Copyright © 2006 by J.A.Mcbean. Library of Congress Washington.D.C.20559

O ur lord only made one financial provision for those who preach the gospel, and that is for them to be supported by the gospel. One Minister in Jacksonville Florida told me that he was having financial problem. He went to the lord, and the lord told him that the money is in the fish mouth. The same thing the lord told the apostle Peter. The problem is this, we are scared of the fish that has the money.

PASTORS ARE HURTING FINANCIALLY BECAUSE OF THEIR PASTORAL PHILOSOPHY.

Every pastor has a philosophy, and that philosophy is the main source for our success or failures. Every fisher man knows that to catch fish he cannot give the fish the ideas that he is planning to capture them. Every womanizer knows that they cannot give the women the ideas that all they want to do is to get into the woman’s pants. Pastors must get their people to think on a higher level of maturity.

The people are still operating in the spirit of grudge.

so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

A pastor first work is to turn the people on to the spirit of Christ. Get the people out of prejudice, favoritism, one tract mindedness, acting in malice, living in grudges and hate. God never uses these kind of people. You want people who God can make their spirit willing, willing to give.

Exodus 35:21 (KJV) And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

People will not give money willingly until they saw what the ministry is doing in their lives. Therefore, you will have to nourish the people, provide programed that will help people. Invite in new speakers, with new ideas. When I was serving as a pastor, I had food feeding programed, job training programed, programed to help members who were out of work. After taking up the morning tithes and offering, later on in the day we took up another offering for those who had no food to go home to eat, and give them the money right there. We pick up offering even for young women who leave their boy friend to get save. As soon as they got a job, we stop giving to them.

Never, Never make your members catch you trying to take from them and is not giving back to them in some way other than just preaching. Sometime women will donate money than change their mind later, when the unsaved husbands begin to make a fuss about it. They might say they did loaned it to the church, and would like to get it back. Just pretend that it was a loan and not a gift, and understand what is happening and give it back without bearing a grudge. Thanking her for letting the church use it at a time when it was well needed. Sometime when you received a check and if it look too big you should call the member and find out if they make a mistake. Do not be afraid to tell the person that if they have trouble they can get back part of this money, without feeling like they let down the church.

Members who had a habit of giving big money, wrote down some of that money as a loan without interest. So later on if Satan begin to punish that person financially, by pushing them in hard times they can get something back. By writing it down a new pastor can easily find the information and honors it. When you develop this attitude, your people will give you any thing. Above all bless another pastor when the lord bless you.

REASONS WHY WE PASTORS HAS MONETARY PROBLEM.

The people that has money and influence we do not win them to Christ. (2) We talk too much about money in the church and that give the people the idea that church is all about money.

The New Testament teaches that the people must give as the lord prospereth them. But we want to go back to the Old Testament one tenth, laws of MALACHI. We think we will get more. However, we failed to see that people refuses to give by the one tenth law, because if they give one tenth, the church crowd will know how much money they make.

1 Cor. 16:2 (KJV) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

2 Cor. 9:7 (KJV) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 3 John 1:2 (KJV) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

1 Thes. 4:11 (KJV) And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Even if you are earning $30 Us Per hour to date, by the time the government take out their state tax, federal tax, social security, union dues, medical, and dental what is left do not worth a spit.

Then you have car payment, insurance, food, child support, mortgage, phone bills, light and gas. Then you have prostitute bills, you will be in trouble.

THE MONEY IS IN THE FISH MOUTH.

St Matthew 17:24-AV And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute [money] came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? Matthew 17:25-AV He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Matthew 17:26-AV Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Matthew 17:27-AV Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

The lord Jesus told peter to go down to the sea and cast in a hook and catch the fish with the money in his mouth. Personal pronouns was use in regarding to the fish "When thou has opened his mouth"

GO AFTER THE BIG FISH ALSO.

The problem with us we only catch fish that has nothing in the mouth. We converts $10 prostitutes which is good because the prostitutes have a soul just like any body else. But what about the lawyer, the congressman, the boxer who are making twenty million in one fight. The problem with us we are intimidated by the big fish intelligence and progress. We scared to speak with men and women of knowledge. We think knowledgeable people are harder to win for Christ, In fact they are easier that the fools. We think that because they are rich they have no need of Jesus and that they are not interested in spiritual thing. Well we are wrong. A lot of men could have got married to pretty women, but they scared to approach the women. They are intimidated by the woman cuteness.

One employer did not like one of his Christians employee, the reason, he said that, that employee has never spoken to him about God. Another employer was about to kill himself one night in his office when his foot slip on a piece of paper. It was a gospel tract that one of his employee slip under his door. He read it then fell on his knees and ask God to save him. He was saved that night.

“Fish is symbolically speaking of people” We are scared to approach the big fish. The big fish are smart, and that intimidate us. Smart people do not want to hear about hell, adultery, fornication and tithes paying every time they came to Church. They do not mind hearing it but not every time, there are other arias of their life that need dealing with, except those three arias.

People want to know how to come out of debt, how to get good job, and how to make their life better. People want to know how to make their marriage work. They do want to have their sins pick at, are get curse out because they get lucky with a woman. They want to hear how to make their marriage work. They want to hear how to get out of the mess that they are in, they do not want to be blame for being in the mess, they want to know how to get out.

PROSTITUTES AND DRUG DEALERS.

These are the fish who when life are change, support the ministry. The people that has been forgiven much, are the people who give much. What I mean by having the money is. These are the people who remain faithful to God, in every thing. These cannot boast, because they know where they are coming from.

Matthew 4:18-AV And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. Matthew 4:19-AV And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:20-AV And they straightway left [their] nets, and followed him.

TO CONVERT PEOPLE WE HAVE TO MAKE OURSELVES OF NO REPUTATION.

Philip. 2:6 (KJV) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Philip. 2:7 (KJV) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Philip. 2:8 (KJV) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

To win prostitutes and drug dealers you have to talk to them. And do not mention their sins, are life style when you are talking to them. I can preach and convert every drug dealers and drugs abusers withed mentioning the word “Drugs” Because if you mention that word you OFFENDED THEM. Never mention the word “Prostitute” When trying to convert a prostitute” Once you win these people you have to have some means of helping them until they get jobs. Once these get jobs, the money began to come out

THE LORD’S PROVISION.

1 Cor. 9:14 (KJV)Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

1 Tim. 5:18 (KJV) For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Deut. 25:4 (KJV) Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

14. Even so—The only inference to be drawn from this passage is, not that the Christian ministry is of a sacrificial character as the Jewish priesthood, but simply, that as the latter was supported by the contributions of the people, so should the former. The stipends of the clergy were at first from voluntary offerings at the Lord's Supper. At the love-feast preceding it every believer, according to his ability, offered a gift; and when the expense of the table had been defrayed, the bishop laid aside a portion for himself, the presbyters, and deacons; and with the rest relieved widows, orphans, confessors, and the poor generally [Tertullian, Apology, 39]. The stipend was in proportion to the dignity and merits of the several bishops, presbyters, and deacons [Cyprian, c. 4, ep. 6].

preach . . . gospel—plainly marked as the duty of the Christian minister, in contrast to the ministering about sacrifices (Greek) and waiting at the altar of the Jewish priesthood and Levites (1 Cor. 9:13). If the Lord's Supper were a sacrifice (as the Mass is supposed to be), this fourteenth verse would certainly have been worded so, to answer to 1 Cor. 9:13. Note the same Lord Christ "ordains" the ordinances in the Old and in the New Testaments (Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7).

4. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn—In Judea, as in modern Syria and Egypt, the larger grains were beaten out by the feet of oxen, which, yoked together, day after day trod round the wide open spaces which form the threshing-floors. The animals were allowed freely to pick up a mouthful, when they chose to do so: a wise as well as humane regulation, introduced by the law of Moses (compare 1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:17-18).

Deut. 25:4 (KJV) Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

1 Cor. 9:9 (KJV) For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

1 Tim. 5:17-18 (KJV) Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. [18] For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.

Matthew 10:10 (KJV) Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

Luke 10:7 (KJV) And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

OTHER STOLE OUR FISH OR THE FISH GOT AWAY.

The lord provided no financial support except, by the ministry for ministers. That is the way it was for the Levies, and that is the way it is for us today.

PASTORS PREVENT THE CONVERT FROM WINNING CONVERTS.

Pastors have a way to lack up the fish mouth. The fish symbolize people that has been evangelized and are converted to Christianity. Help the people to grow in grace, provide information to nourish and cherish their lives. People only begin to give when they saw that the lord is gracious to them.

HELPING THE CONVERTS TO SETTLE IN THE NEW CHURCH COMMUNITY.

To open the converts mouth, mean to keep them active. One minister friend of mine, take his converts out for breakfast, or lunch one group each Saturday. Having personal fellowship with them. I never has a member backslide in all my years of ministry. The new converts are coming from their sinful friends and are coming to the church, we have to provide some kind of fellowship for them, getting them to make new friends. Having other members talking to them, calling them, visiting them, and making them feel welcome. We see that Barnabas take the apostle Paul and introduce him to the church.

Acts 9:26 (Living Bible) Upon arrival in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was faking! Acts 9:27 (Living) Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Paul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus, what the Lord had said to him, and all about his powerful preaching in the name of Jesus.

PASTORS BEAT UPON THE FEW FAITHFUL FOR MONEY UNTIL THE FEW DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE.

“OK make me pay it” We cannot give people the impression that all this is about is money, or we are trying to get them save, just to get money from them. We will never catch one fish like that. And I hope my reader know that I am not talking about fish as fish that live in water. I am talking about people.

Preachers need money to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Many time the people that has the calling to the ministry, do not have the monetary backing. We see pastors having money problems, money problem is proof that the fish with the money is allow to get away. People been saved and because of bad doctrines, bad teachings, heavy doctrinal load, and over righteous and sinful church members the people keep backsliding. The fish with the money is allowed to get away.

FEED THEM.

John 21:17-AV He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Sometime a minister have to jump out of bead leave the wife, and go to the church in the night and cry to God for the people. Lay your hand on the bench where each member sit, and pray. And command Satan not to remove them. You have to have programed to help the people. Members who has food , must bring some to the Church that those who have nothing can go home with a little package.

TEACH THEM.

Use lest time teaching about fornication, which is not going to stop. And spend more time preaching about, covetousness, envy, grudge and Jesus. People with covetous, envy and grudges do not support the Church.

Isaiah 52:7-AV How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Romans 10:15-AV And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!