#SpreadTheGospel

Good people,

What’s cracking?

I like this greeting so much. Cracking is one of those versatile words that you can use wherever and it suddenly makes everything sound so cool. For instance, “let’s get cracking”. What comes to mind when you hear that? Or instead of saying, “you’re so funny“, you say, “you crack me up“. Sounds fancy huh?

In unrelated matters, today’s 29^th February! Woot! Woot!

The next time I will get to post on such a date will be four years from now.

Ladies and gentlemen, today’s topic is money; so let’s get cracking [see what I did there? 😉 ]

This is the long awaited sequel from The Brains behind Brian. Are you ready? Lets go!

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One of the things I have seen the Lord work wonders as I have walked with Him is my area of finances. I have always desired to get to a point in life where my money is working for me incredibly to support what I would truly want to do with God. I remember one preacher, Pastor David Briggs, visited our church and mentioned on 4 levels of giving:

1. Need seed: where you give to God trusting Him to provide for your daily needs.
2. Seasonal seed: which is based on the ever-changing seasons in life, you sow towards something for a season you are in or passing through.
3. Dream seed: which is what you sow towards your dreams and other people’s dreams in life, and you watch them grow. I personally have sowed in several dreams, for friends and mine. This has a bit of a longevity.
4. Generational seed: which is one you give to grow something that goes beyond you to the next generation and the one after that. This formed the foundational pillar of how I look at finances.

One of the other lenses I see through, is that everything we are and have, comes from the Lord and unto Him, we will give an account for everything we have been given.

Finances were and still are a big part of our lives. Jesus used plenty of references concerning finances. For example:

• That the heart of giving being more important than the amount given.
• That where one’s treasure is, the heart will follow accordingly.
• About loving God and money; that it is truly impossible to serve two masters. Either one takes over and reigns over the other.

Christ stressed how important it is for us to love God above all else. Therefore, we ought to put God first in all we do.

That being said, I find it ironical that in spite of God having given us the keys to access numerous avenues for wealth creation, the world continues to struggle with poverty.

Jesus said He came that we may have life and life in abundance. Take a moment to pause and reflect. What areas of your life do you need this God-life in?

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 NKJV

With the world reeling from the post-Covid effects, nations’ economies are struggling. People can’t make ends meet yet God can provide for all our needs. It starts with asking; as it says in the word of the Lord, ask and ye shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened. After asking, what comes next? Surely, we get up and put our faith in action… use what God has placed around us.

When the answer to your request comes – what do you do first or rather WHO comes first in sequence and precedence… is it God maybe or maybe not…perhaps self in terms of alcohol… or we pretend to be too righteous… perhaps vanity. To set the record straight, God does require us to have Him first in all we do.

When God has your heart, there is nothing HE will withhold from you as long as it is in His will. God instructs in the Book of Malachi that we are to bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be enough food in the Temple; and this command comes with a promise!

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Malachi 3:10 NKJV

Even better, HE goes on to dare us that we try Him and see if He will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great, we cannot contain. He promises to rebuke the devourer and pestilence over the work of our hands and all that concerns us. God is only asking for a tenth. After that, He requires that we become good stewards of the 90 percent remaining. See, the 90 percent isn’t for our own glorification but God’s. The Bible says that in all we do, we do it for the glory of God.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV

Now that this truth has registered, let us take a moment to introspect and retrospect about how we use and spend the 90 percent. All this is God’s and how we utilize it will determine if God gives us more, less or takes it all away from us. It is written that he who is faithful with little will be faithful with much, and he who is unfaithful with little will be unfaithful with much.

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10 NKJV

So as stewards, what would God expect of us? How would He expect us to steward His resources and where would He want us having the most impact? We will answer this better in the next part of our series. Till next time, be a faithful steward.

Brian Ogaba

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Thank you Brian for your wisdom on finances.

Now to you dear reader, are you born again? Would you like to give your life to Christ? If yes, please recite the prayer below:

Dear Lord,

Thank You for dying on the cross for me. I believe in my heart that you died and rose again and I confess with my mouth that You are Lord and Saviour in my heart and in my life. I denounce my former ways and choose to be Your child. Thank You for setting me free. I am now born again. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

You are now born again!

I rejoice with the heavenly hosts for this amazing milestone in your life! If you would like someone to walk this journey of faith with you, please send me a message on Instagram or comment below.

God loves you so much!

XO,

That Lady