A Handful Of Rice

A revelation can revolutionise our life. The Cross is the origin of every blessing for a child of God. The cross is where the greatest exchange in the world took place.

Until the end of the 19th century, the tribal Mizos worshipped strange deities and would behead their enemies. That was their custom. But in 1894, two missionaries named W.F. Savidge and J.H. Lorrain came to Mizoram and in the centennial celebration of Christianity in Mizoram, an excerpt from the Telegraph newspaper based in Calcutta on the 04th February 1994 read like this: ‘Christianity’s most reaching influence was the spread of education. Christianity gave the religious a written language and left a mark on art,music, poetry and literature. A missionary was also responsible for the abolition of traditional slavery. It would not be too much to say that Christianity was the harbinger of modernity to a Mizo society. They have gone from being a fierce, head-hunting society to a model community. It went through a dramatic social reformation.’ Today, the percentage of Christianity in Mizoram is 87% and Mizoram ranks third in literacy.
 
The Mizos contributed to missions in creative and unique ways. Many women when preparing the family's meals, which always include rice, will take a handful of rice from that which had been measured out for a meal and put it into what they called, ‘missionary bowl’. The rice thus set aside is collected once a month from all participating households and sold at an auction at the church, and the money goes directly to missions. The same system is used with sticks of firewood set apart from each load carried into the family's home from the forest.

The people in Mizoram would fast once a month and they’d set apart that day’s food expense for missions.  Raising hens for mission work is common in rural churches. Typically, women are in charge of caring for the chickens and donating the proceeds to the missionary fund. Some would sell crabs and snails from the river and set apart that money for missions. In this manner, they were able to collect more than what a local American church would gather, in order to support missionaries.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
From the worldly view, you’d lose what you give. But in the Kingdom of God, what you give will be given to you. 

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
The key to financial deliverance and financial freedom is to open our hands. God is our sponsor. When we open our hearts, we will open our hands; and when we open our hands, God will open heavens. Heaven will respond to earthly acts.