Nothing is as maddening as investing in a currently booming business and after some years when you’ve positioned yourself to enjoy your profit, recession hits the economy and the Company is forced to shut down. Ouch! Most people do not recover from such loss and they probably leave behind, the fear of investing anywhere else for their generations. Does it mean that investments should not be advised? No! Truth is, everyone wants to get rich like Bill Gate or even richer but only a few are more than willing to take the necessary steps and make sacrifices that will open lasting doors of immeasurable wealth. Early last year, I learnt about a famous man today who reversed one of the popular ways of attracting abundance for oneself, which in return made him what he is today. He gave up 90% of his wealth for God’s work and lived on 10%. It is difficult, but, someone did it, that was his own way of attracting open heaven for himself, his family and his generation. This is totally optional but if you must prosper, it is very impossible to neglect these steps and yield lasting wealth or success.
Ecclesiastes 11:2
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Solomon whose wisdom brought about prosperity, shared his secrets in the verse above. He said, invest in seven places, you can add the eighth form of investment if you wish (which I guess the man who decided to invest 90% into God’s work did for himself, in order to yield an unending profit). Why did he say that? Because no one knows where the recent happenings in the Economy will lead them, neither do we know what tragedy will befall the land, in all, we cannot predict the next alarming event. You may choose to invest in business A and tomorrow there is an earth quake, you may choose to invest in business B and it folds up just when you’re about benefiting from the business. I will be sharing SEVEN most important investments that will never fail you as long as the earth remains and God is alive, investments that will stand strong for your generation even when you’re dead and gone.
1. Investing in Church Projects. Where you choose to sow a seed is totally dependent on you. There are churches where God is the foundation and there are churches where the foundations are questionable. Numbers 13:20; How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) Your first priority is to see that any church you attend is built on a solid rock, built as Jesus Christ the only foundation; you can tell by their fruits, manner of worship, mode of prayer, their alignment with the Word of God and after seeing all these, your spiritual and physical growth should confirm what soil that is. Then again, not every church operates on same level of anointing, depending on how deeply committed the shepherd of a church is and how closely he walks with God. If you choose a ground with rich and fertile soil (where God is the foundation), you’ll reap in hundreds, if you choose a ground where all the Shepherd knows is how much he can get from you, for himself, and not even call God on your behalf, you belong to those who will reap in sixties and those who invest in churches where there are no committed servants of God, you’ll probably reap in thirties. Matthew 13:8, still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. The bible did not record that every seed will yield hundred times as much as you planted/invested. It takes wisdom to know where to plant and how best to invest so that your dividend will last your generations. It may also please you to know that whatever investment you make towards church projects is either accepted or declined by heaven from the moment you make up your mind to invest, how? Your intention determines God’s response; God sees and knows every man’s heart. If you invest to gain attention, you already rewarded yourself, if you invest in pride and selfishness; it’s as good as placing your money where moths will eat it up. Never forget that you have a role to play when you invest in church projects if you must see results. Three people are involved in it; God, you and the Shepherd. God; A girl of about 9 years shocked me when she argued that God is the controller of everything. True, God controls everything in heaven and on earth and determines everything, if you engage God before investing in any church project, He’ll never fail to perform on your behalf. You; it is your responsibility to bring God into your investment, send your seed on an errand (pray on it) and tell God what you want in return before giving it to the church and lastly, it is your responsibility to know what ground you’re sowing your seed. The Shepherd; when donations are made, it is his duty to present it to God and have him perfect His work, because the shepherd CANNOT increase you but can stand in the gap between you and God, that is why it is very important to consider the fertility of any ground. Sometime in January of 2010, some money was wired from an account I had back in Nigeria, because at that time, I didn’t have a job and was living on my savings, it took more than 3 weeks for the money to get to the United States. While I was waiting for the money to be deposited into my account, I’d gone for a prayer group meeting at church and after prayers that evening, the church needed about $20,000 to start up a project without which they wouldn’t be approved. Immediately that announcement was made, the Holy Spirit said invest in that project, I’m like what? You can’t be serious! No job, no reliable source of income, no hopes of getting the money that was wired from Nigeria because it wasn’t traceable. As hard as I argued with that voice, it wouldn’t stop until I’d done its bidding. Then, I finally wrote a check and half of the money I was “expecting” was gone and I wept bitterly the moment that voice was gone, yes, I had peace but I kept asking myself why I had to let such amount go? A man worked up to me and asked me why I was so troubled, I poured out my heart to him and he said he was led by same Spirit to pray with me, we were done praying he gave me his business card to call him and share my numerous testimonies before the end of year 2010. Two days later, the money was in my account, I got approved for a case that was denied, got me a well paying job for someone who had no prior experience, and lots more! Sowing on a fertile ground involves wisdom. Church projects? I will invest till I’m drained.
1. Investing in Church Projects. Where you choose to sow a seed is totally dependent on you. There are churches where God is the foundation and there are churches where the foundations are questionable. Numbers 13:20; How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) Your first priority is to see that any church you attend is built on a solid rock, built as Jesus Christ the only foundation; you can tell by their fruits, manner of worship, mode of prayer, their alignment with the Word of God and after seeing all these, your spiritual and physical growth should confirm what soil that is. Then again, not every church operates on same level of anointing, depending on how deeply committed the shepherd of a church is and how closely he walks with God. If you choose a ground with rich and fertile soil (where God is the foundation), you’ll reap in hundreds, if you choose a ground where all the Shepherd knows is how much he can get from you, for himself, and not even call God on your behalf, you belong to those who will reap in sixties and those who invest in churches where there are no committed servants of God, you’ll probably reap in thirties. Matthew 13:8, still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. The bible did not record that every seed will yield hundred times as much as you planted/invested. It takes wisdom to know where to plant and how best to invest so that your dividend will last your generations. It may also please you to know that whatever investment you make towards church projects is either accepted or declined by heaven from the moment you make up your mind to invest, how? Your intention determines God’s response; God sees and knows every man’s heart. If you invest to gain attention, you already rewarded yourself, if you invest in pride and selfishness; it’s as good as placing your money where moths will eat it up. Never forget that you have a role to play when you invest in church projects if you must see results. Three people are involved in it; God, you and the Shepherd. God; A girl of about 9 years shocked me when she argued that God is the controller of everything. True, God controls everything in heaven and on earth and determines everything, if you engage God before investing in any church project, He’ll never fail to perform on your behalf. You; it is your responsibility to bring God into your investment, send your seed on an errand (pray on it) and tell God what you want in return before giving it to the church and lastly, it is your responsibility to know what ground you’re sowing your seed. The Shepherd; when donations are made, it is his duty to present it to God and have him perfect His work, because the shepherd CANNOT increase you but can stand in the gap between you and God, that is why it is very important to consider the fertility of any ground. Sometime in January of 2010, some money was wired from an account I had back in Nigeria, because at that time, I didn’t have a job and was living on my savings, it took more than 3 weeks for the money to get to the United States. While I was waiting for the money to be deposited into my account, I’d gone for a prayer group meeting at church and after prayers that evening, the church needed about $20,000 to start up a project without which they wouldn’t be approved. Immediately that announcement was made, the Holy Spirit said invest in that project, I’m like what? You can’t be serious! No job, no reliable source of income, no hopes of getting the money that was wired from Nigeria because it wasn’t traceable. As hard as I argued with that voice, it wouldn’t stop until I’d done its bidding. Then, I finally wrote a check and half of the money I was “expecting” was gone and I wept bitterly the moment that voice was gone, yes, I had peace but I kept asking myself why I had to let such amount go? A man worked up to me and asked me why I was so troubled, I poured out my heart to him and he said he was led by same Spirit to pray with me, we were done praying he gave me his business card to call him and share my numerous testimonies before the end of year 2010. Two days later, the money was in my account, I got approved for a case that was denied, got me a well paying job for someone who had no prior experience, and lots more! Sowing on a fertile ground involves wisdom. Church projects? I will invest till I’m drained.
2. Tithing. This very investment is one issue that has been discussed in several religious gatherings, yet not so many people find it easy to keep. Some probably started and because they see no immediate result, they stopped. Some couldn’t tithe more that once because the allowed the devil steal the Word from then by allowing him tell them that it isn’t worth the effort or it doesn’t determine if the windows of heaven will be opened or not. A lot complain that they do not earn enough for them to tithe. Malachi 3:10, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Verse 10C & D, God says; Try me (dare God) and see him turn your situation around by opening unimaginable doors (verse 10B), He did not say, one door/window, He said doors that will make you look for people to share your wealth with. Do you not have enough to merry; do you not have enough to pay for inconsequential activities? Yet you say you do not have enough and expect increase. God knows those who are genuinely in need. Some never tithe because they are so biased with tithing that they believe it’s for the shepherd or the Pastor to make himself rich, since the bible tells us that you rob God when you do not give, would you still remain biased with your tithe just because you see the human figure in church and not God who made that declaration to reward whomever obeys the command to tithe? I used to be skeptical about tithing but the very day I discovered this truth, I never held back my tithe and today, I see results that only God can bring about in my life. When I started tithing, I did it twice and then allowed the devil steal the Word from me, I did listen and when the devourers where done with me, no one reminded me to start paying my tithe. The devil, knows that there will be so much increase the moment you do what you are commanded for prosperity and that heaven moves on behalf of tithers and chooses to steal the knowledge of the Word in order to devour and destroy their fruits. He came with migraine that I had to spend the money I refused to give on medications and hospital bills, my car was broken into that after replacing the stolen items, the engine knocked, all in one month. That was the height of it! I started paying my tithe whether I’d have enough afterwards or not. Today, no migraine, God keeps blessing me to bless others; above all, the peace of God surrounds me. If you are faithful with little things, God will put you in charge of bigger things.
3. The poor. These people are the greatest investments you can have recorded in heaven. God watches over them like he would His very eyes. Before men, they are not to be associated with or even considered but before God, they are more important than the richest in the world. Matthew 25:35-40, for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Who are those in this category? Beggars, hopeless and homeless men and women, those who genuinely need financial support, those in Orphanage homes, babies that were abandoned by their mothers, etc. Whatever you give to the poor, you render to God Proverbs. 19:17. He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. Do not seek to be rewarded by any man, else, you limit your dividend which would have been extended to your children’s children. When you give to the needy, do not make an announcement of your gift that others may approve you as a giver and a philanthropist, no! Let your gift to them be known to you, the receiver and the rewarder, GOD. Matthew 6:1-4, “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. 2When 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. 3But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Many people wonder why their gift offering to the needy isn’t yielding profit like it should, that is because they have rewarded themselves from the very beginning. Then again, when God gives you or provides for you, He hasn’t provided for you to keep them all to yourself but for you to help the needy. Ephesians 4:28. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. There are promises that will surely come to fulfillment in your life as long as you do not grow weak in helping those in need. One secret; when you give to anyone in need, see yourself being rewarded in hundred folds, see yourself occupy a bigger and better position as God fulfills His promise to satisfy all your desires. Lack and want will run far from you when you earnestly deposit into the lives of the needy because God who sees and watches over them wouldn’t give room for you to become the helped, instead He’ll give you more resources that will make you a helper. Isaiah 58:10. "And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
4. God’s Vessels. These people are everywhere but not all of them are clean vessels. Why did I say that? Some of them start up good but along the line, they mix it up with diabolical powers, some of them, out of greed start worshipping money and the bible calls it a form of idolatry. Nonetheless, there are some vessels that strictly depend on God for EVERYTHING, e.g., food, power, life, increase in each life they encounter, money, everything you can think of, they do not care what material gifts there are to be purchased or how much they can acquire, all they truly desire is a close walk with God that God will use them as a medium to reach out to other people. These are the vessels I’m talking about. These people have God at their beck and call and He never fails to answer them, whoever makes them happy will be made happy, whoever makes them sad is better dead than alive. The very day I realized this truth, I desperately sought them to invest in because all they have to do is engage God to perform on your behalf, most times God who sees your actions and the intentions behind your actions will not only reward you for reaching out to His own very servant. In 1 Kings 17:10-24, the woman of Zarephath made herself live in abundance the moment she gave her last meal to a vessel of God, Elijah. There were so many men of God, just like there were so many widows, but God singled out this widow of Zarephath and showed her the secret of living in abundance, if you look at verse 16 of 1 Kings 17. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. Because the woman gave to Elijah, regardless of her emptiness and lack, Elijah engaged God to perform his Words on her behalf. She who had the last meal to eat and die eventually had more than enough at the time of famine. Her son who also died during the period Elijah was living and feeding from this widow was brought back to life. Verses 20-23. Then he cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Elijah committed God to act as she was a source of happiness and she did not deserve sorrow in any way, before Elijah finished praying, the dead boy rose again. When you invest in the lives of true vessels of God, you’ll not only live in abundance, every dead issue in your life, every hopeless case will be brought to life. I did not make these rules, God did and it has been working for those that effectively use them. Trust me when I say, It has been working for me. The question here is, what intention do you have when you sow in their lives? To gain all the attention for yourself and none for other people? To show off your capabilities and your possessions? Do you invest in them and tomorrow you want them to pay you back in full and more? Do you invest to bless and make them happy in serving God? The fourth is the only reason God will look down from heaven on your behalf.
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