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Biblical Principles for Finances

Understanding the Blessings of Tithes and Offerings

Table of Contents

Why is it Important to Recognize the Hebraic Roots in Biblical Finance?

God’s Purpose for Offerings and Biblical Finance Principles

The Purpose of Tithes and Offerings

The 5 Types of Offerings

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Tithe

• What is the Tithe? • What is the heart Motive behind the Tithe Offering? • Bible Verses about the Tithe • Blessings Released from the Tithe Offering • What’s at Stake When We Don’t Tithe, or Tithe without Honor?

Firstfruits

• What is a Firstfruits Offering? • What is the Heart Motive behind the Firstfruits Offering? • Bible Verses about Firstfruits • Blessings Released from the Firstfruits Offering • What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give Firstfruits Offering?

Terumah

• What is the Teruma Offering? • What is the Heart Motive behind the Terumah Offering? • Bible Verses about Terumah • Blessings Released from the Terumah Offering • What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give Terumah?

Seed

• What is the Seed? • What is the Heart Motive behind the Seed Offering? • Bible Verses about Sowing Seeds • Blessings Released from the Seed Offering • What’s at Stake When We Don’t Sow Seeds?

Alms

• What is an Alms Offering? • What is the Heart Motive behind the Alms Offering? • Bible Verses about Alms • Blessings Released from the Alms Offering • What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give and Alms Offering, or Give with the Wrong Motive?

Biblical Finance Principles | Practical Application

• Living in Safety • Do These Things! • Budgeting • Investing • Giving • Honor is the Currency of Heaven • Responsibility • The Takeaway

Conclusion

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Many of us have the head knowledge that we are to give tithes and offerings. We understand that when we follow biblical finance principles,

we will bless others and be blessed in return. However, aligning our hearts with this head knowledge can be difficult.

If you are reading this, then you know that aligning your finances with Kingdom principles is a large part of aligning your heart with the Father’s.

The problem is that there is little direct teaching about how to align your finances by using biblical principles in ways that are grounded in the Hebraic roots. There is almost no education as to what these tithes and offerings are. Few understand what their purposes are and how they are intended to bless those who give them. These purposes and blessings were established by God through the nation of Israel—and are now revealed to you.

Why is it Important to Recognize the Hebraic Roots in Biblical Finance?

Because these are the principles for which God established His nation. These principles make up the very framework that the Jewish people built their society around—how they were able to care for each other and thrive. These offerings are the biblical finance principles that God gave Israel in order to open the windows of Heaven. When God opened these windows of blessings and they poured down on Israel, this act was to be a witness of God’s goodness to the surrounding nations.

This is why we, at Curt Landry Ministries, want to provide you with the biblical finance principles that God established from the beginning so you can…

• Understand • Apply • Reap the blessings God has in store for you

After all, the Lord has not blessed us so that we store up treasures on earth. No, He has blessed us so that we can live abundant lives (John 10:10) and bless others (Proverbs 22:9).

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God’s Purpose for Offerings and Biblical Finance Principles

• To enter into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him • To be partners with Him and good stewards of what He has given us • To be witnesses of His goodness here on earth, ultimately bringing others into a relationship with Him

In this e-book, we are going to unpack the mystery of our covenant-keeping God. Within that mystery, you’ll discover…

• What a tithe is, what purpose it serves, and how God blesses us through it • What a firstfruits offering is, what purpose it serves, and how God blesses us through it • What a terumah offering is, what purpose it serves, and how God blesses us through it • What it means to sow a seed into good soil, and what the blessings God releases from it are • What alms offerings are, what purpose they serve, and how they capture God’s attention

We will also look at what is at stake when we decide not to follow these biblical finance principles.

The Purpose of Tithes and Offerings

Before we unpack the 5 types of offerings, we need to understand the purpose of them. The offerings are grounded in faith, trust, and the covenant relationship you have with the Lord.

The purpose of your faith offerings is about coming into the presence of God. They serve as a gateway into a deeper fellowship and relationship with the Lord. It’s not about buying God’s attention or blessings but about coming into His presence with a sense of thanksgiving and connection that flows in both directions—from you to Him, and from Him to you.

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Taking Abraham’s Lead

In scripture, we read about how Abraham would prepare a meal and dine with the Lord. The whole point was to fellowship with and revere the Lord —to spend time with Him and give honor and respect when doing so.

Offerings are always about these 2 things: fellowship and honor. If our hearts are not honoring when we give, there will be no harvest to reap.

The 5 Types of Offerings

There are 5 types of offerings…

1. Tithe 2. Firstfruits 3. Terumah 4. Seed 5. Alms

Tithe

What is the Tithe? 10% of the Increase

A tithe means 10%; therefore, a tithe offering is 10% of the increase—or the income you receive.

What is the Heart Motive behind the Tithe Offering?

The heart motive behind the tithe is obedience. Therefore, it is a command. It forms a connection to the relationship you have with God. The tithe is a picture of the covenant.

When you think of the tithe as a picture of the covenant, it illustrates the true relationship you have with the Lord. It says, “Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine.” This is a covenant.

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Yeshua took on your sin and gave you His righteousness. This is the covenant to which we are referring. Your tithe is a step further into this covenant relationship. In the same way a marriage goes beyond the wedding day, the covenant relationship with the Lord goes beyond that born-again experience. He wants more intimacy with you, and the tithe connects you to be more in His presence.

Bible Verses about the Tithe

Leviticus 27:30

• “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 14:22

• “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.”

1 Corinthians 9:9-11

• “For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?”

Galatians 6:6

• “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.”

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Malachi 3:10-12

• “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try me 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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the Lord of hosts; ‘And the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts.’”

From these verses, we see that all we have (100%) is the Lord’s. However, in His generous Spirit, He asks us to give 10% back to Him. That 10% goes to further His Kingdom. The other 90% is for us to steward with wisdom using further biblical finance principles revealed in the firstfruits, seed, and alms offerings.

Blessings Released from the Tithe Offering

God commanded the Israelites to bring forth offerings. By commanding His people to bring offerings, He allowed them to demonstrate their trust in Him—trust in His plans and with their resources of gold, silver, fine linens, spices, and gems. After they trusted God with their resources (finances), He then trusted them with His plan—a plan to show them how to build the tabernacle so He could dwell among them (see Exodus 25).

God used the best and most beautiful gifts that He gave to His people and asked them to use those gifts to build a sanctuary for Him. This action was to honor Him, and it was a way to invite Him into their lives. It is the same today. He still asks us to give of what He has provided for us so that He can be an active part of our lives.

The tithe does this…

• It bypasses depression and recession. • It opens the windows of Heaven. • It holds God to His promise to rebuke the devourer for your sake. • It serves as an example of God’s goodness to surrounding people.

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What’s at Stake When We Don’t Tithe, or Tithe without Honor?

Warning… Don’t substitute your tithe for another type of giving. It belongs to the Lord for the covenant. Many of us mistakenly believe that the other offerings are part of the tithe. But as we will soon discover, they have different purposes and blessings.

When we don’t tithe, or if we tithe with hearts that are not to honor, it leaves an open door for the devourer to destroy the fruit of what was just sown.

Have you ever been blessed, but before you got to see it bloom, it seemed to be eaten up? This could have been because there was either no tithe given or there was not a cheerful and honoring heart behind the given tithe.

God wants to protect the seed that you sow. He will prevent the destruction of your tithe when it is given in obedience and honor.

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to make a tithe offering? Then click HERE to tithe!

Firstfruits

What is a Firstfruits Offering? Heart Offering Based Off of the Increase

Firstfruits is an offering based off of the “first” of your increase. It is about sowing from the new beginnings the Lord has given us. When there has been an increase, we can sow an offering from that increase and it is called a firstfruits offering.

Now, this is where many get confused. A firstfruits offering is not a commandment like tithing is; it is optional. It is a heart offering. It is in addition to the tithe.

However, if you desire blessings from the Lord, firstfruits offerings activate the blessings. Your offering declares the trust you have in the Lord for an overflow of blessings to come.

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What is the Heart Motive behind the Firstfruits Offering?

The heart motive behind the firstfruits offering is generosity and thanksgiving. You give firstfruits offerings to the house by which you are spiritually fed.

There are 2 pictures of firstfruits that are illustrated by what happens regarding Pentecost.

• At Passover, the Jewish people would wave a sheaf—a small bundle of grain that had not been threshed or processed—before the Lord in expectation of the harvest that was to come. This was a picture of Christ, as He was the firstfruits offering of God.

• At Pentecost, the same offering was given, only multiplied. Instead of a single sheaf of grain, there were 2 loaves of bread offered. They were baked with leaven, which represents sin. The grain had been crushed, pressed down, and subjected to a refining fire.

Those loaves of bread represent us. We still have sin within us, yet we are still accepted by God because of Yeshua. The 2 loaves are a picture of the Jew and the Gentile coming together.

These firstfruits offerings are a picture of what the Lord wants to do with us—bring us into a closer relationship, refine us, and create a connection between us.

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Bible Verses about Firstfruits

Exodus 34:26

• “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God…”

Leviticus 23:9-11, 13, 14

• “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it… Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil… You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”’” (emphasis added)

Proverbs 3:9-10

• “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

From these verses, we see that the Lord fills our barns to the point of overflowing when we honor this offering. Again, this is not a requirement, but there is a direct relationship with accessing the presence of God and the Holy Spirit releasing revelation to you when this offering is honored.

Blessings Released from the Firstfruits Offering

The truth is that the firstfruits offering is not about money. It’s about what the Holy Spirit wants to do in YOU!

The firstfruits offering is all about increasing and accessing the presence of God and His Holy Spirit in a transforming way—in a way that unleashes His Glory, which touches every aspect of our lives, as well as the lives of those around us.

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The firstfruits offering does this…

• It opens the doors for a visitation from the Holy Spirit. He creates a breakthrough in areas of your life and begins the process of multiplication.

• It releases Kingdom wisdom into your life.

• It gives you access to your inheritance.

What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give Firstfruits Offerings?

God’s inheritance is a key part of what He wants us to enjoy. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of your inheritance.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”—Ephesians 1:13-14

When no firstfruits offerings are sown, there can be a holding back of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation in your life. This isn’t to say that you’ve lost the guarantee or access. Instead, it is that there is simply no release, and therefore no operation out of it.

Remember, the Holy Spirit wants to do something in you, and the firstfruits offering makes a way for the conduit of Kingdom wisdom to be released.

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to give a firstfruits offering? Then click HERE to give!

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Terumah

What is the Terumah Offering? 2% of the Increase Given to Priests and Teachers

The terumah, or heave offering, is a type of firstfruitsts offering. It is an additional offering meant for the priests or teachers. In biblical times, the priests had no land and no income. Therefore, God instructed his people to offer portions to the priests.

This was intended to care and provide for those who were giving instruction and a Word to the people. The Word the priests released was from the Lord and designed to keep the flock on the righteous path and within the boundaries of God’s blessings. The teaching would encourage them and guiding them in the ways they should go.

The same principle applies today. Imagine if our spiritual leaders weren’t cared for. They wouldn’t be able to fully devote themselves to guiding the flock. As a result, the flock would be at risk of being led astray.

What is the Heart Motive behind the Terumah Offering?

The amount is not where the focus should be, it is about the heart behind the offering. The motive is to bless those who have blessed you with their teaching.

If you are blessed by your spiritual leader’s teaching and intercessory prayer, and you choose to sow a seed into that, that anointing transfers back to you.

Bible Verses about Terumah

Ezekiel 44:30

• “The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.”

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Exodus 29:27

• “And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons.”

Blessings Released from the Terumah Offering

The Terumah does this…

• Similar to the firstfruits, it opens the doors for a visitation from the Holy Spirit. • It releases Kingdom wisdom into your life by allowing the teachers to receive a Word from the Lord and intercede on your behalf. • It allows you to respond to God’s call to bless those who have blessed you.

When we allow leadership in the house the space and time they need to spend in His presence, then we can expect an outpouring of revelation and insight like no other.

What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give Terumah?

As with other offerings, if no terumah is given, no seed is sown into that soil. The result is the anointing from the teacher doesn’t rest upon you. There can be a supernatural block from hearing the Word released.

Again, it should be clear that this is not about the amount. It is about a gift of the heart to bless those who are blessing you with biblical instruction and intercessory prayer.

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to give a Terumah offering? Then click HERE to give!

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The Seed

What is the Seed? Any Amount—the More You Sow, the More You Reap

A seed is a hope for what is to come. It is the potential of the harvest. It’s the possibility of an abundant crop.

The seed is any amount. There are no requirements. It depends on the harvest that you want to produce. The more you sow, the greater the harvest.

When you place a seed in the ground with moisture, it breaks through with life and the potential to do great things for the one who planted it. A seed will produce life and a harvest.

What is the Heart Motive behind the Seed Offering?

The heart motive behind the seed offering is faith and reward. The Bible is clear that the return is 30, 60, or 100-fold. But for it to produce a 100-fold crop, there are some conditions.

• The right seed must be planted in very fertile soil. • There will need to be time and/or money spent to make the soil fertile, just as a farmer adds fertilizer to the soil so that the seed will grow quicker and more abundantly. • The seed can only produce as much as what it is surrounded by.

Bible Verses about Sowing Seeds

2 Corinthians 9:6

• “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

2 Corinthians 9:10

• “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness…”

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Matthew 13:3-9

• “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. “Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”

From these verses, we see that our seeds come from our heavenly Father. He is the one who has deposited the Word of life in you.

The seed, and its increase, comes from the Father. You are a steward. You have been graced by the Lord to have the job of overseeing.

Jesus explained in the parable of the talents that good and faithful servants—those who are wise and are faithful with a few things—will be made rulers over many things. They will enter into His joy.

You have a responsibility to the inheritance that Jesus left you by the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells you.

Therefore, understanding these biblical principles serves as a guide to help you apply wisdom to your stewardship responsibilities so that you can reap great rewards.

Blessings Released from the Seed Offering

Ask any farmer how to produce the most abundant crop, and he will tell you there is a direct link between the time of planting and the yield of harvest. When you sow during appointed times on God’s calendar, you are sowing into nutrient-rich soil.

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These appointed times, according to the Bible, are the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23)…

• Pesach, or Passover • Shavuot, or Pentecost • Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets • Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement • Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles

God established these appointed times with Israel as moments for the people to experience more of His goodness and remember His faithfulness.

“You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.”—Leviticus 23:41

Because we’ve been grafted into the family of God by Yeshua (see Romans 11:24), we too get to partake in the covenant experience and blessings.

“Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”—Romans 11:22

We’ve talked a lot thus far about farming as an allegory for finances, but we sow seeds from the words we release. Spending time in God’s Word releases seeds into your life. Every time you open your mouth, it releases seeds into the lives of others.

As mentioned above, He who supplies the seed multiplies what you sow and increases the fruits of your righteousness.

Why does it increase your righteousness? Because of your faithfulness to follow God’s biblical principles and release your burdens to the Lord.

The Bible says that we have no righteousness on our own. Our righteous acts are nothing but filthy rags, according to Isaiah 64:6: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

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But when we surrender, believe God’s Word, and lay our burdens at His feet, He credits us His righteousness.

As you sow seed offerings into their purpose, they…

• Invite the righteousness of God and a visitation from the Holy Spirit.

That righteousness that comes from Him…

• Will increase and multiply in you. You become more aware of the responsibility He has given you. Then you can be a wiser steward with your gifts and blessings.

Sowing seeds into good soil is about having more understanding and a closer relationship with whom you are in a covenant relationship.

What’s at Stake When We Don’t Sow Seeds?

The truth is that when there is no seed sown, it only closes doors for multiplication to be manifested in your life. No, seed offerings are not required. However, when we choose not to sow seeds due to fear—just like the servant in the parable of the talents who hid his master’s money—the door is open for it to be taken from us and given to someone who will.

“So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” —Matthew 25:28-29

When we sow a seed from our heavenly Father, we must trust that He will multiply it in its time.

The seeds that produce the most come from the words you speak. Be careful to guard your words, as they have the power to speak life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, if you want your seed to multiply, speak life into others, which creates fertile soil for your seed to grow.

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to sow a seed into good soil during appointed times? Then click HERE to sow!

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Alms

What is an Alms Offering? Any Amount with a 1-to-1 Return

Alms are referred to in the Bible as righteous acts and charitable giving. They are offerings given to those in need with the purpose of meeting that need. This goes beyond providing material things. It can also include giving mercy, compassion, and a listening ear.

An alms offering has a return of 1-to-1. This means what you give will be given back. If you sow mercy, mercy is what you’ll be given.

What is the Heart Motive behind the Alms Offering?

The heart motive behind the alms offering is compassion and sympathy. It is intended to meet the needs of others. Giving alms has a unique place in God’s biblical finance principles, as they capture His attention.

Alms, like the other offerings, are an act of worship. They are a display of love for those in need. When done prayerfully, they turn your heart to the Lord and capture His heart for you. They bring you into communion and fellowship, both with the Lord and with others.

Alms are to be given in secret. If they are given with a heart for publicity, there will be no return from the Lord. As you will read below, the Bible clearly states that the act of almsgiving is private, but then the Father will reward you openly.

Bible Verses about Alms

Matthew 6:1-4

• “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (emphasis added)

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Proverb 19:17

• “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.”

Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 10

• “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother… Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.” (emphasis added)

Acts 10:1, 2-4

• “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius… who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’ And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.’”

From these verses, we can clearly see that the motive behind almsgiving is a sweet aroma to the Lord, that He rewards the giving, and that it is to be done in secret.

Blessings Released from the Alms Offering

Almsgiving is described as capturing God’s attention. Why? It reflects Jesus’ words to the Pharisees about the greatest commandment.

Jesus said, “…‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).

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This verse is a picture of the 5 types of offerings, with alms being the one that completes the circle. The first 4 offerings deal with the relationship you have with God, as well as how you view God. Alms, the fifth offering, is about caring for and loving your fellow man.

Almsgiving does this…

• It helps you maintain relationships and connect with others. It is an act that captures God’s attention because it is not commanded but driven by a compassionate heart—to care for those who are part of the Body of Christ.

What’s at Stake When We Don’t Give an Alms Offering, or Give with the Wrong Motive?

When we choose not to prayerfully give when we see a need and the Spirit prompts us to do so, we sow seeds of destitution into others and cancel the benevolent spirit in which the Holy Spirit wants us to operate.

Putting out the fire of the Holy Spirit’s prompt blocks your blessings. Now, again, this act of giving is to be done with prayer—meaning it is to be led by the Spirit, not by your emotions.

As far as a motive to receive recognition for the giving, this also cancels the reward. In Deuteronomy 15, the Lord warns a heart that attempts to justify not giving is subject to sin.

We are witnesses of God’s goodness and our perception of who God really is. If money is your God, people will have a certain perception of you. If God is God, then people will have a different perception of you. How do you want to be perceived?

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to give a generous gift of alms? Then click HERE to give to those in need!

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Biblical Finance Principles | Practical Application

There are biblical finance principles that work toward our favor in the Kingdom of God. One of the most common ways the enemy robs us of joy is through our finances. However, when we operate out of a generous spirit and use our time, talents, and resources wisely, we protect the seeds we sow through offerings.

Living in Safety

It is a tremendous blessing to live debt free. However, as our world is today, it is almost impossible for most to be debt free AND to live safely.

In a practical sense, we borrow money for a safe home and mode of transportation. It is important to be and feel safe as you live your day-to-day life. For this reason, borrowing money for a safe place to live and a safe way to get around is responsible.

However, there are some rules surrounding this borrowing of funds….

• Do not borrow money that would disrupt love in your home or business.

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”—Romans 13:8

• Do not be controlled by the one who lends you money.

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” —Proverbs 22:7

Do not let lending and borrowing money cause stress and emotional instability. If this is happening, an analysis of living within your means should be done. This also indicates that the above 2 points are not in alignment.

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Do These Things!

• Do enjoy.

Do enjoy what the Lord has given you. If you are in alignment with the above points and are living within your means, rejoice in the blessing!

• Do pray.

Pray about ALL financial decisions and seek godly counsel. Review your budget and numbers. If you are married, it’s key to discuss decisions with your spouse. Financial stress in a marriage proves to be a wedge against intimacy and openness. This is against God’s design.

• Do plan.

Create a plan each year as you grow. Your life is always growing and expanding. Count on God to bless and to grow you.

Budgeting

Living on a budget sounds like something that people who are struggling do. This is a fallacy. The truth is that we all should be living within a budget, which is essentially a plan for your finances.

A budget is a planned, purposeful, and prayerful response to the possessions the Lord has given you. A budget will help you become a good steward of His resources.

When it comes to budgeting, you must get the numbers down on paper and make a sober assessment of your finances. Sit down with your spouse and/or godly counsel to examine the household income and forthcoming bills.

• Humble Budgeting

Prayerfully ask God where He wants you to give and where He wants you to prune. This advice can be met with opposition by some. But to live in alignment, your budget must be surrendered to the Lord. There may be some expenditures that are producing guilt, shame, and bitterness; they must be dealt with.

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• Cancel the Spirit of Poverty

We must cancel the spirit of poverty in our lives and remember that we are children of the King who owns the entire universe! He saw you as being so valuable that He exchanged His most precious possession to secure your future.

Investing

Investing is a subject that can generate differing opinions. The key is to know what you are sowing your seed into. Never sow because someone else is emotionally invested and wants you to feel the same.

As with giving, investing is not an emotional response, but rather a prayerful, thought-out plan.

“Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.”—Matthew 25:16

Giving

As we’ve seen in the 5 types of offerings, giving is about strengthening your covenant relationship with the Lord and caring for others.

Here are some guidelines for giving…

• Give because the Holy Spirit prompts you to. • Don’t emotionally give. Allowing emotions to sow a panic or crisis seed is against God’s Word. • Don’t give beyond what you have; don’t go into debt to sow a seed.

“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.”—Deuteronomy 16:17

Honor Is the Currency of Heaven

“It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”—Proverbs 3:8-10

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Honoring our mothers and fathers releases life in the land. The same applies to our heavenly Father. He tells us to honor each other and Him. Don’t expect to receive from the Lord what you are dishonoring.

Dishonor… The Spirit of Jealousy Cancels Blessings

If you are operating in a spirit of jealousy, this is dishonoring the blessing that God provided to someone else.

Therefore, repent of the dishonor, and ask Him to renew a word of praise within you for their fortune. When the dishonor in your heart and mind is cut off, you will be excited to see others prosper, clearing the way for blessings to flow to you.

It is a foundation of the faith to understand that things do not define who you are… God does!

Your ups and downs, and the haves and have-nots, do not change the way God thinks, acts, or loves you. Don’t come into agreement with the spirits of envy and jealousy.

This is key… Don’t let the enemy, through these spirits of strife, steal your honor toward anyone else because that will cut off your blessings. Choose honor. Love God, and love your neighbor.

Responsibility

• Parents and Family

We are to be responsible with our finances. We must take care of parents and family, honoring them with support, time, prayer, and love. This affects our finances biblically.

We know dishonor cancels blessings. If that cancelled blessing isn’t money, then it is order in the household. Confusion and chaos emerge when there is dishonor. When you follow God’s Word, the fruit and finances will follow.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” —1 Timothy 5:8

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• Time

We are also to be responsible with our time. When we fellowship, we each should have a heart that desires to honor one another. When we fellowship and worship together, it is a time to honor the King as one.

Sowing seeds into our children also requires time. Where we spend our time, our children will take notice and follow suit.

Sowing time, money, and talents is a personal matter to God. He knows where your heart is when you give.

“So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’”—Luke 21:3-4

The Takeaway

Giving out of what the Lord has provided is a form of worship and thankfulness! The best way to show love to the Lord is to give and to meet the needs of others. If you have trouble with a situation, pray into it, bless your enemies, and sow a seed. Blessing others attracts peace and prosperity.

Conclusion

Perhaps you have been unaware of the great blessings that flow from a generous heart. What you’ve given, or not given, doesn’t matter. What matters is that from this point forward, you have a choice. You have a choice to further your seed for God’s Kingdom. You have a choice to enjoy the blessings of the inheritance that has been given to you through Christ.

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Haggai 2:18, 19 says this…

“Consider now from this day forward… Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”

There is a seed placed within you. God has blessed you for a reason. So… sow! It’s not about what was. It is about what you sow from this moment forward through love, mercy, generosity, obedient worship, prayer, and covenant relationship.

Understand this…

We are always sowing some type of seed. What kind of impact do you want to make? Are the seeds you choose to sow producing good fruit or not?

As you are an ambassador for Christ, people are inspecting the fruit of your seed. Decide today to leave good fruit. Decide to show others the goodness of the Lord.

Trust God to Provide the Rain

Perhaps you are reluctant to sow because you aren’t sure of the fruit. Always enter a giving act through prayer. Then you must trust that God will provide the rain for the seed He has asked you to sow.

Isaiah 30:23 says this: “Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth; it will be fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.”

If you put a seed in dry, dusty conditions, it won’t come to life. It has to have rain. God says that if you go into His realm and sow the seed, He will send the rain. The Spirit will pour out like rain on your seed, producing life and a multitude of blessings.

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Always Remember That Each Offering Touches God’s Heart in a Unique Way

Each offering has a particular purpose for God’s Kingdom and touches His heart in a unique way. As your offerings touch God’s heart, He and others notice your faithful and humble obedience. For those who do not yet know the love of the Father, your offerings point and turn them toward Him so that they too can enter into a covenant relationship.

Prayerfully consider how you will align your words and giving with the Father’s heart today.

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• Sow a monthly seed that gives hope to those in Israel. • Receive blessings and teachings on the Jewish roots of your faith. • Engage with a community of like-minded Believers who are ready to receive revelation and instruction from the Lord.