MONEY IS A TOOL TO MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE

2 Corinthians 9:8-11. AMP

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come in abundance to you, so that you may always (under all circumstances, regardless of the need) have complete sufficiency in everything (being completely self-sufficient in Him), and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.  As it is written and forever remains written, 

He (the benevolent and generous person) SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER!

Now he who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing (that is, your resources) and increase the harvest of your righteousness (which shows itself in active goodness kindness, and love).  You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this (generosity, administered) through us is producing thanksgiving to God (from those who benefit).  

For the ministry of this service (offering) is not only supplying the needs of the saints (God’s people), but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. 

Ephesians 3:20 -  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  

Has God given you BIG promises? As you press in Gods presence he will show you things to come. You may have already been seeing something in your spirit about changes coming to your life, business or ministry.  

I believe God has been expanding our capacity to receive from Him. We have to go beyond our abilities.

When our capacity to give is expanded so is our capacity to receive.  Luke 6:38 says “Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you”. Our capacity determines our blessing flow. 

Most people only have faith for their own needs.  They are not really actively trying to expand that. They are faithful in their tithes and once in awhile they give an offering. 

The tithe is from your past income.  The tithe is from something you already have.  We give 10% of what we earned, whether that be from our jobs or businesses or even money that comes into our hands form other sources.  That is our first fruit.  We give back to God 10% of whatever we make.  The tithe honors God and it belongs to where you are feed.  

Beyond that we seem to drop the ball in the area of offerings.  We need to set some goals for this year personally.  It is not enough to just give your tithe if you are expecting to step into an abundance for every good work.  The offering is necessary to step into an abundance and see increase. 

I have never been a goal setting person.  Just as I have never really budgeted.  God has been dealing with me about setting goals in my tithes and offerings.  It takes as much faith to believe God for 1 car as it does 2.  So why not believe for 2 and give one away.  Believe God for what you need but take it a step farther and use it to advance the Kingdom of God.  

We don’t just believe God for OUR needs to be met we need to believe God for kingdom purposes.  We need to get behind our local church more concerning what God has laid upon the heart of our Pastors.  When God releases vision through our Pastors it does not become their responsibility to see it come to pass it is ours.  That means we need to begin to carry the weight financially to see that vision become reality.  

Here are some principles to think about as we head into 2025.  God is going to give some of us businesses for the purpose of creating kingdom wealth because the church needs the resources to complete the work.  

1. Expand your capacity to believe God for BIG things. 

2. Pray in the Holy Ghost…get the mind of God.

3. Get the mind of God and establish what that is.  What does it look like.  Get that into your spirit.  Holy Spirit will show you the future and then you need to ask him what you need to do.  You need a strategy for building. 

4. Develop kingdom goals not just personal goals.  Develop short term, mid term, and long term goals. 

As we head into this near year be a fruit inspector.  What is producing fruit and what is not producing.  This is whether you are a ministry or have a business. You need to cut away what is not growing.  There are some people that may have to be positioned differently to see growth.  

There is people that God will attach to this vision who will build with us and there are people God uses as scaffolding.  Scaffolding is installed at the very beginning of any construction project or maintenance work. It is a temporary platform that offers support, elevation, and enables workers to carry materials and conduct their work during the construction process. They are here to help build but there is a time they will go.  

When developing goals figure out how much money you want.  If you want personally to have $100K a year for your household then you are going to tithe the 10% on that income.  But what would happen if God so breathed on your finances that he gave you 200K a year.  Then give God everything over 100K not just the 10%.  God will breathe on, increase and multiply what you are asking for but it is for his KINGDOM PURPOSES.  

See how different we should look at this.  Most of us would just give the 10% on what God breathed on.  It takes the same amount of faith to believe God for 100K as it does to believe God for 200K.  God wants to multiply your work and bless it but you must determine what is for you and what is for God. 

For those aspiring to be in ministry…consider that some of you may not be in pulpit ministry but in a much needed ministry of funding the Kingdom work. 

The last day move of God is a marketplace move.  Some of us God wants to use to funnel the wealth of the wicked into the hands of righteous people to be used for kingdom purposes.  Allow Holy Spirit to breath upon you a strategy for creating wealth.  You may not have the skill set for it now but God will equip you with whatever skills you need to get the job done.  We have so limited God to what we can see around us.  We need to allow Holy Spirit to dream through us and let him do in us what he desires.  

Exodus 31:3-5. And I have filled him (God telling Moses regarding Bezalel and Hur) with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.  He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.  He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood.  He is a master at every craft!

GOD IS GOING TO SHOW YOU A MORE EXCELLANT WAY.  GOD IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A BLUEPRINT OR STRATEGY AND IT IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT WAY AND DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU DID BEFORE.  GOD IS GOING TO SHOW YOU A DIFFERENT WAY.  IT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH.  IT IS GOING TO BE THE HOLY GHOST.

Some of you have been doing what you always do without considering God may want to move you into other things to fund the work of the Kingdom.  Many businesses not just your 9-5 job.  We must expand out capacity to receive from God.  Retired folks in this church.  God still needs us to begin to allow him to use us and expand us.  Some of us may start businesses in retirement.  As Dr. Rodney Howard Browne says it is time to get refired instead of retired.

Tammy