Monday, June 18, 2012

Loving to Give June 19, 2012

I loved giving to the LORD always...I guess because my parents freely gave of themselves and their resources...and I did at a young age.  

As an adult...wife and mother...there were lean years where I wasn't able to give because it was hard to make ends meet...but I always knew that I was supposed to.  I would sometimes try to do so, but I would end up without enough money to pay a bill.

As I sought the LORD, knowing that I was not happy being a non-giver...and feeling convicted every time I heard a sermon or a S.S. lesson, or read it in the Word, I would find myself very down about the whole thing.  

Then, I ran into some people walking the Faith walk.  People that were doing the Word...not hearing only.  

All of these people were not in person...some were in books...or in ministry with tapes.

I began praying Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland.  I went to hear Ken and Gloria Copeland when they came to Atlanta.  They had been broke when they began believing God's Word. Ken was pilot for Oral Roberts.

I had made fun of Oral Roberts with others...mocking him and his healing ministry.  However, after reading about his ministry to Ken and Gloria and others, I asked the LORD to forgive me and began reading what he had to say.

I learned that God would start with me wherever I was.  It was true that the 10th was His...but I learned that all of it is His!  I mean doesn't say He owns it all!!! I mean I was struggling to give Him a 10th...but it is all His!

Change in my circumstances began when I realized that I needed to surrender myself to Him, and my husband and children, and all my stuff.  I started where I was.  I began to give Him 2% of what I had.

I didn't work, so I would save like 2% of the money for groceries or whatever that I had, I would give to the Church.  I read in Habakkuk about how if we build our houses, and we neglect building the Kingdom, then, our pockets have holes in them.  I told my husband, and I asked if I could just start giving and see what happened.

When I began my teaching career, after 2 years of college to complete my bachelors in Education degree, I told the LORD that I my goal was to tithe both salaries...mine and my husband's.  I taught for 19 years...I've been retired for 2.  

During those 21 years, we were able to not only pay our bills and save for retirement, but we were able to purchase a house in FLA and one in the GA mtns.  Both will be payed off in less than 5 years.  We had 2 houses in FLA, but when the economy was at it's very beginning of the down slope, we sold our 2nd house that was eating us up in taxes, paid off the home we live in, and bought a house cash that we rent.

I've had the most wonderful man for a husband. We've grown up together.  We have lived in the house we live in for 30 years...first with sheet rock walls and no heat or air or closet doors.  People always love to see what wonderful changes we've made over the years.

The LORD has well more than given me the desires of my heart.  I asked to be a tither of both salaries...off the top...and we give more than that.  My husband has left it up to me all these years, since finding the scripture about the holes in our pockets.  You see, that scripture means that you can't keep that money.  If you don't give it to God, then, your bills ...your every day costly events in your life...will more than take what you could have freely given and been blessed.  

Instead of the washing machine breaking, me blowing a tire, and my children needing new shoes...I could give to the LORD with a thankful heart...and, well, I'd have enough for the rest.  I found out that the scripture that says, Trust me...Try me...Prove me...says the LORD of Host and see...If I'll not pour out a blessing that you can't contain.  (my emphasis)

About 10 years ago, I asked the same thing about prayer.  I told the LORD that I wanted to tithe my prayer time each day.  That meant that I needed to pray almost 2 1/2 hours a day.  Well, praying the prayer blanket about 1 hour and 25 minutes a day, and then, praying on the website all throughout the day...and, praying on Shinegirls...and on the phone...or wherever I am.  I more than tithe my prayer life these days.

Now, the most wonderful thing has brought both together...I share my prayer time with others...on cell phone in the morning...but also on the website...and on the Womenwho Pray prayer wall and Women Who Pray page.  We're reaching a lot of people...1800+ friends on the Womenwho Pray wall...and many groups with some not friends yet...same on the page.  No telling how many we reach on the website.

After I read Good Morning Holy Spirit by Benny Hinn, I had to ask the LORD to forgive me for not liking Kathryn Kuhlman. I have since met friends that saw her in person and were blessed.  She was Benny Hinn's Mentor.  I've been to 4-5 of his crusades and been mightily blessed.  Amazing how many get saved in his meetings.

I also became partners with Bobbie Jean Merck, who walks in the same anointing as Lester Sumrall who was mentored by Smith Wigglesworth.  WOW!!!! Woo Hoo!!! If you haven't read about him, you need to.  

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is another one I've partnered with for many years, with Rabbi Eckstein.  That ministry has been such a blessing to Israel and to all of us by allowing us to minister to Jews.

The way I know that the ministry is worthy of support from me is the way the LORD told us to choose.  I look at the fruit.  A good tree can't bear bad fruit and a bad tree can't bear good fruit! So there it is! I've been partners with Benny Hinn, Ken Copeland, Rabbi Eckstein, Bobbie Jean Merck for about 20 years. I began with $7 with some, and I didn't give every month to them all at first.  I have given $30 for many years to each.

I have also supported Diane Harrington full time for many years.  She's a full-time missionary that was in my Sunday School.  I gave haphazardly for many years to her and others.  I settled down to $30 per month several years back.  I did the same with TBN and Salvation Army for years...$20 here and there or $50 or more.

I had settled down, in a more organized giving to several ministries, when the LORD led me to give into Women Who Pray, and then, let WWPray give to the ministries.  I continued giving the same amount and supporting the same ministries for awhile.  

As time has gone by, there are now other ministries...some that I gave along the way and some new.  We give to a couple of pro-life ministries...to 2 full-time missionaries...to 2 widows who pray daily with me and have become widows in the last 3 years...to 3 orphanages (Mexico, India, and Uganda).  

God has given me the love for giving that I prayed for, and He has blessed me more than I could have ever dreamed.  I can't out give Him.  

Just in the last year, the prayer blanket has been translated into Tegulu, and Indian tongue, and has been used in evangelism.  It is to be translated into Hindi and into Afrikaan (S. Africa).  

The LORD has laid on my heart to share with You how He has blessed me, and to invite you into this magnolia tree blessing.  Right now, $30 has been our ceiling..I would love to give more...because I want to invest more into the Kingdom work.  

I also have others asking for us to support them...another orphanage in India.  

Now, I know that God is going to bless me as He loves a cheerful giver...and He challenged me to Trust, Try and Prove Him...and I did and He fulfilled His promise to pour out His blessings.

If you are struggling now...please hear me...it was when I was struggling that I began to give.  God is the multiplier. He's the promise giver and promises 10, 30, and 100-fold blessing.  If you are not seeing your return, it's because you haven't bought into the Kingdom principle of giving.

It's not the amount...the woman with 2 mites pleased God more than the rich men.  

Today, the LORD has laid on my heart to just spell it out...

If the 1800 people that are friends on fb with us gave $5.00 a month to Women Who Pray, we would have $9,000 a month.  We, together could increase what we give to the 3 orphanages and add the one that's been asking.  We could help in the production of the Prayer Blanket as it goes world wide.

I was really criticized for asking for financial support last year, and I now know that I was not bold for the LORD's work as I should have been.  The LORD says, "You have not because you ask not."  He's also said , "Ask and it shall be given to you...and even talks about men pouring into our bosom..."

Some of you tithe, and I praise God that you do.  I want to ask you to give us a small gift each month...$5 or $10.  

Others of you are not in church, and you need to be giving into the Kingdom.  Why? Because you are to be a doer and not a hearer.  We are doing the work of the church...James says perfect religion is giving to the widows and orphans.  

I'm giving you the Truth.  It is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit! He the Spirit of Truth will teach us all things.  The Truth is that we are to be building the Kingdom.

I heard a sermon yesterday that really spoke to my heart yesterday.  The pastor said, "We have not been born again in order to go to Heaven.  We have been born again to live the life of Christ in this earth. Heaven is our final resting place, but it is not all there is.  The abundant life is the life of doing the works of the LORD! What would Jesus do?"

Well, my Jesus, healed the sick, delivered those who were bound by demons, He bound up those that were bruised! In other words, He was about His Father's Work.  We're to do greater works because we are to be multiplied christs in His earth.  He is the first of many brothers!  

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us! We have His Spirit to do His Works!! To Do His Word!! Jesus is LORD when we obey Him!!

If you had told me that I would be writing prayer on the internet/facebook and people would be healed or delivered or saved, I would have not believed it! Who could have imagined this great time period! We've been born into this time just like Esther, and we've been called to take the Word to the uttermost!

Amazing how God's Word works!  All through History, wherever the Word has been sown, and people have been saved, the standard of living has improved!! It is a fact!!!

Our economy is a mess...as is all of Europe...and around the world...we have given into the world's system instead of the King of King's system.  And, we have had to settle with 1% interest that we've gained with investing into the world or 2% ...when we've ignored the 30, 60, 100-fold return.  I was there for a long time.  I had to have someone share with me the Kingdom principles of sowing and reaping.

So, if you sow into Women Who Pray, I promise you...you will reap a Harvest!!! 

I am reaping...and those who have sown with me are reaping...

We now know that the magnolia blessing is ours! We can take our regardless of size amount and join in the Magnolia tree blessing of a ministry that has been sowing a long time. 

I want to see every single one of my friends and family blessed by this ministry.  I'm going to be blessed because God says so.  I just love sharing with you all.  Think on it...He owns it all...the earth is His and all the people...it's not His will that any be lost...so we're about taking the Word to the nations.

Joshua asked all those years ago, who is on the LORD's side? I can only answer for me...I am!  And if He is for me and with me, who can be against me?

Woo Hoo!!! Glooorrryyy!

Until the next time...

Teddi 






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