TESTIMONY DYNAMITE 5

From weeping to reaping: Invest in the harvest

Theme: Testimony Dynamite:

We’ve been sharing on Testimony Dynamite this month.

Brief overview of previous topics

  • M.A.G.H.A.N.

  • Every Kindred, Tribe and Tongue

  • Rattle the cage of the spirit of the age

  • Jehovah’s witness, cult or salt

Other than our keynote verse - Acts 1:8 which is the essential factor to all our topic - the loving power of the Holy Ghost.

For me, one of the most compelling scriptures out there that speaks to this topic is:
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; as they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • The Blood of the Lamb
    Word of our Testimony
    Loving not our lives unto death

The TRIFECTA of overcoming - That’s testimony dynamite man!

Topic: From weeping to reaping: Invest in the harvest

Psalm 126:5-6

NIV: Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

KJV: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him

The importance of sorrow

  • Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)

  • Weep with those who weep / Suffer with those who suffer (Romans 12:15-18 / 1 For 12:26)

  • Jesus a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief - part of taking up our cross is being acquainted with sorrow (Isaiah 53:3)

  • Jeremiah 29:11 - was given in captivity

  • Prayer of identification

  • Fasting Testimony

  • Testimony of rev relating to John Bevere in HS book - Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:9- For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

  • Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

  • Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

  • 1 Cor 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

  • Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake

  • Phil 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

  • 1 Thes 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

  • 1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

What is our seed?

  • The word of God
    Ourselves and our families
    Our first fruits - our tithe
    Our resources
    Our time
    Our freewill offerings

TITHING

I shared this testimony a couple weeks ago, but I was recently noticing a lot of people online bashing tithing and at the same time, noticing many comments about how “Millennials don’t tithe”. This is statistically true, the majority of the church that tithes are over 50 years old.

But I realized that this isn’t so much because millennials are heathens and not generous, it’s because the generation over 50 was TAUGHT to tithe. Whereas many millennial-friendly churches, at least the ones I have visited, put little emphasis on tithing, many don’t even mention it, let alone teach it, and even when they do it is very self-focused.

Which led me to think about myself and my convictions and if I were to ever teach on tithing, what would I say to the naysayers? And then I wrote 5 pages. 
I’m not gonna go into all of that here, but I’ll summarize the key points:

  • We tithe and give to GOD first and foremost

  • 10% is minimum and our heart setting of this offering is that it should be our FIRSTFRUITS

  • We tithe and give to the Church - and it ties us to the church. Where your treasure is, there your heart is, your God, your faith and your church is no more important to you than what you invest in it. (e.g. those who put money in the stock market, WATCH THE STOCK MARKET)

  • We tithe and give to ministers - those who minister holy things live by them

  • We tithe and give to the poor (especially the BELIEVING poor)

  • “But Tithing isn’t in the new testament” - WRONG

    • Jesus in his moments of addressing certain elements of the law took them FURTHER than the law. E.g Murder becomes not just the act but the heart. Adultery becomes not just the act but the heart. Likewise, Jesus doesn’t say “no longer will people tithe but instead be generous. No, when Jesus addresses the woman giving a mite (small offering but her EVERYTHING), he is implying that if 10% is easy it isn’t enough. He also tells the Pharisees “keep tithing, but also attend to justice and mercy”

    • Paul uses the law to establish the authority of giving. He doesn’t change from old to new, he is saying “in the SAME WAY”

    • Hebrews 5-7 - Melchizedek

Why so important?

Bible shows us the importance of Money when Jesus says “You can’t serve both God and money”. IN fact there are so many verses on finances, Dr Larry Burkett compiled a book of just Bible verses and it’s 300 pages long.

How we worship (which includes giving) matters. The way we worship can please God or not please Him and not pleasing Him MAJORLY impacts our lives, whether we realize it in the moment or not. Ananias and Sapphire learned this the hard way.

Malachi tells us that when we don’t tithe, we rob God.

Keys to good sowing and reaping

Sort out your heart (Judah shall plow, Jacob break clods - taking responsibility)

Have good seed

You reap what you sow:
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Water (Holy Spirit) - drawing from the well of salvation

Don’t look at the circumstances:
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Trust God! - Our harvest is not so much about our own personal reward, it’s about eternal souls

John 12:23-26 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

1 Corinthians 3;6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Stop trying to be a different plant/tree than God made you to be

Reaping where we haven’t sown:
John 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Big Harvest
Combine Harvesters

We believe God calling church to unite, to multiply the harvest - particularly bible translation

BID

Commit to GIVING

Prayer scrum -
Dealing with spiritual warfare factor
One of satans ploys is to destroy the crops
Tares and wheat

Megamorphic Church