Everyone wants an inheritance. When you want to see the real character of family members, wait until a loved one dies and leaves assets to be distributed. The real character of potential inheritors is exposed. Greed surfaces from those who have successfully hidden it from public view.
To inherit means to come into possession of or receive especially as a right or divine portion: and every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters … for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life — Matthew 19:29
Often when a previous generation dies, there is an inheritance for those who remain to receive. When Jesus died on the cross, we became His inheritors, and His resources are of much greater value than anyone can fathom for it is not limited by scarcity but comes from the creative power of Our Heavenly Father. HIS only condition is that we are lawful and have the proper intent for the use of those resources. FATHER challenges us to believe in HIS provision by declaring “Prove Me” in Malachi chapter 3:
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house,
And prove Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
Would you rather have the inheritance of a family member or the inheritance given to us by FATHER? Greed, selfishness, and scarcity all play a role when a family member passes away and leave the heirs an inheritance. Over the years, many of us have seen families split apart due to the unexpected wishes found in the last will. When Agape Love prevails in our hearts, we no longer are moved by the temporal windfalls which may surface on our behalf nor are we moved by the absence of an inheritance. In Luke chapter 16, Jesus spoke:
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
There are those who expect an earthly inheritance coming their way soon, and thus they set their focus to serving the one who is expected to pass away soon. Their intent is easily revealed to others as they try to gain favor with the soon to be deceased. Love is consistent and does not depend on the inheritance in determining actions or intent. When THE SPIRIT leads us we will minister to each person according to FATHER’S perfect plan, will, and purpose, no matter what transpires in the future,
As we become Sons and Daughters, FATHER will cause you to violate your current belief system just as HE did with Abraham and Isaac for Abraham did not believe in human sacrifice. Isaac was to be the inheritor and promotor of the Blessing spoken by FATHER to Abraham yet he was placed on the altar as a sacrifice. FATHER provided an alternate sacrifice at the last minutes and honored Abraham’s willingness to cut off the promised inheritance. We too must trust FATHER for our inheritance by walking in faith and Love.
Does FATHER need your money and/or resources to keep the Kingdom funded? HE never has and never will. THE SPIRIT instructs us in Psalm 89:
11 The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them
FATHER knows where all the wealth of the world is hidden and can access it at any time when needed to fulfill HIS Will.
We are told, “Do not withhold the tithe.” The word “tithe” is found in 16 verses of Scripture thus it must be about Love.
Abraham tithed before the Law was given:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
The Law clearly stated that the tithe is HOLY to THE LORD:
Lev 27:30, 32 ‘And all the tithe of the land, [whether] of the seed of the land [or] of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD’s. It [is] holy to the LORD. … ‘And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.
Has FATHER changed HIS Divine Intent from the Old Testament to the New Testament? Men would have us believe HE has but it is due to their unwillingness to trust HIM to meet their needs. They know it in their minds, but they have yet to embrace tithing in their hearts.
Even those in the ministry are instructed to tithe part of their inheritance:
Num 18:26 "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe.
FATHER instructed us never to neglect those who are called out to minister to HIM:
Deu 12: 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
Jesus did not negate the importance of the tithe. Instead, He dealt with the intent of the heart versus the outward perception being promoted by those who failed to walk in Love, justice, and mercy:
Mat 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier [matters] of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Luke 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
Jesus could have taken this opportunity to do away with tithing, yet He did not. You can argue legalistic details about what makes up the tithe, but in the end, it is a matter of the heart.
Those receiving the tithe have a responsibility as well. We all know of ministries who have used tithes and offerings to build their own little kingdoms while many who sit in their pews are suffering. These ministries are at risk of having the same type of rebuke by Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Pharisees received. These minsters do not negate the fruitfulness of our tithing if we do so with the proper intent.
FATHER responds to the intent in our hearts, not the amount of our giving. Neither does HE respond to any attempts to force HIM to act IF we give with the wrong intent. As we give in Love HE is willing and able to bless us abundantly.
By THE SPIRIT Paul goes into great detail concerning our giving in 2 Corinthians chapter 9:
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
9 As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God.
Those who wish to be led by THE SPIRIT must be willing to embrace the above passage in its fullest else they will live a life of compromise in their finances and wonder why they are always struggling to some degree in multiple areas.
By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Romans chapter 9 concerning Jacob, the inheritor of the Blessing:
11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
Many would claim FATHER had an issue with Esau, the person. I believe the issue centered around Esau’s orientation and intent in his willingness to trade his father’s blessing to meet his physical hunger. Jacob wanted the blessing even though he obtained by deception. The older son represents the physical whereas the younger son represents the Spiritual. The physical will always be subservient to the Spiritual.
In 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul reveals a precious aspect of the inheritance of Love:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
How do we compare the crown of righteousness to any worldly inheritance? We don’t. Money as well as other resources come and go for they have wings and can depart in a moment. I have witnessed such a departure more than once. Let us remove any priority we once assigned to worldly wealth and lay up riches in Heaven where it really counts.
In James chapter 2, by THE SPIRIT it is written:
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
We are provided with a stark contrast of those who are led by the Holy Spirit and those led by this world’s wealth. The world will oppress and resist you to gain an advantage over you. As we know, success in the world’s courts is often determined by the best attorney who knows best how to manipulate the system rather than seek the Truth. Those who are inheritors of the Kingdom and rich in their faith walk according to FATHER’S Word. They are the ones in whom HE is well pleased thus their inheritance is assured.