You sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. Phil 4:16-17NIV
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. …. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Cor 9:6, 10-11 NIV
I welcome you to this glorious New Week and I pray the light and favor of God over you in Jesus name.
I want to use this opportunity to appreciate all PNUR Family and Partners for their support during the planning of PNUR International Prayer and Revival Convention – August Special. Thanks to all who sent us financial support and those who took out time to come in person.
Permit me to respond to an important issue. There are a lot of confusion going on in the Body of Christ owing to satan’s direct and indirect attack on the Church. Most of this attack would not have bothered us if they are not coming from people we respect as servants of God. These teachers who spread confusion speak with such boldness that it is difficult for one to observe the errors in their teachings. One of the most recent of these attacks is from Rev. Dr. Abel Damina, who claims that moneys and gifts given to servants of God has no heavenly reward. In his words, “Your tithe and offering to your Pastor does not get you a mansion in heaven but only serves your pastors to grow richer on earth”. By this he meant that giving to servants of God does not have eternal rewards.
Our text scriptures totally disagree with his position. Apostle Paul says that moneys and material things given to him earned some credit in their heaven-account. He urged his audience to give so that they will have something to draw from in their time of need. He said that he was glad that they gave to him as he did the Lord’s work because their gifts was on their credit before God. The phrase, “I am looking for what may be credited to your account’ is in the same sense as when some money has been put into someone’s bank account because of some service or work rendered somewhere. In the same sense, the one to whom such money has been credited will have the right to draw from the amount in the future. The Apostle Paul was not shy to express this and I am among those that is currently drawing from such sacrifices.
In the second scripture, he was bold to say that the amount we gave mattered. He said that if we give sparingly, we will reap according to what we have given. This point is important because there are those who see servants of God as, “poor and needy” and they express this in the manner and amount of their gifts to them. I warn servants of God never to receive any giving that places you on the same level as “less-privileged”.
Yet it is important that giving should not be forced.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver 2 Cor 9:7NIV
Should we receive ministry support from the poor people?
There is no discrimination in spiritual matters. Bible says that we open doors to receive if we give. Giving is like sowing and if you sow nothing, you cannot reap at the time of harvest. This is one of the principal reasons that the poor get poorer because they have nothing in their heaven-account. Here is an example of some poor people practicing giving and how Apostle Paul responded to it.
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 2 Cor 8:1-5NIV
The Lord Jesus Christ supports that the poor should give and He even honors their great sacrifice in the practice of giving.
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luke 21:1-4NIV
According to the Lord Jesus Christ, a poor person that gave Ten Dollars from his Fifteen Dollars has given more than a rich man that gave One thousand Dollars from his One Hundred Thousand Dollars because of the percentage implication.
Does God multiply our gifts and bless us accordingly? Yes He does!
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion
This is what the bible teaches Christians and whoever attacks this position is attacking the God of the bible. The person cannot still claim to be a Christian after he has countered this position.
Does God see our giving from heaven? Yes, He does!
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God Acts 10:1-4NIV
Is it wrong for a servant of God to quit all his other jobs and depend on gifts from people?
I have heard people say that servants of God should also get themselves secular jobs. It is easy to turn this into a doctrine in our narcissistic generation where most people see giving for God’s agenda as a burden. I want my readers to know that if we all do the ministry work like that, we will never have people who preach in mission fronts. We also won’t have people who plan conferences and crusades from country to country. As I write this, we plan to visit three countries before the end of this year. If I sit down in Port Harcourt tied down to some secular business, I will never be able to achieve this. There are different levels and dimensions of ministry and people should not use ministry as escape from working for a living, but everyone cannot combine their ministry with secular enterprise, otherwise the Great Commission will not be achieved in our time.
I want to also use this opportunity to warn my readers and encourage them to read their bible and not to always depend on the interpretation of other people for their conviction. Servants of God deserve our support financially and materially. God has promised to reward those that give to those of His servants who do the work of the ministry.
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matt 10:42NIV
This is the prayer that Apostle Paul sent to those that supported his ministry and I pray the same for you.
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19NIV
Having said that, I pray that the Lord shall reward all that has supported us at PNUR over the years and I pray that God will make you rich in every way so you can continue to be generous in every occasion.
I wish you a Happy New Week in Jesus Christ.
I love to hear from you.
Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com
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