Give Advantage To Win

People are often accused of taking ADVANTAGE of others.  I’ve heard it said that people took advantage of my late Apostle Joseph Sims.  The truth is that Apostle Sims gave every advantage to those he met.  He was always giving opportunities to others no matter if those people responded in kind or not.  To him it was a chance to share some of the revelation and anointing God had given him.  He gave opportunities to preach and opportunities to prophesy, opportunities to be better and opportunities to get up when you failed.  He never took opportunities away because you fell short.  He knew God was still working on you.

You have to ask yourself, can someone can steal what God has given you?  Jesus said, “My Father which giveth them to me is greater than all....” (John 10:29).  God does not need help defending His promises or bringing them to pass.  Scripture also says that whoever follows Christ will have rivers of living waters flowing out of his belly (John 7:38).  A river is not a stagnant body of water that fills up and becomes lifeless.  The river Jordan flows into two bodies of water, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.  The Sea of Galilee receives water in and lets it back out.  The Dead Sea takes water in but none flows out.  One is full of life, the other…not.

If you receive God’s blessings, whether spiritual, financial or any other and do not allow those blessings to bless others, you have become stagnant and grasping.  You will become dead and lifeless, your life clogged with stagnant mold, rusty and tattered.  On the other hand, if you receive His blessings and always send a portion back out you will reap the great rewards. 

Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “There are those who generously scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered.

I have heard many mistaken people say the church only wants money.  This is incorrect.  The local ministries need finance to function, this is true, but according to Luke 10:3-12 the workman (preacher) is worthy of his wages.  When someone brings us a good word and causes our understanding of scripture to grow, we are to bless that person with our finances, food or help. 

This is apparent in Romans 15:27

27  It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

and in 1 Corinthians 9:11. 

11  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things.

God makes it very plain in Malachi 3:8-12,

8  Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings.

9  You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.

 10  Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 11  And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.

 12  And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”

Many in the early church even went so far as to sell all they owned and to share it with those less fortunate as in Acts 2:45. 

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

Why would they do this?  In this world of greed, lies and climbing over one another, why would someone give an advantage to someone else?  It makes no natural sense.  

That is the reason.  It makes perfect spiritual sense, not natural sense.  These people have chosen to live their lives sharing with and pouring into those less fortunate so they might have great treasure in heaven rather than merely on earth. 

Matthew 6:19 makes this quite clear,

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Have you ever wanted some thing more than anything else?  God desires to have this relationship with you.  He is perfectly willing to allow His son Jesus to die for you, suffer for you and bear in His body forever the scars of that death and suffering but he wants you to desire His Son’s sacrifice and be willing to reciprocate in your own life with equal passion.

Matthew 13:44-45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

God wants you to want, even to NEED the kingdom of heaven in your life more than any wealth or gift or even life itself.  He wants you to purchase it with your faith, your life and your obedience, willing to give anything to obtain it.  The time for cute wishy washy lukewarm saints is over and done with.  In this season God wants those who have a strong burden for this life.  How much are you willing to pay for a pearl of great price?  Will you give it your all?  Will you give Him all?

The world is full of those who would steal their own brother or sister’s inheritance rather than sharing.  God is asking you to share your finances, your gifts, your faith and your life to help make those He sends stronger and more faithful. 

God wants you to be a river, not a puddle.  He wants His life and light to flow through you into others.  A portion of that blessing will always remain in you.  You cannot lose; but a portion will always leave you and bring increase to those you love in Christ.  Even if they can never repay you for your kindness and graciousness, God can; and He will.

If life isn’t working for you right now, give.  If holding tight to what you own doesn’t seem to help you, give.  If storing more and more in life’s warehouses doesn’t help, then open the doors and pour all that ability into someone else’s life and see the salvation of the Lord.

Luke 12:13-21 says,

13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

God’s word is always true.  He will honor you for your liberal attitude toward others but He will chasten you if you fail to be gracious and giving.  Never fear beloved.  King David reminds us that throughout his life from youth to old age he had never seen the righteous forsaken or God’s seed begging for bread (Psalm 27:35).   

What have you got to lose?

What do you have to win?