Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 2 Corinthians 9:10.
It is indisputability that we have obtained an infinite spiritual, mental, moral and physical free universal health care coverage and insurance policy fully paid for by the stripes of Christ and the blood of the Lamb of God when he purchased our redemption on the cross to give us deliverance and salvation from sin – deliverance healing and wholeness from sicknesses and diseases – deliverance from spiritual and second death unto eternal life as it is written, ‘I wish above all things that you be in good health and prosper, even as your soul prosper’. 3 John 2.
So, the scripture clearly reveal that the health and wellness of your soul should come first as priority, that though the outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day (2 Cor.4:16), then comes your physical health and financial prosperity and material blessing.
From the Old or New Testament of the scripture, the word of God is consonance and in accord to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness in expectations that all other things shall be added unto you. The pursuit of God’s will in obedience to his word secures our soul from the power of the thorn able to choke the word of life if we put the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches above the interest of the soul and against the rule to be content with whatever we have in expectation that Jehovah will fulfill other promises to bless our water and bread, to take away all the sicknesses and diseases in the world far from you, and to put them on your enemies and on those who hates you, and to increase you on every side – material, financial, marital etc. Deuteronomy 7:11-15.
The heavenly Father will not deny healing and deliverance with every other blessing purchased and secured for us through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ as long as we are laying hold on his word, continue to remind him of those promises in prayer. Good health is our right as redeem children of God: he is the life we are living, and the health of our countenance. It is his goodwill and pleasure to see us living perfectly healthy and in soundness of mind – then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily. Isaiah 58:8.
Today, the ‘seed faith’ message has become a controversial and offensive subject of reproach of bitter envying, criticism, scrutiny among many in the church and in the world which is stirring up blasphemous conversation within the church and the people of the world who are ignorant of the scripture.
The church is built and established to be a city built on the hill to testify against the world of darkness and to show the difference as light in it. If the church is not living up to her expectations of modeling the scripture, she becomes a stumbling stone to people searching or seeking for God by giving occasion and opportunity to the enemy to reproach (Nehemiah 5:9), not only God, but also her worldly and ungodly lifestyles and footsteps of non-conformity to the scripture in the application of any practice on sacred rite which in itself is in accordance with accepted standards or principles of the scripture that is good and lawful, but wrongly dispose and selfishly misappropriate.
Note: it is not because someone doesn’t have the ‘check’ or ‘cash’ at hand to sow a seed of faith should defer, prevent or stop God to heal the sick if they are sick. Those manipulative, wicked, greedy and lying miracle workers, pastors and prophets who cannot have enough will make you think and believe that all depends on the seed (money) you put on the ground for your miracle and breakthroughs to take place irrespective of your lifestyles –right or wrong standing with God – Israel’s prophets are no better than jackals that hunt for food among the ruins of a city. Ezekiel 13:4. CEV.
To get access to some of those prophets, you must pay a consultation fee before you can have an audience with the so-called man of God. What a sham and spiritual fraud! Freely has Christ given us his gifts and divine abilities to help others, freely it is expected of us to exercise the ministering of those divine abilities and talents as a good steward of the manifold gifts of God. 1 Peter 4:10.
By the way, it is believer’s responsibility to bless the man of God from time to time with material and financial supports according to his ability (Galatians 6:6) as it a spiritual crime of abuse of power to put any charge on the gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 9:18), but spiritually grown up and spirit-filled believers in the Lord understands that it is not appropriate to go to a good man of God empty handed if they have the material or financial blessing at hand (and he said unto him, behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go. Then said Saul to his servant, but, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said, behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. 1 Samuel 6-8) but if not, the lack of any material or monetary gift should never deter anyone from seeking the counsel of God from his faithful and selfless servants. They can always be requited whenever there is opportunity to show appreciation for their good works, provided they are teaching in all good things. Matthew 10:8.
It is good and blessed to give to a true prophet if we hope to have it in return for a prophet’s reward according to Christ own word (Matthew 10:41) as the scripture admonishes us to keep sowing seed in good faith under any reasonable situation and appeal to give for the kingdom work if we have it, much more, being led and convinced to do so by the spirit of God: the harvest and blessings of such gifts shall be enormous with a good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over to be given back into our bosoms. Luke 6:36.
Faint not, but give wisely and generously as you cast your bread upon the waters: for thou shall find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou know not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be. He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap. As thou knows 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 knows not the works of God who makes all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for thou know not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11: 1-6.
The principles and acts of ‘seed faith’ and the promise of a solemn pledge to do something (vow) in order to activate a promise or to obtain a promise of God is a symbolic demonstration of faith, declaring that God is your sole trust, he’s your all in all. We demonstrate faith that gold or silver does not lord it over us or controls us, and there is no string attached to material things, cash or properties whatsoever as we are not ready to take no as an answer from the good God, but no one should ask you to vow before God answer your prayer. Vow is a personal heart-felt decision from you between you and God without the suggestion from anyone to do so, except with an agreement between you and your spouse to God. Let no other person deceives you to vow or make a promise to ensnare you for whatever reason to promise certain thing if they should get you your desire result or answer to your problem – that’s witchcraft manipulation.
By the way, the greatest price (the blood of Jesus) has been paid, so what is the seed in comparison to the harvest? What a pity to the soul that honor money and material things above the Lord who is above all like the mammon enslave rich young guy departed from the Lord’s presence in great sorrow because he was instructed by Christ to go and sow or give his money to the poor and to follow him that he might keep his focus, pursuit, goal and priority on things above, and to keep an account and treasure up there in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 19:21-22. Hebrews 10:34.
God is a husbandman who keeps working to prune or cultivate the garden of our heart day and night. It is only the spiritually unskillful (babes in the Lord) in the word of righteousness and carnal believers and a person of little or no faith that do err when it comes to the debate or doctrine on the seed of faith.
Drawing analogue and taking example from Abraham’s selfless love and devotion to God when he was instructed to offer Isaac which was just a test to measure the inward depth of his love for God before whom action are weighed (1 Sam.2:3), to observe and see his reactions and attitudes concerning the offering and sacrifice he was asked to make at a mountain in Moriah. Jehovah enjoins us in his word to walk in the steps of Abraham’s faith as our spiritual earthly father (Isaiah 51:1-2), and to emulate Sarah as the spiritual earthly mother (1 Peter 3:6) as true sons and daughters of Zion. Jehovah expects similar positive demonstrations and characteristics of Abraham’s faith life from us by doing the same thing – walking after the steps of Abraham’s faith.
Though, Abraham was clueless of the destination where God was taking him to, yet he obeyed and willingly sold himself out for God. Even so should we give and surrender our lives to him, sold out and become selfless in our walk with the great Shepherd of our soul with a readiness and willingness to part with anything or to offer anything in the pathway of obedience and submission to YWHW. However hard and difficult our trials seems to be, we must take God for his word as we tremble in awe of his holy promises in a childlike faith. Though we are be left alone to face the consequences of our choice to obey God, even as Abraham excused, separated and parted with the servants that followed him to be left alone to go beyond with Isaac to worship God, and not only was he willing, but he’s was ready to offer his only son as a burnt offering on the mount before God. We should be assured that nothing is lost which is giving in good faith and in the integrity of our heart to God, even as Abraham got his son back and alive to move God to swear by himself, by saying, that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. ‘But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only’. Genesis 22: 1-18. James 2:20-24.
Christ life was given as seed which died, grow and multiplies, and behold, the whole world is gone out after him Our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life and gave it all for us that we might have everything. If Christ was tempted in all points of life, we should not expect lesser treatment and expectation from Satan not to tempt us in every area of life, including the temptation against selfless and sacrificial living and giving which countless believers and ministers are falling into (hoarder) as greedy dogs which can never have enough; and are shepherds that cannot understand, they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Isaiah 56:11.
You can also sow the seed of faith in from of alms giving to the poor beggar for your own health’s sake. Sowing the ‘seed of faith’ should not be limited to the men or prophets of God or into the ministries and churches alone. God will lavishly reward us for our kind and compassionate acts shown to the afflicted people in their adversity; and will be there for us when and if we found ourselves in any difficult situation or in any infirmity or sickness. Who has first given to Jehovah that it should be recompensed to him? But divine treasurer ship will reimburse and multiply the seed sown: and without doubt, increase the fruits of your righteousness to enrich you in everything to all bountifulness. As long as there is a ‘seed time and harvest time’ according to the scripture, we should be more sensitive to the Spirit of God for the time to give to the poor dwelling among us according to Christ own word (Matthew 26:11), and to release the ‘monetary seed’ in the form of alms giving in our possession to the needy. God will be there to preserve and deliver us from the evil desire and expectation of the wicked that is waiting and expecting to see us perished. ‘Blessed is he that considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. Psalms 41:1-2.
It is our duty to profit and our interest to reflect deeply on any subject of interest and exemplary situation of which the Lord has quoted and made references from the Old Testaments account of the scripture that we might learn for promotion of our well-being. ‘I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah; when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Zarephath, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow’. Luke 4:25-27.
Interestingly, we learnt from the Lord from this scripture verses that (1) not everyone in the church will have the pressing and urgent need to sow into the life of a prophet to receive miraculous supply and sustenance; so whenever they’re (prophets) asking everybody present at a meeting to sow, they are lying to us, because fingers are not equal and pay checks are not the same. (2.) Even, the unbelievers will be blessed through God’s servants if they will believe to act by faith on the word and instruction of God through the mouth of his holy prophets and apostles while the selfish among the brethren will be struggling to be blessed because they refused to scatter their ‘seed of faith’ (there is that scatters, and yet increases; and there is that withholds more than is meet, but it tends to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that waters shall be watered also himself. Proverbs 11:24-25) by withholding than what is meet and will not believe in the Lord their God to be established, and to believe his prophets, so they shall ye prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20.
We see from the scripture narration that the prophet lacked what the woman has, even though the flour she had in her possession was little, but she needed God’s breathe, blessings and multiplication on her little and insignificant flour for sustainability. Except she had believed to act on the word from God, she would soon die of famine when her resource is drained. The encounter of the widow woman with Prophet Elijah was arranged and ordered by God (divine plan) to make provision for the Prophet as well as the supernatural supply for the poor widow if she will believe and trust God to act in obedience to the instruction from the mouth of God through his holy prophet. Sight and faith are sworn enemies. The latter is the substance of things hoped for, to be acted upon as belief or evidence for the manifestations of things not seen. Sense and reasoning dwells on what is explainable, sensible and logical. Has the widow woman considered her little flour and observed the cloud (he that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. Eccles.11:4) by considering the famine in the land and failed to share little from her flour with the prophet, she will lose the blessings of three years of free and uninterrupted divine provision for her and child’s sustenance to die a preventable death from famine.1 Kings 17:12.
Sowing the seed of faith is of divine origin and should not be limited to financial and material gifts as we can see from the two different examples given from the book of James. Let us be careful not to stand in any evil thing, neither to stand against any good cause and move of God. Every action or attitude is a seed – good or bad, positive or negative. It was just the harlot co-operation and positive outlook (an attitude that determines how you respond to situation) to the mission of the spies sent to Jericho by Joshua that saved her life and earned her an inheritance among them that believed and was inscribed in the chronicle of faith heroes. ‘Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also’. James 2: 26-27.
Many people from the church and outside the church are complaining that everything is about money and money and endless demands of money in the church today. The truth is that money is required to run the ministry; even Jesus our Lord received offering and financial gifts from people with an appointed financial treasurer for expenditure and book keeping in his ministry. Money answers all things, but the life of a man does not consist in the abundance of his riches or possession. There are many other things that are better than wealth and riches in God’s sight and esteem. For examples, money cannot secure your salvation in the kingdom of heaven – what then shall it profit a man if he gain the world and lose his soul – and a good name or character is better than gold and silver. Luke 12:15. Prov. 22:1.
The great woman at Shunamite expressed concern and shown hospitality by sowing ‘seed of kindness’ to Prophet Elisha and his servant without former request of an accommodation from the prophet. She was rewarded and blessed with a male child for her kindness and good gesture – that was the reward of receiving and giving to a true prophet of God: (b) it was Rebecca’s kindness and compassionate caring spirit and heart to give water by the well to the servant sent by Abraham to search for a wife for Isaac that brought her into the covenant blessed family of Abraham and made her Isaac’s wife and the mother of Esau and Jacob.
Seed of faith is meant to meet ministerial and vocational need in order to advance the kingdom cause on earth against financial and material oppositions, but let not the prophets or ministers of the gospel become swindlers or scammers for God’s cause, that’s altogether hell fire. Let us consider our ways because the house of God is in ruin and in waste while many among us are running to our own houses, neglectful of the most important house and work – the house of God and kingdom work. Haggai 1:7-11.
Individual should be sure that reaching out with financial seed is what the Lord is leading or guiding them to do – but a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand. (Isaiah 32.8): nobody afterward should felt tricked, coerced, brainwashed or victimized into giving. If any man is denied to be ministered to for counseling, healing, deliverance or denied access to receive prophetic utterance from the man of God because they don’t have the seed demanded, it means that such clergy are abusing their power in the gospel of Christ and are certainly out of the way. These are prosperity – false preachers, perverse disputing men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1 Timothy 6:3.
There must be a seed in your hand if it is the will of God for you at that particular time to sow any seed of faith. Don’t be frustrated to count yourself a failure by such words as ‘you have less than twenty four hours’ left to seize the opportunity of a life time breakthroughs when you don’t even have any seed at hand. God should put the seed in your hand to sow if that particular message is meant for you at that given time; as it is written, he give seed to the sower. ‘If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man has, and not according to that he has not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and you are burdened. 2 Corinthians 8: 12-13. 2 Corinthians 9:10.
It is therefore unbiblical to borrow money – to put yourself into debt so that you can sow a seed of faith: (a) by doing so, you make yourself a servant to the lender, but you are bought with a price, be you not servants of men. Proverbs 22:7. 1 Corinthians 7:23: (b) you’ve transgressed the scriptures that says, owe no man anything; but to love one another. Romans 13:8.
We should not wait until we are ask to sow if we are led (intuition – instinctive knowledge) to do so. Some seed that were sown in the early church were given not because the apostles asked from the congregation. The need and lack were evident that all can see the poor brethren lacking basic things and the blessed – good and kind rich men among them were touched and led by God to meet those need. They determined within themselves without instruction or persuasion from any of the apostle or prophet to give sacrificially to enhance and to facilitate the success of the work of the ministry. ‘Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet’. Acts 4:34-38.
We should know that not every seed sown bring forth instant harvest. If our harvest is delay, we shouldn’t cry any foul play against the man of God to cause our mouth to sin, if no specific season or time for harvest is given -and he said, about this season, according to the time of life, thou shall embrace a son. And she said, nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto your handmaid.. 2 Kings 4:16. Let us increasingly wait on the Lord in good works and maintaining good works, watching out that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward in due season. 2 John 1:8.
God freely gives us all things to enjoy, his gifts and blessings cannot be bought with money, and he’s not selling any of his blessings nor gifts. None of the benefits and the blessings of redemption are for sale, but because he desire to get financial and other blessings into the hands of his servants to meet their ministerial need and necessities, he will give seed to the sower as a way to show their faith by their work or action that he may multiply and increase their blessing and to intervene in a certain and specific situation on the behalf of the giver, for the righteous give and spares not. Proverbs 21:26.
Jehovah will never ask anyone of us to give what we don’t have, nor will he stretch any of his children beyond or above their measure to give. Far be it from God to burden any of his children to ease any of his servants. We should discern to resist any demonic authority, manipulative and bewitchment spirit in the name of faith giving from the false prophets who divine for money and from the false teachers who hire for teaching. Micah 3:11.
Your prophetic seed can be sacrificial, but it should always be what you have or all that you have like the widow’s mite. Above all, you should have momentary joy and peace of satisfaction of expectation of Christ reward sooner or later as the fruit your faith in giving – whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Christ open our eyes again to the event between captain Naaman of Syria and prophet Elisha of Israel in the book of Luke chapter 4 verses 27 that many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving (except) Naaman the Syrian. Again, Christ lessons is readily apparent to the mind on this issue: (a) you are not obliged to sow the ‘seed of faith’ before God should heal your sickness, even if you have the cash money flowing in your bank account and money filled in your wallet. Though, captain Naaman thought within himself that is was business as usual with the prophet as some will think and say that it is all about money because of the activities of fraudulent pastors and prophets today (church business, it is all about money. 2 Peter 2:3), so he went down to Elisha from Syria with different gifts and gold for his healing, but his gifts and money were rejected by Prophet Elisha to prove him wrong that it was not all about money: (b) you may even have more than enough financial blessing in your bank account, yet, God is not going to ask you to give anything before you’re healed: nonetheless, the Spirit of God may give you impression to offer free -will offering of thanksgiving in response and appreciation to the goodness you have freely received from God, just as Naaman proposed to give in good faith for the appreciation and thanksgiving for his healing, but the Prophet refused to accept the gifts because it was not time to receive. 2 Kings 5:22.
This testimony I am about to give you was real, astonished and fascinated to me. Many years back at Africa in Abidjan – Cote D’ivoire, I was called to pray for a Roman Catholic aged man who was diagnosed with a terminally ill disease and was given short period of time to live by the doctors. Brother Jude was the son of this old man, a passionate born again believer in God and in the supernatural healing and deliverance who suggested to his father to bring me in. I heard a small still voice instructing the old man to give a certain sum to meet a certain urgent need in the church and I told him to give, not for his healing, but for the urgent need in the church. He enthusiastically responded, I’m going to die anyway, it is better for me to give for God’s work than to keep it for no use. He obeyed like Peter did at his first encountered with Christ (nevertheless at thy word. Luke 5:4-5) and he lives many years twice told beyond the few months predicted by the doctors. This is the power of seed faith. If we are directly instructed by the Spirit of the Lord to give a specific ‘seed of faith’ which we have at that time in our possession, at home or bank through his servant for a purpose, we can count ourselves as someone who has found favor before Jehovah because our need shall be taken over and the return shall be enormously great.
But if the prophet or the clergy have not spoken by the Spirit God, but he ask money from us; even though we sow, we shall not get the result, neither the solution we seek for. This is how we can know that God has not sent such prophet who has played and profited on our vulnerability and situation to exploit and manipulate us for his own advantage in the name of the Lord. Somehow and elsewhere, the Lord will certainly refund us and will take vengeance on the liars that are exploiting his name in vain. 2 Chronicle 25:9.
We can also give a ‘sacrificial seed’ into an individual’s life in our church or community: to a total stranger, we can give as we are led by the spirit of God – do good to all men, especially to them of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10): learn to practice Cornelius giving from time to time (Acts 10:4), by the way, we are instructed by the Lord to practice prayer without ceasing, to fast oft, and to always give almsgiving to the poor. Galatians. 2:10.
We bring great honor to God through our action when we have pity on the poor, to lift them up from their deplorable situation in any way possible as we put smile on their faces and bring comfort to their hearts in any measure. Though our need is greater and compelling immediate action, the outcome and blessing of our sacrificial giving will be the superfluous of God’s unlimited blessings from his inexhaustible store room into our lives – he that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse.Prov.28:27.
In Proverbs chapter 19 verses 22a; it reads, the desire of a man is his kindness….for example, if you desire or believing God for a miracle child, seek to sow seed of material or financial blessings into any poor family with kids to help them for the upbringing of their children and wait to see what tremendous outcome that will bring you. Prayerfully sow your seeds into the life of someone who is poor (Proverbs 22:16) and see what God will do. By the way, the scripture reveal that if you sow seed into the life of any beggar or the poor brethren, the Lord will make your bed in sickness and will not deliver you into the will of your enemies; so why not go a-head to sow seed of faith into the lives someone’s else children for the future you desire for your own children and for every other desire in your life to the glory of God if you are led to do so?
Just as the word of is God is forever settled in heaven, so is the ‘seed of faith’ a settled and grounded biblical rewarding supernatural principles if we get the ‘revelation of faith’ or the ‘witness in your spirit’ to give. There is nothing fake and unusual about it if you have not for once fallen as a victim to swindlers and church robbers.
Hannah – the mother of Prophet Samuel prayed and waited for many years and vow to God before her womb was opened. After she got her first child, she decided to sow (lend or borrowed the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:28) his son for the Lord’s temple work; and you know what, she was paid back with seven more children. 1 Samuel 2:5.
I am quite sure that the Lord gave command to his disciples to give back with a good measure, pressed down and shaken together to the young lad who willingly gave out his five barley loaves and two small fishes to feed the multitudes. By the way do you think they will forget the young lad from giving him at least two to three full baskets of the filled twelve baskets from the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had well eaten from the young boy’s five barley loaves, and two small fishes after they had convinced and persuaded him to give to the Lord’s work for the immediate help in Christ urgent need to feed his hearers? John 6:1-13. Did not Abigail sow her seed into the life of David to become his wife? Therefore, in the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for thou knows not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:6.