[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″]What if there was a biblical way to flourish financially, above and beyond what is already available through your tithes and offerings. Would you be interested? And what if there was a biblical way to not only experience financial provision but also open the door to receiving healing, miracles and restoration. Would that get your attention? I hope so, because there is.[/x_custom_headline]
However, it is one of the most neglected areas of producing increase, financially and otherwise, that I know of. And sadly, many people will only mock and belittle this valuable avenue that God has provided for receiving abundant provision. And they do so, because they do not understand spiritual things as they should, and because they have overlooked a pattern throughout scripture that is unmistakable and clear.
I do pray that you will take these words to heart and not miss out on Heaven’s help and supernatural supply. So look with me at these two verses from the Amplified Bible to get us started.
[x_blockquote cite=”1 Timothy 5:17-18 AMP” type=”left”]“17 Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire.”[/x_blockquote]
Let me make something clear right in the beginning and state that this word “elder” in this passage, is referring to the ministry gift office of the pastor, and not to the congregational elders or older brothers within the local church. Nor is it referring to those who stand in the other ministry gift offices. These verses are specifically speaking to you about your pastor, and how he should be taken care of.
And notice also that this pastor is laboring hard in the Word of God and doctrine, by preparing messages and various teaching and training sessions for the believers. And because of his hard work, the Bible says he is worthy of double honor, or double pay. Yet I know of pastors who are certainly not receiving double pay, and in some cases, not receiving any pay at all. And that is a direct violation of the New Testament.
You can check this out for yourself, but every church that “muzzles the ox that treads the corn” will go down in both attendance and finances. They will also lack in spiritual things. For example, there will be less revelation knowledge of God’s Word going forth from the pulpit. The anointing will not be very strong in churches like these, and the spiritual temperature of those in the congregation will hover somewhere between lukewarm and ice cold. And because of all of this, fewer people will get saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, or healed, in churches like these.
Every church should see to it that their pastor and his wife are blessed financially. And I am talking far above and beyond their salary. I am referring to the people in the congregation personally blessing them financially. Not just for their birthday or anniversary or Christmas, but regularly. And you may want to accomplish this by giving them notes and cards with money tucked inside, or simply walk up to them and put some money into their hands, (but not to draw attention to yourself or disrupt the church service). Because I am totally series when I tell you that this one thing is the often neglected avenue towards the abundant provision God has for you.
Keep in mind that your pastor and his wife represent you. So if they look all beat down and poverty stricken, it’s a direct reflection of the individual members of the church they pastor.
In his book, Biblical Keys to Financial Prosperity, Kenneth E. Hagin wrote: “…I want to talk to you about honoring your pastor, not necessarily honoring him as a man, but honoring the office that he holds. You should have respect and reverence for that office. This is an important scriptural key to financial prosperity in your own life.”
Because so many Christians fail to honor and esteem their pastors who serve faithfully in the House of the Lord, and who labor in the Word and teaching, they also fail to understand that their financial partnership and support is not optional. And to be clear, I am referring to personal giving to the man of God in your life, above and beyond the tithes and offerings that go to the support of the ministry. In other words, you should not only be supporting the gospel ministry though your local church, but also giving a supply of finances to bless your pastor on a regular basis, too. And I can tell you that those who a faithful to do this, also tap into a Heavenly supply that those who refuse to never will.
Do you recall the story about the prophet Elijah being sent to the widow woman a Zarephath, in 1 Kings 17:9-16? This woman was preparing her very last meal for her and her boy. She was in desperate shape. But God sent Elijah to her for her to sustain him, the man of God. Now what do you think about that?
Most people I know would have a fit if they were placed in this same position. But this widow woman didn’t throw a fit. Instead, she obeyed God and tapped into supernatural provision and the miracle working power of God. She didn’t have less because she took care of the man of God. On the contrary, she was blessed beyond measure because she did.
And let’s not forget about the Shunammite woman who sowed into the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 4:4-37? The increase that came to this woman was far beyond financial.
First, she received from the Lord the greatest desire of her heart, a son. Then a few years later when the son was attacked by the devil and eventually died, she took her son and laid him on the bed of the man of God. And I might add, the bed that she had personally sown into the personal life of this man of God. Although he was off ministering somewhere else when this boy died, the prophet stopped what he was doing and gave his undivided attention to this woman when she came after him. And then he returned with her to her home where God raised this boy from the dead. Now that is abundant provision.
This woman’s story actually continues with a total restoration of land and property that she had lost as well.
And as I stated above, you will find there is a biblical pattern of this type of thing throughout the Word of God.
What you must understand is that your breakthrough in life is always connected to the man and woman of God that he has placed into your life as your pastor. In fact, if you are not blessing your pastor financially on a regular basis, and I’m not talking about in place of your tithes and offerings to your local church but above and beyond them, then you are forfeiting an avenue of provision and miracles that God has provided to you. It’s a spiritual law, and it will change your entire life.
It is very likely that this is the missing ingredient to overwhelming breakthrough in your life. Now please don’t start cheating on your tithes and offerings to do this, or you will completely miss God and be out of biblical order. But blessing your pastor and his wife personally, on top of your consistent giving of tithes and offerings for the support of your local church, is a God-ordained way to cause you to enter into a supernatural supply, including healings, miracles and restoration, beyond anything you have ever experienced before.
Sowing double honor and double pay into your pastor is the avenue the Lord has provided for reaping these things in your own life.