life down one for another as the Lord had commanded. The rich and those who had resources, gave to those who had not, and everyone was taken care of. This is not communism, this is HOLY COMMUNION!

Why would God send the apostles out with that command, take nothing with you, for the workman is worthy of their wages? The reason is to BUILD MUTUAL LOVE BOND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE GIFT THAT WAS SENT AND THOSE TO WHOM IT WAS SENT! Again this concept of love, starts with recognizing that God is not sending you "workers," or even employee's but GIFTS!

1Co 9:9 For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders?
1Co 9:10 Or has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it.

1Co 9:11: If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world? 1Co 9:12 If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more?

This is where we need great understanding in our heart of giving. Beloved this heart of giving is above tithes and offerings! Why did the Lord send the 12 out to minister requiring them not to take any provision with them? He wanted those they were sent to, to understand the precious gift God was sending them from Him, and to cherish and love those gifts like they would Him! I am not going to make a lot of new friends with this message I am afraid, because it is not popular. Beloved these messengers were sent in love to you by God.

In the early days of the church, these gifts were not chosen by an elder board or a commitee of unspiritual men and woman. They were chosen by the Holy Spirit in whom Spiritual men recognized God's will in selection. They weren't paid employees! They weren't salaried positons as we know them to be, they were servants of the most High God, GIFTS FROM THE LORD!

You may not like to hear this word on love-bond giving yet, because our understanding has been about TITHES and OFFERINGS or sowing and reaping to get things from God.That is easy for us to see, maybe not so easy for a few. It is easy because it seems not to require the "laying down of our lives for one another." It is not a real "costly type of giving." It may hurt a little, but it is not the laying down type found in the books of Acts chapters 2 and 4.

In our present type of giving we can choose what, where, when and how much to give. In the midst of this kind of heart and understanding in God's people, He gives His command to go forth to the disciples and take nothing with them. WOW GOD! You see Beloved, God is not stupid! He is so wise! In this sending, He was requiring a love for one another that is more than giving to a CHURCH, A MINISTRY, A MISSIONARY WORK! He is requiring a LIFE FOR A LIFE, or a REAL AND GENUINE LOVE BOND!

Here is where the suffering part is required of the disciples, and this may explain why many ascension gifts of the Lord are suffering financially. (By the way, I forgot to tell you where these ascencion gifts are found. Ephesians 4:8-14)

But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ.

Paul is writing this not to these gifts, but to those to whom the gift was sent. He would never demand their support. True love never would demand this. Paul knew that if He did demand what should be given to him by GOD, the relgious people would use that against him. Yet He still mentions this truth to the church in Corinth. He wanted them to understand that taking care of God's messengers was something GOD WANTED! It would show to the world a love that has not been seen, as if they were taking care of the Lord Himself.

The messengers also had a commission to freely give all that God had give to them for those in need. They were called to pour their life out as a drink offering for the care of the church as Paul himself had done. He commands the gifts to love those they were given to as if they were taking care of the Lord Himself. THEY COULD NEVER DEMAND PAYMENT for their labor with the heart that comes from God Himself!

Love is a sacrifice, a willing one that will lay down their lives for their friends. It must be laid down by all of us one for the other! Those who sow to the spiritual good of all should be able to live by what others have sown and reaped of their natural provision. Look how wise God is!

Many times in answering the call of God upon us, we have suffered financially. God has poured through us and many have been blessed, changed and transformed by the manifested presence of the Lord. However; the giving has not ever matched what He pours out and gave to those that we were sent to. In my early years this would hurt me greatly, but as I have grown in the Lord, I realize these things I needed to learn on how to willingly suffer for His name sake and for those God sent me to.

The hard part for me today is to teach about these love-bond principles because those who would read these words, and are not for or rooted in the Lord, would try to accuse me of teaching these things for my own gain. I think that is why the Apostle Paul said he would not demand this payment from them, though he mentions he had the right to do so. He was more concerned on teaching what the heart of God was concerning love bond relationships between the ascension gifts of ministry and the saints of God.

However, He did write these words to teach them giving love in spite of what others may have accused him of. Where does God want you to place His precious provision He has given you? I can't answer that for you, but I am laying down some principles from the Word of God. Through out answering the call He placed upon my life in ministering to His people, I had to learn to love God's precious ones no matter if they returned the love back or not.

This is not an easy process for a young minister to learn. I would cry sometimes why is God blessing minister so and so. They don't even love the sheep or preach the real word of God. I was angry with the Lord over this. I told Him, I did all He asked me to do, gave all I had and He was letting me suffer. I waited for His reply. What do you think He answered me with? Henry, you poor thing, I am so sorry this is hurting you.

No Beloved reader, He said, "Henry your righteousness is but a filthy rag." Talk about getting mad! I was livid with the Lord. I said, "how can this be my righteousness, you aske me to do this?" He told me then, "I am not going to provide for you because you serve me or do these things. I am going to provide for you for one reason and one reason only, I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE YOU! That was it for me. I hit the deck and wept like a baby.

Why did I have to learn this heart of God. God knew someday I would be sent out and often I would not have a penny to go, or to eat, or even pay my bills. What would I do then? Leave my call? Would I go get a job to provide for myself and give up the calling for a bowl of soup? I almost did a couple of times in those early days. Thank you God for great grace. I had to learn that I could NEVER DEMAND PAYMENT from God's people not in real life or even BURIED IN MY HEART! Let me give you an example of this:

I was Pastoring many years ago in Connecticut and we had a precious couple come and minister to us in song. They were anointed and sang like song birds. We loved to have them come and minister often in our church. When they first started coming they never asked for anything but a love offering. When they came and ministered, God always touched my heart to bless them abundantly.

I often gave way above the offering received from the congregation. After a few years, their ministry grew very big and they got caught up in the "Christian Circuit!" The big boys club! One day they called me and asked if they could come to minister at the church, but this time they sent me a list of expectations in the mail. It was not a list of expectations but demands I am so sorry to say. I had to pay for their airfare, hotel, meals, expenses and a love offering. It was a "DEMANDED of me" or they would not come.

Their reasoning for this change in heart was they got "stiffed" by many churches who held back part of their offerings for themselves though they told the people that the whole offering was for them. Beloved, they weren't lying, this does happen! I told them I have not ever done that to them, and asked them if they were not blessed when they came. They said, "yes Pastor always." I told them I could not meet those demands and I was sorry.

The letter broke my heart when I read it. The Lord told me they could not come, and I had to tell them why? It was not easy, and they got very mad at me and I never heard from them again. Paul writes, "But we make no use of this right."

Neither can I! I am praying that as the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would choose a better way beloved. I pray that we would never even have to mention this as a demand or a right to be cared for. I am writing this today with a desire to see God's people understand the Word of God and our mutual need for one another. My prayer is that we can truly give as it has been freely given to us, but none of us have the right to demand it ever! With that said, let us still see beloved Bride of the Lord what is required in love concerning these ascension gifts God sends you.

1Co 9:13 Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?

1Co 9:14 Even so did the Lord give orders that the preachers of the good news might get their living from the good news.

Do we really want to hear the TRUTH beloved, or shall we stay in the only tithes and offerings type of giving? My prayer today is that you Beloved Reader would allow God to open your eyes in this matter. If you will, God will allow you to see your Pastor differently and those who God sends to you. You will see your Pastor doesn't deserve a paycheck, He deserves to be loved as the Lord loves you.

My prayer for us Pastor's and leaders is that we won't see our call as a job with hours and offices, but a laying down of our lives for God's people, no matter what the cost of price. My prayer is that God would begin to realign our thinking as we enter this new day! It is going to be quite important for us to have correct understanding of our responsibility in furthering the Gospel financially. I have never demanded anything where God sends me. I don't even ask for an offering unless the people ask me. I tell them do what God has placed in your heart to do.

I do send out emails and letters to let those who say they love us and want to help as the Lord leads. I do tell them what our needs are to pray for and to see if God would touch their hearts to help, but the rest is up to the Lord and His people to respond as He wills. BUT I CAN NEVER DEMAND IT!

I can not even do the most popular things like selling books and tapes for profit, or giving them as gifts for an offering to the ministry. I can't send out marketing letters that many ministries get from marketing company's trying to get your money. I can not use gimmicks, tricks, or be involved with back room deals that many in the Body of Christ are using now to get money.

I can not fill up my calendar to preach at different churches to "make a living." I can not plan meetings to get money. Again, I don't say this to boast how good I am, many days I anquish over these things! What should I do Lord? What is a good idea to raise support? How do I go forward and trust in the Lord!

Beloved,God is still working here in me in this area, but wants me to teach these truths for anyone who might have an ear to hear. But the next scripture God has burned in me.

1Co 9:15 But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.

Over the years, God has brought a few faithful saints that God has worked this in their heart to help us and receive us with this kind of love. To this we give God praise, but we have learned to love those precious saints that have not had this worked in their heart as well. This is the Holy Spirit's work to convince His precious ones of this truth, not ours.

Ours is to just pour out our life as a drink offering for the Lord wherever God sends us to pour it out. In this context, you might gain understanding of the beauty of the Philippian church in their relationship with the Apostle Paul and His calling as a missionary and their giving to hHim. Let us read this:

Php 4:15 And you have knowledge, Philippians, that when the good news first came to you, when I went away from Macedonia, no church took part with me in the business of giving to the saints, but you only; Php 4:16 Because even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to me in my need.

Did you ever ask why Paul wrote this out in the open for every generation of Christians to see?This church welcomed Paul as a gift. They demonstrated this love as required in Mathew chapter 10. They understood that this workman was worthy of his wages! This church sent not just support once but twice to help him answer the call upon His life.

Paul writes to them these truths. He was not looking for a gift for himself, but for the WORK GOD CALLED HIM TO DO! He told them this kind of giving was WELL PLEASING TO GOD! He told them he was looking for the FRUIT which would be CREDITED to their ACCOUNT BY GOD! This giving was not a normal giving to God in taking care of him. This giving was a PRECIOUS PERFUME POURED OUT TO GOD FOR HIM!

Php 4:17 Not that I am looking for an offering, but for fruit which may be put to your credit.

The Apostle Paul rejoices over this type of giving. This giving didn't come out of hype, offering them books or tapes, or what they were going to get back teaching. This giving came forth from the HEART OF LOVE ALONE! He did not demand payment for His expenses, traveling, or any such thing. He rejoiced in the fact that GOD'S LOVE MANIFESTED IN THEM BY GIVING AND CARING FOR HIM. THEY HAD A HEART TO PROVIDE FOR ONE OF GOD'S MESSENGER GIFTS!

Listen to the beautiful words Pauls says to them about their giving. He says that their giving is a SWEET SMELL and A PERFUME and a OFFERING WELL PLEASING TO GOD! Isn't that more than a TITHE AND OFFERING?

Php 4:18 I have all things and more than enough: I am made full, having had from Epaphroditus the things which came from you, a perfume of a sweet smell, an offering well pleasing to God.

As I close this writing today, I want you to know that I intended to continue the series on "The flame of the Lord," but this is His heart being revealed to me today. Many Christians claim this next promise of blessing as their own, but they have not given with the same heart of those in Phillipi to the Apostle Paul.

This released blessing came forth of GIVING BEYOND TITHE AND OFFERINGS! This blessing came when they understood what LOVE REALLY is, and the responsibility of that love required fin Mathew chapter 10, "take nothing with you as you go, the workman is worthy of His wages."

Beloved Reader, I pray you hear this clarion call this day! This is a word from the Lord to us to bring the divine release God desires in this third day! If we do not begin to see the Holy Love required in Mathew chapter 10 and 1st Corinthians 9:9-11, we will miss the blessings that Paul writes here: "and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory."

Pastors, ministers and sent ones, we too must understand the cost of this love with no expectations or demands! That is not easy! It is against the popular teaching as well! No greater love than this, then to lay down His life for the sheep. Can we as ministers share with those being sent what it cost to come, yes! Can we demand it to be paid, NO! Should we not go to them, if they won't pay? That is up to you to decide.

As for me, I must go where God sends me no matter what, and I do ask God to provide for the means to go as I should, I believe! We must allow the Holy Spirit to show us all how to love this way in our giving. It is a privlege to be sent by God as a gift, and a privlege to be received where you were sent as a gift from God. I pray we learn to treasure each gift of God that we all are. Those who are sent and those receiving the one being sent are one family, and God wants to provide for all of us to have enough!

So where should you place your money? First remember, it is not yours, but Gods! Second, do you love the messengers God has sent you, and do you love the people God sent you to? Then give has God has given you the measure to give to those gifts, then it will be pressed down, shaken up and pouring over as He desires. To all who hear that call this promise awaits you.

Php 4:19 And my God will give you all you have need of from the wealth of his glory in Christ Jesus.

If this word or the fruit of this ministry has blessed you, and the Lord puts in your heart to support us financailly we are grateful! That is not why this word was written. It was written to declare the love-bond giving that comes from the Third day of the Lord. A giving that will love one another as I have loved you. We do have a donation link on the home page for those who feel led to sow a seed in our lives. Go to the home page and click on the donation link! We are blessed if you do, and blessed if you don't. No strings are attached to this word!

If God touches your heart to do something for your Pastor, leader, missionary worker, go do it now, before the enemy talks you out of it!I want to say one more time and make it perfectly clear, no one who reads this is obligated to send one penny to us, it is freely given! I pray this word has touched and prepared your heart for the giving that is about to come in the New 3rd Day that is here!

Shalom!