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Your interest in partnership is evidence of the fact that not only has World Shakers Church affected your life, but you also have a desire to help someone else and believe this message can provide that help. Together, through partnership, you and I can reach thousands of people one person at a time with the Gospel.
We believe the message the Lord has entrusted unto us to deliver will change the way the body of Christ perceives God. However, it doesn't matter how important the message is or how well we deliver it, until the message is sent, no one will hear. Partnership makes the delivery possible.
The Apostle Paul understood his role as the messenger, but he also understood that partnership was not only about what he received but what the partners received as well. In Philippians 4:19 he wrote, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This was written by Paul to his partners. The Philippians were the only ones who supported him after leaving town. In fact, they wanted to give more but didn't have opportunity. Paul was saying that there is a special provision for those who recognize the power in partnership.
For us, it has never been about "you" supporting "my" ministry. If you're a partner, then consider this our ministry, and together we will accomplish God's will. In fact, we are an extension of you and your obedience to God. Like Paul, we are just the messengers that God has called for a specific purpose. If we fulfill that call, the fruit will be evident to everyone, and if we don't, then God will find another messenger and direct your support to that person.
We would consider it an honor to partner with you in this vision of teaching the truth of the Gospel to the body of Christ in our area and eventually around the world. Should you feel you need more info regarding partnership, please read this:
Proverbs 18:16 says, "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men," but it's not talking about skills, talents, abilities, or even anointing. We used to think it was, as a matter of fact; we used that verse in that exact way until we began to study it in greater detail. We'll be teaching what it really means and how that understanding can change your life.
We are using the example of King David who set a precedent that gave the people who guarded the spoils an equal share with those who actually did the fighting. We learned that Philippians 4:19, which says, "But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," was written to people who were partnering with Paul in the Gospel and gave to his ministry on a regular basis. Paul confirmed that in 1 Corinthians 16:2, where he wrote, "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside" (New King James Version).
The partners Paul was talking about were systematic, deliberate givers. We've also learned that the reason God prospers you is so that you can establish His kingdom here on the earth, and if you seek to build that kingdom, then He will provide a supernatural divine flow that will meet all your needs. We can promise you that when you pray and ask God for direction in your giving and then respond to that, He will take care of your financial needs better accidentally than you've ever been able to do on purpose. These are all powerful truths, but we want to show you an aspect of partnership that we believe very few Christians understand.
What does the scripture mean that says our gifts will make room for us and bring us before great men?
The Hebrew word that was translated "gift" in Proverbs 18:16, 19:6, and 21:14 literally means "present." Those scriptures leave no doubt that they're not talking about an anointing or having favor but about a present that one person gives to another. Proverbs 19:6 makes it clear that "every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts," and in 21:14 we read that "a gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath." The New International Version translates Proverbs 18:16 this way, "A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." We believe these scriptures describe a very important aspect of what happens when you enter into partnership with a ministry.
Let's look at an example of this in 1 Kings, chapter 10, which talks about Solomon, the wisest man on the face of the earth. Solomon asked God for a very unselfish thing, wisdom, so that he could be a good king. Not only did God give him what he asked for, but He also gave him what he didn't ask for and made him exceedingly rich. In fact, the Bible says that he was so rich that everything he had was made of gold, and they didn't even use silver; it was just thrown in the streets (1 Kin. 10:21). That's pretty rich.
The fame of Solomon spread throughout the land, and in 1 Kings, chapter 10:1-3, we read,
"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not."
The Queen of Sheba was so overwhelmed by Solomon's kingdom and wisdom that it actually took her breath away (1 Kin. 10:4-5).
In 1 Kings 10:24 we also read that all the kings of the earth sought Solomon for his wisdom and for his blessing. Think about that; Solomon was the most famous man in the world in his day. He was ruler of the most powerful and prosperous kingdom in the world in his day, and all the people of the earth sought Solomon for his attention so they could ask his wisdom, get his opinion, and receive his favor. So with all these people competing for his time, why did he move the Queen of Sheba to the front of the line and spend so much time answering all her questions? I believe it was her gift that made room for her, just like Proverbs 18:16 says, and it brought her before a great man.
We read that she was well prepared and came with many gifts. She gave the king 120 talents of gold (that's about 145,000 ounces and at today's price would be hundreds of millions of rands worth of gold). That doesn't include the great stores of spice, an abundance of which had never been seen before, and precious stones. It wasn't her skill, talent, or ability but her huge gift that made room for her and put her at the front of the line.
So what did the Queen of Sheba get out of this? Everything she wanted and more. 1 Kings 10:13 says,
"And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty."
There isn't space in this article to prove the math, but the gift that the queen gave to Solomon was only equal to one-tenth of one year of the king's annual income. When the scripture says the king gave her of his royal bounty, don't you think his gift was greater than hers? When the queen left for home, she left with greater riches, more wisdom, and the favor of the greatest king on earth. Her gift opened the door to great blessings.
Does what the Queen of Sheba did seem selfish to you? Are you thinking that all those riches should have been given to the poor who would've really needed the help instead of the richest man on earth? We don't believe it would be out of reason to think that some king or ruler or tribe came to her and begged for her help as she traveled. It probably took hundreds of camels to carry these gifts, so her journey wasn't any secret. You know, it could have been a real guilt trip as she passed by all the needy people, but the Queen understood a very important principle that applies to the support of a ministry today.
When you give to a church or any of that church’s ministries, it's not just what they need, it's what you need too!
King Solomon didn't need the queen's riches, but she needed his wisdom and blessing, and her gift opened the door to the very things she needed. She probably left with more riches than she brought, and just think of how much more of a blessing she may have been to the poor on her return trip. This is a great example of how things work in the kingdom of God.
When you give to a ministry, you not only bless the people that are being touched by that ministry, but you start a supernatural flow of your finances, and you partake of the anointing and the blessing that's on that minister's life. It's not bad to want the anointing that is on my life or that of another minister. The Bible says that we are to desire spiritual gifts. We really believe that the things that are operating in our lives have come in part, not totally because we have supported great men and women of God. We gave on purpose, saying, "God, we want to be a part of that. I'm going to sow part of my life into this person and into that ministry and, by doing so, open a door that allows the blessing that's on them to flow toward us." It doesn't just happen automatically; you have to have faith. But we believe that you can start seeing these things happen in your life just as we have seen in ours, if you will mix faith with your gifts.
The Queen of Sheba needed something her peers weren't able to give either, so she went to the one who could, King Solomon. It wasn't just a selfish desire; it was important so she could better fulfill her role as queen. It's important to understand the power that is available in partnership and then put that power to work for you. We pray that the eyes of your understanding are enlightened and that the Holy Spirit has borne witness with this teaching in your heart, and we release the blessing and anointing on our lives to you, our partners. We can't say all we would like to about partnership in this short article, but we do want to invite you to contact us for any further information.
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