Day 8: The Giving Frenzy

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

Revive FLORIDA

Did I ever mention that Revive FLORIDA never asks for money?  At all the services I attended, an offering was never taken.  No envelopes were ever distributed.  There were no pressuring words to give at the kiosks in the back.  No conversations were ever brought up as to how you can partner with REVIVE financially.  Nothing! They solely rely on God's divine provision.

Now that doesn't mean people don't give.  I'm sure God impresses upon people's hearts to give, and to give generously at that.  I know that because that's how the Kingdom of God works.

If God calls you to do it,

He'll supply the money for it!

That was never more evident than today -- Day 8 of Revive.  In the morning service of my church, I witnessed with my own eyes a miraculous, financial move of God!  Have you ever experienced such a thing?  It's mind blowing!  

On Sunday, everyone goes to their home church for their weekly Sunday service. There's no scheduled Revive activity, other than we meet in the evening for a time of worship and the Word.

My home church is The Harvest.  That's where you'll always find me -- 4th row from the front, right side, on the center aisle.  I can see everything from that vantage point!

During the morning offering, Pastor Dan shared -- as he always does -- about all the things the church is involved in and how we can partner financially in making that happen.  Hosting Revive for the morning and evening services and meals has an expense attached to it -- about $4500.00/week.

My church gets that.  We like to be abreast of the church's needs because we want to support the great things God is doing.  Sure, any one of us on our own may not be able to do much, but when we all throw what we can in a big bucket, it adds up -- not to mention, God has a way of multiplying our giving!

As Pastor Dan was talking,  Pastor Jim -- the founding pastor -- stood to join him.  

"I think the number we need is greater than that."  he said.

"I feel like God is saying $10,000.00.

$10,000.00?  Wow! That's a lot of money for our church to come up with.  We are not, by any means, what you would call a BIG church or a WEALTHY church.  We probably average 350-400 people on Sunday mornings, and most of them are blue collar workers -- Not to mention that this offering was separate from our weekly tithes and offerings which was already received.

But that's NOTHING for God!  

Nothing is too difficult for Him! 
(Jeremiah 32:27) 

This is the classic story of the boy with the 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread found in John 6:1-14.  The boy offered it.  Jesus blessed it.  Thousands were fed -- AND there were leftovers!

Almost immediately, people began stepping forward, stuffing cash and checks into Pastor Jim's hands.  Soon, more and more came to contribute.  Everybody gave something.  I saw a homeless man step forward offering the $100 he had hidden in his wallet.  A young man in his twenties stepped out in faith and insisted the pastor take his work check that represented his last two weeks wages.  More and more moved out of their seats to participate.  

It was humbling to watch because people didn't give out of their wealth, they gave out of their need.  That means that they themselves could have used a few bucks, but instead they decided to sacrifice their need for the cause of Christ.

Yup!  That's when the multiplication starts happening.

God honors that kind of sacrificial giving!

A lot of people were crying at what they saw.  They were blown away by the generosity of so many.  You could physically feel the spirit of God at work in the atmosphere.  God was revealing His presence in our midst.  

Besides the tug of the Holy Spirit, what spawns people to give so whole-heartedly? Well... all week people from 12+ churches, of various denominations, have been participating together in this massive community outreach called Revive FLORIDA. We've heard the testimonies first hand -- some of them coming from our very own mouths. The stories being told are about people giving their lives to Christ, right and left. The homeless are being ministered to with the love of Jesus. People, who you'd never expect, are fearlessly going into the worn-torn areas of the community, praying for people and seeing results.  Who doesn't want to support THAT?


At some point you can't deny 
that something is happening!  
Something that wasn't quite 
happening on that large of a
scale before.  

We are operating in partnership with the Holy Spirit and lives are being transformed all around us!  Miracles are taking place!

Suddenly the line of people dissipated. We had over $10,000.00 in a matter of minutes. Why that doesn't happen all the time, I don't know, but it happened this morning and I was so glad -- not to just witness it -- but to be a part of it.

I had $8.00 in my wallet and nothing in my checking account. I determined to give $5, but then I thought to myself... "What am I really going to do with $3.00?" so I just threw it all in. It was all I had. What's really interesting is that when I left, an old man, whom I've never met, stopped me and tucked a bill in my hand saying God had told him to give it to me.  It was $100.00.  You can't outgive God!

"Give and it will come back to you,  

a good measure, pressed down, 

shaken together and running over."  

(Luke 6:38)

Before I went to sleep tonight, I called one of my closest friends to tell them what's been going on all week with Revive.  Testimony after testimony came out of my mouth coated in such excitement for all that God is doing in my life, in the lives of those around me, and in my community.

"Wait!" she shouted in the phone.  "What's going on with you?  You sound like you just got saved!" she chuckled.  "You're so excited for God!"

"I guess I'm just born-again again!" I responded.  

How great is that?  To be so excited about God you can't keep your mouth shut.  That's an answer to prayer for a lot of us.

Blessed as can be!

Gail