There are some eternal principles that operate in the spiritual realm and the natural realm that are unchangeable and immovable. If you want to see results, if you want the Word of God to work for you, you must obey the Word and do the Word.

That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brethren to go to you before I do and make arrangements in advance for this bountiful, promised gift of yours, so that it may be ready, not as an extortion [wrung out of you] but as a generous and willing gift. 2 Corinthians 9:5 AMP

If you want to be blessed, you must adjust your attitude about money. According to the Word, your offering should be willing and generous and not wrung out or extorted out of you.

[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. 7 Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving]. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP

You set the level of your blessing by your giving. It will come back to you in the same spirit and measure that you gave it. Make up your mind and purpose in your heart to be a generous and a cheerful giver.

God is thrilled with a generous giver and will do His best to bless them, send plenty of seed their way and generally take good care of them. The Lord is not as thrilled with the offering of a grumpy, selfish, grudging giver any more than we would be. If you want the fullest benefits from your giving, then make sure your whole heart is in it.

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! 2 Corinthians 9:8-9 AMP

When you are a generous, cheerful giver, you will be the lender and not the borrower. You won’t need others to help you with anything, but you will be the one who has enough for yourself and also a surplus that enables and empowers you to reach out and help others.

The benevolent person scatters abroad – he doesn’t limit his giving – he has a lot to give to a lot of people. Your generosity has eternal consequences – your giving will change people’s lives. You will bless people who will go on to bless other people even down the generations. Not only that, but Heaven will have a permanent record of all of this blessing – the results of your giving go on and endure forever – even into eternity.

And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. 2 Corinthians 9:10 AMP

The blood of Jesus made you righteous, but the fruits of that righteousness are acts of goodness, kindness, and charity. If you are a generous sower of seed, not only will God provide you with bread – all the things that you personally need – but He will provide you with extra seed to sow and He will also create new avenues that will produce more finances – which will result in more seed for you to give. It is a wonderful cycle of blessing and increase in every area.

Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God’s people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God. 13 Because at [your] standing of the test of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted liberality to them and to all [the other needy ones]. 14 And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you. 2 Corinthians 9:11-14 AMP

The Lord will enrich you in all things and in every way, so that you can continue to be generous. Your generosity not only blesses others, it blesses you and it glorifies God and it brings forth thanksgiving to God. People will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ and for your generous-hearted liberality to them. You might say that you believe the Gospel, but your giving proves that you do.

Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]! 2 Corinthians 9:15 AMP

God’s gift of eternal life is free, but every Christian must decide to be a part of bringing this Gospel free to all those who have yet to hear.

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth- 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:17-29 NIV

Jesus was the Seed of Abraham. God cut a covenant with faithful Abraham and promised him that through his Seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The devil already knew that Someone was coming, Who would bust his head (Genesis 3:15). God watched over and protected the Israelites through the generations, because of His promise to Abraham and also to ensure that the line of the Seed was protected.

Unfortunately, because God was so gracious to them, the Israelites took Him for granted. They thought of themselves more highly than they ought and put more confidence in outward shows of obedience – like circumcision – than in humbling themselves before the Lord and living truly godly lives. Many Jews received Jesus as their Lord and Savior in the book of Acts, but as for the others, their hearts were so hard that they could not recognize their Messiah when He came, nor would they receive Him.

Religion and tradition can not and does not make you godly – your heart must be submitted to God. Circumcision of the flesh, alone, has no inherent spiritual value. The Bible says that a man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, but he is a Jew if he is one inwardly. The circumcision of the flesh was a type and shadow of the New Covenant and the circumcision of the heart. True circumcision – the circumcision that makes a difference in eternity – is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit.

I speak the truth in Christ-I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit- 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls-she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:1-16 NIV

We, as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, should guard our hearts and always remember that it is God’s grace and mercy that has saved us and is keeping us even now. We must be careful not to take God for granted as many Israelites did, and become merely religious and traditional. We are not entitled to anything from God merely because of our own desires or efforts, but simply because of His grace.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV

Under the Old Covenant, people wore ashes when they were mourning. Those who had sinned, or who were distraught about something, wore sackcloth with ashes on their head. In Isaiah 61:3, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah – Jesus – Who would come to give us beauty for ashes. The Amplified Bible says that He came to give us an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes.

Ashes are all that is left after something is completely burned up. In the natural, when something is broken, you can fix it, but if it has been burned up and reduced to ashes, it can never be restored back to the way it was, never mind better than what it was!

After these events, God tested and proved Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. 2[God] said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you. Genesis 22:1-2 AMP

By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was still in progress], had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God's] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son, 18 Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned. 19 For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead. Hebrews 11:17-19 AMP

God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac because He was planning to sacrifice Jesus for all mankind. Since the promise of the New Covenant was based on the covenant God made with Abraham, Abraham – on behalf of all mankind – had to be prepared to sacrifice his son to the Lord. Of course, God did not want Abraham to actually kill Isaac, He just had to know that he was willing to do it. Abraham had so much faith in God’s promise, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned,” that he was fully prepared to kill Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering. When you finish burning an offering, only ashes are left. Abraham was convinced that God would raise Isaac from the dead even if all that was left of him was ashes!

Many of you feel as if there are areas of your life that have been left in ruins and burned to ashes – never to be recovered again – but the good news is that Jesus came to give us beauty for our ashes. If God has made you a promise, then you can stand on that promise and trust Him to bring something beautiful out of the ashes of your life.

Jesus came to give us an ornament – a garland or a diadem – of beauty instead of ashes. Instead of ashes on our head, we wear an ornament or crown of beauty. Jesus lifts us out of our mourning and gives us a reason to rejoice. He heals incurable diseases – leprosy, withered limbs, blindness, and issues of blood. He raised sons and daughters and brothers from the dead. Wherever things look hopeless and you feel helpless – Jesus is there to work a miracle if you will believe.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Whatever plans you have for yourself – God has better plans. Whatever evil plans the devil has for you – God has good plans – plans to give you hope and to give you a future. Ashes represent something that is over with no hope, no tomorrow, and no future, but in Jesus, we have a hope and a future. God has a future – a good future – for you!

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26 NIV

The Bible contrasts the difference between those bound by religion and tradition – who put their trust in their own efforts – and those who trust in God alone. The Lord has reached out to us with life and liberty – if we will lay down our (lower) life, we can take up His (higher) life.

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20 NIV

If we read the whole of the word of God in context, we will see that it is the blessed of God who are not poor. Every one who willingly obeys God eats of the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). Every one who serves God with their whole heart is blessed and prosperous (Joshua 1:8). Wealth and riches are in the house of the righteous (Psalms 112:3). “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” means that we need to recognize that we are nothing without Jesus.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Luke 6:24 NIV

If we think that we don’t need Jesus – we are wrong. If we think that we can earn our salvation – we are very wrong. We need Him! In Him we live and move and have our being. Those who think that they don’t need Jesus, have all the blessings they are ever going to have. Earth is the only heaven a sinner will ever know and the only hell the child of God will ever know!

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Luke 6:21 NIV

Revelations 3:17 NIV says, “You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” We need to be hungry for God. We need to recognize that we need Him. We cannot afford to be self-confident or self-sufficient. God is our source and our supply. We need to recognize Him as our all-in-all. We need to be prepared to weep – to give Him our best – to commit to Him no matter what it takes – no matter what we have to lay down. We need to be willing to lay everything down for Him.

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Luke 6:25 NIV

If we put our needs above His – if we think of ourselves first and take care of ourselves first – we will be found lacking.

Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. Luke 6:22-23 NIV

Those who stand up to be counted as a child of God, those who preach the unadulterated word of God and those who will contend for the supernatural will be persecuted. However, it is not something to be sad about, but to rejoice about. We are not being treated any differently than our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. Luke 6:26 NIV

You can be religious and you can try to please people and tickle their ears and they will speak well of you, but it is nothing to be proud of. The fact that people like you is no indication that God is pleased with you as well. On the contrary, if you will please God and not man, the devil is sure to stir up people against you to oppose you. Rejoice if you are being persecuted for the word’s sake – it means that you are on the right track!

I have spent the past year going through the web reading articles about the love of God and the move of the Holy Spirit. I recently visited one site and read several posts regarding God’s love. I recommend anyone interested in growing as a Christian.