Anchor Verse: Biblical Basis and Revelation

“…You shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land which the Lord, your God, gives you, and putting them in a basket, you shall go to the place which the Lord, your God, chooses for the dwelling place of His name. There you shall go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, ‘Today I acknowledge to the Lord, my God that I have indeed come into the land which He swore to our fathers He would give us.’

The priest shall then receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the Lord, your God.

Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God, ‘He gave this land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in His presence. Then you and your family… shall make merry over all these good things which the Lord, your God, has given you.”

Deuteronomy 26: 2-11

“As an offering of first fruits, you may bring them to the Lord but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. If you offer a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your first fruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.”

Leviticus 2:12-16

Introduction

At the start of every year, the very first Mission Core Gathering, and the subsequent gatherings of every group down the line of every member should be consecrated to the Lord. It must be a most solemn and sacred occasion worthy of the Lord’s Holiness.

GOD’S MESSAGE REVEALED: He Called for “FIRST FRUITS”

In the year 2003 of November, the Couples for Christ International Council assembled at a retreat house in Tagaytay for its yearly planning, to discern and flesh out the theme, major thrusts, strategies, ways and means, activities, mobilization (both national and global), integration, networking… everything that will propel CFC to wherever God intends the community to go.

As in the other planning sessions of previous years, the CFC International Council, together with respective spouses, steeped itself in prayers and worship. Much time was devoted to listening to God, discernment of God’s messages, and prophetic utterances. As it had always been in the past, God spoke to exhort, to affirm, to guide, to warn, to correct, and mostly to give His Word on the directions which He wants CFC to lead and to follow.

At the end of every worship session, the Council would undertake a very special task: to recall and list down everything that the Lord spoke of earlier. They would carefully check and see to it that no Word of God was missed or left out. The list of the Words spoken by God would then serve as the guidelines and foundations of all the plans, discussions and decisions that would transpire thereafter.

In that council of 2003, a prophecy was spoken very clearly. And thus, says the Lord:

“I want to start a TRADITION . . . a TRADITION of ‘FIRST FRUITS’. At the start of each year, the very first ECG gathering, and the subsequent first gatherings of every group down to the line of every member . . . should be consecrated to Me. It must be a most solemn and sacred occasion . . . worthy of my Holiness. This is how the consecration must be done:

You are to prepare an altar. On the altar you are to put an appropriate vessel or container to hold the offerings. Place a crucifix in front of the vessel. Light candles. Adorn with flowers. I WILL BE PRESENT ON THAT SPECIAL OCCASION. MAKE THE SETTING WORTHY OF MY MAJESTY. Worship Me. Sing solemn songs. Then one by one, everyone present including children, without exception, should stand in line. And one by one, each should approach the altar with great reverence. Then offer your FIRST FRUITS, a symbolic amount of money, equivalent to how much of your heart you offer to Me. Your money is of no consequence to Me. But I delight in the amount of love that you will offer to me through that money.”

ATTACHED TO HIS MESSAGE: A solemn promised

“My arms are raised to bless. My hands are poised to give. Honor Me with your FIRST FRUITS solemnly, joyfully, and willingly. Dedicate yourselves to Me through your FIRST FRUITS OFFERING – not because you are just interested in the good results you expect Me to give you – but because you really love me and you delight in honoring Me. Then you will see . . . if I don’t open the windows of heaven and pour down upon you in abundance all kinds of good things.” The Lord has spoken.

This OFFERING OF FIRST FRUITS is a symbolic act on your part - individually, and as a community. This is a symbolic act of bringing back to Me – and thanking Me – for the many blessings I have given you.

The money that you will offer Me stands for the following blessings you have received from Me:

1. Good health. “You would not have earned any amount of money had I not made you healthy and well.”

2. Talents, skills, and capabilities. “With the abilities and gifts I bestowed on you, you are able to provide for your needs and for the needs of your family.”

3. Work, career, profession, and livelihood. “Your job is the vehicle I use so that finances would come to you.”

4. Community. “It is here in CFC that I ask you to perform this act, because it is in this community where I have brought you so that you may come nearer to Me.”

5. Protection. “I guard your children. I care for you. I watch over your home so that no harm would come to you.”

6. Mastery of heart. “This would reveal the victory of your heart over greed and selfishness.”

ANOTHER MESSAGE REVEALED: A continuation of God’s faithfulness and solemn promised

In the year 2005, the message continued on. A sense from the Lord clearly states that, as we pay back to the Lord our FIRST FRUITS, He also wants us to pray for the following:

1. Fruit of Humility

2. A Gift of the Spirit

3. Joy in the Heart

The Lord also wants to bless us with much, much more:

1. That we may be PENETRATED with the POWER OF GOD,

2. That we may have the grace to ALLOW GOD to CONQUER US so that WE MAY CONQUER OURSELVES,

3. That we may BE VICTORIOUS in our current situations, and;

4. That we may OVERFLOW with BLESSINGS and OVERFLOW these BLESSINGS to OTHERS.

If we, as a people, will obey the Lord, our God, then will:

1. Grant us MIRACULOUS HEALINGS,

2. Give RESTORATION TO OUR FAMILIES. HE WILL TOUCH OUR CHILDREN and DRAW THEM TO HIM. HE WILL MEND BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS.

3. Give us WISDOM to empower us to overturn to good the consequences of wrong decisions we have made in the past.

4. Financial blessings and abundance will never be far behind us.

HE CLARIFIES HIS MESSAGE

“Listen my people, I will speak; every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains. I know every bird of the heavens; the creatures of the field belong to Me. Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for mine is the world and all that fills it. Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; fulfill your vows to the MOST High, Then call on Me in time of distress, I will rescue you, and you shall honor Me.” Psalm 50: 7-15

The FIRST FRUITS OFFERING is NOT ABOUT MONEY. It is not about an amount of money.

IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A FUND-RAISING. It is not BUYING GOD’S FAVOR so He may bless us. After all, He owns the whole earth and its fullness thereof.

However, money is an indicator of our OBEDIENCE to God and how much regard we have for Him. God is looking for something in our hearts. Our first fruits offering is something that God can see as a portrait or a photograph of our heart’s covenant with Him, our trust and confidence in Him as our God. FIRST FRUITS (is) a POINT OF AGREEMENT: We tell God that we give Him authority to enter into our life, to work His good in our life. And God on His part will honor the agreement and say: “This person is under the full authority of My Son, Jesus Christ. Nothing against him will I ever allow to prosper.”

FIRST FRUITS: A challenge to be faithful

When God wants to change your life through a blessing, He gives you a miracle. But before the miracle, He first gives His instructions. Miracle lies in your obedience. God is talking to your hearts right now. God is about to teach you something – God is allowing you to define your miracle. God wants to change your mindset from making your wants and needs as priority over God’s call to opportunity to put Him as number one. IF GOD IS NOT FIRST IN YOUR LIFE, HE IS NOT IN YOUR LIFE AT ALL. If this thing of obeying God does not work, nothing else will work.

God did not make you poor. He does not want you poor. But He will honor your will to be poor. Every time that God acts, it is a reaction to what we first do. God requires you to do something. Stretch forth your hand and sow the “seeds” for the mission. Mission seed is the most fertile seed that you can ever plant. Jesus knows how to make straight the crooked roads of your life. You might be broke today but God has an answer tomorrow. You might need an answer that only God can give. You have to concept, no idea of what one decision to obey God’s instructions can make. What you give to God is a breakthrough. The offering of FIRST FRUITS can liberate you from unmet needs and wants. One seed of obedience can reap the harvest of a lifetime. Nobody can sow your seed for you. Delayed or grumbling obedience is disobedience. But obey God with joy and gladness, not just with FIRST FRUITS but also with REGULAR TITHES as He has declared in Malachi 3:10.

The seed of obedience that you sow will explode to God’s favors in your life. You have something concrete in your hand, which God gives so that you may participate in defining your miracle. But watch out: The devil is counting on your disobedience to God; on your silence, and on your inaction. Make this matter of FIRST FRUITS and REGULAR TITHING a celebration of life over deprivation and poverty.

Conclusion:

Everything that we have is not ours to keep but something that needs to be brought back to the Lord, not because He needs it, but because we need to realize that His faithfulness and generosity is overflowing. We should mirror his overflowing generosity through giving back whatever we have to Him.

No matter how poor you are as you may define it, but it’s not an excuse for us not to be generous to that One who is highly generous. Your first fruit is not a sacrifice but an offering - an offering that is not actually coming from you, but also coming from Him. Your first fruits (is), His grace and bounty, His love and mercy, and His overflowing generosity. Our first fruits - He willed it and He deserves it.

Finally, let’s remind ourselves again: Offering of FIRST FRUITS and the regular giving of TITHES is not about money. WE CANNOT BUY GOD’S FAVOR BY GIVING HIM MONEY. But what thrills the heart of the Father is that we hear His voice, we listen, and we do what He says. Don’t miss the mark. Don’t miss out on God because you begrudge Him what He is asking for. Your FIRST FRUITS OFFERING and your REGULAR TITHES may define the difference in your life. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”