FIRST FRUITS AND OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS



CITY OF HOPE ASSEMBLY
Aka. GOD'S CITY
PAYMENT OF FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING: SECRET OF OVERWHELMING BLESSING
TEXT: Proverbs 3:9-10; Romans 11:16, Leviticus 23:10.
Proverbs 3:9 says Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the FIRSTFRUITS of all thine increase: Verse 10 says So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Rom.11:16 says for if the FIRSTFRUITS be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Leviticus 23:10 says “When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest,” Leviticus 23:10. It is to be set apart as holy unto God!
Opening Prayer:
Oh Lord our God, the bible says you had been our dwelling place from generation past. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou have formed the earth, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. For this reason we give you thanks and praises, we honor your Holy name and we say thank you because you do always open our ears to hear the truth in your word and to see the blessings inherent in it. Today Father open our ears to hear again and our eyes to see the secrets of overwhelming blessings in your word and help us to be diligent enough to do accordingly in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
The Bible is replete with virtually inexhaustible provisions for Man’s comfort here on earth and in eternity. The oldest singular limitation is Man’s refusal to simply obey the WORD of GOD. 3 John 2 for instance reaffirmed God’s persistent intention and plan for man: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prosperity. However, God not wanting to appear to man as a Dictator, grants man the freewill to enjoy virtually endless benefits ONLY on the condition of total obedience, to the giver of these benefits -The Almighty GOD.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING
God instructed Moses to expose the secret of overwhelming blessings to His chosen Nation of Israel. Moses obeyed God by stating the conditions precedent to man enjoying God’s overwhelming blessings. In the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, Moses stated the significance of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING, in not less than thirteen (13) occasions.
Exodus 23:19 stipulates strict obedience to giving of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING. He repeated this again in Exodus 34:26. To remove any ambiguity on the significance of FIRSTFRUIT, God expressly instructed Moses again in Leviticus 23:10 that the euphoria of victory and celebration of wonderful accomplishment must not be allowed to obliterate compliance with His instruction on FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING.
For brevity, let us itemize important points to note on FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING:
  1. FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be taken to God’s house (Exodus 23:19; 34:26);
  2. The FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be delivered to the Priest of the Nation (Lev.23:10; Numbers 18:42) otherwise known as the High Priest as at then in Israel (Numbers 3:32);
  3. The FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING shall apply to all a man engages in for livelihood (Deuteronomy 18:4);
  4. The giving of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING must be accompanied with worship (Deuteronomy 26:10);
  5. It must be offered once and during each cycle of harvest, which was yearly in biblical time (Nehemiah 10:35). It must however be noted that in situations of multiple planting seasons within one year, FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING becomes due after each harvest exercise;
  6. The FIRSTFRUIT is the exclusive preserve of the one considered the Nation’s Man of God (II Kings 4:42); and
  7. The FIRSTFRUIT in Hebrew is “bikkurim” and literally means “promise to come.” And there is ONE who never breaks His promise – God! That is why the truth behind this “promise to come” in God’s Word is so powerful. Though long overlooked by many, this divine establishment of God’s order of things is actually the root that governs the rest. When you KEEP FIRST THINGS FIRST through faith and obedience, you turn God’s promise into provision… ABUNDANT PROVISION! The giving of FIRSTFRUIT must be done promptly along with payment of tithe ( II Chronicles 31:5).
OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS OF GOD
  1. Givers of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING enjoy God’s comprehensive insurance. Jeremiah 2:3 says God issues automatic judgment on whoever or whatsoever attempts to devour givers of FIRSTFRUIT
  2. Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”
  3. God can be called upon to specially favor the giver of FIRSTFRUIT (Nehemiah 13:31);
  4. The Old Testament text: Proverbs 3:9-10, state clearly that in addition to God honoring the giver of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING, the giver also enjoys overflowing blessings from the Almighty God;
  5. The Old Testament text further implies that the honor rendered unto God by the giver of FIRSTFRUITS automatically attracts greater dimension of honor from GOD (I Sam 2:30b).
  6. FIRSTFRUITS are giving the first portion to GOD. Romans 11:16 says, “If the part of a dough offered as FIRSTFRUITS is HOLY, then the whole batch is HOLY; if the root is HOLY, so are the branches”. Giving the first portion of your finances to God will cause all of your finances for the rest of the year to be HOLY. FIRSTFRUITS causes God to treat your finances as HOLY giving you favor with GOD because your finances are connected to the FIRST FRUIT OFFERING.
  7. Ezekiel 44:30 “The first of all FIRSTFRUITS of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests: you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.” FIRSTFRUITS impart a blessing on your home. Many times a financial blessing is not our main need or concern. Having a blessing on your home positions you to have healing in your physical, spiritual and emotional need for you and your family. When you give FIRSTFRUITS not only do you benefit but your saved and unsaved loved ones do also.
CONCLUSION
God’s intention is that Man lives a life of true dominion, comfort and overwhelming blessings. However, realizing this divine desire depends on Man’s prompt, total and consistent obedience to God’s instructions, one of which is giving of FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING.
If you play at the beginning, you will pray at the ending.
If you casualize the beginning you will jeopardize the remaining.
Go bless you
By at No comments:

28 BIBLE VERSES ON FIRST FRUITS


Most Relevant Verses

Proverbs 3:9
Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;
Exodus 34:26
"You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."
1 Corinthians 15:20
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
Ezekiel 44:30
"The first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.
Exodus 22:29
"You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.
Exodus 23:19
"You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God "You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.D
euteronomy 26:2
that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name.
Jeremiah 2:3
"Israel was holy to the LORD, The first of His harvest All who ate of it became guilty; Evil came upon them," declares the LORD.'"
Exodus 23:16
"Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.
1 Corinthians 16:15
Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),
Romans 11:16
If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
Deuteronomy 14:22
"You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year.
Revelation 14:4
These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
Deuteronomy 26:10
'Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O LORD have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God;
Deuteronomy 18:4
"You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.
Leviticus 2:12
'As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar.
2 Timothy 2:6
The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
Leviticus 27:30
'Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD.
Nehemiah 13:31
and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits Remember me, O my God, for good.
Nehemiah 10:35
and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the LORD annually,
Deuteronomy 26:1
"Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it,
Leviticus 19:23
'When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.
Numbers 28:26
'Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
Leviticus 23:20
'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Malachi 3:10
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows.
Numbers 18:12
"All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.
Romans 8:23
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Nehemiah 10:37
We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.
By at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)