A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (May 26, 2016)
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38)
If you are seeking God for a miracle in your life, there is a strong possibility that the release of your miracle is connected to someone else’s miracle. God has a plan for your deliverance — and His plan always works. Let me explain.
Recently I was thinking about different ways we could raise money to finish one of our church building projects. God spoke to my heart about it and said something so simple and basic: “Go before the congregation the very next Sunday and receive a building fund offering for another church in your community that is also in a building project”.
At first it seemed awkward for me to stand behind the pulpit to ask our congregation to give funds to help build a church 15 miles away, knowing that we needed money to complete our own building project. But when I did it, a miraculous thing happened. As I told the congregation we were receiving an offering for another church, some cheered, others shouted, but I noticed one thing from wall to wall. Everyone in the church was excited about helping another church.
We received a building fund offering that day for the other church. The next day I put the check in the mail. Not only did we help another church, but we had a lot of fun doing it. It is a joy to give! Actually, it is being kingdom-minded.
Our community is a resort area. Our church and lighthouse overlook a large lake. In fact, this lake has over 1,300 miles of shoreline. There are over 250 waterfront resorts and over 75 marinas on our lake alone. Also, there are over 150 churches. I teach my congregation that we are not in competition with other churches that teach Jesus Christ is Lord. And when we help other churches instead of being critical of them, we are kingdom-minded.
Jesus said that if we would seek first the kingdom of God, then the things we need would be added to us (Matthew 6:33). His kingdom is bigger than my ministry or my church. To be kingdom-minded means that we are not in competition for sheep, but we are competitive together in our fight against the enemy, the prince of darkness.
Through all this we can see God’s plan for our prosperity. If we meet the needs of others in the kingdom, then the King of the kingdom can meet our needs. Although I already knew and understood the revelation of giving and receiving, somehow that revelation seems deeper now. Luke 6:38 tells us that if we give, men will give back to us. And that when they give back, the same standard of measurement will be used in our receiving that was used in the giving.
A foundational principle in God’s Word is sowing and reaping, giving and receiving (Galatians 6:7-9). There is never a harvest without seed being sown and receiving is in direct proportion to the giving. However, the principle of giving and receiving works in conjunction with the message of Jesus when He said, “Seek the kingdom of God first.” To be kingdom-minded means that you seek God’s plan and purpose above all else. It means that if funds are limited, His plans and projects are priority. If you are standing in line with God, always step back and put God ahead of yourself. Make Him first.
You may be seeking God for a miracle in your own life, but you can be sure that there are many others seeking God for a miracle also. If you seek God’s guidance by His Holy Spirit, and if you are obedient to that guidance, your seed planting will not be in vain, but will actually meet a need and bring joy to someone else. And as you are obedient to His guidance in your giving, you open the door and make it possible for someone else to be led by the Holy Spirit and give into your need. The seed empowers the kingdom principle that activates your personal deliverance.
You may say, “But I thought God was my deliverer, not a man or a woman.” Again, Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you.” And then He said that by doing this, the result will be that men will give unto you. God uses people who are obedient to the leading of His Spirit to fulfill the needs in the body of Christ. So today, activate the kingdom principle of seeking God first in your giving so that you will be a blessing to someone else — and by being a blessing, you open the door to be blessed.
Activate your miracle today!
