Refuse to withhold

I want to truly thank God for the successful hosting of yet another Economic Summit. I also want to specially appreciate all our Guest Speakers and the Business and Entrepreneurship Committee {BENCO} for a job well done. I encourage you to put legs to the principles and economic strategies shared during the summit. As you take advantage of the many opportunities that abound in our nation, the Lord will honor your faith and show you a token for good.

Let me share this scripture with you:

2 Corinthians 9:6{KJV}

‘’But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.’’

One of the lies the devil is sowing in the hearts of believers today, is the mentality that we live in the time of economic hardship and so there is no need to stretch yourself when it comes to giving. The last time I checked the scriptures, it says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and there was nothing lacking. After the fall, man lost access to the resources and had to labor before he could eat. God said to him, from the sweat of thy brow shall thou eat. {Gen 3:19} This mentality of lack and shortage came as a result of the fall, because before the fall man had access to the vast resources of the earth. The sweet Psalmist puts it this way in Psalms 24:1, ‘’the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.’’ He continues in Psalm 50:10-11 by saying ‘’for every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the fields are mine.’’ The God we serve owns it all and lacks nothing.

Beloved, the good news is that what we lost in Adam, we have gained back in Christ. The irony however is that in-spite of our inheritance in Christ Jesus, a lot of us still operate with a shortage mentality and the result is that we are still penny pinching. We refuse to give and as such we cannot receive all that God has put in stock for us. The result is that the man who thinks lack and shortage will naturally withhold. You must understand that giving is the way of God. God is the biggest giver – He gave His only begotten Son to die for the whole world. The wisdom of the world emphasizes receiving while the wisdom of God emphasizes giving.

I come to challenge you to give Him your best anytime you have the opportunity to do so. No man can out give God, because when you give, you are actually asking Him to multiply your harvest. Don’t ever forget that it is He who gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. If there was any time to give sacrificially, it is now. Each day you wake up, have your bath yourself and can move around, understand that it is His grace that has made you see another day. The least you can do is to appreciate Him for His love and grace that has kept you alive. One way to show your appreciation is to give. You are not giving because anyone is compelling you to do so, but you are giving in response to all that He has done for you.

As you give cheerfully every time, expect Him to fill your barn and storehouses to overflow.  The earth shall yield her increase for you. You will not be stranded. I bless you.

Maranatha!

In His Royal Service

 

Dr. Mike Okonkwo

The Presiding Bishop