The Laws of prosperity (Lesson 2)

‘But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light’ (1Peter 2:9).

In an era where U.S.A, the ‘super power’ of the 21^st century is in debt crises and has raised its debt ceiling and interest rates are going up between one and five percent, one may ask, can the financial life of a Christian be any different from that of the masses? The answer is a big “yes!” A Christian does not live according to the economies of the earth but the economies of heaven. Our God supplies all our needs according to His reaches in Glory. Clearly God’s word teaches that Christians are a peculiar or special people. We are the light and the salt of the earth. God reigns on earth through the church and we are partakers of God’s divine nature. Definitely, we are not ordinary people, the wisdom and power of God sets us apart from ordinary men. There was nothing ordinary about the life of Christ, so is every Christian born of the spirit of God an extraordinary person. As a follow up to the previous lesson, ‘The Laws of Prosperity’, this lesson addresses the final six laws of prosperity as outlined by Finis J. Dake.

The fifth Law of prosperity is to be unafraid in launching out into new ventures and make the best of opportunities that come. Many men could have been prosperous in life if they had not been afraid to take hold of opportunities that came to them. Eccl 9:11clearly teaches that two major determinants of success are time and chance.

The sixth law of prosperity is to follow certain business principles taught in scripture like diligence, living within one’s means and giving (Rom 12:9-21, 1 Thess 4:11-12, Prov 22:29). China, the largest foreign holder of United States debt, said that Washington needed to “cure its addiction to debts” and “live within its means,” just hours after the rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded America’s long-term debt ( Newyork times - Aug, 2011). God is a God of principle, who does nothing without His Word or principles (Jn 1:1-2).

The seventh law of success is to obey the golden rule. This means that you will always do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Mt 7:12). If you do this you will never take advantage of any man in order to prosper. You will never be selfish; you will never sell a product you will not use for yourself. You will always let your customers know how you appreciate their business and show them how you seek to be of service to them.

One unfailing law of prosperity is to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’. If we do this we are promised that all these things (blessings of life) will be added unto us (Mt 6:33). If we will give up our selfish living and seek first the Kingdom of God and it’s righteousness we will receive a hundred fold in this life and in the life to come everlasting life.

One law of prosperity is that of giving to others. If there is one thing you can succeed in life doing, it is giving. You become a hero when you give. Something happens when you give to others.

The last law of prosperity is to honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of your increase (Prov 3:6-12). If we do this we have the promise that our barns will be filled with plenty (Mal 3:10-11). There are many testimonies of people who were poor and are now rich due to tithing. Examples are Mr. Crowell, founder of Quaker Oats Company, Mr. Colgate, founder of Colgate soap, perfumes and powders. May you be the next on the list.

The Laws of Prosperity

‘But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today’ (Deuteronomy 8:18).

‘A hiker with two heavy hold alls was walking down a road in 90-degree heat. A truck driver stopped and told him to hop on. Later when the driver looked in his rearview mirror, the hiker was standing in the truck-bed still holding his bags! We smile, but as Jon Walker points out, many of us “stand in the truck of faith carrying our burdens, thinking they're independent of the ride we're taking. We think God can carry us but not our burdens”’ (Bob Gass). Salvation is a package; Christ has delivered us from sin and all the consequences of sin including poverty. His word is, ‘I wish above all that you will prosper and be in good health’ (3 John 1:2)

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob prospered in the midst of famine and it is said that, Isaac prospered until he became the envy of the philistines (Gen 26). Definitely Abraham and his descendants had something that made them poverty proof, it was the blessings in God’s covenant. As descendants of Abraham, we operate in the same covenant blessings. ‘In God’s plan for man, Finis J. Dake writes that the belief that, it is God’s will for men to be in poverty and want, to keep them saved is a fallacy. He teaches that It is not God’s will for man to suffer misery and want in order that he might keep humble and enough to be finally saved; this does not have to be man’s lot in life; rather man is enabled by the gospel to overcome all obstacles of life and be saved, prosperous, and happy in Christ. The focus of today’s devotion is the laws of prosperity, as outlined by Dake.

The first law of prosperity is to believe that it is God’s will for you to prosper and that you are in his will. Why should it be God’s will for you to lack the things you need in life if you are His child, and then give them to those who rebel against Him. This does not make sense. Paul said that, ‘my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil 4:19). Jesus also taught that God loves us more than we love our Children (Mt 7:7-11).

The second law to follow, is to make God your partner in life. Work with Him and obey His own laws of prosperity. Make Him the senior partner in your business. Recognize Him in all you do. Keep in touch with Him concerning His guidance in every business deal. After turning things over to God don’t interfere and spoil things.

The third Law of prosperity is to get in the life work that you feel God would have you in, or for which you are best suited. God has a life work for you and you can be extremely happy and successful if you find that work and make God your life long partner. If your life work is not clear to you get this settled once and for all. Real happiness lies in liking what we are called to do, not in doing something solely because we think we should like it.

The fourth law of prosperity is faith in God. You must believe that God loves you and that he is with you giving you strength to overcome all hindrances to your happiness and success in life. All men who have made a success in life have had to finally overcome all opposition to their progress. The lives of successful people abound in stories of how they overcame obstacles and finally succeeded. It is in the Struggles of life that you need faith in God. All your struggles shrink to nothingness when compared to the promises of God and the faith in God that they create. Remember the just shall live by faith (Hebrews 10:38).

God’s promise is, ‘I will give you power to make wealth’; today hold God accountable to His word. The remaining six laws of prosperity will be discussed in the next lesson.

The Power of a Praying Minister

‘But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:4)

‘The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men…men of prayer. Praying Men Are God’s Mightiest Leaders, they are the only productive workers for God. Praying men are God’s chosen leaders’ (E. M. Bounds). Going through the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament, it is evident that all the leaders that made an impact were men of prayer. In the kingdom of God, leaders lead on their knees. John Wesley said ‘I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.’

Moses prayed for forty days, Elijah prayed and for three and half years there was no rain. Jesus prayed and fasted for forty days and nights. In Heb 5:7, it is said that ‘during the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears’. Jesus depended on prayer, He led a life that was committed to prayer and taught His disciples to do the same. There are several instances in the Bible where He prayed for hours on end (Mat 14:13-25, Mat 26:39-46). His words where ‘the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’ (John 5:19-20).

The critical question is, on the average what is the prayer life of a minister today? On the average, how long does a pastor pray today and how satisfied is he with his prayer life. A recent research made by Toni Ridgaway(ChurchLeaders.com) revealed that, 16 % percent of Pastors are very satisfied with their prayer lives; 47% are somewhat satisfied with their prayer lives; 30% are somewhat dissatisfied and 7% are very dissatisfied with their prayer lives. The research also revealed that pastors who are very satisfied spend an average of 56 minutes a day in prayer and spend more time listening to God and less time making requests. Pastors who are somewhat satisfied spend an average of 43 minutes a day in prayer. Pastors who are dissatisfied, average 29 minutes in prayer a day. Those very dissatisfied spend an average of 21 minutes a day in prayer. On the average, Pastors spends 39 minutes a day in prayer.

In the early church, when the Apostles saw the burden of the administrative work on them, they chose seven deacons and their words were, ‘we will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word’ (Acts 6:3, 4). My earnest prayer is that God will grant ministers of this day the grace to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of God’s word.

Apart from spending tangible time in prayer at a set time, it is important to also have an attitude of prayer. ‘Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency upon God’ (Arthur W. Pink). A study of Moses and other heroes of faith will reveal that apart from their set time for prayer, they were in constant communion with God for guidance as they were taking day to day decisions. At the Red Sea, Moses cried to God with the people and the answer came (Ex 14:15). In the wilderness when the people thirsted, and when Amalek attacked them, it was also prayer that brought deliverance (Ex 17:4, 11). At Sinai, when Israel made the Golden Calf, it was prayer that averted the threatened destruction, (Ex 32:11, 14). ‘Wishing will never be a substitute for prayer’ (Ed Cole). Is the burden of ministry weighing you down? Abraham Lincoln said ‘I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go’.

God’s word for you is, ‘If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land’ ( 2 Chron 7:14). ‘The distinction between the leaders that God brings to the front to lead and bless His people and those leaders who owe their position of leadership to a worldly, selfish, unsanctified selection is this: God’s leaders are pre-eminently men of prayer’ (E. M. Bounds). Today, make prayer your steering wheel but not your spare tire.

Happy is the Person whose Sins are Forgiven

'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV).  

Jesus perfects those that are being made holy. All men who believe in Jesus Christ and repent of their sins are instantly cleansed from their sins. They instantly receive the righteousness of Christ (Justification). However, many fail to appreciate the power of the cross. Even after repenting of their sins they find it difficult to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive themselves. They hold unto the past, and rob themselves of the future that God has ordained for them. Peter denied Christ three times and Judas also betrayed Christ. Both of them felt sorry for what they did, but the difference between the two of them is that, Peter accepted the forgiveness of God and forgave himself but Judas did not, and ended up committing Suicide.

The truth is, there is nothing that you can do about the past, and you can't walk backwards into the future. For you to embrace the future that God has ordained for you, you need to turn your back to the past, start afresh and move forward. The future God has in mind contains more happiness than any past you can remember. Jesus used the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate the power of the cross; that all who repent of their sins and return to their heavenly father receive the compassion and pardon of the father, not forgetting the restoration of their blessings. This study reveals some important lessons about the prodigal son’s restoration.

·                ‘He came to his senses’: meaning he repented. He had a change of mind and heart (Luke 15:17).

·                ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’: He acknowledged his sins and confessed them (Luke 15:18).

·                ‘He got up and went to his father’: When you fall down don’t remain there, pick something up and get up. Learn from your mistakes, make an effort and take steps to return to God and redeem your blessings (Luke 15:18, 20).

·                He said ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son…’: Like the prodigal son, most of us think we are not worthy of God’s blessings, but the good news is God sees us through the cross. Quit seeing yourself through your own lenses and see yourself as God sees you (Luke 15:21) .

·                “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet’ (Luke 15:22): Through the cross, God forgives and restores all men that repent and believe in Christ, no matter their sins (John 3:16).

·                ‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found…’: Heaven is rejoicing and celebrating your repentance so join them. (Luke 15:23, 24)

The blood of Christ cleanses the believer’s conscience. So ‘boldly go into the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:22). Stop punishing yourself with the 'if only's'. After sinning and having God pick him up, David wrote, 'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV). Forgive yourself because God has, and you are 'accepted' (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). If you have wronged others, confess your faults to them and restitute where possible. Learn from your mistakes and allow God to take care of the past.

Overcoming the Grasshopper Mentality

‘There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight’ (Numbers 13:33).

How far you go in the journey of life is very dependent on your perceptions. One major determinant of success is ones perceptions, or ability to interpret rightly what you see. ‘Your perception about life depends on what you know and what you know is not all that there is to know so get more knowledge’ (Myles Munroe). ‘The LORD said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites’ (Numbers 13:2). Considering the statement God made to Moses, you will realize that God himself was the one giving the land of Canaan to Israel. Consequently, the end of the matter had already being determined, all they had to do was to be able to see things through the eyes of God and posses the land in faith.

One may wonder why God commanded Israel to go and spy or explore the land. God could have just commanded them to go and possess the land straight away, since He was the one giving it to them. Moses’ words to the twelve leaders of the tribes that were going to spy the land were, ‘see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land” (Numbers 13:18-20).

God is a God of Purpose who creates everyone with a specific purpose; His words to Jeremiah were, ‘before I formed you… I knew you and I set you apart for my holy purpose’ (Jer 1:5). However the truth is, the purposes of God for you do not just drop on to your lap from heaven. God equips you with all that you need to possess that purpose, in terms of talents or gifts. Your duty then is to plan and work to possess that destiny with wisdom and faith. When the spies that went to survey the land came back, the general report about the land was, ‘it is indeed a bountiful country, a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces (a branch with one cluster of grapes had to be carried between two of them on a pole). But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too’. But Caleb differed in perception; his words were, “let’s go at once to take the land…we can certainly conquer it!”

All the twelve spies saw the same thing in the land of Canaan but the difference was in their perception or interpretation of what they saw. Eleven of them focused on Giants that could not be conquered, but Caleb focused on a bountiful land that God had given to them. He saw things through the eyes of God and therefore had the right perception. The eleven saw themselves as grass hoppers in the presence of the giants, forgetting that, the God they serve is greater than the giants they saw. They focused on the challenge instead of focusing on the Almighty God and His promise to them (Numbers 13:27-33).

What you see is determined by what you focus on. What are you focusing on. Are you focusing on the problems, or God and His promises? The God you serve is greater than the giants you see. If He has given you the land, then know that you can surely posses it, come what may. Has He promised and failed anyone before? NO, He is a faithful God. It is not in your time that God’s faithfulness is going to change. Arise!!! With obedience, faith and wisdom you will possess your promised land. Remember the just shall live by faith not by sight.

You are Not the Only One Left

‘…I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The LORD said to him,…yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 kings 19:14 - 18).

One would have thought that after Elijah had challenged Ahab and his false prophets, and the power of God had been manifested so strongly at Mount Carmel, leading to four hundred and fifty false prophets being disgraced and slaughtered by him, Elijah would have been at the zenith of his ministry and his faith in God. On the contrary, he fled from Sinai; he was on the run to Horeb due to Jezebel’s threats. He feared for of his life.

In the journey of life, we sometimes get to points when we are overwhelmed with our calling as a result of fatigue, fear, the opposition of men and other storms of life. Elijah had been zealous for God in his calling and had stood for the truth, like many of us. However, at this point in his life he was not where God wanted him to be, he was on his way to Horeb, against God’s will. God’s question to him was, “What are you doing here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:9).  ‘It seems he was so moved with fear to get away from Jezebel that he did not inquire of God what to do. The Lord could have protected him without him going all the distance to Mount Horeb and then back North to Syria’ (Fenis Dake). 

Sometimes under pressure we intentionally neglect God’s guidance, only to go our own way, knock our head against a brick and go right back to where we started from, now to seek God and avail ourselves for His direction. Even though God in His mercy always restores us when we repent, we miss great opportunities to grow in faith and be blessed. Consequently, we make our journey to our destination (God’s purpose) longer and more wearisome. God in his mercy sent a word to Elijah while he was fleeing to Horeb.  Today He still uses our inner convictions, dreams, circumstances and other people to warn us and get us back on track when we are straying from His will and purposes. A Christian who prays with a sincere heart and an open mind always receives God’s direction, no matter what the challenges are. 

After God asked Elijah ‘What are you doing here?’ his responds was, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I AM THE ONLY ONE LEFT, and now they are trying to kill me too’. God’s response was, ‘I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him’. (1 kings 19:14 - 18).

The main lesson here is that, you are not alone. There are many Christians who have made your journey successfully in the past. There are others who are making successful journeys very similar to yours presently. ‘What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun’ (Eccl 1:9). If you are to give up on God’s purpose and throw in the towel today, God will easily replace you with another person.  If you don’t want rocks to praise God and donkeys to prophecy in your place, then wake up (Numbers 22:28-30, Luke 19:40). Your work is not done, seek God’s face, renew your strength and carry on with your assignment. The journey is not over. No matter the fatigue, fear and the opposition of men, it’s not over until God says is over. Remember, Jesus grew weary and nearly gave up on His purpose, but after He prayed unto His heavenly father, angels were sent to strengthen Him and He was able to carry on (Luke 22:42-43).

‘Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength…’(Isaiah 40:30-31). You are not the only one left.

Don’t Stop Half way keep Moving

‘And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there’ (Genesis 11:31).

‘Here we read of Abram's departure out of Ur of the Chaldees, with his father Terah, his nephew Lot, and the rest of his family, in obedience to the call of God. This chapter leaves them about mid-way between Ur and Canaan, where they dwelt till Terah's death. Many reach to Harran, and yet fall short of Canaan; they are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never come thither’ (Matthew Henry).

Clearly, God‘s call to Abraham was for him to settle in Canaan but not Harran. Harran was halfway to Canaan - the promised land. Many speculations have been made about Abraham’s reason for stopping at Haran instead of continuing to the Promised Land. Jason R. McConnell writes, ‘we don’t know why Abraham settled in Haran. Perhaps he didn’t obey God fully because of family pressure. Maybe Lot said, “Uncle Abraham, I’m afraid! I’ve never been this far from home before.” Maybe Terah said, “Sonny boy, it’s OK to be religious, but you don’t want to go overboard.” Maybe Sarai said, “Haran seems like a really nice place to live. We don’t even know what Canaan looks like.” Whether it was the spirit of fear, compromise, comfort, or something else, Abraham showed a lapse of faith by settling in Haran’.

Like Abraham, many of us began our walk with God or pursuing specific visions or dreams with a lot of faith and zeal. Unfortunately half way in our journey we have stopped. Our reasons may include fatigue, complacency, feelings of failure due to comparison, the praise of men, the cares of life and the persecution of men, not forgetting sin. No matter the excuses you have. Be reminded of the wise saying of King Solomon ‘The end of a matter is better than its beginning’ (Eccl 7:8).

Distraction is one of the devils strongest weapons against Christians. Your greatest enemy isn't the opposition, it's the distractions. So remain focused, ‘looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’ (Heb 12:2). It is those that endure hard times and are faithful to the end, who will receive the blessings and reward of God. (Mat 24: 13, Rev 2:10). Remember, the Christian race is more of a marathon than a sprint.

You may be halfway to your miracle, don’t stop believing and obeying God. This is not where God had called you to be, go deeper, you can’t get big fish in shallow waters. An abundant harvest is awaiting you if only you won’t stop growing to know God better. The same God who has brought you this far can take you a hundred times further. Every giant was once a baby. Trust and obey God, taking one day at a time. You’ve only gotten to Haran, ‘get up and get on down the road to the Promised Land! ‘Don’t you stop halfway! Don’t be satisfied with halfway there! Get out! Keep going! Don’t give up! What did you ask God for at the beginning of 2013? You’re only halfway there’ (Rod Parsley). May you be able to declare that, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness’ (2 Tim 4:7-8).