Tim Geithner, Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer are three names that will definitely come up in the 2011 election in America but I am not here to talk about politics; I want to address something that has hindered so many Christians from exploiting their potentials and thus becoming what they are destined to be. The phrase “windows of heaven†like most other words or phrases in the bible, is mostly used in error thus creating inefficient and ineffective results especially while praying.
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The way a man thinks is the way a man is; what comes to your mind when the above phrase is mentioned? Take some time to think about it; my first thought is Malachi 3 verse10 where God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there might not be room enough to receive it if you pay your tithes and offerings. The condition to the above promise appears quite simple (at least to me) but the perceived result is hardly attained.
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Note that I use the word “perceivedâ€. If I tell you that for every comment you make below, I will give you ten dollars. You are very much aware of the outcome so it is easy to follow through on the task above but for the task discussed in Malachi 3:10, you are uncertain about the outcome or you are not achieving the perceived outcome. This is one of the least discussed topics in the Christian circles; why do people keep on sowing the tenth of their hard earned labor without achieving their perceived result?
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First, let’s visit the concept of “sowing and reapingâ€; the bible has said in so many places that whatever you sow, you must reap not wherever you sow; another interesting thing about this concept is that if it takes labor to sow, it would also take labor to reap. This is the way I used think about this concept; if I earn three hundred thousand a month and I pay thirty thousand in tithes, I would miraculously get back the rewards. The question is when and how?
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When I think about the way I used to think, I realize how spooky it was; how can I be stupidly expecting money to come; from where; from the sky; from my fellow brother and sister? I realize this type of thinking has never really helped me and it dawned on me that if I labor to sow, I would definitely labor to reap. This is one of the few verses that made me think this way; Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.â€
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Why would the harvest be plentiful and fewer laborers? Good question; because so many people do not expect to labor to harvest or cannot see the harvest. I would use the story of King David in the bible to buttress my point; David’s harvest was Goliath and he had to labor to get to it. After the death of Goliath, David came to notoriety. David’s seed was the killing of the bear and lion that attacked his father’s sheep.David would never have recognized Goliath as an opportunity to wealth and fame if he had not been killing the bears and lion that attacked his father’s sheep. While others were running away from Goliath, David was busy asking for the reward for killing Goliath. There are so many harvest that so many people are running from; the ongoing global financial crisis is one of them, living in a developing country is another and the list goes on.
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If you have been seeding with the right frame of harvest, you would definitely be harvesting. Now what does the “windows of heaven†have to do with all this? Remember, it is windows (plural) not window (singular). “Windows of heaven†is a figurative term for a spiritual intuition. Jacob made the definition very clear to me when he had a dream on his way to his uncle’s house. In that dream, he saw a ladder set on earth, reaching the heaven and the angels of God were ascending and descending. You may read Genesis 28: 10 – 18 for full understanding.
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Jacob described the experience as the window of heaven (NKJV). I really do not want to go onto full analysis because of time but this is what happens when you pay your tithe and your offerings; your eyes would be opened either through intuition, dream or inspiration to know where to labor to maximize your resources. The key word here is labor. Your level of productivity depends on what you are seeing; what you see depends on how far you will go.
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When the windows of heaven are opened, you will see opportunities where people don’t see. It is now your conscious choice to labor to acquire it either by seeding or harvesting. Everybody that pays tithe can see but only a few percentage of them labor. In my controversial article titled Tithe or Tight, I compared tithe to taxes. You may read the article by clicking HERE. The three names in the first sentence of this article were nominated by the Obama transition team to run crucial economic sector of their country but they all avoided paying their taxes and this singular act would definitely affect the Democrats in the 2011 election. Imagine the effect of not paying your tithe…………
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13 comments
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March 10, 2009 at 4:27 am (UTC 1)
@ Charles Tony
They were all chosen by the Obama Transition team to serve in key positions and they all did not pay their taxes. This is definitely bad for democrats whose ideology centers on high taxes for the wealthy.
The Republicans would definitely explore this mistake. Obama himself knew and said “I messes up!”
March 9, 2009 at 8:11 pm (UTC 1)
Dipo,
I believe I might have read you wrong. How will the names of Tim Geithner, Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer come up in the 2011 election in America. Tim is not a politician, Tom has tax problems and nancy is not in the lime light.
February 26, 2009 at 7:13 pm (UTC 1)
an aside dipo and on the lighter note, i noticed you include yourself as a commentator to this blog, why now…please disqualify yourself.
just remembered that a previous article last year really delved into the underlining need to tithe.
balogun
February 26, 2009 at 7:05 pm (UTC 1)
thanks dipo.
firstly the graphical representations/ illustrations are awesomely superb.
secondly, from personal experience, i have not seen anyone who is agood tither be in need or want.
Thirdly, everyone of the illustrations from nkjv drive home the point that to restrain the devourer, we need to pay our tithe.
balogun
February 26, 2009 at 9:28 am (UTC 1)
This is an eye opener. Thanks a million, Dipo. May the fountain of inspiration never stop flowing in your life.
February 26, 2009 at 3:54 am (UTC 1)
@ Emog, Nigerian Entrepreneur, Emeka, Hyelni, Christian, Biddy and Jesus Freak
Thank you very much for your comments; they were quite encouraging!
February 25, 2009 at 9:59 pm (UTC 1)
Wonderful…Can’t agree less…
February 25, 2009 at 9:15 am (UTC 1)
Thanks for this..indeed whatsoever a man sows, he shall reap..as my Bishop used to say it then…it works for the believer and the unbeliever..thats why you see a lot of unbelievers prospering as they have tapped in to this knowledge that is suppose to be for Christians..but the sad thing is that unbelievers even tithe and give more to help others compared to Christians! May God help us all in Jesus name amen!
For the Democrats that you mentioned in America, its so sad that they did not pay their taxes as at when due and now tried paying after they knew they were going to be in positions..you see where faithfulness in little would have amounted to big things but unfaithfulness in withholding their little has caused them much! May God help us all!
My take is we should sow dangerously this year and watch God open the windows of heaven unto us…except a seed of corn falls to the ground and dies..it abideth alone! Thanks again for this inspirational post!
February 24, 2009 at 2:53 pm (UTC 1)
Hello Everyone,
Dipo—The above article is very timely. It’ll interest you to know that i also wrote an article in line with yours four days ago which i posted publicly today.
Trully there’s no distance in the spirit. Whatever you like you just have to go after it and get it.
Tithing is indeed the trigger for divine inspiraton.
http://www.christianedwin.com/2009/02/24/the-kingdom-economy/
Thanks
Christian E.A
February 24, 2009 at 10:38 am (UTC 1)
hmmm this is a real eye opener.
February 24, 2009 at 9:22 am (UTC 1)
pastor dipo,this is off thehook.nice pece!its funny when we pay our tithe and wait for money to drop frm the sky or soemthing without realizing that the windows of heaven opening means opprtunities which could come in many ways.one of the windows of heaven that opened for jacob was the wisdom of putting a rod in the trough while the flock fed which led to them giving birth to speckled flock and as a result he became riceher than his uncle.that was genetics-the first biotechnology breakthrough!but where did that inspiration come from?
there’s no awy to harvest witgout laboring meaning that you have to see the windows of heaven by yourself and know when it opens!
pastor dee,when you go start your ministry?
February 24, 2009 at 8:46 am (UTC 1)
This is the kind of saying that a lot of Chrisitian frowns at. Too many assume that God is an errand-boy that will do all the work while they remain idle in cosy chairs.
I have learnt that there is always a part for me to play to bring to pass God’s promise for my life. There is no shying away from HardWork.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Shalom
February 24, 2009 at 8:24 am (UTC 1)
Interesting insight and very clear description on how to reap.