Servias Ministries Blog

We are to provide “food” on THE LORD’S behalf!

In the last days’ ministry the Sons and Daughters will be known for their provision.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Malachi chapter 4:

1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.

2 But to you who fear My Name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts.

How do calves grow in the above passage?  They are provided with sufficient food in their stalls (or housing).  Let us look at the preceding chapter to connect the sufficiency versus those who have forsaken FATHER’S instruction:

In chapter 3:

5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien- Because they do not fear Me,” Says the LORD of hosts.

Only those who walk in THE FEAR OF THE LORD will the benefits from Heaven apply.

6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

If you don’t have a generous heart with your finances, you have yet to fully understand that tithes and offerings are included in the fruit associated with walking in The Fear of THE LORD.  Selfishness is still an issue to overcome.  You do not yet fully trust in THE LORD as your Provider.  (Don’t be offended, I am just the messenger.)

9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now 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.

FATHER promises blessings as a result of your generous and faithful heart.  Your generosity expresses trust in HIS Word and specific commitment to you.

11 “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;

FATHER will cause you to be productive in all that you set your hand to do.

12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.

Our generosity and trust in THE LORD’S provision will ensure that there will be sufficient food in HIS House.  Does this apply to us in helping to provide food for those in need?  Yes!

13 “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts?

15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.'”

THE LORD separates believers into two groups: those who fear THE LORD and those who don’t.  Those who don’t have not submitted themselves to HIS Word and walk in compromise.  They are self-serving in one or more areas in their life.

16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His Name.

17 “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

There is a clear difference between these two groups, and it centers around tithes and offerings.  As for me, I can’t afford to withhold tithes and offerings.  I have been a recipient of the blessings from HIS Storehouse. Food also includes the abundance of revelation given to the who Fear THE LORD.

We are meant to prosper in ALL THINGS!

The issue is Lordship in determining whether we prosper in all things.  Prosperity isn’t just about money, however it is included.  In the Old Testament, blessing was always measured in finance.  In the New Testament, Jesus focused on Lordship.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 18:

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit Eternal life?”

19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ “

21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have Treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.”

23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

In Mark chapter 10, Jesus clarifies the issue with the rich young ruler:

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!”

The rich young ruler was expected to give 100%.  Jesus didn’t give that same instruction to Zacchaeus.  You cannot have Eternal Life without obeying Jesus.

Jesus spoke in chapter 19:

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

In Zacchaeus’ case, 50% brought salvation to his house.  The issue with money is not a formula, the issue is Lordship, always Lordship.  All Kingdom issues are heart issues and have to do with Lordship.  When the Lordship issue is settled, then the trust is in The Lord.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 16:

9 Use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when it runs out, your generosity will provide you with an Eternal reward.

10 “The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more.

11 If you have not handled the riches of this world with integrity, why should you be trusted with the Eternal Treasures of the Spiritual world?

12 And if you’ve not proven yourself faithful with what belongs to another, why should you be given wealth of your own?

13 It is impossible for a person to serve two masters at the same time. You will be forced to love one and reject the other. One master will be despised and the other will have your loyal devotion. Your choice between God and the wealth of this world (mammon) is no different. You must enthusiastically love one and definitively reject the other.”

Some leaders have abused the Truth to fleece the sheep.  We must not allow such an abuse to give us the right to neglect the Truth.  I have been fleeced by leaders in the past but have not allowed their manipulation to determine my giving.  My wife and I rely on The Holy Spirit to direct us rather than any manipulative pressure from the pulpit.

As we totally rely on The Holy Spirit to direct us in our finances, we have in essence placed Jesus Lord over our checkbook.  This allows our soul to prosper in everything we set our hand to.

Abundance is the nature of The Kingdom and when you have fully transformed your mind, you will be able to represent Our King properly and walk in GODLY Wisdom!

There is no lack in the Kingdom of GOD.  Our purpose in life is to be measured with abundance for the lane that HE has put us in so that there’s always sufficiency, not only for ourselves, but also for every good work we are called to be a part of.  Wisdom should guide our decisions in all areas.

It is important to state, money doesn’t rule you, you rule money.  As well, relationships don’t control you.  You manage relationships for the Glory of GOD.

It is more important to buy quality than quantity.  If you buy cheap, you will usually soon buy again.  It is all about buying value.  We should allow our stewardship to be a testimony to our neighbors.  We are stewards of another world through all the expressions of how we take care of ourselves, our yards, our vehicles, and our other possessions.  As Dave Ramsey once said, “you may have the oldest car in your neighborhood, but it should be the cleanest, well-kept one.”

We should ask ourselves: What is my lane?  What is the best I’m capable of doing to represent what kind of FATHER I have?  Each of us are at different financial levels but for our station in life, we should represent Our Heavenly Father as best we can.  Additionally, we represent Our Lord by the excellence of our labor.

Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 22:

29 Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Your influence will expand outside of your circle of influence as you pursue excellence in your life.  We are meant to inspire, encourage, and strengthen people around us.  We are to believe in the potential of the people around us and giving ourselves on their behalf.  It is not about money; it is about the prosperity of our soul.

When you know who you are, there is no position too low.  The King of kings had no issue with stooping down and washing the disciples’ feet.  If you don’t know who you are, you fight for status, applause, and recognition.

The word Proverb not only means a wise saying, it also means to rule, to reign in power, to take dominion.

Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 1:

1 Here are Kingdom revelations, Words to live by, and Words of Wisdom given to empower you to reign in life, written as proverbs by Israel’s King Solomon, David’s son.

2 Within these sayings will be found the revelation of Wisdom and the impartation of spiritual understanding. Use them as keys to unlock the treasures of true knowledge.

3 Those who cling to these Words will receive discipline to demonstrate Wisdom in every relationship and to choose what is right and just and fair.

4 These proverbs will give you great skill to teach the immature and make them Wise, to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.

5 For the wise, these proverbs will make you even wiser, and for those with discernment, you will be able to acquire brilliant strategies for leadership.

6 These Kingdom revelations will break open your understanding to unveil the deeper meaning of parables, poetic riddles, and epigrams, and to unravel the words and enigmas of the wise.

There are 38 parables in the Bible, and in 16 of them, Jesus spoke about money or possessions.  It was on His Mind, so we should deal with it as well.  Jesus sat in the temple and watched the gifts that people were giving.  He was moved by the widow’s mite.  He was moved by the woman who took a year’s worth of wages in ointment and poured over Him as an act of worship.  These acts of generosity were not measured by amounts but measured by generosity of the heart.

If what I give doesn’t move me, it won’t move Our Lord.

GOD is constantly looking for increase.  In the parable of the minas, and the parable of the talents, GOD expected an increase on HIS investment.  GOD was not pleased with the servants who set up their lives to live without risk, without positioning themselves for advancement.

GOD expects an increase of the Kingdom of GOD on earth, and we have that responsibility to be agents of increase.  This is the best investment we can make!  We should be in constant progression of forward motion.  We should position ourselves for the increase of whatever we are called to invest in whether it be time money, or other aspects of our lives.

Abundance is the nature of The Kingdom and when you have fully transformed your mind, you will be able to represent Our King properly!

There is no lack in the Kingdom of GOD.  Our purpose in life is to be measured with abundance for the lane that HE has put us in so that there’s always sufficiency, not only for ourselves, but also for every good work.

There are two Great Commissions: one is to make disciples out of individuals and secondly, is to actually disciple a nation.  This requires us to get our act together in our approach to money.

There are four things about money we need to understand.

The first one has to do with generosity.  The second one is contentment. The third one is excellence in purchasing.  The fourth one is investment for the purpose of increase.

Generosity has three main focuses in Scripture.  It is for the advancement of the ministry of The Gospel, such as supporting missions.  If you can’t go, then you send.  The second focus is to meet human need.  Our kids in need program consistently plants financial seeds of unconditional Love.  We are taking care of people who can’t help themselves.  Thirdly, generosity is the gift to give honor.  The queen of Sheba honored Solomon with gifts representing who she was.  Clearly, Solomon didn’t need her gifts but it was a gift of honor. 

It is written by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Kings chapter 10:

10 Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

How did Solomon respond?

13 Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

The generosity of King Solomon would not be exceeded.  His gift needed to represent who he was.  The gift needed to identify who the gift was for.  His gift was fit for a queen!

The more we understand who we are as kings and priests, the more natural it will be to give out of honor.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

Paul learned the secret of being content in lack and thrive in abundance. Paul relied on Christ to strengthen him; we need to do the same.  If my dependence lessens when my resources increase, then I’ve chosen where to level off.  Paul learned in both lack and abundance, in both those realms, it is Christ’s strength who strengthens him.

All people know they need help when they are in lack.  Rarely do people realize that they need just as much help, if not more, if they are in abundance.  It’s the dependency on The Lord for increase.

Abundance is the nature of The Kingdom and when you have fully transformed your mind, you will be able to effectively access it for every good work!

There is no lack in the Kingdom of GOD.  Our purpose in life is to be measured with abundance for the lane that HE has put us in so that there’s always sufficiency, not only for ourselves, but also for every good work.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 9:

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

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God Loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in Him:

Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten. (referencing Psalm 112:9)

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,

11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

Said another way, this generous God Who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First He supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow.  You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.

You owe the world around you an example of being blessed by GOD.  When FATHER’S reality affects how we think, what we value, the decisions we make, the relational parameters that we live by, when it is Kingdom reality, it is transferable to every part of society.  Whatever you participate in will thrive and flourish.  I have seen this time and time again.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Haggai chapter 2:

6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;

7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.

9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Jesus, the King of all kings, is The Desire of All Nations and they want Him to rule in His gracious and righteous authority.

There are two Great Commissions: one is to make disciples out of individuals and secondly, is to actually disciple a nation.  This requires us to get our act together in our approach to money.

FATHER’S Kingdom is based on supernatural increase!

As Sons of GOD, you rule with the heart of a servant, and you serve with the heart of a king.  A king has the country’s assets at his disposal and is meant to properly administer those assets on behalf of those in need.

GOD will not give you an oak tree but instead will give you the acorn to produce a forest of oak trees.  Most of us have wanted to bypass the seedtime and simply expect the harvest to be given to us.  The Kingdom of GOD is all about growth, not scarcity.  Typically, our prayers are answered in seed form, not the final harvest.  Often, we don’t see the oak tree inside the acorn.

Proper stewardship brings for exponential increase!  Everything in the Kingdom is about increase and growth.  The smallest touch on your life becomes a river.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 7:

37 Then on the most important day of the feast, the last day, Jesus stood and shouted out to the crowds—“All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink!

38 Believe in Me so that rivers of Living Water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!”

A drink becomes a river, an example of supernatural increase.  When we live a life of full surrender TO HIM, then what HE deposits in us places us in a position for multiplication.  GOD is very interested in righteous increase among HIS Sons and Daughters.

Jesus spoke a parable in Luke chapter 19:

11 At this time Jesus was getting close to entering Jerusalem. The crowds that followed Him were convinced that God’s Kingdom would fully manifest when Jesus established it in Jerusalem.

12 So He told them this story to change their perspective: “Once a wealthy prince left his province to travel to a distant land, where he would be crowned king and then return.

The Prince of Peace became King of Kings!

13 Before he departed he summoned his ten servants together and charged them, ‘I am entrusting each of you with fifty thousand dollars (10 minas) to invest while I am away. Trade with it and put the money to work until I return.’

14 “Some of his countrymen despised the prince and sent a delegation after him to declare before the royals, ‘We refuse to let this man rule over us! He will not be our king!’

15 “Nevertheless, he was crowned king and returned to his land. Then he summoned his ten servants to see how much each one had earned and what their profits came to.

16 “The first one came forward and said, ‘Master, I took what you gave me and invested it, and it multiplied ten times.’

17 “ ‘Splendid! You have done well, my excellent servant. Because you have shown that I can trust you in this small matter, I now grant you authority to rule over ten cities.’

It is all about trust.  As He can trust you, He will entrust you with more.

18 “The second came and said, ‘Master, what you left with me has multiplied five times.’

19 “His master said, ‘I also grant you authority in My Kingdom over five cities.’

20 “Another came before the king and said, ‘Master, here is the money you entrusted to me. I hid it for safekeeping.

21 You see, I live in fear of you, for everyone knows you are a strict master and impossible to please. You push us for a high return on all that you own, and you always want to gain from someone else’s efforts.’

This servant lived in worldly fear and really didn’t know Jesus Christ.  This man listened to the world’s opinion rather than the Truth of who Jesus Christ is.

22 “The king said, ‘You wicked servant! I will judge you using your own words. If what you said about me is true, that I am a harsh man, pushing you for a high return and wanting gain from others’ efforts,

The servant’s own words brought forth his judgment.

23 why didn’t you at least put my money in the bank to earn some interest on it?’

Earning interest at least meets the minimum requirements set by The King.

24 “The king said to his other servants, ‘Take the money he has and give it to the faithful servant who multiplied my money ten times over.’

The King took his own resources back and appropriated those assets to the most prosperous of the ten servants.

25 “ ‘But master,’ the other servants objected, ‘why give it to him? He already has so much!’

26 “ ‘Yes,’ replied the king. ‘But to all who have been faithful, I will give even more to them. And for the ones who have nothing, even the little they seem to have I will take from them.

27 Now, bring all those rebellious enemies of mine who rejected me as their king—bring them here before me and execute them!’ ”

Those who reject Jesus Christ as King will be harshly but righteously judged.  If you do nothing for The Kingdom, you will suffer loss.  However, if you invest on behalf of The Kingdom, you should expect increase.  You must have the proper mindset of surrender to THE LORD to show yourself trustworthy of the supernatural increase.  A 10X increase can be expected for those who meet this expectation!

Our trust in GOD brings down strongholds!

The word stronghold means: a place of security such as a castle or a fortress; anything on which one relies; of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputant endeavors to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent; anything that sets itself up against the knowledge of GOD.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 10:

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

In essence:

We are empowered by HIS Grace (enablement) and with the Gospel to dismantle strongholds.

We demolish arguments, opinions, theories, and philosophies.

We take captive every thought to insist that it become obedient to the Mind of Christ with a fully renewed mind.

We stand ready to wage war and defeat the enemy.

Wisdom wrote in Proverbs chapter 21:

22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty, And brings down the trusted stronghold.

A city has walls created by the enemy to create a stronghold.  Wisdom enables a man to rise up against an insurmountable object and pull down the strongholds of a city and convert the city of its lifestyle.  A stronghold is whatever people trust in other than GOD.  It is always a trust issue throughout Scripture.  Who or what do we trust in?

Without faith, it is impossible to please GOD!  It is essential to our walk with THE LORD.  The element of trust is the focus of THE LORD.

Wisdom tells us in Proverbs chapter 3:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In other Words, trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on HIM to guide you, and HE will lead you in every decision you make.  Is there anyone more trustworthy than Our Heavenly Father?

It is a violation of creation to not trust the One Who is worthy of trust!  We are to reflect GOD’S faithfulness through our trust IN HIM.

Jesus spoke this warning in Mark chapter 10:

23 Jesus looked at the faces of his disciples and said, “How hard it is for the wealthy to enter into God’s kingdom realm.”

24 The disciples were startled when they heard this. But Jesus again said to them, “Children, it is next to impossible for those who trust in their riches to find their way into God’s Kingdom.

25 It is easier to stuff a rope through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

26 But this left them all the more astonished, and they whispered to one another, “Then who could ever be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”

It is not impossible, but next to impossible.  The issue is trust.  How much money is too much?  Answer: It is the amount that replaces trust in GOD.

Jesus focused on trusting GOD when He spoke in Mark 12:

41 Then Jesus sat down near the offering box, watching all the people dropping in their coins. Many of the rich would put in very large sums,

42 but a destitute widow walked up and dropped in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny.

43 Jesus called his disciples to gather around and then said to them, “I tell you the Truth, this poor widow has given a larger offering than any of the wealthy.

44 For the rich only gave out of their surplus, but she sacrificed out of her poverty and gave to God all that she had to live on, which was everything she had.”

The widow had greater trust in FATHER than the rich who relied on their wealth and only gave of their surplus.  Selah!