2 Corinthians 9:5 NKJV
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
Paul was speaking about preparing to give because he understands the blessing that is associated to first fruits,
If you carry on reading he says because last time you weren't prepared you wanted to give your heart wanted to give but you were not prepared and you couldn't receive a blessing
What is A First Fruit?
It is an act of our stewardship on this Earth
You See being good stewards involves recognising that everything we have belongs and comes from God
What Happens if You Give First Fruits?
By giving our first fruits we affirm our trust that God will provide for every single need that we have
it's a way of acknowledging that everything ultimately belongs to God and we are merely temporary custodians of His blessings
We are called to use them wisely and generously for our good purposes.
What is being a wise Steward?
Knowing everything that I have every Finance every material possession Every Blessing every job everything that I have even my family everything is given by God and it belongs to him
I am simply a steward of it
The Promises Connected to A First Fruit:
1. Your first fruit is it is an investment in your future
God told Israel that if they brought the first fruits to him He would bless all that came afterwards
So we see this blessing coming afterwards
2. the second promise is that you will have an abundance and an overflow
Proverbs 3:9 NKJV
Honour the Lord with your possessions,And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
in our modern vernacular so your bank accounts will be filled with plenty and your Vats will overflow with new wine
3. The third promise in scripture is that it causes a blessing to rest on your house
Ezekiel 44:30
30 The best of all first fruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.
We see that as you give your first fruit to the priest as you give your first fruit to the Levi and as it comes to the house of the Lord to the church which is in our modern day times the New Testament is now the church and we have those who on full-time ministry
As we give that first fruit and we set that year apart
The first income of the year or the first salary of the Year depending on what our income is we see this blessing that there will be a blessing that will rest
The word rest means to abide and it means to remain securely to rest to Shalom over your house
4. The fourth promise of the first fruit is that the first fruit redeems the rest of your income for the year
Romans 11:16
For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
This is for if the first fruit is Holy, the lump is also holy and if the root is Holy so is the branches
When I make my first fruit holy everything is blessed the moment I give my first fruit I know by God's word that it is a promise even the Bikur as it is mentioned in the Hebrew that it is the promise of things to come that is being established
Why First Fruits?
When you give a first fruit what does it show
Why do we give a first fruit?
Giving our first fruit to God means we are giving him our most cherished possession
God appreciates it when we give him the best
it is hard it is very difficult, especially for those who are making that very first step today to say
I'm going to budget I'm going to set aside this year coming 2024 I'm starting right and I'm paying my first fruits
It is hard but the moment you do it it shows that you love God it reminds him of the sacrifice He made when He gave his only begotten son
The Bible says that he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so when I give my first fruit it shows that I so love God it is something people say
“oh but I love God”
I can only love God where my heart is that's where my treasure is. We have a saying put your money where your mouth is show me your bank account and I'll see how much you love God
A lot of people take offence to it because their bank accounts don't show anything about how much they love God
The second thing why we need to give a first fruit
You see the first fruit represents
a Consecration and a commitment to God
The first fruit also shows that God is
our priority.
Under the law, all first things belong to God
we see this moving and transitioning into the New Covenant
it is an ancient secret of prosperity that we have missed for Generations it is an ancient secret that Jews and rabbis have kept hold of that they've done a lot of writing on you
See if you read your Bible very well you will see that Believers themselves are called first fruit offerings
The Spirit Himself is called the first fruit Christ Himself is called the first fruit of them that live
All those who are referred to us or are called first fruits are prosperity of the almighty
So the moment even when I give the first fruit I become the first fruit I become the prosperity of the almighty
The first fruit offering ensures a future Harvest it is an investment for my future
It represents a part of the whole meaning once you give the first fruit salary for the year
it is like you've given your salary for the next 11 months to God and it is Sanctified completely
Remember if the lump is the root is Holy the branches are Holy if the first fruit is Holy the lump is Holy all the branches will be holy the enemy will not be able to touch it because the root is Holy
The Bible says that when the first part is offered to the Lord the remaining part is now holy set apart consecrated and Belongs to the Lord
Satan cannot touch your finances when you have given your first to the Lord
This is why the first fruit is so important
A first fruit in the original Hebrew as we've established before is the bikum it means the promise to come so once that first fruit is given you ignite the promise of God into action God will begin to work wonders in your finances
So by closing this off, I want to personally invite you into this challenge I want to encourage you to say I want to make a clear decision to give my first fruit
Doesn't matter how hard it is doesn't matter how painful it is God sees it as a sacrifice it reminds him of his son Jesus Christ
I know that as me and my house do this we'll have the blessing of God rest upon our lives and I can guarantee you by the word of God that you will have the blessing of God
I can't wait to see what God is going to do in your life
Salute,
Ps Stephan
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