The Seed Principle

The Bible is our reference for Christian Economics and financial progress. The Word of God is full of revelations concerning prosperity waiting to be uncovered by every generous child of the Father. And it all starts with a seed.

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Spiritual Seeds

God’s Word is a seed.
The farmer sows the word. (Mark 4:14 GWT)

When we share the Gospel, the Holy Spirit uses the Bible verses that we have planted into people’s hearts to convict them of their need of a Savior. Sometimes, we reap a harvest of souls in just hours (or less). Other times, it takes days, weeks, months and years before these people surrender to the love of God. And there are also times when we will reap a harvest from other seed-planters. They heard the word of God somewhere, grew in their hearts, and now, with your ministry – they are ready to become disciples of Christ.

Faith is a seed.
“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20 NIV)

We have all been given a measure of faith. With some people, that seed grows fast. With others, it takes a lot of cultivating of the Word and water of the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of God is a seed.
He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. {27} Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. (Mark 4:26-27 NIV)

The influence of God in the hearts of men is growing all over the world. In some areas, this little seed may take time to grow. Other people might impede its growth, they may even uproot it, but God will always leave a stump as a testimony that the Gospel is or has been there.

Money sown into the Gospel is a seed.
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT)

Money is not unspiritual. It is also something that the Bible teaches. Monetary resources, like a seed, though small and seemingly inadequate, can also grow. Money, like a seed, must be planted, in order for it to grow.

The Multiplying Power of Seeds

God will always honor seedtime and harvest
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Genesis 8:22 NIV)

A seed has the promise of a harvest. They always go together. When God declared this law, He was talking to Noah, who survived the global deluge together with his family. God promised that as long as the earth continue to spin and support life as a planet, then seedtime and harvest will just continue to happen.

Offerings, giving to the work of God, and seed-sowing are a Christian and Biblical routine. As long as we are alive, sowing our seed in godly ground and anticipating a harvest should always be a continual process.

God enables every seed to yield a harvest.
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:8 NIV)

Each seed may bring forth more than itself, more than double. We could claim and believe God for a harvest of at least 30 times what was sown. A harvest is never a ‘harvest’ if the seed-planter just reap a breakeven return. One lone apple seed grows a tree. And one tree produces who-knows-how-many apples.

Sowing money-seed in the offering will also multiply.
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

There’s a paradigm shift in offerings: Never ever mindlessly drop that money in the offering box. Give to God’s work with heartfelt gratitude and anticipation of a harvest. Apple seeds carelessly thrown onto a good backyard may grow on its own. How much more when we offer our gifts in the altar with all sincerity and expectation! The seed planter will reap a harvest.

The Curse of the Thief

I n the middle of audit week, our company accountants decided not to show up. As it turned out, they embezzled some money. What struck me the most was that the people who did it were not strangers; they were like mothers and aunts. We saw them almost every day, smile at them, laugh with them, and made plans together. As part of the management team, we ate out and had a friendly good time. It was heartbreaking to realize that the people in the news for some criminal activity had the same profile as those that I had warm and cuddly relations with. But loyalty goes up. My love for God supersedes any other relationship. I feel sad, yes, but I have no inkling to cover for them. If anything, I am upset because I was this close to them, and yet, clueless. My colleagues and I were mixed emotions. On one hand, we felt betrayed. The suspects were like family. We confided in them and planned activities with them in all sincerity and warmth. But maybe, just maybe, they were truthful and sincere...

So...What? Get to Know the English of the Bible

And so I was reading through my Bible one day when I came across this verse: So let me remind you of the Eternal’s enduring love, and why we should praise Him. Let me tell you again how the Eternal gives and gives and gives. All God’s wonders and goodness are done for Israel’s benefit according to His great mercy and compassion. (Isaiah 63:7, Voice ) Then I remembered my email from Dictionary.com : Subsequently, the word “so” just got so interesting. Here's a summary (for my quick reference): How is 'so' being used? 1. as a filled pause, much in the way that “well,” “um,” and “like” are used in conversation 2. To begin with ‘so,’…is to signal that one’s coming words are chosen for their relevance to the listener.” Speaker 1: So, how do you know Myra? Speaker 2: College. Speaker 1: So, I met Myra rock climbing at Yosemite… In this example, the sentence-initial so is being used in tw...

LifeDay Calculator

(This spreadsheet is editable. Please feel free to try it out.) #Psa90v12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. ESV Teach us [Make us know] how short our lives really are [to count our days] so that we may be wise [gain a wise heart] . EXB Help us to remember that our days are numbered, and help us to interpret our lives correctly. Set your wisdom deeply in our hearts so that we may accept your correction. TPT The Lord God said that our average lifespan is 70 to 80 years. [Psa 90:10] The Life-Sustainer promised to preserve our lives for His glory, so we pray against untimely death. [Psa 118:17] 'My Remaining Days' Analytics: For a man who is 45 years old, he only has 9,125 days or 1,304 weeks to live in this world. Now that's 9125 days to do good and make a difference. 9125 days to take care of his family. 9125 days to love his wife and kids. Now that's only 1304 ...

When God Says Please

The Please word in Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse , so that there will be food in my house, and test me please in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour forth for you an overflowing blessing . [LEB] Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. [NASB] The original Hebrew word used is na (na') Strong's # 4994 Definition I (we) pray, now Part of Speech Interjection NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin a primitive particle of entreaty or exhortation Usage in NASB and occurrence Ah (2), beg (1), beseech (1...

Genesis 3

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Yes, has God said, “You must not eat of every tree of the garden?”” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You must not eat of it, neither must you touch it, lest you die.”” 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die; 5 for God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil.” 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves apro...

Genesis 13

And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, 4 to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord . 5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their property and goods were great, so that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and ...

Faith vs Godlessness: Re-Crucifying Jesus To Public Shame

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV) I don't get it. How can a pastor become atheistic ? On the day I read this in my email, a lot of Scriptures came rushing into my heart. (I’ll try to sort most of them below.) I was bothered, and it seems that the only way to get peace about this is to confront it head on. And so I prayed: I put on the helmet of salvation to protect my mind, to protect how I think. I put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect my heart, to protect how I feel. I put on the buckle of Truth to keep it all together... (Ephesians 6:14-17) I can't help but think that in the course of studyi...

No to XXXmas Party Games

I'm a team player. But I have limits. There are a lot of occasions that these limits are tested, even on Christmas parties. These scenarios could really dampen the joy of the season, but someone has got to say no. Someone has got to voice out the truth. I choose the joy of the Lord. As it was, for being part of a company management, and being known as a Christian, I was tasked to do an opening prayer and prayer for the food. And pray I did. Then the games began. In a company of mostly women, the guys are always picked. In fact, we were so few that we had to recruit the men from the caterers. But just before this program, my wife sent me a text message. It was very timely. And so there I was, standing in front with my game partner and other players, when my jaw dropped in unbelief as they demonstrate how to execute the game with the balloons. My game partner is a fellow Christian though from another church. Immediately I told her, “I’m opting out...

Genesis 16

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the L ORD has restrained me from bearing. I pray you, go in to my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you. I have given my maid into your bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The L ORD judges between me and you.” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her as it pleases you.” And when Sarai dealt hard with her, she fled from her ...

Genesis 19

KJVx And there came two angels to Sodom at even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 and he said, “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways.” And they said, “Nay, but we will abide in the street all night.” 3 And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, “Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” 6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door aft...

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