Don’t Forget the Full-time Minister
Foundation Scriptures: Deuteronomy 18 verses 1–8

The Levitical priests and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and His rightful dues. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them. 3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first or best of the fleece of your sheep you shall give the priest. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name [and presence] of the Lord, him and his sons forever. 6 And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel where he is a temporary resident, he may come whenever he desires to [the sanctuary] the place the Lord will choose; 7 Then he may minister in the name [and presence of] the Lord his God like all his brethren the Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord. 8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what may come of the sale of his patrimony.  
Deuteronomy 18:1-8 AMP

1.  This sharing of God’s provision was not man’s idea but God’s idea

• Verse 1 says the priests should share in His bounty—they were to partake of the offerings brought to the Lord—His rightful dues 
• Ministering before the Lord, on behalf of the people, was the priests’ full-time job
• If the people did not support them there was nothing else and no one else to sustain them
• Verse 3 says this would be the priests’ due from the people—it was the people’s duty to support the ministers

2.  The priests were entitled to be blessed from the first fruits of the people

• The people brought their best stuff to the Lord and to the priests—the choicest parts of their animals, the first fruits of their grain, the new wine, the oil, the first and best of the fleece of their sheep
• This provision was not only for the priest, but for his sons and his family forever
• All priests were treated equally and provision was made for all—today, that would be the whole five-fold ministry—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:
When the Lord divided up the Promised Land, He gave each tribe and each family a portion of it. However, He did not include the Levitical priesthood or their families. They were set apart unto the Lord’s work and would not have time to waste working the land, therefore, there was no way for them to be fed and kept unless the people brought the fruit of their labor to the house of God. God made it the responsibility of all those who were given land, to meet the needs of the priests. Each side supported and served the other.

It is still the same today. It is the minister’s responsibility to handle the Word of God honestly, and every other believer’s job to generously support those men and women of God who serve them in full-time ministry. Even Paul made tents for a season, but ministers—or their wives—should not need to work another job all the time, just to put food on the table, because the Church is disobedient. God’s order is for the minister’s needs to be met by those believers who work in the marketplace. If we all fulfill our purpose, submit to the Word of God, and joyfully do what God tells us to do, we will see the will of God manifested on the earth!

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:
It’s interesting that, in the day and age that we are living, that people in the full-time ministry always seem to come under more scrutiny and criticism for their income, than other people. It is as if the religious world has this idea: Lord, You keep them humble and we’ll keep them poor! I am not saying for one moment that there are not abuses that have not taken place on both sides: there is the minister, who is without integrity, but also the believer who will not obey God and give. Even though people do not always do as they should—still we must remember—that it was God who instituted this mutual dependence. It was not instituted by man as a way to extract money from people—it was instituted by God, in order that the needs of the ministry—and God’s servants—could be met.

We discussed an Old Testament passage above, but the New Covenant declares that those ministers who perform the duties of their office well, be considered doubly worthy of honor and of adequate financial support, especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17 AMP). Although I was not raised in a preacher’s home, we were around ministers all the time and we were taught, as children, to look after them, to take care of them, and to bless them. Still today, even though I am in the ministry myself, I have a love for full-time men and women of God, and a desire to bless them. 

Prayer and Confession:
Father, Your word declares that if we receive and welcome and accept a prophet, because he is a prophet, we shall receive a prophet’s reward, and if we receive and welcome and accept a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, we shall receive a righteous man’s reward. You also said that if we give to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water, because he is Jesus’ disciple, that You would surely reward us (Matthew 10:41-42). Father, I thank You that my heart is right with You for I purpose to bless those who minister; I purpose to bless Your servants.

Thoughts on Stewardship
Worship at a Set Place
Foundation scriptures: Deuteronomy 12 verses 5 – 19

But you shall seek the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His Name and make His dwelling place, and there shall you come; 6 And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering of your hands, and your vows and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not do according to all we do here [in the camp] this day, every man doing whatever looks right in his own eyes. 9 For you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about so that you dwell in safety, 11 Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His Name [and His Presence] to dwell there; to it you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes and what the hand presents [as a first gift from the fruits of the ground], and all your choicest offerings which you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no part or inheritance with you. 13 Be watchful not to offer your burnt offerings in every place you see. 14 But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all I command you. 15 However, you may kill and eat flesh in any of your towns whenever you desire, according to the provision for the support of life with which the Lord your God has blessed you; those [ceremonially] unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the hart. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it upon the ground as water. 17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your new wine or of your oil, or the firstlings of your herd or flock, or anything you have vowed, or your freewill offerings, or the offerings from your hand [of garden products]. 18 But you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite that is within your towns; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. 19 Take heed not to forsake or neglect the Levite [God's minister] as long as you live in your land.  Deuteronomy 12:5-19 AMP

1.  Even though this is an Old Testament passage concerning, the children of Israel, and the altar—the place of worship—we believe that several aspects of it apply to us today:
 
a. It is not scriptural to hop from church to church.
b. It is not scriptural to not go to church at all.
c. God sets the solitary in families.
d. We are not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together—even the more so when we see That Day approaching.
e. It’s not a matter of control—it’s a matter of covenant.

2.  We believe in the local church as the modern day “altar”—the place where we bring our worship and our offerings (our sacrifices).

a. God does not live in tabernacles made with hands.
b. We understand that He lives in us and that we are His temple.
c. Corporately we come together to fellowship with one another, to worship, and to bring our offerings, in the place that God chooses.
d. Not every church is where you should be but you should be where God sends you. Bring your families; your kids. Be rooted and grow. Come to a place of maturity.
e. Those who refuse to do these things are out of order—they are not under God-given authority. The apostle Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ”. The prerequisite for leadership is that they must follow Jesus and point you also to Jesus and not themselves. If they do not do this —what are you doing there?
f. Put your seed into good ground—that which produces for eternity.

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:
If you call yourself a Christian and you are not submitted to God in every area of your life, especially giving, then you are nothing less than rebellious. If you do what seems right to you and you do not obey the written word or allow the Lord to lead you on all these things, you have idols of self-will and un-submissiveness in your heart (Ezekiel 14:4 AMP). Pray about which church you should commit to and then commit, through thick and thin. Don’t follow the line of least resistance. Commit to a church and allow God to burn the junk out of your life.

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:
This passage is very plain. God did not want people sacrificing on any altar available. Even though we are on television, we have always believed that you are to tithe to the local church. The tithe does not go anywhere other than where you are being fed. That would be like living in your parent’s house, eating at your parent’s table, using their electricity, their covering, their wisdom, and paying board to the next door neighbor. You would be supporting those who do not even care for you. It is important for your spiritual well-being, just like the commitment of marriage. You don’t go around sowing your seed all over the place—only with the wife of your youth. You must be committed to a local church and bring your offerings and sacrifices there.

Prayer and Confession:
Father, this day I commit to support Your work in the place You have chosen for me. In faith I give and I worship You with my giving.

Redeeming the Tithe – It’s Holy to the Lord
Foundation Scriptures: Leviticus 27 verses 30 – 34

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. 31 And if a man wants to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And all the tithe of the herd or of the flock, whatever passes under the herdsman’s staff [by means of which each tenth animal as it passes through a small door is selected and marked], the tenth shall be holy to the Lord. 33 The man shall not examine whether the animal is good or bad nor shall he exchange it. If he does exchange it, then both it and the animal substituted for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. 34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.  Leviticus 27:30-34 AMP

In the book of Leviticus, Father God laid out what was required of the children of Israel, concerning tithes and offerings. One of the things they were required to do was to bring ALL the tithe of ALL their increase. They were not allowed to do two-percent, here and there, as they chose. It did not matter what they did for a living, they were to bring one whole tenth of their profits to the Lord. The tithe is holy – holy to the Lord. We must treat it as something holy – something that belongs, not to us, but to the Lord. The tithe is not something to be given, or not given, at our discretion. Bringing the tithe is an act of obedience and submission to God.

People are always trying to argue with God and man over the tithe and find a reason not to do it. Refusing to tithe is an act of rebellion, whichever way you look at it. The Bible uses the word “pay”, not “give”, in reference to the tithe. When you get the revelation that the tithe already does not belong to YOU, but to God, then you will be more apt to do what is right and pay your tithes. If this truth offends you, then realize that you have allowed the devil to lie to you. The devil definitely does not want you to tithe! Your disobedience cuts you off from God’s protection, places you in enemy territory, and gives Satan prime opportunity to wreak havoc in your life and finances. Make a choice, once and for all, to honor God and to reject the enemy’s manipulation and devastation from off of your life.

Something that is very interesting to note, here in Leviticus, concerning the tithe: the Lord gave them a way to redeem the tithe. This meant that if someone had skipped out on the tithe they could come back to the Lord and they redeem it by adding one fifth to their tithe. It was a “back-tithe”. For example: Let’s say that someone worked for a company and, for whatever reason, they were not paid for several months and then that company suddenly paid them up-to-date. The company owed them “back-pay” and would have to catch it all up.

How much more if we skipped out on our tithe for several months? How do we make it up? We add one fifth to it. Let’s say that our tithe was $300 and that we had skipped out three months. This means that we were behind on our tithes by $900 and, in order to catch up, not only should we catch up on our tithe, but, according to the scripture, we should add one fifth. One fifth would be $45, so to catch up we would then pay $945.

When we first came to America, in 1987, some pollsters claimed that 20% of born-again believers paid their tithes. However, most recently, they say that only 6% pay tithes. Can you imagine what the loss to the kingdom of God is on a monthly basis? Literally billions of dollars, that could have been used for the Gospel, are now lost. The needed finances don’t find their way into the Kingdom of God, but people are spending their money on themselves and their every desire. These unfaithful, disobedient Christians don’t realize that they are shooting themselves in the foot. They are missing out on huge blessings from God, because of their rebellion against the Word of God! Only at the judgment seat, will many see the reality of what giving to God was all about and how holy the tithe is to the Lord.

I want to encourage you to look at your life and take stock. Are you really totally committed to God? Are you committed to God in your finances? The tithe is only 10%! The government and your credit card company take much more than that! Why would anyone even think of not bringing the tithe to the Lord? It is His! Remember that He is the one that gives you the strength to get up every morning and to be able to do what you do to earn a living. Why would you not honor him every pay period?

Now, I am not suggesting that you have to work out what you owe as years of back-tithe and add one fifth, but I am suggesting that you should definitely repent and tell the Lord, “I am sorry – from this day onward I will tithe.” Do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do so that you can have a clear conscience before the Lord. Then start tithing, and don’t stop, until the day that the Jesus comes to take you home!

Prayer and Confession:
Lord, You have promised to bless and provide for me, and to rebuke the devourer on my behalf as I commit my tithe to You. From this day, until the day I see You face-to-face, I will honor You with my tithe – with one tenth of all my income.

Thoughts on Stewardship

Lessons from Exodus

Because of God’s Favor On Your Life, You Will Never Go Empty-Handed

Foundation Scriptures: Exodus 3 verses 19 – 22

And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go [unless forced to do so], no, not by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in it; and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall [insistently] solicit of her neighbor and of her that may be residing at her house jewels and articles of silver and gold, and garments, which you shall put on your sons and daughters; and you shall strip the Egyptians [of belongings due to you]. Exodus 3:19-22 AMP

1. When God stretches out His hand, extending His favor toward you, amazing things begin to happen.

a. The Lord’s favor was on Israel, when He delivered them from Egypt. He told the children of Israel that when they left Egypt, they would not go empty-handed. God is not a robber neither does He condone taking what is not yours. He does however believe that you should receive that which is owed to you. God says that the laborer is worthy of his hire (1 Timothy 5:18) and He also told the Israelites that if their brother is sold to them as a slave, they should work for six years and be freed, with compensation, in the seventh year. “And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress; of what the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.” Deuteronomy 15:13-14 AMP

b. God told the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians.

c. The Israelites did not leave with the Egyptian’s junk —the stuff you would usually find at a yard sale—they walked away with their very best clothing, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. This was their payment for the years they were enslaved and abused.

2. Remember that Israel had been afflicted; they had been misused and abused; they had been in captivity and slavery for 270 years.

a. God heard the cries of the Israelites. God told them that He knew that the king of Egypt would not let them go unless he was forced to do so by a mighty hand.

b. He told them that He would stretch out His hand and smite Egypt with signs and wonders so that pharaoh would let them go.

3. The Lord told the Israelites:

a. I will give you respect and favor in their sight.

b. You will not go empty-handed.

c. You shall spoil the Egyptians.

N.B. God’s favor, and His favor alone, will cause you to spoil the “Egyptians”.

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:

God has great plans for your life. He does not play favorites—God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). You can have the same favor on your life as Moses and the children of Israel, if you will submit your life and heart to the Lord, unreservedly. Don’t miss out on all the blessings of God’s favor and anointing that could be on your life, because you won’t obey God when He speaks. The Lord told Israel, “Do not say in your [mind and] heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out from before you, It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land–whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you.” (Deuteronomy 9:4 AMP) Obedience brings favor—rebellion brings disaster.

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:

God had great plans for His people, Israel. He had made promises to them, through their fathers, and God always keeps His promises. His plan for them did not include slavery in Egypt, but for them to live as free people in the land He had promised to them. God does not keep His promises because of us, but because of Him, but unless we obey Him when He tells us to do something, we will not see the promise fulfilled. If we do not obey, we will not receive the promise, just as the same people, who were brought out of Egypt, disqualified themselves from entering the Promised Land because of rebellious disobedience. God planned to bring His people out of captivity and into the Promised Land. This land was a good land—a land that overflowed with milk and honey. This land had enemies in it, but God had already given them the victory. First He had to deliver them from Egypt.

Because of God’s favor on Israel, He moved to deliver them through His signs and wonders (His anointing and power). When you walk with God in obedience—no matter what you may be facing—know that the Lord will deliver you. He will give you favor and deliver you by the anointing—through signs and wonders. There is nothing like Divine Favor. This favor can take you where money cannot take you. In our life and ministry, I have seen the hand of God deliver us many, many times out of impossible situations and give us great favor. People often notice and comment on the extreme favor that is on our lives. This favor does not come without a price—the price is absolute obedience! Get in line with God’s will for your life today—obey the Lord, and let the Lord deliver you and grant you His divine grace and favor.

Prayer and Confession:

Father I thank you, in Jesus Name, for delivering me out of my current circumstances and for granting me supernatural, divine favor. I commit to obey You in all things and I expect to receive Your blessings on my life.

Thoughts on Stewardship
Lesson No. 5 from Genesis

The Power of the Seed
Foundation Scriptures: Genesis 1 verses 11-12

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:11-12 NKJV

1.    God said, “Let the earth bring forth:
    – Seed yielding grass and herbs
    – Fruit trees that produce fruit after its own kind with its seed in itself

Then God said: It is good. God instituted the principle of sowing and reaping into the earth. He placed power in every seed to produce a harvest—to exactly duplicate itself and to greatly multiply.

2.    Everything starts out as a seed

    a. According to the Word of God seed will produce after its own kind
    b. Whether we realize it or not, our money is a seed
    c. Our money is our seed and it will produce a harvest if it is sown into good ground
 
    • We must make sure that we are sowing into good ground
    • By good ground I mean ground that will produce   eternal fruit
    • Sow in faith
    • Give to the poor
    • Ask yourself, ask the Lord, what you can do to help others
    • Give to the Gospel
    • Sowing into the Gospel will produce a harvest of souls
 
3.    Remember this: that this is a Law of God—God deposited multiplying power in the seed

Seed will always produce after its own kind. Galatians 6:8 says that, “he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” When you sow into God’s kingdom, your giving will not only cause treasure to be laid up in heaven, but it will also produce a stream of income, on the earth, that will result in more provision coming to you as well as favor and open doors.

4.    This power is in your hand right now. Everything you need from now on out is in your hand in the form of a seed.
     a. Don’t eat your seed. Plant it in good ground and watch it bring forth good fruit.

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:

Mark 4:26-29 NKJV says, “And He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’”  The earth yields crops by itself because God designed it that way. You can do nothing to make a seed grow into a fruit producing plant. All you can do is follow the procedure and put the seed into good ground. The rest is done automatically. All the farmer has to do is to plow the ground, and plant and water the seeds, and when the fruit is ripe, harvest the crop.

When you sow a seed into the Kingdom of God and you water it with your faith, you can sleep and wake and the harvest will grow up without you doing anything else. Natural laws follow spiritual laws. If it works in the earth, it’s because it already works in Heaven. There is also an appointed time for the harvest. Don’t give up because of impatience and doubt. So sow your seed in faith and trust God to bring forth a ripe harvest of blessing in your life!

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there are many amazing promises that become available to you. All you need is the knowledge of what’s available and the faith to claim them for yourself. Every Christian has the same opportunity to flourish and be blessed because of these wonderful promises, but not all of them are. It really amazes me that some people just refuse to believe the Word of God and refuse to do what they need to do to activate the blessing. They don’t have anything and they are not happy about it, but they won’t change; they won’t do what the word says to do.

The Lord says that, “you have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). He also tells us not to fear because, “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). You can have two people sitting next to each other—both with the same Bible—one blessed and the other not. Why? Does God play favorites? Absolutely not! He responds to faith—to those who believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Prayer and Confession:

Father, I thank you for the seed you have given me. I sow in faith and by faith. I believe you for a mighty harvest in eternity and favor and open doors on the earth.