Material Offering: A Blessing

On the 26th February, as the nation was celebrating it's republic day, as heavenly citizens of the Kingdom of God, we had a combined Lord’s Table Meeting in South Delhi and fellowshipped on the need for experiencing the Lord through material offerings to meet the need of the Lord’s move. As saints, we need to experience a breakthrough in material offering, in experiencing the Body of Christ, in the blending among the saints, and in participating in the Lord’s move.

My enjoyment of the ministry of the word from the brothers' fellowship are below:

Material Offering is one of the indicators for our growth in life. Some crucial significances of material offerings are:

Seizing Opportunity – Matt. 26:6-13 

Once we see the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, His preciousness, and His death and resurrection, like Mary, we should grasped the opportunity to anoint the Lord at the right time. We must apply the vision of the Lord we have seen by participating in His need at the right time. Offering for the need of the Lord’s work is seizing the opportunity. Whether such an offering is a waste or seizing an opportunity depends on what revelation we have concerning the Lord Jesus and His Body. Our consecration of our material offering is our seizing the opportunity.

Matthew 26: 7, A woman came to Him, having an alabaster flask of ointment of great value, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. 

Experiencing Grace – 2 Cor. 8:1-9, 9:6-7

2 Corinthians 8:2 That in much proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality; 

Offering is experiencing grace; the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one as he has purposed in his heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

Passing through Test – Gen. 22:1-14 

Genesis 22:1-2 Now after these things God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham. And he said, Here I am. And He said, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you. 

God does not need our material possession, but He needs us, especially our heart. For this, He often tests us as He tested Abraham. Abraham passed the test by his obedience to the Lord's word of testing. And we must hear the Lord’s word and by faith, offer to God what belongs to Him, and fear Him; revering Him, not offending Him, not losing His presence and His smile in this age, and not losing the reward in the coming age.

Inheriting Blessing – Gen. 22:15-18 

Genesis 22: 7 I will surely bless you and will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. 

The issue of passing the Lord’s test is to inherit the blessing of God.

Makes us Overcomers for Entering into Eternal Tabernacle – Luke 16:9-13 

Luke 16: 9 And I say to you, Make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. 

Make friends by using money for the sake of God’s economy. Offering money is for the divine purposes, taking care of God’s needs. When money fails, whatever you offered will be a reward to you, making you overcomer, receiving the kingdom reward.

Principle of Offering

Offering spiritually and secretly by not letting our left hand know what our left hand is doing. Our offering must be in secret. Therefore, we must offer willingly, not in any way of compulsion, and offer happily. And we offer universally by allowing the saints to participate in it, even young saints and children who do not have any income too.

In this way, we can participate in the work of the Lord and receive God’s blessings. 

In the meeting, I also discharged my burden for the offering, encouraging all the saints to offer our portion. I used the following verses to release my burden.

Offering for the physical building is our participation in the spiritual building.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, RecVer)

Offering for the Lord’s work will always be rewarded by thenLord in the same.measyre and much more.

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you in return. (Luke 6:38, RecVer)

Offering will never make us poorer. For God knows our need and He will provide our needs not merely according to our needs but according to His riches.

And my God will fill your every need according to His riches, in glory, in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, RecVer)

The truth is, everything that we have were given to us by the Lord. We only offer from what God blessed. And truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

In all things I have shown you by example that toiling in this way we ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35, RecVer)

During the consecration I wrote a certain amount as led by the Lord. My son also wrote what he felt was proper. At home, we fellowshiped and decided to offer all the amount the Lord burdened us to offer immediately to not let even the month January pass by. Once we were clear, the Lord also provided the money. Therefore, today the 29th Jan, the Lord graced us to offer the entire amount that He burdened us to offer, in one go. He is the source and we just receive from Him and offer it back to Him.

Praise the Lord!