The Heavenly Mechanics Behind Christian Giving
While on earth, Jesus talked about eternal rewards at length. The Bible also discusses the topic of those rewards. The topic of eternal rewards is something that generally is neglected during a discussion about supernatural finances. Jesus did speak about a Christian’s giving. Jesus emphasized this point—when one gives to those in need, it is best to do the act in secret. The expression that best fits this situation is perhaps the saying: “One hand does not even know what the other hand is doing.” In the Book of Luke, Jesus says this concerning giving:
So, now, go and sell what you have and give to those in need, making deposits in your account in heaven, an account that will never be taken from you. Your gifts will become a secure and unfailing treasure, deposited in heaven forever. Where you deposit your treasure, that is where your thoughts will turn to—and your heart will long to be there also (Luke 12:33-34 TPT).
When Christians give to those who cannot pay back, Jesus makes this fact clear—eternal treasure will be laid up for the giver. Christians who give must not expect a repayment from the one to who has received the gift. Christians also must not expect recognition for having helped another who is unable to repay. A perfect example of this type of situation is found in the story that Jesus told about the widow who gave her last two mites in the temple. Jesus and His disciples were standing in the temple near the spot where offerings were deposited. He was observing everyone as they gave offerings.There were people who gave great amounts, and there were some who gave far less. And then there was the widow, who gave everything that she possessed. Supernaturally, Jesus knew that she had given all that she could give. She gave her total supply. There would have been no natural way to know that she had given her last two mites. Therefore, supernatural insight from the Father came to Jesus into the situation. But the key factor to consider is this one: Jesus saw her action, and He knew that this was all the substance that that widow possessed. When Jesus observed this widow and her gift, He turned to His disciples. He told them that what she had given was all that she possessed. Jesus said that she gave more than anyone else.When that widow gave, she created a situation where she was dependent upon the Lord to come through for her in a miraculous way. She was not giving to receive the attention of people as others there were doing. She was giving because she wanted to give to God. Despite seeing that the widow gave all that she possessed, Jesus did not seek her out to give her money. He did not take the two mites out of the container to give them back to her. He did nothing. In fact, the widow assumed that no one even noticed her giving. Jesus, however, noticed her gift in the offering. He turned to His disciples and told them what the widow had done.
Jesus did not tell anyone to give the widow money. He did not instruct Judas, who held the treasury bag, nor did He tell any of the disciples to repay her. She gave everything that she possessed into the offering. She had no assurance of provision other than her faith that God would take care of her. God saw the widow’s heart, just as He sees every giver’s heart. There may be no immediate gratification or response to a person’s offering that he or she freely gives. Christians must give from the heart, knowing that this is what God desires for His children to do. A Christian must be willing to obey God in any kind of situation, even a situation that is uncomfortable, such as giving to someone who one knows has no ability to return the favor.We can be certain the widow who gave the two mites received a reward. We know that God is always faithful to give a return to those who give. But Jesus did not immediately compensate her or protect her in any way. However, God no doubt made certain that she received her reward. It is the same with any Christian who gives. God knows when someone gives an offering, gives of his or her time, or gives anything that he or she may do that can be considered a gift to the Lord. There may not be compensation that comes immediately. Sometimes, it is important to remember that when someone gives to others, some of those people who receive that gift are unable to repay that blessing.
Anyone who does things to obtain favor with man has the wrong motive. If a person gives with the motive of recognition, then that recognition is the only reward that will happen. If a person’s motive is incorrect, that individual forfeits any repayment from the Lord. When a person does something for another person in secret, especially if the recipient is unable to repay the giver, that action causes God to assume responsibility for the return. Anyone who lends to the poor actually lends that gift to the Lord, and the Lord pays great dividends. This principle of God repaying when someone lends to the poor is found in the Bible. Jesus desires that those who give have the understanding that those gifts are viewed in an eternal perspective. The giver will definitely receive credit into his or her account for the items that he or she has given to help others.When someone gives something with the correct heart motivation, there will always be a reward, and it is placed in the giver’s eternal account with God. When a person gives, his or her gifts are secure, and a deposit is made in Heaven that lasts forever. Anyone who gives must evaluate his or her heart to ensure that the motive for giving is right in the sight of the Lord. A giver also must not look for a certain way that God will reward that gift. The Lord will determine the manner in which He will reward the gift.
Heavenly Transactions
A Christian who gives to others in the physical realm is also giving to others and in the spiritual realm as well. In that manner provision is made for reward in the life to come. Everything that a believer gives in this realm is going to be laid up to his or her eternal account. A Christian is wise when he or she discovers ways to give so that no one can pay anything back except for God Himself. When giving out of a right heart, a believer causes heavenly realms to activate and moves the angels to start to minister. God’s children are to be people who will do righteous acts without seeking recognition or repayment. It is best to not allow good deeds to be known publicly, but to do good deeds in secret.
Each Christian must allow God, as a heavenly Father, to reward him or her. God says that Christians must not do things for the admiration of others. In the New Living Translation, Matthew 6:1-4 states:
Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Every believer must know that one’s motives have to be right, especially in giving to others. When a Christian gives a gift in private, that action motivates God, the Father, to reward that person on His own. The best way to give is to do so without expectation of return from those who receive. A believer should have expectation of a return from the loving Father. Jesus also spoke in parables concerning this particular truth concerning giving to those who could not compensate the giver.
Then Jesus turned to his host and said, “When you throw a banquet, don’t just invite your friends, relatives, or rich neighbors—for it is likely they will return the favor. It is better to invite those who never get an invitation. Invite the poor to your banquet, along with the outcast, the handicapped, and the blind—those who could never repay you the favor. Then you will experience a great blessing in this life, and at the resurrection of the godly you will receive a full reward (Luke 14:12-14 TPT).
These are the very words of Jesus! He is saying that Christians should concentrate on giving to the people who cannot help themselves. When a Christian seeks to follow that advice, the Bible promises that the believer will experience a great blessing in this life, as well as a blessing at the resurrection when each believer will receive a full reward. God rewards Christians in this life, as well as in the life to come! That is a wonderful exchange!
Matters of the Heart
Many people mistakenly believe that a person’s mind is the deciding factor for determining to give freely. In a sense, the choice is determined by the mind, but the heart is the determining factor because from the heart come motives. One must determine to give with a pure heart motive. Therefore, giving to those in need to bless them actually is a heart thing. A person knows when he or she gives with a pure and holy heart motive. The sixth chapter of Hebrews reveals that God will reward those who diligently seek Him. It is very important to recognize that faith is of the heart. Faith is not of the mind. Giving with holiness originates in the heart, where motives begin. Faith is not something that originates in the mind. Yes, one must choose with the mind to give, but the heart is the factor that determines if the giving is something that has pure motive to act. With pure motives behind it, the giving of the gift will be acceptable in the sight of God.
Every Christian must realize that he or she must not allow himself or herself to be manipulated mentally when others try to convince that believer to give. God does not honor or respect the actions of anyone who tries to manipulate another to give. He does not accept such manipulations as righteous acts. God loves when a Christian gives out of his or her heart freely, but He does not love it when people try to manipulate a believer to cause them to feel obligated to give.God desires that each believer determine what he or she should give in his or her own heart. One example that illustrates how much God desires a Christian’s giving to be sincere and not manipulated is told when Paul sent a message ahead to the Corinthians. He told the Corinthians that before he arrived they were to collect the offering. Collecting the gifts ahead of time, before Paul even arrived, would render any manipulation of people or any preying upon the emotions of people impossible. Paul also recommended that the Corinthians set aside a portion of their increase, and he stated that those who did set aside a portion not do that action out of compulsion. Paul emphasized the fact that God loves a cheerful giver! Giving is supposed to be a joyful action for the believer!
Giving should be something that a Christian wants to do.
Faith Is of the Heart
If a Christian is doing something out of faith, then that person receives a reward. Also, if a Christian does something in the name of Jesus because he or she wants to represent the Lord as a generous giver, then he or she will receive a reward. In 1992, when I had my first heavenly visitation, Jesus told me that there are two ways for a Christian to receive a reward. One way to receive a reward was giving to someone in the name of Jesus, even it was just a cold cup of water to somebody in need. A person will receive his or her reward according to Scripture. The other way to receive a reward is when a Christian is stirred in faith, and also in compassion, toward someone. The gifts a believer gives out of faith and compassion receive the Lord’s reward as well.Every believer must realize that without faith, it is impossible to please God. One must believe that God exists and that He is a rewarder of those who fervently seek Him (see Heb. 11:6). Therefore, a believer’s actions must be born out of the faith, as well as be born of the heart.
Before any meeting where an offering might be collected, the best thing to do is to pray ahead of time before that meeting. One good strategy is to simply inquire of the Lord, “What am I going to be giving tonight?” Asking this question before attending a meeting helps ensure that a person will follow the Scriptures. It also helps circumvent any manipulation that may come from those in the meeting, through the offering message, or any other situation. A believer needs to take precautions so that he or she is not being manipulated into giving. In Corinthians, Paul spoke concerning preparation of the offering before a meeting took place. If a Christian will determine ahead of time what he or she will give, then he or she will feel comfortable with the gift that is given. He or she will already have heard from the Lord concerning the offering to give, and then the giving will be done in faith.I follow this strategy. The Lord will speak to me concerning the offering. And then I ask my wife, “What is the Lord laying upon your heart to give?” Her response is almost always exactly the same figure that I have heard from the Lord. Almost one hundred percent of the time, the amount that I was led to give and the amount that my wife said we were to give are identical. Therefore, in that manner, the Lord confirms the amount that we are to give completely! And that confirmation gives us freedom and the opportunity to rejoice in our gifts!
A Christian is to enjoy giving, and not allow anyone to take that joy by making a gift compulsory. In other words, a believer must not allow the pressure from others to take the joy of giving from them by submitting to that pressure to give. The needs of the people will exist, no matter what happens. Christians must not fill a gap by throwing money, and they will know not to throw money when they seek God for the amount and refuse to give under pressure.When Christians give offerings to the church, they are not wasting their investment or just throwing money around. Rather, in faith, they are placing their gift on the altar to God, and He is receiving it. Each institution or church that receives gifts must do so responsibly and must determine where that offering will go by seeking the Lord. But every Christian has a responsibility to find out what God is saying to give, as well as a responsibility to place that gift into the ministry where he or she feels comfortable in his or her faith. Christians must never give offerings when there is pressure to comply. One’s purpose to give must not be a response to pressure, but rather a response to the Lord and an expression of love toward Him.
The Supernatural Attitude
It is important to emphasize that the attitude of a believer must be correct when giving to those who cannot pay back the gift. The correct attitude requires faith on the part of the giver. One must have faith to give in a way that does not reveal one’s giving to others. When other people do not know that a Christian is giving, the giver must operate in faith to believe that a return will eventually come forth. A Christian’s reliance upon God and his or her belief that He will reward the giving is actually an act of faith of that Christian. The reward will not arrive because a person knows that someone is giving. In contrast, the reward will arrive because the Lord knows what that person who has given a gift has done. The Lord will make certain that the giver receives a reward, so that reward requires a supernatural response. A believer must exercise his or her faith to believe that the reward will come. He or she must keep the giving anonymous. When a Christian becomes determined to help others at the point of their need, he or she must also realize that his or her angels, who are assigned to those Christians who give privately, are keeping track of everything.
Angels are fully aware when a Christian has given freely to those in need who are unable to repay the debt. The angels report that information to the Father and Jesus in the heavenly host’s command center. Angels are careful to record a Christian’s every action, and when a believer gives, all of Heaven becomes aware of that act of kindness. It takes great faith to give in secret. It takes great faith to give to someone who cannot pay the gift back. So even though a person may believe in the existence of God, he or she must also have confident assurance that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.The Holy Spirit will notify the angels when a believer has given freely and privately to those in need. When the angels hear this news, it becomes their responsibility to ensure that the giver receives compensation. The angels will be certain to notify God, and the Christian who has given freely will obtain favor beyond what he or she could ask, think, or believe. A believer must have confident faith, choosing not to worry that this process will work. At first, a believer can begin giving small gifts to those who cannot give back in return. Doing small acts of giving often will help build a Christian’s level of faith to give to people who cannot pay back. If a believer will start giving in secret, and he or she realizes that no one knows what his or her actions have been, he or she opens the way for the Lord to reward that act of giving. Believers now live in exciting times! This process is supernatural, and Christians can have assurance that God saw their giving and will reward them.
Supernatural Help
At this present time, there is more angelic activity happening than has ever occurred in any time of history! The Book of Acts reveals information of events that happened over the process of many years, yet the Bible documents only a certain amount of angelic visitation during the time of Acts. Sometimes one angelic visitation recorded in the Book of Acts actually happened after twenty years passed from the time of another visitation! When Christians read about those visitations in Acts, they often mistakenly get the impression that they all occurred within a few months. However, in reality the visitations often were separated by many years.
At this present time in the history of the world, we are having more angelic activity than ever before now. Angelic activity is also continually increasing. People are being visited in in a greater way. We are approaching the end of this dispensation, and it is God’s desire for His children to prosper. Therefore, especially at this time in history and this age, the Lord seeks to reward His own for those things they have done in secret. Due to the acceleration of angelic activity, believers will begin to see evidence of an increase in the supernatural realm.
Angels often surround us at this time, and they see every act of giving one may do, no matter how small that act may be. Christians can, therefore, have great assurance that those angels will report what they are doing in secret. A report will be recorded in Heaven. When a believer takes the time and effort to help someone who is unable to help themselves, angels will report that action to the Lord. For example, angels will be watching and recording seemingly small things, such as when a person helps someone who cannot walk well to cross the street, or helps someone by holding a door for them, or helps another person by paying for his or her lunch in secret.
God’s Voice
There have been times in my life when I was impressed by a voice saying, “I want you to give everything you own away.” Yet, I knew that the impression to give everything away was not the Lord speaking to me. It actually was a familiar spirit, an evil spirit, trying to influence me to do something that would not please the Lord. It is true that there are times when the enemy, the devil, does try to give a Christian an impression to give. Therefore, when a Christian receives an impression to give, he or she must be careful assess that leading to assure that it is not the enemy who is trying to confuse him or her. However, for the most part, a believer can be assured that the Lord is not asking him or her to give everything he or she possesses away all at one time. Most generally, the Lord will ask a believer to give and help people as He prospers that believer. The usual pattern for Christians to expect is that God will ask a Christian to help others in ways that produce larger increments at each new opportunity that the Christian is led to give. Those increments increase over time as God prospers the believer more and more.I have given a great deal of money away, and I have sometimes given in very large amounts. There were times that I gave almost everything I owned. However, in each of those instances, I knew that my giving was fulfilling the prompting of the Lord to give so abundantly.
My main point, however, is that Christians should listen to the voice of the Lord and follow His promptings, which generally are to give small portions at first. The Lord may speak to a believer concerning donating time to other people when it seems that that believer does not have any time to spare. There are instances when a person’s donation of his or her time is worth as much as giving money, especially if the person already has a very busy schedule. Time can be an expensive gift when someone has a very busy life!There are several important questions that a Christian must ask himself or herself concerning finances. He or she must ask, “What is it that I desire in my life?” A believer must also ask, “What is the Lord speaking specifically to me?” And additionally, a Christian must ask himself or herself, “What am I asking of God?”The Holy Spirit will help a Christian reach an ideal place in his or her financial well-being. If God were to reveal His plans concerning every believer, he or she would realize that those plans are far greater than he or she could ever think, believe, or ask! It is important that Christians begin to recognize that they are not dreaming big enough for their lives. God has many extremely big plans for every one of His children.Despite feeling restrictions financially that seem to limit the possibilities in this realm, a Christian must not allow his or her view of the limitations to restrict his or her spirit. A believer must permit God to allow him or her to think big and to dream big. Every believer must not allow his or her feelings to place limitations upon what the Lord can do! A Christian must allow the Spirit of God to take him or her beyond the limitations of the mind. Then, he or she will be ready to receive those things that God has for him or her. The plans that God has for every believer are far better, and far greater, than anyone could possibly anticipate. Most Christians are just not believing in a big enough way. The Lord wants to do supernatural things for every Christian. His desire is that every Christian will have supernatural finances. However, in order for those supernatural finances to come forth, God will ask a Christian to do things that are far beyond his or her ability to finance. The Lord desires Christians who will walk with Him as they increase in faith. As believers walk with Him in this way, financial impartations are given to those who will dare to obey God and do that which seems impossible. With God, all things are possible, and in the area of giving God will train a person to trust Him to do those things that one couldn’t believe were doable!
The financial realm of a Christian who is willing to move forward in faith and trust the Lord fully with his financial well-being will expand to accommodate those things that God has already spoken to that believer. Whatever it is that the Lord has ordained as a believer’s mission in the financial realm will come forth when a believer follows God in faith, doing what God has prompted him or her to do.
One must ask oneself several questions during this time of training in financial issues: “What is it that God has spoken to me to do? Is what I am about to undertake actually big enough to meet God’s expectations? Am I filtering out what the Lord is saying because I am placing limitations upon the situation that the Lord does not approve?”Each individual must recognize that if the impression to give is coming from God, that amount may very well seem to be an impossibility! If the amount does appear to be impossible, then chances are the prompting to give that amount is of God. When a believer has assurance that the prompting is from the Lord, he or she must recognize that it is essential to immediately obey God’s voice. A person can have great confidence to walk into such a situation because in times previously, he or she began to sow. That seed planted long ago has already begun to create provision for those things which a believer will face in future times of testing. The finances that a Christian has sown faithfully at a previous time will have created a fund for the future!More than twenty or twenty-five years ago, my wife and I began sowing a harvest for the future. Now, we are encountering financial prosperity because the Lord is coming through with the harvest. We are experiencing financial prosperity at such a rate that it is at the level of one tsunami after another for us financially. Many years ago, the Lord entrusted us with smaller amounts of money. We often gave not just money, but we gave our time, even when it did not seem that we had time to give. We gave our time, doing what God had asked us to do. At this moment in our lives, we are finding that God gives us more and trusts us more as we experience this wonderful life in Him!In conclusion, whatever it is that God is saying to each individual, he or she must take the limits off of any expectations. A person must allow God to expand his or her dreams to the point that their giving goes far beyond what anyone would think was possible. God will make the impossible truly possible in the lives of those who will listen to Him, believe Him in faith, and obey Him!
Financing Your Dream
God will frame a Christian’s dream or vision, and then fulfill that dream or vision by sending forth supernatural finances. Step by step, a Christian may realize that he or she is impressed to give to those who are unable to give anything in return. God prepares the way for the supernatural things of the Lord to occur to meet financial dreams. As the Lord leads a Christian into more and more giving, and He provides things supernaturally, He is unlocking that Christian from the world’s system of finances. He moves that Christian into a realm where His spiritual system of finances in life begins to operate. In our particular situation, my wife and I found ourselves giving to people who were so poor that it seemed as if they would never be able to give us anything back.
However, although it appeared that those people would never be able to return the gift we had given them, many of those people are now very wealthy. The wealth that they obtained was a result of our investment in them. When we helped them, God actually worked through my wife and me to bless those whom He desired to bless. As a result of the investment being prompted by God in the past, now these same individuals are able to do for others what we did for them. They are investing in those people whom God impresses them to help. These recipients are people who seem to have no hope or possibility of ever giving any repayment. As a result, the ones to whom we gave help observed what we did. They turned to do the same type of giving to others as God prompted us to do, and a cycle of supernatural financial blessing began.
One of the reasons that Christians are upon the earth is to help one another. God desires that believers have financial wealth. What is not permissible is for wealth to have a hold upon a Christian! It is important to remember that angels are watching over Christians who are giving to those who have no possibility of returning the gift.The Lord told me that I was to assemble three Thanksgiving meals with all the fixings and turkey and give them to my pastor at my church to hand out to three families who needed the supplies or they would not be able to have Thanksgiving. So, I did what the Lord had impressed upon me to do, and the pastor gave them to the three families on Thanksgiving. The church usually did this every year, but they could not afford it this particular year, so they were touched, as well as the people who received the meals. I got a call telling me that the meals were distributed and that it was a touching moment to the families as well as to the staff at the church. I became overcome with the goodness of God. I hung up, and then the phone rang again. I had spent seventy-five dollars in total for the three meals. Not even thirty seconds had gone by, so when the phone rang again I thought it was the pastor. I thought he had forgotten to tell me something and was calling me back. It was a family member who was notifying us that we were inheriting seventy-five thousand dollars. They needed our information so they could transfer the money.
Jesus has taught me that there are things that we can do that will cause Heaven to have to act on behalf of others who cannot pay us back. He showed me that if we do things for children, the angels that are with them, who always see the face of their Father in Heaven, will go and tell on me. Then I will be significantly rewarded for doing these things for a child. He also said that when you take care of the widow and the orphan, your actions cause Heaven to be required to act on your behalf when you feed the poor. God will have to repay you. He also showed me that when you do not deliver yourself in a situation, then Heaven is required to deliver you, and your next step will be a supernatural step.
I know that the power of the Lord is present as I write this, and I am just going to pray over you and impart to you what the Lord desires for you to have from Heaven:
I pray, in the name of Jesus, that you would get a glimpse of what is happening in the spirit realm that surrounds you right now. There are angels all around you at this very moment. I tell you, by the Spirit of God, that I see angels standing by you now, and they are right beside you. They have been assigned to you. The angels are believing that you are going to grasp what you have just read, and that you are going to start to do things for people who cannot pay you back. You are going to start to determine in your heart that you can give far more than you ever thought possible without feeling guilty about giving more than it seems that you can give. I break that spirit that is coming against you that tries to manipulate you to give. The Lord is asking you to give only what is set in your heart, not out of compulsion, and not out of pressure. His desire is that you give out of a heart that is thankful. When you find that sweet spot where you can give out of thankfulness, the joy of the Lord is going to be made full in your life. And I break the powers of any familiar spirits that are presently manipulating anyone into giving in an area where the Lord is not leading. The Lord is going to speak to you in a powerful way, and you are going to know exactly what you are supposed to do. You are being set free right now! I break every witchcraft spirit, every manipulative spirit, and every familiar spirit. Those spirits that the enemy uses must cease, in the name of Jesus! The Lord says you are doing well. He says, “You have actually given more than what I even expected, and I appreciate it.” This is what the Lord is saying to you right now! Rest in peace, and know that God is watching over your finances, and His ways with your finances are supernatural. Amen!
Article by Kevin Zadai
