Seed Time/Harvest

Scriptures are misquoted. Noah was told that seed time and harvest will not fail (Gen 8:22). That was speaking about seasons and agriculture. The text has nothing to do with offerings. 2 Cor 9:6 is quoted in relation to the offering Paul collected for the brethren in famine. Paul said, “He that sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly.”.

Paul meant reaping fruit in God, not money. “He multiplies your seed sown and increases the fruit of your righteousness.” (2 Cor 9:10). He multiplies the impact your grace has on others. The giving brings “many thanksgivings to God.” (1 Cor 9:12).

Paul said the same in Galatians. He was talking about supporting those who preach the word. He said those who benefit from them spiritually should support them materially:

Let him that is taught in the word communicate (give, share, support) him that teaches in all good things. (Gal 6:6).

Then Paul added to that:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption and he that sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Gal 6:7-8).

Paul is not speaking here about us doing things to make sure we are saved. He is speaking about fruit in God’s kingdom. He said if we live for ourselves we will have no lasting fruit. If we just buy houses and personal investments, they shall all in the end be burnt up. But if we sow our lives into the things of God, then we shall have eternal reward. Paul is not saying that if you give to the teacher of the word, you shall receive a financial harvest. That is not why we give.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal. (Matt 6:19-20).

A lot of the teaching on this subject misses the very motivation Paul used for giving. When Paul was raising funds from the Corinthians to support those brethren in famine, he said he was not telling the saints to give sacrificially, to put themselves in want, while others benefited. He encouraged then to help from what they had over.

Paul’s motivation for giving was this:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Cor 8:9).

The motivation Paul gave is totally opposite to the motivation that encourages people to give for what they will get. Jesus gave to make us rich, not in money, but in Him. We were sinners while He died for us. So Paul said to the Corinthians, “You should follow the example of Jesus.”. Jesus did not give to make Himself rich, but to make us rich in knowledge and in life. We give to share. This is the motivation of scripture.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (share); laying up in store for them a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Tim 6:17-19).

Paul was not asking for an offering for himself, but for the saints in Jerusalem who experienced a famine. And he did not put his hand into the offering! There is a lot going on today with offerings that is just stealing. We display with transparency and honesty what we do with every dollar that is given.

Jesus and the apostles never taught on financial breakthrough. On the contrary, Jesus taught this is what the pagans go after. He said we should seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added to us by God. Elijah would not take Naaman’s gift, but Gehazi did (2 Kings 5). Abraham would not take money from the king of Sodom (Gen 14:23). Ananias and Sapphira fell due to money (Acts 5).

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. (Matt 6:31-34).

It is true that God blesses us. But it starts with Him. He gives us a new heart. He leads us to give. He supplies our need. He is faithful to us. We give because we are led by God to do so, not to get a healing or a blessing. God does not promise financial prosperity to everyone. None of the first apostles prospered in terms of material possessions, as far as we know, but look what they achieved for the gospel!

“Give and it shall be given to you”, is not speaking about money (Luke 6:38). Jesus used this term in relation to our life style. We should be generous and share with each other and all our own needs will be taken care of. This is true, but it is not why we give. We give from love, because of the kindness of Jesus towards us. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. (Eph 4:32).

In the law it starts with us: “forgive and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). In the gospel it starts with God: “forgive even as you have been forgiven”. One works from condition. The other works from love.

God prospers us through our work. He prospers us through godly living. Many today are teaching that God prospers us through sacrifice. This is the opposite of what God said. This will impoverish God’s people. We should be teaching godliness, integrity and honest work and then God’s people will prosper. This is how the gospel changes our lives and our nations. It is God’s will that we prosper, but by honesty.

There is nothing wrong with prospering if we prosper by honest means. The general prosperity of the community is a good thing, if we are rich towards God.

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 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.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have kept? So is he that lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:17-21).

“God delights in the prosperity of His servants”, but prosperity is knowing Him first of all (Ps 35:27). Poverty is not good. It can come about because of corruption, or because of persecution for the gospel, or because of laziness, or lack of education. In youth it is good to work, to build a good foundation for the future.

Then I saw and considered it well: I looked upon it and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that travels and poverty as an armed man. (Pr 24:32-34).

People who preach prosperity doctrines often prosper off the money people give them and then say their prosperity proves the doctrine. That is not proof. People give testimonies that they gave and had a miracle. Thank God. That is good. It does not prove doctrines of covetousness are true.

The seed is the word of God, not money (Mark 8:11, 1 Pet 1:23).

We can stand and ask God to meet our needs without giving Him anything and He will do it. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you.” (Ps 50:15). The ministry of the Spirit is free. Giving to get the power of the Spirit is Simony, a sin (Acts 8:20).

The teaching of many today on money is no different to the teaching in Luther’s day, when relics were points of contact and indulgences were paid to gain God’s favour. Priests collected offerings, promising forgiveness of sin.

People gave money to kiss relics and were promised time out of hell. The money was used for church building programmes. The urgency of the church’s “need” led them into false teaching to raise the funds, just as it does today. What was the point of Luther’s Reformation if Protestants perpetuate the paganism of the Middle Ages?

Another scripture passage used commonly is:

And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say unto you, There is no man that have left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. (Mark 10:29-31).

This does not mean that we shall necessarily own all these things. Jesus had use of every house and donkey He needed, but He was not insecure: He did not feel the need to own or possess them. He knew He possessed all things. Those who lay up riches do so because they are insecure. It is a poverty spirit.

We do not know that any of the apostles had 100 houses or lands. So how can this text have been literally fulfilled in their lives? Jesus did not own these things. We have all things that we need. Things are not for us to store up, but to use for the kingdom of God.