There are many meanings to getting our needs met by sowing and investing in something or some one. Here are three definitions that we need to explore about investing.

1. To contribute effort into something such as time or energy in an activity or project and in turn; there is an expectation of a benefit being received.

2. When something is invested with a particular quality, a person is given favor with certain characteristics such as powers of authority and leadership. Example: the Prince was officially positioned and became invested in a ceremony held at the castle.

3. To be adorned or clothed with a garment of righteousness and be involved in a prolonged effort to gain or overcome something by being enthroned in a position of authority and place. This idea of investing into God's kingdom as many believe is to be giving to ministries or church organizations to pay the salaries of people who are employed in some manner or position or to pay for air time of presenting the gospel to a sick and dying world. It is a crying shame how the church is mocked and ridiculed in comedy sketches in our secular culture, by them showing people being manipulated to give money some where so that they can get God to take care of them and bless them. I have heard in many circles "we need to have a way to pay the bills."

However, in Psalms 127: it tells us, "Except the Lord builds His house, people will labor in vain trying to build it in their own understanding and except the Lord guards and protects the city, the watchmen also stays awake in vain of him having any effect as far as accomplishing the concerns of God's purposes."

I am sure that anyone that says they love the Lord would not want to be falling under any of this laboring in vain business. It is a no brainer that; what ever we try to do; there is no such thing as perfection and that there are intentional and unintentional abuses taking place every where you look. Just read and watch the news on TV and you can see the chaotic state this country is in right now with all the scandals going on. This idea of giving the first ten percent of our income and sacrificial giving beyond that as seed into God's kingdom to get a crop back so we can prosper is one of the most misunderstood doctrines and bondages that have ever been perpetrated on the body of Christ.

When you look at Christian broadcasting, all but a small minority are competing with the secular media for ratings and an audience in selling their concept as to their personal understanding of sowing and reaping in God's kingdom. The world has no respect and awesome reverence for the body of Christ as being the children of God because, the body of Christ is not maturing in righteousness and is failing to be a light and anointed force with power to a sick and dying world. Jesus said, "The gospel of the kingdom will be preached through out the whole world and when this is done, He would return to this earth.

This gospel is so much more than only "Jesus saves." Yes, people are getting saved and accepting Jesus as Savior in their lives. However, what did we get saved for; to just make sure we don't go to hell? What is even more troubling, in a large majority of the born again assemblies, mingled seed teachings are being sown into the hearts of the believers that stress, we are saved by grace, but we need to maintain our salvation by works of giving and measuring up to keep our salvation. This is a perfect example of a body of believers that do not know who they are in Christ and do not have a fellow feeling with the heart of the Lord that they are attempting to serve, and how to function in the inheritance they received from God the day they became born again believers.

In essence, they believe that; Jesus act of dying on the cross was not enough. This has a debasing effect on the body of Christ and instills a spirit of false humility and pride. If you look at the book of acts, in those days the people who were not part of the born again believing church kept tabs of Peter and Paul's habits and as they would go to the synagogue, the unsaved people would put the sick and infirmed on the curb of the streets and as the Apostles passed by; their mere shadow would heal these people. ! Now that's what I call a respect for the gospel! It is only the truth that is inspired by the Holy Spirit and built on the solid foundation that Jesus describes in Matthew 16:16-18 that will empower the body of Christ to fulfill their destiny.

Jesus asked His disciples. "Who do people say that I am?" Their response was, "You are John the Baptist who was resurrected and others said, you are Jeremias or Elias who were two Prophets of the Old Testament." He then asked Peter who he thought He was and his answer gives us the key to how God builds His house. He states, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then answered. "You are indeed a blessed man Simon Barjona because; you did not come up with that answer with your own human reasoning. But it was divinely inspired to you by My Father which is in heaven. And now I say to you that, your new name will be Peter and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not be able to dominant over it."

In the Greek the definition of Peter's original name was Simon Barjona. This name represents the characteristic of a man who had the capability of having spiritual revelation from God. When Peter exercised that capability by responding to Jesus questions with his spoken words, his stability and security was taking a step forward to becoming rock solid in the spirit of the inner man as stated by Paul in Ephesians 1:17-23, which is where the Kingdom of God resides and is being built upon.

Paul states. "The the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory, may give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance he gave to us as his saints. And we can now know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according to the power that is at work with in us. Which God formed in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heavenly places.

This is far above all the principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. And God has put all things under his feet and made him the head over all things to his church (Body Assembly) which is to function on the earth in Christ's fullness in all that they do."

That was why Jesus could say to him "upon this rock foundation, He would build His church."

All of us who are born again and God's children have this same ability as Peter. Our spirit was created to increase and mature and as we confess what the Holy Spirit speaks to us in our every day travels; we become deep rooted in Christ Jesus the same as Peter.

God's church is not built on any denomination or personal views according to mans endeavors; that represents religion. Being religious is to become a believer in joining a religious organization and start to lead a life that follows its teachings. These are by rules in our own efforts of being good however, it has nothing to do with trusting in Jesus finished sacrifice at the cross. The church was never meant to be built on Peter the (man) as having some personal revelation in His own ideas as being an infallible human being. It is to be built on the revelation that Peter received from God the Father and that being; Jesus was the Son of God and all He represents going beyond our initial experience of salvation.

I am not trying to be unkind but, a whole denomination was built and is still functioning on the assumption that Peter was the first Pope to the Catholic Church which may be true however; the Pope is not infallible on spiritual doctrines and believing that; people can only know the truth and go to heaven if; they are Catholics.

This is indeed a travesty because; this type of deception is increasing in other denominations today and is a trick of the enemy to blind the eyes of the believer to follow towers of Babel doctrines and man's endeavors to be God-like to receive His promises. This has been a life long problem and deception of the enemy to rewrite and reinvent God's word and it is the devils way to bring false doctrine into the body of Christ and invest their lives on menial pursuits.

Paul in 1Cor. 1:1-2 states, "When I came to talk to you, I didn't come with elegant speech and my own ideas of Christianity but, I came determined not to teach anything else but the doctrine of Jesus Christ and the meaning of why He died on the cross for us." Just because we have people talking about Jesus, using scripture and defining bible truth, let's not become naive and assume that the truth can not be distorted and we may be being led to believe false doctrine.

In1Cor.3:10-11 the Apostle Paul states, " According to the grace ( or special endowment for my task which ( God gave to me, ) I have like a master builder laid only God's foundation as he instructed me and if any one wants to continue to build, it must be on this foundation, so be careful how you are building. Therefore, no other foundation can be laid by anyone other than, the foundation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah." This word Messiah means, Jesus has the title of being a King and High Priest with a Godly empowerment or anointing to handle every possible disruption by the enemy to hinder the will of God from being completed in our lives. We have Jesus the anointed one living in our being.

We need to have a true vision with in our minds and totally understand that, all of what Jesus the God man represents was placed with in us the day we became a new creature in Jesus Christ. This is when He became our Savior and gave us the power to overcome our shame based nature where we were too weak willed to not break God's laws. Jesus Christ is the only foundation that the gospel must be built on. It is the true meaning of where our Righteousness flows from, which is in the characteristics and personality of Christ Himself, who became Jesus the God man as one.

As we realize how, Christ the anointed God who came to live in Jesus the human man accomplished His purpose to do His heavenly Fathers will, so we who are God the Fathers sons and daughters as Jesus was His first begotten Son will come to know how to operate and live as Jesus did in the anointed Spirit of God. As this becomes clearer to us, we will be able to discern where to invest our affections, time, energies and finances which can only take place as we obey the leadings of Holy Spirit. We also need to realize that, unless we have allowed God to invest His righteous seed in us at salvation and allowing the Holy Spirit to water and germinate it in us by His spoken word, we have no origin of power to do anything and act as God‘s ambassadors on the earth.

An Ambassador represents the power and authority of a King and where ever he goes, the kingdom of the king is implanted by His ambassador's authority through their (spoken words or finances) by the divine revelation of the Holy Ghost.

When a born again believer does not realize their ambassadorship relationship and authority from their King; they live as pan handlers you see on the streets of today as God's children living like paupers in all areas. This idea of investing into God's kingdom is the main foundational doctrine that must be understood and taught with clarity to the body of Christ if, we who are His body are going to receive what the Apostle John stated in 111John 2 when he said, "I pray that you will prosper and be in good health as your soul prospers." Our soul represents our mind, will and emotions.

The only kind of seed that can grow in God‘s Kingdom is righteous seed. When we talk about righteous, we mean only God inspired words of obedience whose origin must come from the Holy Spirit‘s counsel. Not man acting like a philanthropist in his own ideas of self righteous endeavors. The church is only built on a living Jesus, who is the rock not on man's endeavors of starting or joining a denomination or man made rules of giving.

The first act of obedience after salvation is stated in Matthew where Jesus said "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then everything can be added to your life." He also states. "The born again believer can enjoy my favor and their salvation only if, they have a hunger and thirst for understanding their righteous position in my sight for this will make them completely satisfied." God's Righteousness has nothing to do with man's endeavors to try to live a Godly life through his own efforts in mustering up some determined will power of his own. The majority of believers think that Righteousness means, having right and wrong thinking patterns. All life in the Spirit world comes only by a habitual and reverent relationship with the Holy Spirit in thought and actions as we expose our senses to His leadings. Only He can make us understand our righteous position as God the Father sees us. This is what delivers us from condemning thoughts and the lack in our lives.

The definition of righteousness from the Greek means, God's sees and considers us as blameless, free from evil and set apart from the world view concepts and we are to be empowered by His Righteous Spirit of operating in a good news gospel not a man made gospel of fear and obligation. God calls those things that are not physically seen with the naked eye as already seen by Him. This is God's mode of operation. Man looks at an apple seed and just sees a seed however; God sees an orchard of apple trees.

The world and the church looks and judges themselves based on their behavior. If we are in Christ, God sees our hearts and the seed of righteousness in us, who is Christ Himself, complete and with out sin. Because of His faithfulness, we are empowered by His Righteous Spirit to preach this good news gospel. Therefore, we are Saints in God's sight not sinners, and we need to mature and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how highly prized we are to be God's children.

! A gospel of fear and obligation rooted in ignorance and shame and sin consciences is being preached in pulpits around the globe. It masquerades as Godliness and piety and popularly passes for wisdom however, it does nothing but prop up the carnal man and defrauds the body of Christ of its rightful inheritance from Him. !

Paul the Apostle in 11 Corinthians 9:6-12 gives a clear dialogue of how we need to understand how our sowing or investing into the kingdom needs to take place so we can reap a huge crop. He states, "Remember this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously so that someone can be blessed, will also reap generously and with blessings. Let each person after he investigates and reasons in his own mind and becomes determined in his own heart, where and when to invest.

However, do not sow reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves and takes pleasure and will never abandon a cheerful giver whose heart is in the giving. As we have this willing attitude operating in our lives, God will be able to supply all of His grace which is His (unmerited favor) which will come to you in abundance, so that you will always and under all circumstances be self-sufficient and need no other aid or support for every good work or charitable actions.

As stated in Psalms 112:9, a person who wants to be charitable, does not have the attitude behind his giving of being motivated by trying to make a profit. A charitable heart giver will scatter his seed over a wide area in his giving to the poor (those who are weak, lacking in strength, stamina, and who have a financial need.) These types of deeds of justice, goodness and kindness will be increased with in that person and it will become an unending persistent feature with in their life.

We need to understand that, it is God Himself who supplies not only the seeds to sow into his kingdom but also the bread meaning the (physical manifestation of the consequences of sowing the seed He has provided. As this process is taking place, God's resources of seed and bread will continually increase and multiple through His righteousness not through our own philanthropy, but it will be God's goodness, kindness and charity that will be flowing and flourishing in us.

Therefore, by us doing it God's way, everyone will be enriched and God will get the glory and praise through our obedience to His will by His leadings. For as we who are the body of Christ minister to each other and have all things in common together, those who are watching outside the body of Christ will receive the overflow and God will begin to be thanked and awed by the unsaved world." This is in deed a mouth full however; we can see here that, we must have a blessed and reverent heart condition in our giving with a passion of looking for every opportunity to give. We are not only talking about money here, but about a fellow feeling for the needs of others which starts with our immediate families and then to others. Our whole Christian foundation must be built on us having the same heart feelings as God. Our priority in life must be His life at work in us.

Continued in part 2