Better to Give than to Receive

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Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you are to give all your tithes to the one church or ministry. What the Bible does say is to give unto God what is rightfully HIS! (Ref. Malachi 3:8)
 
How do you do that? It is easy! If you are receiving revelation from God through a ministry or church, then you have found His Spirit and that is where He wants you to sow your tithes and offerings. Think about it: if God has chosen that person to speak through, don’t you suppose that might be where He would want you to give of your material things? If the minister is good enough for God, how much more should we be willing to bless him/her?
 
Some Christians are confused about the way their relationship with God should operate. They feel as though God is supposed to be merciful and giving, blessing His people because they have needs that must be met. They fail to recognize their responsibility to financially support those God has provided to meet their spiritual needs.
 

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13,14).

 
If the Lord has commanded those who preach the Gospel to live from the Gospel, then we need to support those who labor in this good news. What could be the punishment for not taking care of those who are laboring for God’s word? Have you ever tried to find God after He has hidden Himself so well that you feel abandoned? In the day of the prophet Amos, a famine existed, but the famine was not of food or water but of the word of the Lord. (Ref. Amos 8:11, 12) I am sure there were still priests, prophets and kings in that day but God was not speaking through any of them. Why? Because the people became closefisted and would not give the Lord their best. As a result, they were cursed.
 

“Your words have been harsh against Me,” says the LORD. Yet you say, “What have we spoken against You?” You have said, “It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free” (Malachi 3:13-15).

 
For generations, the Israelites argued that because God was not blessing them that it was not worth following His commandments and fulfilling their duties. In reality, He was constantly generous with them but because God’s messengers who brought His Word were not being taken care of, He withdrew His Voice and His blessings.
 
The day the Lord had me start asking the people to give something of value for a prophecy, seemed to be the same day that I started fighting my flesh. You see, I was proud and I did not want to be supported by God’s people. It made me feel out of control to depend on the people for my needs. I would rather paint houses or work at the grocery store than take money for preaching and prophesying.
 
I have really experienced the power in this verse of scripture that says, “It is better to give than to receive.” (Ref. Acts 20:35) Believe me, it is much easier to labor in physical tasks and receive a regular paycheck than to earn your wages from spiritual labor. Once you have been humbled to depend upon the people for your livelihood, you realize that you have given up the freedom to do as you want and say whatever you will. You become much more responsible to the people God sends your way and will find yourself praying much harder for their wealth, health and sound mind, because you are much more committed and reliant on them.
 
These attacks are not our battles to fight; God defends His own. My family and I tried very hard to do what God told us to do, and that was not always what others wanted us to do. I asked the Lord over and over again, “Why do we have to ask the people to give in order to receive.” He has responded many ways, but each time He has not wavered in His reasoning. He once said, “Son, the Gospel is not free; it cost me My life!” Another time He responded to my plea with these words, “Son if they have nothing invested in the word they receive, it will be worthless to them.” On another occasion the Lord said, “The Gospel is not free; it will cost you this life in exchange for life eternal.”
 
At a time when I became very stressed over finances the Lord said to me, “Son, do not take this life too seriously, for this is not it!” After hearing the Lord’s words so many times, I have learned to become very firm in the way we handle things in this ministry, for it is His ministry we are entrusted with. Now when we receive hate mail or rebukes for asking for the financial support, it just makes me more determined to preach the truth about the spiritual law of giving and receiving.
 

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4).

 
The devil has worked overtime to convince a large portion of God’s people to disregard the exchange of spiritual things for monetary gifts. The Bible is the book of Truth and it fully supports the spiritual law of exchange. Of course, giving just to give does not always produce God’s rewards and blessings. We need to make sure that we are supporting the church or ministry that is manifesting God’s Truth and blessings in your life.
 

message by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet

Something Material for Something Spiritual

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The exchange of something material for something spiritual is another law which rules our spiritual lives. It is not how much you give, but to whom you give that is important, as this affects whether you receive blessings or curses.
 
You can give a psychic a twenty-dollar bill for a reading and receive a curse. On the other hand, you can give to God’s prophets and ministers and receive a blessing. Let us not stop there. We must also understand that this spiritual law is only in effect if the one ministering accepts your monetary gift.
 
Apostle Paul goes into great length explaining to the saints in Corinth about this spiritual law. In the end, unfortunately, at the end of his message he robs them of their blessing by not accepting their offering. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 9:12)
 

“Whoever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock” (1 Corinthians 9:7)?

 
Many Christians today have set up boundaries for giving that do not line up with scripture. In fact, there is a large number of Christians who believe that if you minister, you should do it without any monetary return. It appears that the church at Corinth, in Apostle Paul’s day, had the same problem. This is why he goes into such great length to bring the church back in line with scripture. He is basically asking that if one plants wheat, does he not eat of the wheat, or if he raises sheep does he not eat of its meat, or if he has goats does not drink of their milk?
 
It costs a lot of money to fight back the spirit of darkness. The price of publishing, materials, postage, travels, and Internet expenses are tremendous. The last thing we need is to waste time and finances trying to convince Christians of this spiritual truth. You cannot have churches or ministries if the people are not willing to support them.
 

“Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope” (1 Corinthians 9:8-10)

 
You do not have to be a prophet or spiritual to understand this spiritual law of exchange. If you have an ox that labors to grind out the seed for your bread, would you keep all of the grain for yourself? No! Any halfway intelligent person would know that if you do not share the seed of the grain with the oxen, he will starve to death. Then you would not have oxen to tread out the grain for you.
 

“Jesus answered him (the devil), saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God‘” (Luke 4:4).

 
Unfortunately, even in the closing of this 20th century, we still have Christians who want to starve those who are grinding out the word and revelation of God. Without the bread of life we will become spiritual beggars falling to the ground dry and hungry for God and His word. It seems to be no problem for the majority of people to live under the monetary rule of exchange when it comes to receiving food, entertainment and other earthly pleasures. They think nothing of giving their hard-earned money for food, medication or even a movie, but then these same people struggle when giving to the ministers of the Gospel.
 

“If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things” (1 Corinthians 9:11)?

 
Some say they cannot trust the ministers with their money. Does this mean they can trust the grocer, the doctor, the lawyer and everyone else but God’s ministers? What a minister offers cannot always be seen in the same manner as what you brought home in the grocery bag or the pharmacist’s bottle. Do not be fooled by what you cannot see, for what is spiritual is eternal and you cannot purchase it; you can only support it.
 
If you are being blessed by one minister, but give your tithes and offerings somewhere else, you are committing a spiritual crime by denying your blessing to the one who brought you spiritual growth. Over the years I have heard of people sneaking off from the church they regularly attend, to hear another preacher. However, even though they were blessed by this new preacher’s message and ministry they left all their tithes and offerings at their original church. I prayed about this and asked the Lord for wisdom and He put it to me this way, “Do you take from the shelf at K-Mart and then go pay Walmart for the product because that is where you have shopped at the longest?”
 
We find this happening all over the body of Christ, and as a result some of God’s oxen are being muzzled. When those who tread the grain and provide you with spiritual nourishment are denied the ability to meet their material needs, they will not be able to continue their work and the supply of spiritual blessings will instead be replaced by curses because the people valued the material over the spiritual.
 

(message by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet)

Spiritual Laws Govern our Actions

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Spiritual laws, when misused, can have the same aftermath as the law of physics.

 

There are many spiritual laws that rule our spiritual lives just as natural laws affect our physical world. We cannot see the law of gravity; however, if we stand under a falling boulder, we will feel its full effect. Spiritual laws, when misused, can have the same aftermath as the law of physics.
 

“Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden”
(I Timothy 5:24,25).

 
It does not take faith to cause spiritual laws to manifest in our presence. The one thing that does differ is that spiritual laws are not controlled by time. The effects, good or bad, can come quickly or take years. On the other hand, nature’s laws are time controlled and are more easily understood. This very reason is why it is hard for some Christians to understand why a heathen can seemingly go unpunished. Scripture promises judgment day to all.
 
Another spiritual law that has a profound ability to return to its creator like a boomerang, is the law of judgments. We begin to form judgments, which affect our lives from day one. Judgments we make in life can be positive and return blessing back to us, or they can be negative and carry curses.
 
We can make critical judgments of others and are guaranteed to receive the same in return. The criticism we receive usually comes from someone other than the person we have judged. It is also a law within the spirit realm that by the same measure of the infraction, we are guaranteed to have it come back on us in equal force.
 
Always keep this one spiritual law in your forethought before speaking evil about anyone. We are accountable for every word we speak. If we speak evil often, we will stand under the Master’s gavel, and will experience first-hand the power of its blow.
 

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1,2).

 
I will let you in on a little tid-bit that will help you know of things to come. When you see a violation of God’s spiritual law, you can accurately predict the outcome of the effects to that person or nation. This is how people are able to know of many things to come without even hearing God’s voice.
 
Now, what I have shared with you is very valuable information; however, there is one pitfall. If you witness someone breaking a spiritual law and you announce their punishment, know that if God grants them forgiveness, your words will fall to the ground and not come to pass.
 
Before we make any public predictions about the consequences of someone’s actions, we must confirm with God that He intends to judge and punish them on Earth.  Simply because the judgement does not always occur on Earth on our timeline, it does not mean that the spiritual laws are not carried out.
 

  (message by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet)

Walking by Faith

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In July of 1996, God opened the door for me to go to Norway. The meetings in Norway were a huge success and invitations kept coming in for the next few months for me to return. While the meetings were going well in Norway, everything back home was falling apart. Each time I would return from Norway, we would start paying what we could with the offerings I had collected. Every month we would pray that God would give us a breakthrough. Unfortunately, by October we were meeting with our corporate ministry attorney discussing the ministry’s options. Quickly, November came and the creditors were driving us nuts. Where had we gone wrong? In December 1996, the ministry was about $86,000 in delinquent debt with no sign that things were going to get better.
 
The time had come to face the worst. Our attorney took me down the hall from his office and introduced me to an attorney who specialized in corporate bankruptcy. As the attorney began to talk to me about the process that he would use to put the ministry in bankruptcy, the Spirit of the Lord speak. It was so strange, when His voice started I could not hear a word the attorney was saying; although, his month was moving the entire time. The word was so strong I must have looked to the attorney as if I had seen a ghost. I excused myself from the presence of the attorney and rushed back home to my study to do as the Lord had commanded. Driving back from the bankruptcy attorney’s office in Dallas, Texas I began mediating on the Lord’s word over and over again. It was important that I did not forget even one portion of the word I had received. What the Lord had told me was this.
 
“Go and write a letter to each one of you creditors and offer them 12.93% of the balance you owe them.”
 
I knew within myself what the letters were to say and that it was important that I send them by priority mail. Totaling all of our debts I then calculated 12.93% of that total. Then I checked the ministry account to see if we had enough money to pay 12.93% to each of our creditors. To my amazement the amount in the account was almost the exact same amount; we had $1.05 left in the account. I knew then that everything was going to be okay.
 
It was December 21, 1996. Even though it was only 4 days until Christmas and we had just a dollar and a nickle we had given the rest to our creditors; we stood in perfect peace.
 
Within just three weeks after sending out the letters and checks to our creditors, we were debt free. God’s word had delivered us. God made a way for everything to be paid in full with a huge 87.07% discount to boot. In all of my years of banking, I had never heard of anyone being able to discount their debt by this large of a percentage. Maybe 10% but nothing more than 15% being the maximum rate of discount acceptable in the industry. Today I stand in awe of how God carried us through this walk of faith.
 

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of god” (Romans 10:17).

 
Just because the Lord gives us a word of direction does not always mean that the walk will be easy. Here is my point; you cannot walk in faith if you have not first received a word from the Lord of what to do. Understanding this experience will help explain what Apostle James had written.
 

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).

 
If you are not willing to be led by the Spirit, you cannot experience these challenging and exciting journeys. You are going to have problems in this world no matter if you are saved or not. The decision everyone has to make when working out problems is; will you use your carnal mind or accept the direction of the Holy Spirit?
 
If you have an angel whisper in your ear a life changing word, will you battle with doubt and unbelief. Negative thoughts will try to steal your word from the Lord. If you are one who does not have angels coming to you with revelation from God, then you need to walk with someone you know who does. This is why God has given prophets to the church, to minister to those who cannot hear for themselves.
 

 “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues” (Corinthians 12:28).

 
For a period of about two years I struggled with something the Lord had said to me. He said;
 
“Kent, if everyone could hear me like you do, I would not need you, nor would I have created the office of a prophet.”
 
I had a hard time receiving this word was because I realized I would be given a great deal of responsibility. My ministry now would be to deliver the uncompromised word of the God with such accuracy that there would be no doubt in my heart that what I had spoken was truly from the throne of God.
 
When the Holy Spirit speaks inside of you, it is different than when an angel delivers revelation knowledge. First of all, there is much more power in the voice and presence of the Holy Spirit. At times, He will cause you to fall into a trance or weep uncontrollably under His conviction (see; Acts 10:10-15).
 
After I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I gained understanding of how I was able to know of things to come. Before I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I only heard Him every so often, maybe once a year. When the Holy Spirit spoke, it was not in long sentences or casual conversation. His words were short, to the point and powerful. Even though I did not have all the understanding of what He was saying, there was always evidence of a change in my life.
 
Each time the Holy Spirit has spoken to me, I have remembered every word and the experience of hearing His voice. Maybe, this will help you know when you have heard from God and when you have heard from an angel. Here is a good way to know when you’re hearing an angel; especially, when you are ministering in the prophetic word. If you are fortunate enough to have an angel appointed to minister for you according to Hebrews 1:14 you will discover very quickly the angel will flood you with all kinds of prophetic experiences. Words begin bursting out of you, you see things, feel things and know things by faith.  For we prophecy by the measure of our faith (see; Romans 12:6).
 
There is still tons of new revelation being downloaded into God’s ministers and as of the past year the measure of His revelatory words come almost daily. Get into a place where you can stand under His spout where His glory is coming out. You will find yourself receiving things coming to you from His throne that you’ll not be able to tell your closes of friends. When that happens keep your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Now, that is a lesson for another time; for now, just find that spout where the glory comes out, it is well worth it.
 

  (message by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet)

 

His Rhema Word

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“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

 
There is a new light, a new revelation to this verse when you look at with this new understanding; which I consider the “double portion” of faith to FAITH. When you mix faith received by the written word with faith received in the spoken word, you’ve got something.
 

“For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).

 
The word sounds easy. Does it mean that if you go to church and begin to believe the written word then you can have whatever you want? No, you cannot claim whatever you want! There are some conditions in this verse of scripture which we need to understand.
 
“If you abide in me.” What does this mean? It means to live in Christ but you must also die to self. It means must do whatever Christ wants to do. You gave Him this life in exchange for eternal life. It is not your life anyway. You cannot live this life the way you want to because you gave it to Him! If you abide in Him that means God is going to do it the way he wants to. “My words abide in you.”
 
Many people, because of limitations, believe that the only way to hear God and to have a relationship with God is through the written word. Many of us today need answers on issues that are not found in chapter and verse. You need a “rhema” (spoken) word for circumstances and situations that are at hand. You are not going to be able to find the answer in a fortune cookie. You are going to have to find it from God.
 
To find it from God, you must find His (rhema) word. You abide in Him because you are dying of your will and now to seeking His only. For when His will speaks to you and by faith you receive the word then you have a requirement. You must do that word. If He calls you to do a certain thing, scripture says whatever you ask you will have in His name. In other words, God will give you everything you need to accomplish that job.
 
When Noah was called by God to build the Ark on dry ground and preach the message about a coming rain which would flood everything, Noah was mocked. But during the whole time, supernaturally, everything Noah needed to build the Ark was available. Not only that when it was time to load the boat, the animals started coming. If God wants you to do something, He is going to provide everything you need to fulfill His will and it should not be an uphill battle. There will be times when you hit a bump in the road that jars everything loose but it is not over. God is not finished. He will deliver you from all different kinds of situations.
 
Who Do You Believe?
The fall of mankind was not in what he ate but in whose words he believed. In the beginning, Adam was given the choice to believe the words of his Creator or the lie of his accuser, Satan. This process of choosing whose words we will believe does have a direct effect on our destiny, for every one of us is offered daily choices to incorporate as a part of our systematic beliefs. To believe something is right or wrong is more than just to think it is. Believing is a process of coming into agreement with a deed or statement that we embrace as a part of our will. You can think something is evil and still consciously entertain that same evil. On the other hand, if you believe that an evil thing is wrong, you will program yourself not to practice it. There is a difference between what you think and what you believe.
 
The word belief and faith are the same word in the Greek language, “pistis”, which is defined in the Strong’s concordance and Greek and Hebrew dictionary as being- persuasion, conviction, etc. In Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, we find the definition of faith to be- firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing. Belief is simply the mind’s recorded decision to accept that which has come by faith. Faith comes by hearing from the spirit realm. The verse of scripture that we use to define faith is found in the book of Hebrews.
 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

 
As born-again Christians, we stand firm in the belief that when we die we will go to be with Jesus and live with Him forever. A large majority of born-again Christians have never seen heaven, yet their belief is heaven exist. This belief was made by accepting the implanted word of God by faith. (Ref. James 1:21) How does this convicting word come to the unbeliever? From the scriptures, we find that we are saved by grace through faith which is the gift of God. (Ref. Ephesians 2:8,9) Now we know the definition of faith, but how do we receive it? The answer once again is found in the Bible.
 

“So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God” (Romans 10:17).

 

The word, “WORD”, used in this verse is the rhema word, not logos, which is the spoken word of God, by the Spirit. To accept and agree with the word of God is to do the word of God, if you really believe Him. To hear the word only and not do His word is where the line is drawn between the believer and the unbeliever. The word of God is very persuasive, yet there are those who still do not incorporate His word into their beliefs. Many hear His word and believe, thereby receiving the promise of eternal life with Him in His kingdom. If you reject the word of God, you will still receive eternal life.
 

My point is that we are allowing our minds to be programmed by coming into agreement with either God or Satan. The choices over a life time are innumerable. They vary from where we will live for eternity to what words we will use in any given conversation. We are like human antennas walking around receiving spiritual signals coming either from heaven or hell. These signals are sorted and stored in the second part of our created being, the soul.

 

The spirit of God birthed within us is all- knowing, but the soul is where the decisions of what we believe are cataloged. The renewing of the (soul) mind requires changing to what has already has been programmed in our spirit. The effects of what has been retained in our soul will measure the level of prosperity in our health, wealth and soundness of our minds.

 

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”
(3 John 1:2).

 

We all have heard reports of people hearing voices telling them to do evil things. Fighting to reject these evil voices defines spiritual warfare.

 

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

 

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

 
Coming into agreement with these evil voices will lead to ultimate destruction. In reference to adultery, Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Ref. Matthew 5:28)
 
If we entertain a thought long enough, we will eventually execute what we have been ruminating. Whether it is good or evil thoughts, the process works all the same. Anger comes and you plot within your heart (a place where the soul and spirit, good or evil, agrees as one) how to avenge your anger. Satan will help you in fulfilling your heart’s desire. The result will lead you into more trouble. Entertaining the words of those who are planning to do evil will only give opportunity for evil to manifest in your life. We should not be found in the presence of evil because it can easily find a way into our hearts. Some feel it is okay to dwell upon evil thoughts as long as you do not act them out, but Jesus says differently. If you meditate on evil things, even for a short period of time, you can open the door for an evil spirit to take control of your actions.
 
Tryon Edwards, sums it up all in one sentence, “Tell me what a man believes, and I will tell you what he will do.”
 

  (message by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet)