The Guarantee of Consecration

14And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them, they need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. - Matthew 14:14-27

Christ’s ability to touch the core of human suffering with the power of God drew the crowds to His side wherever He went. His compassion was like a fountain that flowed into parched lives, cracked with infirmities and immoralities. There was no doubt about His ability to demonstrate the power of God to heal every manner of disease that He was confronted with. However, his ability to supply the needs of a famished multitude was called into question when he was confronted with at least five thousand hungry men, women and children. He taught the multitudes, healed their diseases and now they were hungry and needed to be fed. They had enjoyed the delicacies of God’s word, awed by

His miracles but that did not alleviate their physically hunger. They were still human and needed to be nourished naturally. They needed physical food for their physical need. To feed this great multitude was a daunting task.

Moreover, they were in the desert place, a parched place with no amenities that could aid in the supply of their need. There were no stores, markets, or any resources in that location where they could buy anything for the multitude. And if there were any markets, they did not have the financial budget to purchase victuals for the size of this great multitude. Furthermore, the time was far spent. It was past the time for any reasonable solution to this problem. It was evening now and there was no way they could possibly gather enough resources to meet this need. These overwhelmed the disciples because they could not see any possible means to maintain the hungry multitude around Jesus. Something had to be done and they assumed that the way out was to send them away.

They had seen the Lord heal all their disease but they could not see how the Lord could feed them. It seemed unrealistic and humanly impossible to feed five thousand men in the desert, not counting the women and children. Therefore, they decided that they will disperse the crowd to go and fend for themselves. They believed in Christ’s power to heal all their diseases but to feed at least five thousand starved bellies was unrealistic. They believed that physical needs demand physical solutions. They presented their carefully thought out recommendation to Christ and assumed that He will definitely agree with them. They told the Lord to send away the multitudes because they were in the desert and it was past time for any meaningful solution so they could get themselves some victuals.

The disciples had hoped to keep the multitude by Jesus but they did not see any possible means for this to be realized and at the same time feed the hungry multitude. The only reasonable option left was to disperse the crowd. They were overwhelmed with this great responsibility and felt that the safest option was to suggest a break way from Jesus. The pressure generated by the needs of the multitude caused the disciples to allow a break away from Jesus so they can survive this need. Dispersing the multitude will deny them their fellowship with the Lord and they will miss out on the power of God and all that Christ stands for.

However, the disciples were willing to sacrifice all that for the multitude to go and fend for themselves. They were assured their survival was dependent on that. Sending them away from Christ implied a break from consecration to Jesus. They could not possibly see how you can be with Jesus and at the same time get your physically needs met. Their thinking was that you can come for your healing but when it comes to your physical needs you need to break away from your consecration to survive. The disciples were willing to sacrifice the consecration of the multitudes at the expense of their physical nourishment. They could not see how to maintain their consecration to Jesus and still feed them. To them the best thing at that moment was to send the people away so that they could survive.

The Challenge of Consecration

This daunting dilemma of the disciples also challenges many believers of this era. We love Jesus and we want to be in consecration to Him yet the pressure of our needs forces us to depart from the faith so we can survive the onslaught of our bills. How many believers have compromised their faith for their temporary physical comfort? Our commitment to the faith is daily broken because of our need for survival. We are daily confronted to the blind fact that we need physical nourishment and material supply to sustain our spiritual commitments. Without it there will be a definite breaking away from Christ. And because we don’t see any other way to reconcile our spiritual passion with our physical needs, many believers’ faith is undermined. Those who maintain their faith do it in frustration, disgrace and financial liabilities because they don’t know what to do. We must realize that genuine consecration can only be maintained when our spiritual and physical needs are met.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. -Matthew 4:4

However, our piety causes us to focus more on our spiritual supply at the expense of our physical nourishment. The Church does excel in spiritual edification yet we lack the practical stewardship principles that will equip believers for financial stability. We believe in the supernatural, we invite people to come to Church for spiritual impartation however when it comes to physical support we send them away to fend for themselves without teaching them the principles to unearth the divine resources to supply their physical needs. The Church is so experienced in serving the hot bread of life served by the fiery messages from our pulpits but has not equipped believers with the tools to nourish their physical needs. Most believers are sumptuous fed with the delicacies of God’s word and yet are malnourished in their physical sustenance. The leadership of the churches have not effectively taught the right recipes to bake the “bread” that will alleviate or remedy the financial ailments that has plagued many believers with many social vices. Many pastors tolerate this compromises because we assume that there is no other option. We turn a blind eye on the obvious lapse of consecration and divine integrity to maintain the crowd.

The pressure of our needs is tightening a noose around our necks of our spiritual lives as we gasp for survival. In our desperation, we breathe in any air or relief to survive and we care less if it is contaminated with any social vices. Many have sold out their calling for their physical survival. How many are choked by the yoke of their needs, and burdened by the weight of their expenses. Our consecration is not entire because we are distracted by the glare of our financial liabilities. If our financial dilemma is not resolved, there will be ultimately a breaking away from Christ. When this happens, your joy evaporates; your commitment dwindles and you easily become susceptible to the virus of discouragement. The pressure for survival has caused many believers to compromise their faith. To survive, many chase for material resources at the expense of their conservation and it has caused many to deviate from the faith.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1Ti 6:10 (KJV)

The deficiencies in consecration has caused many believers to be liars to get ahead, cheats to stay in the game of life or connivers because of their needs. How many believers have neglected their Christian ethics for their physical comfort? How many sacrifice their spiritual disciplines (prayer, bible reading and meditation) just to hurriedly run to their jobs. Most ministers of the gospel have become hirelings, compromising their integrity for financial gain. They preach for the money and they respond favorably to the highest bidder. They tend to lean towards ministries who can afford to give them fat honorariums than those who are in dire need of their ministry. How many believers have entered into sin by the bribery of the enemy? He will buy your allegiance just for you to sacrifice your commitment to Christ. We need help. How can we really serve God right whiles we are pulled to the world by the pressure our needs? Many believers do embrace the compromise of their Christian ethics so they consecrate for a moment and go to the world for the physical needs. They come to Jesus for their spiritual needs but apply the corrupt principles of the world for their secular sustenance. They falsify documents, lie, cheat or compromise their morals just to make ends meet. Until we accept the blunt fact that we need our secular needs to be met to sustain our spiritual consecration, we will not seek for the divine principles to make this happen.

We need our Material Supply

Here on earth, you will need physical sustenance to maintain your spiritual life. Your spiritual revelation cannot be fruitful without the supply of your needs.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. -Ecc 7:11 (KJV)

Deep spiritual revelations, transcendental wisdom without material inheritance do not profit your earthly life. It is frustration to have divine insights and lack the material provision to implement it. Wisdom is not effective without the material supply to substantiate it. If the enemy can sabotage your material supply, he will render your wisdom useless. Therefore, the wisdom of the gospel needs financial support for it to be propagated. A minister of the gospel can be endowed with powerful grace, anointed, and filled with wisdom yet if he lacks the finances for transportation, he will be hindered from reaching his audience and at the end his wisdom will not profit. A believer needs financial supply to implement the wisdom of God’s word. It is therefore the will of God to empower His people for financial wealth so they can implement the wisdom of His covenant.

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. -Dt 8:18 (KJV)

God wants His people to be wealthy so He can establish the covenant.the spiritual covenant needs material wealth for it to be a reality. It is therefore the obligation of God to supply our needs to empower us to fulfill His covenant expectation. We must all then agree that we need physical sustenance for our Christianity to be effective. However, how to get the wealth also brings up many intriguing challenges. What must we do to access the supply of heaven? Is it possible to be faithful to God and expect my needs met? Is there any possible solution to cancel my overwhelming debt without compromising my faith? Can God really supply my needs irrespective of my location, ethnicity, or size of my needs? These are some of the questions that flood the terrain of Christian minds eroding their peace and setting many in the peril of disillusion.

The Price of Consecration

The disciples were confronted with some of these questions when they were challenged with an overwhelming need and they were forced to submit the only logical solution to Jesus. When the disciples brought their recommendation to send the multitudes away from the Lord to fend for themselves, they were surprised that Jesus disagreed with them. He said that the people need not depart yet He expected them to be fed.

And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. -Mat 14:15-16

As far as Christ was concerned, sending them away was not the only way they could survive. He agreed that they needed to be fed yet He disagreed with their method of sending them away. They need not break away from Christ to survive. It was not necessary to terminate their consecration for their physical supply. Departing from the Lord is not the only option for you to survive the barrage of your needs. You must not falsify documents, lie, and cheat to survive as a Christian business man.

The disciples thought it was impossible to maintain the multitude by the side of Jesus and still feed them. To them there were no reasonable means for this to be realized. Jesus however knew this could be done. Though the disciples had exhausted all human possible options to keep the multitude, Jesus had something up His sleeve that was not restricted to human principles. It was humanly impossible to feed five thousand in the desert in such scrupulous time yet Jesus purported to have a way to the impossible.

Many believers live in the plain of the natural therefore they respond to their needs with natural methods. Many are barraged with so many needs and they assume that the only way of survival is to break away from the Lord. How many believers cannot participate in their Church activities because of their jobs? Many assume that is the only way they can survive. Family units are being disrupted because we need to work more hours to pay the bills. We increase our hours at work, take on overtime hours, and sometimes work two or more jobs to catch up on our financial expenditure.

We assume that is the only way to make ends meet. Therefore we are pressured to break away from the Lord to maintain our livelihood. Many believers are too tired to read their bibles, some are so overwhelmed with their needs that they cannot even pray right. If we had approached the Lord we will find out that there is a way to maintain our consecration and still receive our material supply. This is what the Lord indicated to the disciples when He refused to disperse the multitude for their nourishment. With Christ, there was other means for them to be fed. If they stayed with Him, He will disclose a way to maintain their consecration and still be fed. Consecration launches us to the altitude of wisdom that unlocks the providence of God.

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise. -Isaiah 43:18-21(KJV)

Consecrations Offers a Divine Option

The Lord refused to send the multitude away yet He still wanted them to be fed. Inspite of their desert location and the time far spent, Jesus told them that they must be fed. He did not want them staying with Him hungry. Jesus’s desire for them was to be well fed and not for food to be rationed out to them. Christlikeness is not meager living, impoverished lifestyle, mediocrity or tolerance of despair. It is Christ’s will that we live in abundance irrespective of our circumstances.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly -Jn 10:10b (KJV)

If Christ wants them to stay then He is obligated to feed them. How they will be fed is His prerogative. As long as they stay with Him, He will take care of their needs. The burden of your consecration is the responsibility of God. Your submission to His will makes God responsible for your livelihood.

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. -Ps 34:9 - 10 (KJV)

Your consecration guarantees your divine provision. The Lord will utilize His sovereignty to override any natural impediment to supply the needs of His people. He is the God that supplies manna in the desert, fed the Prophet Elijah with bread and meat supplied by a raven at the brook cherith. There is no stopping to what God will do for His consecrated ones. The devil knows this so he will do everything possible to cause you to compromise your consecration so he can stop your divine supply. Our God is obligated to take care of those who have made up their mind to stay with Him in spite of their perilous conditions.

Jesus had something up His sleeve when he asked the multitude to stay. He had a divine strategy to do the humanly impossible task of feeding five thousand men in the desert. With every humanly impossible financial problem, there is a divine solution. Therefore we are not to throw in the towel in despair as we are confronted with overwhelming needs. As we keep up with our consecration, He is obligated to take care of our needs.

God has Guaranteed your Provision

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -Mt 6:31 - 33 (KJV)

God is not ignorant of our needs. However the process by which He supplies our needs is unlike the Gentiles. You cannot behave like a gentile (People with no covenant relationship with God) and access the supply of God. Our needs do not overwhelm God. What has stopped the flow of divine supply is our lack of commitment to the kingdom and it’s righteousness. It is not necessary to break away from the Lord to survive. We must not apply worldly principles to fulfill divine endeavors. We cannot chase material supply at the expense of our divine commitment. There is a way to stay with the Lord in righteousness and still be financially fulfilled. It is therefore not necessary to sell out your faith for your temporal comfort. Don’t withdraw from Him because of the pressure to go into the world to survive. There is a way by the Lord for you to be financially fulfilled. There is a divine strategy to your needs in the midst of your consecration.

These divine principles are articulately revealed in this book so you can be launched into the arena of divine resources. If you want to be liberated from the yoke of financial bondage and experience the abundance of God, read on. Let us take the journey together to our wealthy place.