In the last class, we saw in Nehemiah chapter 12 that the priests and singers had fled from the storehouse, and from God’s presence simply because the tithes that were meant for them had stopped, since Eliashib the priest in charge of the storehouse had mischievously converted the storehouse, originally meant for receiving tithes, into a guest chamber for Tobiah, one of the nation’s enemies. So the priests and singers left, apparently to make ends meet elsewhere , since they were full time priests and singers.

Please take note Tobiah and sanballat are key enemies of Nehemiah and the God’s people, the people of Judah as they tried to rebuild the temple, according to Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 1.

So the first lesson for today is that you shouldn’t allow anything take God’s first place in your finances. The tithes stopped coming in the moment Tobiah, an enemy occupied the room meant for tithes. Before you spend money, separate your tithes. When thinking of projects, don’t use money meant for tithes. Don’t allow any enemy in form of any need, use up the space of tithe in your finances. Tithe is not charity and it’s not for hospitality or for blessing someone. It is a duty. Tithe is not a gift, it’s not optional, it’s compulsory.

WE NEED FULL TIME MINISTRY

Again, I’m still staying with the fact that, full time priests and singers fled God’s presence to to make ends meet working on their own farms, because tithes stopped coming. That’s another problem if you ask me. I’m trying not to sound harsh here, but we must not hide the truth. Full time ministry of the gospel of our Lord Jesus is shrinking every day. Ministers dread full-time ministry because of hunger. But we need full-time ministry. We really need it, it makes the Gospel spread faster. Now It seems slow. The harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few. Recently, I got into thinking about how much more would be achieved, how many more souls would be won if all our part-time evangelists were full-time. The point is, not that God is not calling them into full-time ministry, the point is: they have families that must be sustained. Althoughit’s very easy for you to just say “but they should know that if God called them, then he will sustain them”. Remember God does not have to scream Go into full-time ministry into a man’s ears, lack of adequate provision from Church is the main reason why missionary work today receives low turnout.

That’s by the way. Here’s today’s LIFECLASS moment. Please follow me closely. The point is: you are the priest. And today’s topic. You are the priest, the ones sent out of God’s presence. Being unfaithful in your tithes sends you out of God’s presence. It severed your relationship with God, and that’s the devil’s master plan for every believer.

How do I know we are priests? Of course you may refer to Exodus 19:6 and Rev 5:10. I will quote them later.

Let’s take this a step further, two sets of people were sent out-of-service when tithes stopped coming in and subsequently their portions were not given to them (Neh 13:10). They are Priests and Singers. The Priests are a link between the people and their God. They signify fellowship and intercession. And that’s who you are as a believer. The Singers keep the flame of worship burning before God continually. They signify worship – to God. Also that’s who you should be – a worshipper. So when you don’t pay tithe, or you’re unfaithful with it, or you’re not doing it with the right understanding (as explained earlier), then you are depriving yourself and the world around you, of fellowship, intercession and consequently depriving God too of worship. Hence God had to exclaim:

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Mal 3:8

Finally, I’ll show you the ultimate implication of no-tithing, unfaithful tithing or tithing with a wrong understanding. Scripture will still interprete scripture.
6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shall speak unto the children of Israel. – Ex 19:6

10and has made us unto our God, kings and Priests: and we shall reign on the earth. – Rev 5:10

There you go, you are that priest. Yes, or don’t you know? God says you’re a priest unto Him. So now, you should stop thinking you’re not affected or that it’s only the priests or pastors. May you not be a priest sent out of God’s presence into your own field (Man’s presence) (Neh 13:10) for lack of provision and sustenance; each time there’s no tithing, unfaithful tithing or tithing with a wrong understanding. Pay your tithe!

As Priests unto our God, we are supposed to remain in God’s presence and reign on the earth, not flee away from his presence into our own ways, forsaking God. When you refuse to tithe, you lose fellowship with God. And when you lose fellowship with your Father, you become vulnerable to the devil’s attacks. These attacks come in different forms – fear, anger, sickness, rebellion, and all forms of sin. Folks who don’t tithe do themselves so much harm. They invite the devil’s devourer. And God will fold his arms and watch. He lives them, but they have severed that avenue to have him fight on their behalf, because they have robbed their own avenger, their Father, their Own God. God is certainly not happy with that. He could not hold it.

Will a man rob me?, says the father himself. Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Mal 3:8

My dear friend, God is waiting for you to try Him (Mal 3:10) and begin to tithe faithfully, and with the right understanding. Don’t feel bad if you’ve not been doing so in the past. God is not angry with you, He’s here to restore you. That is why you are following this class. Tithing alone could be the solution to most of your problems. It’s like immunization against demonic epidemics, against the wasters of destiny. You tithe could save you from untimely death, as that is one of the vices of the devourer. He’s always out to steal, to kill and to destroy , but your father wants you to have abundant life – free of sorrow – according to John 10 verse 10.

The windows of heaven are waiting to be flung wide open at you to receive that no-more-room blessing that God has for you as result of your obedience to this command.

In the last class, we established that we should bring all tithes into the storehouse, which signifies that our physical appearance in God’s presence is a vital part of the covenant. Many new generation folks think that’s not necessary.  They forget that God loves a cheerful giver. Malachi 3:10 confirms that God does not only demands the tithe, He wants the tither as well. Now I know that His presence could simply mean your personal altar or relationship with him, but in this case, it means physical appearance.

If you cannot possibly always travel and appear at the ministry into which you pay your tithe, please appear in some other church as a matter of purpose to fulfil your part of the covenant. In any case, Bible instructs in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 that we shouldn’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. Don’t sit at home on Sundays thinking you can bribe God with your tithes anytime you wish to.

Alright, let’s move on to seeing the reasons why God wants you to pay your tithes. This Lifeclass is titled: FOOD IN MY HOUSE.

Let’s look deeper into Malachi 3:10. It says:

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it

In that scripture, there are 2 houses – the ‘storehouse’ and ‘my house’. The storehouse is the repository of God’s house. The Church’s treasury.The ministry that handles finance/money/wealth for the Church. And God is saying, when you bring your tithe into this treasury, there will be meat (or provision for needs) in His house. Now, what does this really mean. Who needs the meat? Who needs the provision? Please follow me closely.

In Nehemiah 13, Bible shows us Eliashib the priest put in charge of  the storehouse (where tithes and offering are stored). Eliashib formed an unholy alliance with Tobiah, one of Judah’s arch-enemies under Nehemiah’s regime. As a result, people stopped bringing tithes into the storehouses because that was the exact room where Eliashib accommodated Tobiah, evacuating the original contents of the room. Check out the original content of this storehouse. In

Neh 13:5
Meat offering
The Francincence
The vessels
The tithes of corn, new wine and oil

All of which were commanded to be given to the Levites, singers, Porters and Priests. Levite’s, singers, porters and priests simply refer to all those involved in kingdom work, making sure that the gospel is being propagated and the people are always refreshed in church. The gospel is full time business, otherwise the devil will take territories meant for Christ. Where there is poverty or there’s no money to start and manage churches, people are usually kept in poverty. So there must be money to run the gospel and make it preached to the ends of the earth.

If you don’t mind, let’s verify this from the scriptures. Flip to Nehemiah 13:10-12 again:

10And  I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled everyone to his field.

11Then I contended with the rulers and said, why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

12Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries (storehouse) (emphasis) – Neh 13:10-12

As I’ve explained earlier in that passage, Eliashib the Priest-in-Charge of the storehouse had formed an unholy alliance with Tobiah, Sambalat’s partner (both enemies of Judah), and had emptied the storehouse, converting it into a guest chamber for Tobiah to stay. Hence, there was no more food in ‘MINE HOUSE’ (i.e. Temple).

Consequently, as a result of Lack and hunger, the Priests and Singers who are full-time ministers had fled for a suitable means of living. Nehemiah describes this saga as forsaking of God’s House. And by extension, forsaking of God’s house – God’s dwelling, God’s presence – is forsaking God himself.

First, to explain it literally and mildly, the sad implication of unfaithful tithing or no tithing is starving a minister of the gospel somewhere to an extent where he forsakes the work of God and hence forsakes God. To deprive a full-time worshipper his daily bread and make him look elsewhere for livelihood and hence forsaking his calling, forsaking God. Everytime you eat your tithe or pay without incomplete understanding, you’re depriving God’s kingdom of the deserved advancement and expansion. Of course God is certainly not happy with this. You were saved probably because a ministry spent some money to organize an outreach or start a church and raised people who’d preach the gospel and so they did and it reached you and you accepted it.

The Kingdom should not begin to lack supply from your end. That’s not fair. There has to be meat – provision – in God’s House to keep fueling the kingdom, to keep sustaining workers on the mission fields. But there’s even something way bigger that  will Change your thinking. I’ll share that in the next class. For today, Pay your tithes, Don’t allow the gospel begin to lack provision from your end. Also stop worrying about what it is used for because without someone else’s tithe, you may not have been saved in the first place.  say Lord Jesus, I thank you for your word. From Today, I will bring my tithes into your storehouse. I will bring all. I will also not lack provision. I receive all the blessings that come with the covenant. In Jesus Name. Amen.

At the very beginning of this series, we asserted that every seed carries power and virtue for the continuity of life according to Genesis chapter 1 verses 11 and 12. Later on, we saw God’s word as seed in our lives and then we dealt on how we should be seeds in the lives of others and not just sow seeds.

With the example of Joseph, we saw how we would definitely sow our way right to the topmost position of any endeavour. And just in the last class, it took a new turn, got quit interesting and challenging when we saw that seed sowing is not just about harvesting. It’s rather about LIFE. When there’s no seed, there’s no life. A farmer cannot be caught seedless, or everything he has now will soon finish, in a matter of time.

NOW, DON’T EVEN GO THERE

There’s a compulsory seed in in your hands that you shouldn’t even contemplate not sowing. You can’t possible hold that back. It’s your tithe. Yes, you heard me – Your tithe, I’ve said it repeatedly that folks who , folks who do not sow at all do themselves a big displeasure – to sound it modestly. You can always judge a person’s ease of getting things done, by how much they’re willing to part with. When you see unrepentant givers, they never lack. No they don’t. People who lack and whose lack is quite obvious are those who think that, by managing the little they have they are wise. But there’s even a much bigger kind of seed I want to show you. This one is compulsory. It’s your tithe – 10 percent

I will tell you expressly should that your tithe is not an optional seed, it’s a compulsory one. It doesn’t even belong to you. Don’t contemplate it. That ordinance has been instituted by God before the law of Moses. It was instituted under the Abrahamic Covenant – A covenant of Grace and Faith because “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness.” So in case you’re thinking : we’re under grace and not under the law. Abraham was not under the law either. God dealt with him by Grace. He had believed God and obeyed him long before Moses’ Law was given.

In Genesis chapter 14 verses 18-20

18And Melchizedech, king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most High God.

19And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abraham be Abram of the most high God, Possessor of heaven and earth

20And blessed be the most high God which has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Gen 14:18-20

There you have it! See Jesus in form of Melchizedech. (Heb 7:17, Ps 110:4) offering bread and wine i.e His flesh and blood in exchange for Abram’s tithe. And that’s not all, He blessed Abram and blessed God.

That is what happens each time you pay your tithe. The new covenant, appropriated through the death – flesh and blood – of Jesus Christ (which we take in communion) gets reactivated in you, together with all its attendant blessings – prosperity, salvation, deliverance, healing. You are irreversibly blessed and God too will be blessed and glorified in your life.

To put it quite frankly, every time you tithe, you receive a spiritual communion – bread and wine just like Abraham (Gen 14:18-20) in exchange for every tithing you do.
And of course you know that that goes beyond material blessings. Healing, health is inevitable. Sickness becomes a mirage to you. Your love for God is flamed up automatically, not by you, but by Jesus Himself. Because you’re fulfilling the “this do in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19)” command that Jesus have in Luke 22:19 when he broke bread and took wine together with His disciples at the lord’s supper

So you see, tithing is not optional, it’s compulsory seed. And the blessings that follow it are not optional too, they’re also inevitable. They will come anyway! Even if you don’t want them. The moment you tithe, then its too late to reject them.

We’re going to be discussing the subject of tithe on the next couple of classes. But for now, say lord Jesus, I thank you for this class. Your love for me cannot be returned with money. But then I acknowledge your grace upon me, I will never eat my tithe. I receive the promises that follow those who obey. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Now, even today, you need to surrender your life to Jesus, if you haven’t. Say Father Lord, just as you gave yourself through Jesus, I also surrender my soul to you. I let go of my sins. I receive you as my Lord and Saviour. Thank toy for saving me. In Jesus Name, Amen

Today’s LIFECLASS is one of the biggest insights I have received when it comes to seed sowing. It is Titled: No Seed, No Life, So pray For Seed. And our series remain The Seed, The Sower And The Soil.

Often times we have some big dreams and what to us seems almost too big as prayer points. Actually, we often think they’re too big for God to do. Of course we acknowledge that God is all powerful and all mighty, but given our present situation, we feel, such requests are just too big for now. For instance when someone who is finding it hard to pay house rent wants to believe God for a brand new furnished house. Or when one who finds it hard to transport himself to work, wants to believe for a brand new car.

The secret is that we should actually be praying for seed even as we believe God for those big things. Sometimes, when God blesses you with what would be a seed you need to sow to get that your dream harvest, it’s often also a miracle. But most times, ignorantly, we eat our seed thinking that is the harvest, instead sowing it as seed. At one time in my life, I was on a job and usually I and my very young family, spent all of my monthly pay in 2 days. Yes, in just 2 days, the money is finished, not because our needs were many, but the money wasn’t enough. We’d have to keep looking around empty or even starve throughout the month as we wait for another meager pay. Sometimes even during pregnancy. I and my wife would have to starve for days. It was that bad.

That situation continued for a long while. A period when I was even an altar minister and a fervent brother. But the story soon changed. It changed suddenly. I changed my prayer points from asking for provision to asking for seed. That same monthly pay that gets finished in two days was part of the seed. We had 2 kids. So you know it was a struggle. We actually prayed for seed. Believe me, we did. The seeds came and we sowed them. Our harvest was amazing

Bible says in second Corinthians chapter 9 verse 10 . It says Now, may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness – 2Cor 9:10 (NKJV)

From this above scripture, it is clear that God provides seed. It is good to ask for big things, but maybe you should begin to ask for big seeds to sow. Your harvest will be a function of your seed and not of your prayer. When you request for big things from God, also t,ell him to provide you with big seeds to sow.. Big harvests happen from big sowing and not just from asking for big things. If you’re asking for something and you’re not being led to sow big seeds, then please check your heart. Because everywhere in the scriptures, big harvest come from big seeds. It’s the reason Abraham had to sow Isaac in Genesis 22 and he became a father of many nations afterall.

We LIFECLASS, I think you need to start changing your prayer points to Lord Give me Seed to Sow. When you pray for seed, you are being selfless. When you pray for seed, you are sacrificing. When oy pray foe seed, you are growing in Love.

However, LIFECLASS, there’s something I need to point out at this point. It’s a bit harsh, but I have to tell you. There’s no hope for those who do not sow seeds. If you do not sow seeds, you will not only starve financially, your health may fail you and there’s no deposit of favour for you to draw from. The woman of zarephath is a perfect example of the seed bringing both financial blessings and preservation.

There’s something we should point out from that scripture in 2 cor 9:10 That the Lord supplies seed to the sower. So nobody should think or say “I don’t have seed”, except of course you’re saying “I don’t have the Lord”. That’s understandable. You’d need to surrender your life to Jesus right away. So anytime you have a need, and you need to sow a seed, just tell Jesus – I have you as my
Lord, and the Lord gives seed to the sower. And I’m a sower, so I have a seed.

See, I just told you now that everyone has seed. I urge you to take it exactly that way, because if you imagine the consequence of not having seed to sow, you don’t want to be caught without seed. It’s dangerous not to have seed. Don’t even think about it, and seriously, I feel I shouldn’t even teach about it.

NO SEED, NO LIFE!
11 As she was going to fetch it, he called he and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12And she said, As the Lord liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat and die – 1Kings 17:11-12

And that’s what happens when you think there’s no seed to sow. Death is around the corner. It may not be instant physical death. When you think you have nothing to offer, then don’t think of getting anything in return. Instead, the little you have and want to hoard will be taken away from you and then you deplete gradually. Death sets in. Jesus said this twice during his earthly stay with his disciples.

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have , even what he has will be taken away from him. Mat 13:12; 25:29.

Wait a minute! Did I hear Jesus say:

Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Jesus is saying in essence:
It’s impossible you don’t have seed!
I think you have to stop saying things like: “I don’t have anything to give” whenever there is a seed sowing opportunity. Those who have nothing to sow don’t have a guarantee of continuous provision, what they have instead is continuous depletion of the little they have and treasure.
The widow of Zarephath in 1Kings17:11-12 told Elijah that the food portion she had at home was just enough to feed her and the son, just once and then they die. That statement in itself lacks any string of faith or hope whatsoever. Even if that was to be their last meal, think about it, they will not die of hunger immediately after eating it. That day will pass; the next day will also pass. They could actually live for up to ten days or more without food. So I don’t really think the widow of Zarephath expected death from hunger as much as she expected it from fear and despair.

Sadly, many of us have not fared any better than this woman. We spell so much doom and lack for ourselves in our thoughts that we withhold the little we have thinking it will sustain us and prevent lack. But as a man thinks, so he is.

We behave like a farmer who eats all the produce of his farm and refuses to set apart a portion as seed for the next planting season because he is afraid of hunger while he waits for the next harvest. Isn’t that funny, which would actually hurt him?
Sowing a part of the present harvest and living happily on the portion that is left while he joyfully awaits his growing bounty as they multiply in the soil and metamorphose into a plenteous produce;
OR
Eating all of the initial harvest, not saving any for the next sowing, and then starving afterwards while other farmers are reaping and smiling at the next harvest?

If your answer is same as mine, then let’s wake up to it. You should henceforth not be coarsed to sow. Your life depends on it. It goes beyond having or not having money to spend. It’s about having life, quality life to live. The real reason a farmer sows is that he and his house may live – not just to have food to eat, because life is more than food (Matt 6:25). When there is no food, then death is a matter of time. No seed, No life!

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she and her household did eat many days.

16And her barrel of meal wasted not and neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by to Elijah – 1Kings 17:15-16

So we now see it, the widow of Zarephath got home and made the right choice. She chose to sow that seed and she got unlimited provision. But that was not all. The devil struck her son afterwards, and her seed still spoke. She got healing for her son. Read 1Kings17:7-23 for yourself.

When you have seed, you have life. It permeates not only you, but everything around you. So henceforth, always say, I have a seed. No matter how small, you have one. And don’t hesitate to sow it whenever you’re prompted to.

Say Lord: I ask for seed. I’m an unrepentant sower. My harvest is sure. My life is preserved. In Jesus Name. Amen.

And if you do not yet have Jesus. Then this is the neat time to do so. Don’t delay. Your life is the seed He needs. Your life will be preserved when you surrender it to him. Your provision is also sure. Say Lord Jesus, I thank you for your own life given for my salvation. I in turn surrender mine to you. I ask for forgiveness for all my sins. In receive your life in its fulness. I will make heaven. In Jesus Name. Amen.