God Wishes To Prosper You

          Right throughout the Word of God we find God the Father desiring to prosper His people. Some of His people He did not prosper was because of disobedience, but the obedient ones like Abraham, Isaac and Solomon He poured out His blessings. The Word says in Genesis 26 that when Isaac obeyed God in the midst of a mighty famine when God told him not to go to Egypt but “Dwell in the land that I will tell thee of” (Genesis 26:2), that Isaac was so richly blessed that the world envied him. Now remember this was a mighty drought or famine, verse 12 says “Then Isaac sowed in the land and received in the same year 100 fold, and the Lord blessed him, and the man waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks and possession of herds and a great store of servants and the Philistines envied him.”

          Many of God’s children have a God given dream in their hearts, but for lack of finance can see no earthly way to accomplish what the Lord has called them to do. Most times God’s calling on our lives is too big for us to accomplish financially or any other way on our own.

          I believe this is for a very good reason because primarily God wants to be Jehovah Jireh (The God that provides) in our lives, so He can not only be provider but get the glory of the outcome.

          The good news is God is well able to prosper you to accomplish what He has called you to do.

          Let’s look at how we can line up with god’s ways and receive His blessings.

1.     Tithe – Malachi 3 says we rob God in withholding tithes and offerings and are cursed with a curse. The tithe is the Lord’s. Malachi 3:8-11, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”

2.     The Offering – This is what we give of ours to bless someone. Let’s look at Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”

3.     Giving to the Poor – Proverbs 19:17, “He that hath pity on the poor lends unto the Lord; and that which he as given will He pay Him again.”

Now we have God opening Heaven’s windows pouring out blessing and rebuking the devourer, we have people giving to us, we have the Lord paying us back as we give to the poor, We cannot help but to prosper. Let’s look at God’s response as we put into practice His laws on giving.

2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.” Verse 8 in the Amplified Bible says, “And God is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.

This quick study of the prosperity in God has only barely touched the surface but we can see God’s intention for His children is to be blessed so we in turn can be a blessing to others.

Let’s close with one last Scripture – Deuteronomy 8:18, “But thou shall 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.

Out Heavenly Father will provide for us to fulfil our calling in abundance if we are totally obedient and look to Him as provider.

Forgiveness Freedom – Unforgiveness Bondage 

Part 2 

In our last issue we established that our heavenly Father is a God of total forgiveness, also that Jesus Christ who had walked the earth and had every reason to not forgive mankind, especially those who crucified him on the cross, once again forgave them from the heart.

          Our response to being forgiven is to forgive. Also, Matthew 6:12 says, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”  In essence it is with the same measure that we forgive others that our heavenly Father forgives us.

          Jesus goes on to say in verse 14, “for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Then verse 15, “But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.” Many Christians do not feel a great sense of freedom because they harbour unforgiveness, not to mention jeopardising their eternity.

          Let’s look at Matthew 18:22, Jesus has just told Peter that he must forgive not 7 times, but seventy times seven, in other words over and over.

          Then in Matthew 18:23 Jesus likens the kingdom of Heaven to a certain King taking account of his servant which owed him 10,000 talents. (Approx. $290,850,000 in today’s money if it was talents of gold or $29,200,000 if it was Silver according to Dakes Study Bible) Jesus goes on to say that the king commanded that this servant be sold along with his family and all that he had. The servant begs mercy and time to pay, then the king is moved with compassion and forgives him, totally releasing him of the debt.

          The same servant then goes and finds a fellow servant that owes him 100 pence (a very small amount, approx. $17 according to Dakes) and took him by the throat and demanded his money. This man also begs for mercy and time to pay but he would not grant it to him but rather cast him into prison.

          The king hears about this and is wroth (furious) and calls him and says to him, ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because you desiredst me: shouldst not thou also have compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee”? Then he is delivered to the tormentors till all the original debt was paid.

          Verse 35 says, “so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if you, from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

          From this account and from many other verses throughout God’s Word we see that to live a life of freedom it is imperative that we forgive all and walk in total forgiveness on a daily basis. Search your heart today and make a quality decision to forgive with the same forgiveness that Jesus forgave you.

Forgiveness Freedom – Unforgiveness Bondage

Part 1

The very essence of the Good News of the Gospel is forgiveness. What an awesome thing it is to think that the God of eternity would have such a desire for fellowship that he would create ‘man after His own image’ then give him dominion (rule over) all His creation, animals, fish, birds and over all the earth. Then God saw that man was alone, so He created Eve that man could share this great creation with and be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.

          God then set some boundaries for Adam & Eve for their wellbeing, then God’s creation man and woman crossed over these boundaries, because of this sin they became, in a sense, separated from their creator. Only the shedding of blood could redeem (buy back) mankind from that state. For 4000 years God made a way for people to be forgiven, with the shedding of the blood of animals as a sin covering, but only the blood of Jesus could totally blot out sin.  God had a master plan for His Son Jesus to be born into this fallen world to be the ultimate sacrifice. As he was hanging on the cross, the blood dripping from His body, His words were “It Is Finished.”  Through Jesus’ shed blood man could now be totally forgiven, redeemed (bought back) to the original fellowship that God had originally planned and desired.

          God is a God of forgiveness, the Word of God says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

          Psalms 103:2-3 says “Bless the Lord O’ my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all thine iniquities, who heals all thy diseases.” Then on to verse 12 (Psalms 103:12) “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

          Jesus is a person of forgiveness. During Jesus’ life on earth He had every reason to be unforgiving, but chose to forgive many, many times. He said, “Go your way, your sins are forgiven.” Then as Jesus hung on the cross giving His life for the very people who crucified Him, He said these famous words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24)

          It would do us good to go through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and to see the forgiving heart of the heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour, it is truly overwhelming.

          In our next issue we will discuss our response to God’s forgiveness and the way in which we need to walk in that forgiveness.