24 Apr Puppies, Ice Cream, and Football (Part 4)
God does not need a great economy to bless His children! Gas prices look like they could be headed to $5 or more! The jobs and housing market appear to be a long way away from full recovery. However, the Bible tells us in Psalm 37:19, “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” In other words, the righteous (you!) can flourish right smack dab in the middle of recessionary times!
Over the last number of weeks we have shared with you How to Do Adversity Correctly:
1) Adversity
2) Insecurity
3) Discovery
4) Opportunity
5) Victory
6) Demise of your Enemy
We then began our “Six Opportunities to turn Adversity into Victory”:
1) Prepare for victory (Prov. 21:31)
2) Pray for victory (I Tim. 2:1-4)
3) Produce for victory (Matt. 25:14-30)
Within this section we discussed “Eight Production Points”:
1. Work for Jesus, not your boss (Col. 3:22-24, Ps. 75:6-7)
2. Leaders are learners (Prov. 9:9)
3. Look to increase your responsibilities before you increase your benefits (Gal. 6:7).
4. Take ownership of your company (Prov. 6:6-8).
5. Anticipate the routine (John 2:7).
6. Have an “I can do it” attitude (Phil. 4:13).
7. Be a problem solver, not a problem seer (I Sam. 17).
8. Pay attention to the details (Dan. 6:3).
Then we picked back up with our main points with:
4) Plan for victory (Prov. 10:4, 21:5).
Within this section we began our “Two Powerful Points to Plan for Prosperity”:
1. Don’t belittle the little (Prov. 13:11 (NIV), Zech 4:10)
This week let’s continue with Powerful Point #2…
2. Plug up the holes in your life (Haggai 1:2-7).
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’ Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.”
I am an avid fisherman and every spring big hybrids and stripers swim in close to shore to spawn. During that time, I put on my waders and trod intoPercyPriestLake. In the spring the water is still very chilly…right around 50 degrees. Last spring my waders had a small leak in them and after about two hours of fishing, my left boot was filled with icy cold water. This severely detracted from my fishing patience…talk about getting “cold feet” for something! I can tell you first hand leaks are no fun!
In the same vein, the people in the aforementioned verse had “leaks” in their pockets. God could have given them money all day long, but it still would’ve fallen down their pant leg! Similarly, if there are holes in our pockets, the answer is not simply throwing money at it! Use times of adversity to check for leaks in your ‘financial dam’. Maybe there is an area you used to hit home runs in but now you are just bunting. Remember this, there is passion in building, but there is fatigue in maintaining!
5) Prosper for victory (Deut. 8:18).
I realize that prosperity has almost become a dirty word in this society. You will frequently hear the term “prosperity gospel” spoken of in a disparaging way. However, I am here to say that there is no such thing as the “prosperity gospel”! There is only one gospel, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, but contained within that gospel are certain and specific promises that apply to every area of our lives…including your finances!
Here at World Changers Bible Institute and Joy Church, “balance” is a very vital word to us (see II Timothy 2:15). People will ask, “Are you one of those prosperity preachers?” Normally they will do so with an unbalanced bias that they got from the media or religious community. I always respond with balance as it depends on what they mean. If you mean put a nickel in the “God genie” and He spits out dollar bills at you…count me out. However, if you mean using biblically balanced prosperity principles, such as:
1. Integrity (Prov. 11:2-3)
2. Tithing (Prov. 3:9-10)
3. Giving (II Cor. 9:6)
4. Generosity (Prov. 22:9)
5. Prioritizing (Matt. 6:33)
6. Production (Matt. 25:14-30)
7. Budgeting (strategic financial planning if the “B” word scares you! – Prov. 23:3-4)
8. Good stewardship (Luke 16:10-12)
9. Investing (Prov. 21:31)
10. Diligent work ethic (Prov. 10:4)
11. Intelligent work ethic (Prov. 21:5)
12. Wisdom (Prov. 3:13-18)
If you mean applying these principles diligently over time, not over night…I unashamedly believe that God wants your life to be enlarged, increased and advanced to be abundant in every area of your life…including financially!
Please understand that this increase has a greater purpose than just ourselves. The Bible tells us, “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 forefathers, as it is today” (Deut. 8:18 NIV).
This powerful verse very clearly tells us that prosperity has a purpose. Without a purpose, prosperity becomes irrelevant. Please allow me to share with you four prosperity principles:
#1 Prosperity reveals vulnerabilities
#2 Prosperity exposes weaknesses
#3 Prosperity becomes a master when driven by “self”
#4 Prosperity becomes a servant when driven by purpose
Prosperity is not designed for selfish living. Prosperity is designed for kingdom giving!
Next week we’ll continue our series and discuss the why, when, where and how to give in a very balanced, informative and encouraging way!