Keep Growing

"If you stop giving, you stop growing"- Dr Shaun Marler

Hi Partners, Family and Friends,

A number of years ago, a member of my congregation said to me, "I feel like I have stopped growing." This thought concerned me, and I took it to the Lord in prayer. The Lord spoke to me an answer that became a powerful revelation in my life. He said to me, "If you stop giving, you stop growing." I realize that as Christians, we are partakers of the divine nature of God. God is a giver, it is a significant part of His divine nature, so because we are partakers of His divine nature, we also, as Christians, give. 

All living things have the ability to reproduce, grow and develop. They can obtain and use energy and respond to their environments. Living things can reproduce, and all living things are capable of growth. During growth, most living things go through a cycle of change called development. Living things obtain energy from their environment, and they use that energy to grow, develop and reproduce. 

As I meditated on the thought that the Lord revealed to my mind, by His Spirit, further understanding and excitement came to me. I dwelt on the thought, "To grow and to continue to grow, I must give and continue to give." I realized that this thought could revolutionize a Christian's life.  Not every Christian is ready to hear this revelation, and because of that, they have stopped giving, and it is hindering their growth. 

We can give in so many ways, but financial giving is something every one of us can do to a measure, regardless of how little we may have. I remember in one of my early ministry trips to India, where I was sharing on the love, healing and forgiving power of Jesus. At the end of the service a very poor, elderly lady in rag clothes came and put a 10 rupee note in my pocket. God had moved extremely powerfully during this healing rally, and blind eyes, deaf ears and lame people were being healed in large numbers.

There was great joy and celebration in the meetings, and hundreds came for personal prayer, on the prayer line. This lady was one of those who lined up; the lines were long and would take me a long time to pray for everyone. When I got to this lady, I blessed her and released healing power over her, in the Name of Jesus. She then took this very old crumpled up note and stuck it in my top shirt pocket. My first and immediate reaction was to take out that little crumpled money and give it back to her.  As I tried to give it back, she refused to take it, and so I looked to see if she had a bag, where I could place it. My mind was telling me that this little lady needed that money way more than I did, and it was a fortune to her. 

As I tried to give her the note back, which she refused in her way, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Don't you dare give that back. If you do, you will stop her from receiving a blessing and increase on her giving." Right then, I remembered the scripture of the widow's mite. 

"And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had." Luke 21:1-4

I had not asked for any offerings, neither had I expected any. Yet God had so touched this little lady's heart that she wanted to sow a seed. To her, this seed would have been huge. I realized that God was not taking something from her but wanted to get something to her. I don't know the outcome of that little elderly lady's life, but I do know my God. He is no man's debtor, and He promises to multiply our seed up to a hundred-fold. He promises that as we give, He causes people to give back to us. I guarantee that He took care of that little lady, and her faith is still inspiring me today. I hope that this story inspires you too. 

I remember hearing a testimony from Kenneth Copeland, how after he first got saved, he was in a meeting (might of been Oral Roberts preaching) that he was touched and wanted to give and the only thing he had was a pencil that had been given to him. He sowed the pencil in that offering, a little while later somebody stuck $10 in his pocket, so he chased the usher down and said, "Give me back my pencil." He then put the $10 he had just been given, into the offering. Well, the rest is history, Kenneth Copeland has never stopped giving, and he has never stopped growing in His God and look how blessed he is today!

Whether you start by giving a smile, volunteering at your church, helping a neighbour or faithfully sowing into your local church, I guarantee if you do this, you will never stop growing. The bible says in Acts 20:35, "I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Here we can see once again the heart of Jesus. Where He tells us to serve one another and that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. 

If you feel like you have stopped growing, then I encourage you to look at your life, circumstances and what you have been giving. Find ways where you can increase your giving in one way or another. There is so much joy and reward in giving. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver, whose heart is in their giving. (2 Corinthians 9:7). 

God bless and much love,

Ps. Shaun Marler

Apostle World Harvest Ministries

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