Living in Divine Prosperity Jerry Savelle

Living in Divine Prosperity
Living in Divine Prosperity

by Jerry Savelle
HARRISON HOUSE Tulsa, Oklahoma
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the i!le" Some Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Old Testament. #op$ri%ht & '()*, '()+ !$ ,onder-an .u!lishin% House, /rand Rapids, 0ichi%an" Used !$ permission" Some Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The Amplified New Testament. #op$ri%ht & '(12 !$ The 3ockman 4oundation, 3a Ha!ra, #alifornia" Used !$ permission" Scripture quotations marked Niv are from the New nternational Version. #op$ri%ht & '(52 !$ New 6ork International i!le Societ$" Used !$ permission" Some Scripture quotations are taken from The !iving "ible. #op$ri%ht & '(5' !$ T$ndale House .u!lishers, 7heaton, Illinois" Used !$ permission" !iving in #ivine Prosperity IS N 892(*5+9*+59: #op$ri%ht & '(2* !$ ;err$ Sa-elle ." O" o< ***2 4ort 7orth, Te<as 5)''= .u!lished !$ Harrison ." O" o< =18=1 Tulsa, Oklahoma 5+'=1
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.rinted in the United States of America" All ri%hts reser-ed under International #op$ri%ht 3aw" #ontents and>or co-er ma$ not !e reproduced in whole or in part in an$ form without the e<press written consent of the .u!lisher"
Contents
Introduction ' 4reedom 4rom onda%e * Importance of O!edience = 7illin%ness to Ser-e + Nature of 4aith 1 Se-en Steps to the 3ife of 4aith ) #onsecration?@e$ to .rosperit$ 5 Sowin% in 4amine 5 '= =) 5= ''' '*1 ')= '(1
Introduction
In Octo!er, '(2', I had the pri-ile%e of ministerin% in a con-ention at #harlotte, North #arolina, with @enneth and /loria #opeland, #harles #apps, and Nor-el Ha$es" efore I went to the con-ention, I knew somethin% special was %oin% to take place in the meetin%s" 6et at the same time I knew somethin% was %oin% to happen in m$ own life" I had no idea what it was, and I didnAt tr$ to fi%ure it out" I Bust flowed in the Spirit of /od" 0$ wife #arol$n and I had decided !efore we went into the con-ention that we were %oin% to fast and sta$ in the presence of /od e-er$ moment that we were not actuall$ in the meetin%s" I fasted and %ot up -er$ earl$ in the mornin% Bust to fellowship with /od" 7hen I would lea-e a meetin%, I would %o ri%ht !ack to m$ hotel room and sta$ in /odAs presence" That went on for almost the whole week,
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity
until Thursda$ afternoon" I finished preachin% that da$, went to m$ room, and sat down" /od had !een dealin% with me a!out some thin%s? sharin% with me a!out m$ own ministr$ and some new directions we were to take" There had !een some %reat thin%s happen in that con-ention, and I sensed a release in m$ spirit" So I told #arol$n, CIAm %oin% to order a meal, then Bust rela< and rest !efore we %o into the ser-ice toni%ht"C She went into the !edroom to lie down and rest while we waited for room ser-ice to !rin% us the meal I had ordered" I went into the li-in% room of our hotel suite, sat down on the couch, and propped m$ feet up on the coffee ta!le" Now I didnAt ask for this to happen" I didnAt pra$ for it, or e-en think a!out it happenin%" I was Bust sittin% there, mindin% m$ own !usiness, not !otherin% an$!od$, when suddenl$ the 3ord appeared unto me" 7hen He appeared, He said these words to meD CSon, 0$ people are in financial famine, and IAm %i-in% $ou the assi%nment to tell them how to %et out"C Then He !e%an to re-eal to me the ke$s to deli-erance" That is part of what I will share with $ou in these pa%es"
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His presence en%ulfed me" It filled the room" In fact, after the 3ord had finished talkin% with me, His presence?the Shekinah %lor$ of /od?was still so stron% in m$ room that it woke #arol$n" She ran in and said, C7hatAs happenin% in hereEC I said, CThe 3ord Bust -isited me"C 7e %ot so cau%ht up in His presence that when the waiter !rou%ht the meal, we couldnAt e-en eat" I could hardl$ talk or think, I was so taken a!ack !$ what had happened" ut I !e%an to realiFe the ur%enc$ of what the 3ord had told meD CTell the people that I want them out of !onda%e"C 7hen we %ot to the ser-ice that ni%ht, rother #opeland said to me, CI sense in m$ spirit that /od wants $ou to preach toni%ht"C C6es, thatAs what I was %oin% to tell $ou"C C7ell,C he said, G$ou do whate-er /od told $ou to do"C That ni%ht I preached a portion of what the 3ord had shared with me, the part a!out sowin% in famine, which I will share with $ou in this !ook"
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7ithout a dou!t, m$ life was chan%ed that ni%ht, and the li-es of thousands of others as well" E-er$where I ha-e preached this messa%e since that time, the testimonies ha-e !een phenomenal" The messa%e I want to share with $ou in this !ook is thisD Put God first place in your life. I want $ou to know that if $ou will open $our heart and recei-e what I ha-e to sa$ to $ou, $ou will come out of $our !onda%e" 6ou ma$ sa$, C7ell, IAm not in !onda%e"C /ood, then pass this !ook on to someone who is" /odAs people must !ecome free, for the Bo! we ha-e to do in these last da$s is tremendous and will demand %reat financial freedom on our part" I can show $ou on paper the names of indi-iduals and churches who ha-e !een !lessed and !ettered as a result of recei-in% the truth I share in this stud$" ItAs not an$thin% new" ItAs ri%ht out of the 7ord of /od" The pro!lem has !een that weA-e Bust i%nored it, or allowed carnall$ minded men and the worldAs s$stem to decei-e us into !elie-in% that it wouldnAt work" But I want you to know that God has a
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higher way, and for those who will dare put it to work, great lessings are in store for the!.
" #reedo! #ro! Bondage

And Jes%s ret%rned in the power of the Spirit into *alilee+ and there went o%t a fame of him thro%gh all the region ro%nd abo%t. And he ta%ght in their synagog%es, being glorified of all. And he &ame to Na-areth, where he had been bro%ght %p+ and, as his &%stom was, he went into the synagog%e on the sabbath day, and stood %p for to read. And there was delivered %nto him the boo. of the prophet /saias. And when he had opened the boo., he fo%nd the pla&e where it was written, The Spirit of the !ord is %pon me, be&a%se he hath anointed me to prea&h the gospel to the poor .... !%.e 0+(01($
Here we see ;esus proclaimin% that /od had anointed Him 2to prea&h the gospel to the poor.3 Now Cthe poorC can mean poor in spirit, poor in
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soul, poor in !od$, poor financiall$, poor sociall$" There are man$ people who are poor in some area of their lifeH some are poor in e-er$ area of their life" In an$ case, the /ospel is for the poor" If $ou are sufferin% in an$ area of $our life, then I ha-e %ood news for $ou" If $ou are sufferin% spirituall$, there is a messa%e for $ou" If $ou are sufferin% mentall$, there is a messa%e for $ou" If $ou are sufferin% ph$sicall$, sociall$, or financiall$, /od has somethin% He wants to sa$ to $ou" He wants to say so!ething to you a out every aspect of your life.
$he Higher %ay

I donAt know a!out $ou, !ut IAm a little tired of the world tellin% me how e-er$thin% is %oin% to turn out" IAm a little tired of the e-enin% news predictin% m$ destin$" IAm tired of readin% the newspaper and ha-in% it tell me what is %oin% to happen" In fact, I am Gfed upC with all the carnal knowled%e Satan keeps tr$in% to put into the li-es of the od$ of #hrist" I ha-e made a decisionD As for me and !y house, we are not going to listen to the world& we are going to listen to God'
4reedom 4rom "ondage
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I ha-e learned that /od has a few thin%s to sa$" IA-e disco-ered that /od has a -iewpoint, and He wants to %et it across to His people" If we will dare to !elie-e it, then we wonAt ha-e to li-e like this world" 3et me remind $ou that ;esus said, 6 am in the world, b%t not of it.6 I;ohn 2D*="J 6ou and I are the seed of A!raham" 7e are Boint9heirs with ;esus, partakers of the nature of /od" If ;esus is not of this world, then neither are we" 6ou ma$ sa$, C ut I li-e here"C 6es, $ou do" ut that doesnAt mean $ou ha-e to li-e accordin% to the !e%%arl$ elements of this world" I/al" +D("J CThen what am I to do a!out itEC /et on a hi%her plane" C7here am I %oin% to find oneEC In the 7ord of /od" In Isaiah 11D2,( /od tells usD
My tho%ghts are not yo%r tho%ghts, neither are yo%r ways my ways, saith the !ord. 4or as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yo%r ways, and my tho%ghts than yo%r tho%ghts.
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Someone alwa$s sa$s, C6es, thatAs the pro!lem" /odAs wa$s are past findin% out"C No, that once was a pro!lem, !ut itAs not an$moreK ecause now we ha-e the ook and we ha-e the Teacher, the Hol$ Spirit 7ho indwells us for the purpose of leadin% and %uidin% us into all truth" I;ohn ')D'=J The i!le sa$s, C4or what man .noweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man whi&h is in him86 I' #or" *D''J" 7e ha-e not recei-ed the spirit of the world, !ut the Spirit which is of /od" 7h$E C""" that we might .now the things that are freely given to %s of *od6 I-" '*J" 7eAre not in the dark an$more" Now we know who we are and what is ours in #hrist ;esusK 7hen $ou la$ hold on the 7ord of /od and !ecome filled with the Hol$ /host, then /odAs wa$s can !ecome yo%r wa$s and His thou%hts can !ecome yo%r thou%hts" Then, than. *od, this higher way whi&h saiah is tal.ing abo%t be&omes yo%r way of doing things. There once was a time in m$ life when I li-ed in sickness" ut I found out that !$ the stripes of ;esus I was healed" I' .et" *D*+"J I found out that He !ore m$ sicknesses and carried m$ diseases" I0att" 2D'5"J I disco-ered
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that in the e$es of /od IAm not the sick tr$in% to %et well" Since #al-ar$, IAm the healed and IAm protectin% m$ health !$ standin% on /odAs 7ord and resistin% e-er$ s$mptom that comes to m$ !od$" 4or the past twel-e $ears m$ famil$ and I ha-e enBo$ed health" Someone once asked me, CLonAt $ou e-er ha-e opportunities to %et sickEC 6es, all the time" ut as /loria #opeland sa$s, C7e pass them !$"C IAm too !us$ to !e sick" I donAt ha-e time to let the Le-il put sickness and disease on me, especiall$ since ;esus has alread$ !orne m$ sicknesses in His !od$ so that I donAt ha-e to !ear them" 6ou see, there is a hi%her wa$ to li-e ph$sicall$" 7ell, I want $ou to know that there is also a hi%her wa$ to li-e financiall$, a!o-e the !e%%arl$ elements of this world" As far as the world knows, there is no hope for financial prosperit$ and securit$ an$more" The i!le sa$s in Ephesians that people who are without /od are without hope" IEph" *D'*"J The$ donAt ha-e a co-enantH the$ are without /od, without hope" Oh, the$ can put on a front, !ut deep down inside, the$ are hopeless" The$ donAt know the outcome of an$thin%" The$
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donAt know what is %oin% to happen tomorrow" 6ou ma$ sa$, CIAm a #hristian, and I donAt know that"C 6ou should" I didnAt sa$ $ou would know e-er$ detail of e-er$ step of $our life" ut $ou should know thisD CNo weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper6 IIs" 1+D'5J, and C f *od be for %s, who &an be against %s86 IRom" 2D='J, and nothin% shall !e a!le to separate us from the lo-e of #hrist" IRom" 2D=1"J These are a few of the thin%s IA-e learned from /odAs 7ord a!out how m$ tomorrows are %oin% to turn out" IA-e learned how to take /odAs 7ord and make circumstances line up with what /od sa$s" 7e ha-e that pri-ile%eH thatAs our hi%her wa$" The world is sufferin% toda$" This countr$ is sufferin% financiall$" The news media will -erif$ that" In fact, $ou ma$ ha-e heard the reports recentl$ that the unemplo$ment rate in our nation has reached its hi%hest peak in decades" .eople are hurtin%" The world is in trou!le" /o-ernments are failin% all o-er this planet" Economic s$stems are crum!lin%" 4inancial institutions are not workin% properl$" I canAt remem!er the last time I read an$ %ood
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news in the paper a!out the financial situation of this countr$ or an$ other countr$" #an $ouE Thin%s are crum!lin% all around us" #arnall$ minded men for the most part ha-e destro$ed the %odl$ principles upon which this nation was founded" Howe-er, that is chan%in%" Humanism has almost wrecked our educational s$stem, !ut that is chan%in% too" IAm %oin% to tell $ou somethin%" LonAt %et down in the dumps when $ou see Satan on the rampa%e !ecause 6where sin abo%nds, gra&e does m%&h more abo%nd.6 IRom" 1D*8"J ;ust when it appears that the Le-il has finall$ taken o-er, $ou can look up, !ecause C""" yo%r redemption draweth nigh.6 I3uke *'D*2"J /od will ne-er let that rat take o-er" HeAll ne-er let him winK /od will ne-er let the Le-il %et the !est of this thin%" Satan has !een tr$in% to do that for centuries, !ut $ou can read histor$ and seeD /od always comes out the winner" And /od is %oin% to win this one, tooK If $ou donAt !elie-e it, read the !ack of the ook? it sa$s we winK HalleluBahK %e don(t have to live according to the eggarly ele!ents of this world'
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Believe to )eceive
The pro!lem with most #hristians is a lack of commitment" 0an$ #hristians are tr$in% to li-e !$ !oth the worldAs s$stem and /odAs s$stem at the same time" It canAt !e done" I realiFe that this ma$ !e a little stron%, !ut itAs time we talked stron%" I donAt !elie-e in pullin% punches" I donAt !elie-e in paddin% thin%s or Bust sa$in% thin%s that people want to hear" IAm responsi!le for m$ callin%, for m$ assi%nment" In the !ook of Re-elation, the i!le %i-es us /odAs opinion of this matter of commitment" He tells usD
.now thy wor.s, that tho% art neither &old nor hot+ wo%ld tho% wert &old or hot. So then be&a%se tho% art l%.ewarm, and neither &old nor hot, will sp%e thee o%t of my mo%th. ;ev. <+(5,(7
0an$ of /odAs people think it is oka$ to da!!le in the thin%s of the world" The$ want to keep one foot in the 7ord and Bust sort of pla$ around with it" I want $ou to know, /od is a%ainst that?totall$ a%ainst it" He will not accept a people with a di-ided heart" ;esus said,
No man &an serve two masters+ for either he
4reedom 4rom "ondage will hate the one, and love the other= or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Matt. 7+:0
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6ou cannot ser-e two masters" Our i!le tells us that /od is a Bealous /od and will ha-e no other %ods !efore Him" Either $ou are %oin% to %et in the world, or $ouAre %oin% to %et into /od" If $ou sta$ in the world, $ou will not enBo$ the !lessin%s of Almi%ht$ /od" Now donAt misunderstand me" IAm not writin% or preachin% condemnation or ne%ati-ism" There is %ood news for $ou" There is an answer for $our need, for $our hurtin%" ut what I am doin% is definin% the pro!lem" IAm dealin% with some of the reasons wh$ we are not enBo$in% all of the !lessin%s /od has for us" 6ou see, part of the pro!lem has !een dissension amon% /odAs children" It is eas$ to %et identified with a %roup of #hristians and pick up a !it of the lin%o?talk the talk?and $et li-e differentl$ from what the$ preach" ItAs a shame that #hristians ta% and la!el themsel-es as aptist, or #atholic, or #hurch of /od, or NaFarene, or whate-er" Some still ha-e the idea that when we %et to hea-en we are %oin% to !e
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se%re%ated !$ denomination with all the aptists o-er here, the 0ethodists o-er there, and the #atholics someplace else" ut itAs not %oin% to !e that wa$ at all" /od ne-er ordained denominations" Those came out of strife" The$ de-eloped !ecause people were fussin% amon% themsel-es" So now we ha-e a new !reed of people who pride themsel-es on the fact that the$ are neither aptist, nor #atholic, nor 0ethodist, nor NaFarene, nor #hurch of /od" The$ are C7ord people"C The$ sa$ proudl$, C7eAre 7ord people"C COh, what do $ou !elie-eEC C7e !elie-e the 7ord"C C7ell, how is that different from the aptists, the 0ethodists, the #atholics, the NaFarenes, and so forthEC COh, weAre faith people" 7e !elie-e /od" 7e o-ercome the world" 7e mo-e mountains" 7e !elie-e the 7ord" 7e wonAt tolerate un!elief" 7eAre 7ord peopleKC 6et $ou would !e shocked if $ou were to follow some of them around and see how man$ of them still ha-e one foot in the world,
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compromisin% /odAs 7ord continuall$" If we are %oin% to !e 7ord people, then letAs trul$ !e 7ord people" If we are 7ord people, then we ou%ht to !e e<cellin% in e-er$ area of our li-es" 7hat do 7ord people !elie-eE The 7ord" 7ord people !elie-e the 7ord" Then wh$, ma$ I ask, are so man$ C7ord peopleC fussin% o-er /odAs 7ordE It is ridiculous the wa$ some mem!ers of the od$ of #hrist ha-e !een so decei-ed a!out certain areas of /odAs 7ord, the redempti-e truths He has spelled out so clearl$" A person would ha-e to !e totall$ duped !$ reli%ious ideas to miss the clarit$ of /odAs 7ord" As #harles #apps sa$s, C/odAs 7ord is so simple $ou need help to misunderstand it"C Throu%h the $ears we ha-e had plent$ of help" Oh, the clarit$ and the simplicit$ of /odAs 7ordK 7hen $ou !e%in to search /odAs 7ord and stud$ it, !ased on the redempti-e truths that took place at #al-ar$, e-er$thin% in it makes sense" It all !e%ins to flow to%ether" 6ou will understand what happened in the /arden of Eden" 6ou will understand what is happenin% in the !ook of Re-elation" 7hen $ou
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center it around the cross, e-er$thin% comes into focus, !ecause thatAs what the i!le is all a!out" The Old Testament is a promise of the crossH the New Testament attests to the fact that it happened" The first part of the i!le contains certain thin%s /od said would happenH the last part testifies that those thin%s did occur and e<plains their meanin% to us as !elie-ers" To enBo$ an$ of /odAs !lessin%s, $ou must recei-e them !$ faith" 6ou must !elie-e to recei-e" /od has pro-ided healin%H !ut $ou ha-e to !elie-e it !efore $ou will recei-e it" /od has pro-ided prosperit$, tooH !ut $ou can choose to li-e in po-ert$, ne-er ha-in% enou%h to meet $our needs" 6ou can li-e that wa$ if $ou want to" ut there is a !etter wa$D His name is ;esus" He was made to !e poor that we mi%ht !e made rich" I* #or" 2D("J Some people will literall$ fi%ht for the ri%ht to sta$ sick" The$ will sa$, C7ell, our pastor tau%ht us that healin% has passed awa$" He sa$s the prosperit$ messa%e is Bust a cult"C IsnAt it a shame that A!raham didnAt know thatE He should ha-e !een warned a%ainst it so he wouldnAt ha-e recei-ed all those riches from
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/od" I ha-e ne-er understood wh$ people ar%ue a!out somethin% that /od has %i-en us" 3et me clarif$ somethin% here" I know where much of this confusion and ar%ument comes from" It is a result of the misrepresentation that man$ so9called Cfaith peopleC ha-e %i-en" I realiFe that there are some amon% us who ha-e their e$es on nothin% !ut thin%s" The$ couldnAt care less a!out a real relationship with /od" All the$ want are thin%s" The$ are out to fulfill the lust of the flesh and of the e$e, and to do it in the name of faith" ut letAs not reBect the whole messa%e of prosperit$ Bust !ecause there are a few like that" There are some other people on this planet whose hearts are ri%ht and pure !efore /od, and He is prosperin% them" IAm not %oin% to condemn those who prosper" In fact, the i!le tells us to !e Cfollowers of them who thro%gh faith and patien&e inherit the promises6 IHe!" )D'*J" I want to learn from these people, !ecause the more !lessed I am, the more I can do for m$ /od" There are people who re!el a%ainst the idea of di-ine prosperit$, !ut the$ do it unBustl$,
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thinkin% that an$one who preaches prosperit$ is part of the minorit$ that has distorted it" There are those who ha-e distorted that truthH and in so doin%, the$ ha-e done a %reat inBustice to /odAs 7ord and a %reat disser-ice to His people" ut that doesnAt mean e-er$one who preaches di-ine prosperit$ is in that trap and has !een decei-ed as the$ ha-e" 7e must !e -er$ careful not to reBect the truth of /odAs 7ord Bust !ecause some ha-e misinterpreted, distorted, and a!used that truth" 6ou see, all false teachin% is !ased on scriptures that men ha-e distorted" ut Bust !ecause the$ distort it does not mean we should throw out the entire messa%e" I want you to know that God wants you saved, apti*ed, filled with the Holy Ghost, healed, prosperous. 6ou can take it or lea-e it" I trust that $ouAll take it, !ecause ;esus paid a precious price for it"
Good +ews
The Spirit of the !ord is %pon me >Jes%s said?, be&a%se he hath anointed me to prea&h the gospel to the poor= he hath sent me to heal the
4reedom 4rom "ondage bro.enhearted, to prea&h deliveran&e to the &aptives, and re&overing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are br%ised, to prea&h the a&&eptable year of the !ord. And he &losed the boo., and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagog%e were fastened on him. And he began to say %nto them, This day is this s&ript%re f%lfilled in yo%r ears. !%.e 0+($1:(
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;esus was sa$in% thisD CIn these writin%s !$ the prophet Isaiah, he was not speakin% of himself, !ut of one to come" I am that One"C 6ou would ha-e thou%ht that e-er$!od$ would reBoice at that news?especiall$ the ;ews" Here was their deli-erer, the one of whom the prophets had spoken !efore, the one who would deli-er them, the one who would set up His kin%dom and rei%n" The$ were lookin% for Him and had !een awaitin% Him for centuries" Now He was standin% in their midst" 6et it was not %ood news" In fact, the$ %ot mad" The$ wanted to kill Him for sa$in% it" 7h$ didnAt the$ want to hear %ood newsE ecause their minds had !een !linded" The e$es of their understandin% had !een !linded"
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Some people canAt let %o of reli%ious traditions !ecause of pride" Some ministers toda$ will not let %o of thin%s the$ ha-e !een teachin% which are contrar$ to /odAs 7ord, !ut a%reea!le to their denominations or traditions" The$ wonAt let them %o !ecause of pride" In the si%ht of /od, the man who is willin% to swallow his pride, admit he was wron%, and !e corrected is much %reater than the man who does much, it seems, for the @in%dom of /od !ut does it in error"
The Spirit of the !ord is %pon me, be&a%se he hath anointed me to prea&h the gospel to the poor ... to heal the bro.enhearted.
E-er$ person in that con%re%ation who was poor, !rokenhearted, capti-e, and !lind should ha-e reBoiced and said, CThank /od, deli-erance has come at lastKC ut the$ didnAt" The$ re!elled a%ainst it" The$ !ecame an%r$ at what He was preachin%" The$ decided it was not /odAs wa$ of doin% thin%s" The$ %ot mad at the messa%e and at the 0essen%er" The$ tried to kill Him" ut the$ couldnAt stop Him" ;ust !ecause a %roup of people re!elled, %ot mad, and wouldnAt !elie-e, /od did not take ;esus out of
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the earth and sa$, C4or%et it, Son" ItAs a waste of time" No!od$As %oin% to listen" I made a mistake"C No, He didnAt do that" 7hat did ;esus doE He simpl$ took His messa%e to the heathen" ;esus went to #apernaum" The people there didnAt ha-e an$ !etter sense than to !elie-e the /ood NewsK The$ didnAt ar%ue with it, and miracles took place" Si%ns and wonders occurred as the power of /od was manifested in their midst" 7h$E ecause the$ !elie-ed" The$ didnAt ar%ue with /od" The$ didnAt fuss a!out the messa%e" The$ Bust said, C6es, I !elie-e that"C The$ !elie-ed the messa%e, the$ !elie-ed the 0essen%er, the$ !elie-ed the 7ord of the 3i-in% /od?and it set them free" In the earl$ A)8s, there was a mi%ht$ mo-e of the Hol$ Spirit amon% the #atholics" These #atholics were %ettin% filled with the Hol$ /host and turned on to the 7ord of /od" 0iracles were happenin% all around them" Lo $ou know what man$ of the C4ull /ospelC people were doin% while this was %oin% onE The$ were pra$in% COh, /od, %i-e us re-i-alKC And it was happenin% all around themK
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I preached in a 4ull /ospel church in '(58 and /od mo-ed !$ His Spirit" 7e had a tremendous meetin%" 7hen it was o-er, the pastor came to me and said, CI ha-enAt seen an$thin% like this since '(1+" I donAt know wh$ /od quit mo-in% then"C I thou%ht, !ord, this man@s got t%nnel vision. Ae needs to get o%t of here and ta.e a loo. at what@s happening. There is a mi%ht$ mo-e of the Spirit of /od toda$, and no amount of people can stop what /od has ordained" The$ ma$ fuss and %ripe and complain, !ut all the$ can do is sit !ack and watch the rest of us who dare !elie-e it, recei-e it, and enBo$ it"
Purpose of Prosperity
;esus was a messen%er of %ood news, and itAs o!-ious that a lot of people did not want to hear %ood news" 7hat a!out $ouE 6ou should, !ecause thatAs what the /ospel is?%ood news" ItAs important that $ou realiFe that $ou cannot stop a mo-ement of /od" 6ou can onl$ stop $our in-ol-ement in it" No one is %oin% to stop /od from !lessin%
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His people !ecause it is in His mind" It is the plan of /od to prosper His people and it has a -er$ important role in !rin%in% ;esus !ack" 6ou see, this planet has to !e e-an%eliFed" And, m$ friend, $ou canAt do it for M("'5" It takes enormous amounts of mone$ to %et the /ospel out these da$s" At the time of this writin%, we are in the process of producin% pro%rams for our national tele-ision ministr$" ;ust sittin% and discussin% this with all the people who are in-ol-ed in it is mind9!o%%lin%" The plan /od has %i-en me almost sta%%ers m$ mind" ut I want to tell $ou somethin%" /od is /l ShaddaiBnot El #heapo" He is the /od of a!undance, and if He sa$s to do it, then we can do it" IAm e<cited a!out it and ea%er for the responsi!ilit$ of it" Now, what I want $ou to realiFe is thisD In order for the od$ of #hrist to set the sta%e Iif $ouAll allow me to put it that wa$J for the thin%s that are %oin% to !e happenin% in this earth !efore the return of the 3ord ;esus, then there are a few thin%s we must take control of" One of them is tele-ision" Tele-ision is a -ital tool in %ettin% the /ospel out" The i!le sa$s all thin%s were made for
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Him" Tele-ision was not made for porno%raph$, murder, prostitution, or an$ of the dia!olical thin%s comin% across it now" Tele-ision was made for /od" Satellites were made for the /ospel" And !efore itAs all o-er, weAre %oin% to ha-e control of themK Some!od$ asked me, CHow can $ou sa$ thatE How can the od$ of #hrist do thatEN IAll tell $ou how we can do it" The i!le sa$s in .ro-er!s '=D**, C""" the wealth of the sinner is laid %p for the C%st.6 /od will put it into our hands" On numerous occasions the i!le sa$s, C The earth shall be filled with the .nowledge of the glory of the !ord.6 IHa!" *D'+J" 7ell, how are we %oin% to fill the earth with the knowled%e of /od if we donAt ha-e the means at our disposalE How is the whole earth %oin% to !e filled if we #hristians donAt ha-e some a-enue to %et that knowled%e to themE The onl$ reason man has pro%ressed this far technicall$, scientificall$, mechanicall$, and electronicall$ is !ecause /od is %oin% to use all of that mar-elous knowled%e and technolo%$ for His %lor$" If /od did not ha-e a plan for all these thin%s, man would ha-e !een stopped at
<<
the steam en%ine lon% a%o" The onl$ reason men ha-e !een a!le to achie-e what the$ ha-e is !ecause /od has a plan" All these mar-els were made for Him, for His use Ior more precisel$, for our useJ" Lid $ou know that 585s, 5*5s, and 5+5s were not made for sinnersE ;um!o Bets werenAt in-ented for the CBet setC to peddle sin all o-er the world" The$ were made for the sake of the /ospel" Some people are %rum!lin% now !ecause their preacher dri-es a nice car" 7hat are the$ %oin% to do when he owns a 5+5 and is a!le to carr$ a whole con%re%ation into a nationE $ now, I am sure $our mind is %oin%, TiltK 6ou are pro!a!l$ thinkin%, #ear !ord, o%r &h%r&h &an@t even pay for the new ed%&ation b%ilding, and here this g%y is tal.ing abo%t flying to another &o%ntry in a Cet and ta.ing it over for the !ordD 7ell, if that shakes $ou, han% around /od some more" HeAs a !i%, !road, constructi-e thinkerK ThereAs no limit to HimK ;esus was a messen%er of %ood news, and His messa%e is still %oin% forth" He told His disciples, 6 t is more profitable for yo% that go
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away.6 I;ohn ')D5"J He said, 6The wor.s that do shall yo% do also, and greater wor.s than these shall yo% do be&a%se go to my 4ather.6 I;ohn '+D'*"J ;esus was a messen%er of %ood news, !ut He was limited in how man$ people He could reach with that %ood news" ecause He was in an earthl$ !od$, Bust like we are, He could onl$ !e in one place at a time" If He was preachin% in a s$na%o%ue in NaFareth, thatAs the onl$ place people could hear Him" If He was on the shores of /alilee or in the cit$ of #apernaum, a person had to %o there to hear the messa%e of %ood news" ut %reater works than those are !ein% done toda$ !ecause ;esus is totall$ unlimited" He can !e in thousands of places at one time !ecause He is not limited to one earthl$ -essel an$more" He has the od$ of #hrist, and all of us are the messen%ers of %ood news" Once upon a time I was li-in% in !onda%e? spirituall$, ph$sicall$, financiall$, sociall$, and mentall$" At one point in m$ life, in '()(, I had no relationship with /od at all" I was financiall$ !roke, spirituall$ dead, mentall$ tormented, and ph$sicall$ wrecked" I Bust wanted to throw up m$ hands and quit" There
<5
seemed no wa$ that I could e-er pa$ !ack all the mone$ I had lost in m$ !usiness" 0$ marria%e was on the rocks" I was a misera!le wreck at a%e *'" ut a man named @enneth #opeland came to town and preached the uncompromised 7ord of /od" It was the first time in m$ life I had e-er heard a preacher who wouldnAt water down the /ospel" He said what he meant, meant what he said, and pro-ed it !$ the 7ord of /od" He pro-ed that if $ouAll !elie-e it, it will workH !ut if $ou donAt, it wonAt" 0ost of the preachers I had heard until that time would cr$ and tell me, C e a #hristian" Ser-e /od" 3ose e-er$thin% $ouA-e %ot"C I was alread$ li-in% that kind of insecurit$ !efore I %ot sa-ed" I had alread$ lost it allK Thank /od, some!od$ dared to preach the /ood NewsK 7hen I %ot it in m$ spirit, I !e%an to come out of that !onda%e" I %ot deli-ered" 0$ marria%e %ot healed" /od deli-ered me financiall$ and spirituall$" He put m$ mind at ease and made a man out of meK Thank /od for @enneth #opeland who preaches %ood newsK
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There was a handful of people in that meetin% who !elie-ed the 7ord, and the$ came out of !onda%e" The rest of those folks %riped, complained, and sta$ed the same" ut I am not the same man I was at that time" 0$ /od has caused me to ride upon the hi%h places of the earth" IIs" 12D'+"J 7hatAs the differenceE The$ re!elled a%ainst the messa%e" I recei-ed it" 6ou see, /od is no respecter of persons" IActs '8D=+"J I wasnAt somethin% special, I wasnAt !orn under a luck$ star" I Bust made up m$ mind, CIAm %oin% to !elie-e the 7ord of /od re%ardless of what an$!od$ else thinks"C I !e%an to seek the 3ord" The i!le sa$s in .salms, CThey that see. the !ord shall not want any good thing.6 I.s" =+D'8J" /odAs !lessin%s !e%an to come upon me and o-ertake me" ;esus is a messen%er of %ood news, so all those who ha-e His messa%e in their hearts should !e !earers of %ood news" %ell, I have so!e good news to share with you. God wants you out of ondage' He wants you free' *
2
I!portance of , edience
mportan&e of Obedien&e
<9
It has ne-er !een the will of /od that His people !e in !onda%e of an$ kind" 7e need to !e free, especiall$ in the da$ in which we are now li-in%" 7hen /od speaks and tells us to do somethin%, we must !e a!le to do it quickl$, without hesitation or hindrance, and without ha-in% to consult others a!out it" 0$ friend, we ha-e reached the point on /odAs timeta!le that we can no lon%er !e dependent upon the financial s$stem of this world" /od wants us free from all that" He wants the od$ of #hrist in such a position that e-er$thin% we ha-e, we possess?not the !ank, nor the finance compan$, nor the mort%a%e compan$" /od wants us to possess the %oods of this world and to make them a-aila!le to Him for His purposes" 4or us to %et in that kind of position is %oin% to take a tremendous commitment to /odAs 7ord" #arol$n and I had to make that decision in '()(" It was not reall$ a maBor decision on our partH we had no choice" 7e were forced to do it" 7e were !roke and the !ank wouldnAt %i-e us an$ more mone$" 7e had !orrowed all we could from the finance compan$" 7e had e<hausted e-er$ a-enue"
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7e had !een li-in% in de!t for $ears, Bust tr$in% to keep up the interest pa$ments on all we owed" I didnAt know an$ other wa$ to li-e" I thou%ht the onl$ wa$ to %et what $ou needed was to !orrow the mone$ for it" Then if that wasnAt enou%h, to !orrow some more" If /od hadnAt deli-ered me out of that mess, it would ha-e taken me to mid90illennium to pa$ off all that I owed" ThatAs how lon% m$ notes were" Thank /od for deli-eranceK ThatAs not how /od wants us to li-e" He wants His people free, !ecause we are the e<tension of ;esusA ministr$ in the earth" ;esus had a tremendous reputation as a %i-er" He didnAt come into this world to takeH He came to %i-e" 6The Son of man &ame not to be ministered %nto, b%t to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.6 I0att" *8D*2J" ;esus %a-e His -er$ life for us" And thatAs e<actl$ what /od wants from us?He wants our li-es" /od doesnAt want Bust part of $ou" He doesnAt want $our mone$" He wants more than $our mone$" He wants you-all of $ou" If He can %et $ou, then e-er$thin% $ou possess will !e a-aila!le to Him"
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Giving. $he /ssence of Living

Now I want $ou to realiFe that /od is not tellin% us that we cannot ha-e Gthin%s"C /od does not want $ou to %o without" Some people ha-e the mistaken idea that /od does not want us to ha-e an$thin%" The$ think that is wh$ He wants us to %i-e all the time" The$ ha-e interpreted all this to mean that $ou ha-e to !e poor to ser-e /od" Now letAs ri%htl$ di-ide the 7ord of /od" 7hene-er /od asks $ou to give, it is first of all !ecause He wants $ou to receive. Lo $ou remem!er what He told A!raham in /enesis, chapter '*E 3etAs look at itD
And will ma.e of thee a great nation, and will bless thee, and ma.e thy name great= and tho% shalt be a blessing+ And will bless them that bless thee, and &%rse him that &%rseth thee+ and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. *enesis (:+:,<
/od said, 6 will bless yo%, and will ma.e yo% a blessing.6 ItAs one thin% to !e !lessed, !ut itAs somethin% else to !e a !lessin%" If I am !lessed, itAs !ecause I need to !e !lessed" ut if I am a
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!lessin%, then I !ecome an instrument of /od to help someone else" I !ecome a -essel throu%h which His di-ine fa-or flows out into someone elseAs life" There is nothin% that can compare to !ein% an instrument of /od to help someone else !e deli-ered" I ha-e had more fun !ein% /odAs instrument to !less someone else" I ha-e learned in m$ own life Bust e<actl$ what ;esus meant when He said, C t is more blessed to give than to re&eive.6 IActs *8D=1J" There is no %reater Bo$ in life than to !e a !lessin%" It is a thrill to ha-e somethin% a person needs and to hear /od sa$, C/i-e it to him,C then to see it pre-ent misfortune in that personAs life" There is nothin% on earth that can surpass that Bo$" /od wants us !lessed so we can !e !lessin%s" /od is not askin% us to %i-e and to make oursel-es a-aila!le to Him, so we will ha-e nothin%" If He asks $ou to %i-e, then $ou should %i-e with Bo$, e<citement, and praise" 6ou canAt out%i-e /od" He is %oin% to see that $ou are !lessed in return" IAm con-inced that we need to chan%e our attitude a!out %i-in%" The attitude of man$ people has !een that we %i-e to %et" No, thatAs
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!ackwardsK 7e donAt %i-e to %etH we li-e to %i-eK The essence of li-in% is %i-in%" ThatAs what life is all a!out" ThatAs the reason $ou and I are on this planet?not to see how much we can acquire !efore we die, !ut to see how much of oursel-es we can %i-e awa$ to humanit$ !efore we meet the 3ord" ThatAs what ;esusA life was all a!out, and thatAs what our li-es should !e all a!out" Now itAs o!-ious that spiritual laws are set in motion when we %i-e" 7e %i-e and we recei-e?thatAs a spiritual law, like sowin% and reapin%" ut %i-in% to %et should not !e the moti-ation in our li-es" Our moti-ation should !eD CIAm %i-in% !ecause thatAs life" /i-in% is the nature of /od, and His nature has !ecome m$ nature"C His nature has !ecome our nature, so it should !e the most natural thin% in the world for the children of /od to !e %i-ers" It is unnatural for a child of /od to !e stin%$ and to withhold"
0 Life12tyle, +ot a 2che!e

The 3ord told me, C0$ people are in financial famine, and I want them out" I want
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them free" I donAt want them in !onda%e"C God needs us out of ondage in order to acco!plish what needs to e done in this earth efore 3esus co!es. Therefore, we need to tap into the laws that will put us into that position, and !e o!edient to them, not Bust so we can prosper, !ut so we can !e instruments of /od" 4or man$ $ears now, I ha-e had the pri-ile%e of tra-elin% around this nation, ministerin% for the 3ord" I li-e in hotels, airplanes, and auditoriums all o-er the countr$" IA-e seen people come and %o" IA-e seen people %et into the flow of what /od is doin%, then IA-e seen them %et decei-ed and follow after somethin% else" There is one thin% I ha-e noticed o-er the $ears which I know must %rie-e our 3ord" .eople hear the messa%e of freedom and are set free onl$ to start centerin% e-er$thin% the$ do around themsel-es, for%ettin% a!out the rest of humanit$" 7hen an$ person replaces his Feal for winnin% people to ;esus with a desire for thin%s, he is in error" ThatAs the pro!lem with a
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lot of people in the od$ of #hrist ri%ht now" I meet people who ha-e their minds on thin%s? cars, airplanes, houses, clothes, e-er$thin% their flesh could possi!l$ lust after?so much so that the$ ha-enAt won an$!od$ to #hrist in $ears" 7hate-er happened to the Feal we had when we first %ot !orn a%ain, that !urnin% desire to share the /ood News with some!od$ elseE 0an$ people sit in churches e-er$ Sunda$ Bust to hear somethin% else that will ena!le them to %et more thin%s, $et the$ ha-e no concern a!out the spiritual condition of their nei%h!or" C ut I donAt ha-e time to witness,C the$ sa$" CIA-e %ot to make a li-in%" IA-e %ot !ills to pa$" IA-e %ot to %et a new car"C .ro-er!s ''D=8 sa$s, CAe that winneth so%ls is wise6, and wise people donAt sta$ !roke" 7ise people prosperK That is the messa%e of this !ookD G See. ye first the .ingdom of *od, and his righteo%sness= and all these things >yo% need? shall be added %nto yo%.3 I0att" )D==J" 6ou see, man$ people who come to our
00
meetin%s to hear me preach prosperit$ think IAm %oin% to tell them how to %et rich quick" 3et me tell $ou somethin%" An$ time $ou hear a %et9rich9quick messa%e, $ouAd !etter check it out !ecause itAs pro!a!l$ ille%al" /od has no %et9rich9quick, o-er9ni%ht9total9 success, all9a!undance9in9the9ne<t9hour formulas" /odAs 7ord deals with a life9st$le" This is not somethin% we tr$ for two weeks to see if it works" Either $ou are committed to this for life, or $ou are Bust pla$in% around with it" If $ou ha-e one foot in the worldAs wa$ and one foot in /odAs wa$, $ou will not succeed" 7e need to realiFe that /od has a plan for His people" He has paid a tremendous price for this plan and for pro-ision to !e made a-aila!le to His people" It is our responsi!ilit$ to %et our hearts ri%ht !efore /od, to !e upri%ht in character and pure in heart" If we will do that and make oursel-es a-aila!le to Him, if we will allow His !lessin% to come upon us and in turn !e a !lessin% to the rest of humanit$, then there is nothin% the Le-il can do to keep us in !onda%e" ut it must !e done /odAs wa$, not our wa$"
05
, edience 4ields Prosperity

Then he sheweth them their wor., and their transgressions that they have eE&eeded. Ae openeth also their ear to dis&ipline, and &ommandeth that they ret%rn from iniF%ity. f they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleas%res. "%t if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die witho%t .nowledge. Job <7+'1(:
7here did we %et the idea that /od lo-es po-ert$E He lo-es the poor man, !ut po-ert$ is a curse in the si%ht of /od" Thank /od, weA-e !een redeemed from the curse of po-ert$" I/al" =D'=,'+"J /od has set forth laws, rules, requirements, and conditions, which, if o!ser-ed and carried out, will result in a life of prosperit$ and pleasures" Howe-er, if these laws, rules, re%ulations, requirements, and conditions are i%nored, !onda%e will !e the result" 6ou see, /od ne-er sets thin%s in motion to !e i%nored" 7h$ would /od waste His time to put this in print Ifor which men ha-e shed their -er$ !lood that $ou and I mi%ht ha-e a cop$J if we
07
were Bust to i%nore itE 0an is /odAs most priFed creation, His crownin% achie-ement" Howe-er, man is the onl$ creature /od made that re!els a%ainst Him" The mule is supposed to !e the most stu!!orn animal in e<istence, $et he wonAt diso!e$ /od" There was a time when /od told the prophet alaam to preach, !ut the prophet wouldnAt o!e$" So /od anointed the prophetAs donke$ and the donke$ preached" INum" **"J Now that ou%ht to tell us somethin% a!out how stupid men can %etK The mule, !ein% a stu!!orn animal !$ nature, had !etter sense than to diso!e$ /od, while man re!elled a%ainst Him" Lid $ou know that the !irds wonAt re!el a%ainst /odE /od told the prophet EliBahD
*et thee hen&e, and t%rn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the broo. Gherith, that is before Jordan ... have &ommanded the ravens to feed thee there. ( Kings (9+<,0
7hen /od commanded those !irds to !rin% the prophet !read and meat twice a da$, the ra-en didnAt sa$, CI donAt want to, I did it last time" /et the sparrow"C irds donAt ar%ue with /od" The
09
ra-en wouldnAt think of diso!e$in% /od" 4ish wonAt diso!e$ /od either" One da$ when .eter needed ta< mone$, ;esus told him, 2*o fishing. The first fish yo% &at&h will have money in its mo%th. Ta.e that money and pay yo%r taEes and mine.6 I0att" '5D*5"J IAm con-inced that when ;esus said that, e-er$ fish around there immediatel$ started huntin% mone$, !ecause none of them knew which was %oin% to !e the first one .eter would catch" The fish didnAt Bump up out of the water and sa$, C;esus, weAre not %oin% to do this" 7eAre tired of huntin% mone$ down here in the deep, scrapin% our !ellies on the !ottom of this lake" 7eAre tired of huntin% mone$ for i%norant folks who canAt pa$ their own ta<es" 6ouAre Bust %oin% to ha-e to %et it some other wa$" .eter %ot himself in this messH let him %et himself outKC No, the$ wouldnAt ar%ue with /od" 7h$E ecause /od created all thin%s, and all thin%s are su!ordinate to /od" It was onl$ to man that /od %a-e a free will" He wanted man to !e as close to Himself as possi!le" It is our choice to o!e$ or diso!e$" 7e can choose to o!e$ /od, or we can choose to diso!e$"
0$
Here /od plainl$ tells us that if we o!e$ and ser-e Him, we shall?not ma$ or mi%ht possi!l$, !ut shall-spend our da$s in prosperit$ and our $ears in pleasures" He has also made it -er$ clear that if we do not o!e$, we shall perish" Now we consider oursel-es intelli%ent !ein%s" If so, then we ou%ht to ha-e sense enou%h to o!e$ /od" 7h$ donAt we alwa$s o!e$ /odE If we are totall$ honest, our answer is pro!a!l$ somethin% like thisD C ut /od doesnAt understand, I ha-e this pro!lem"C IA-e said that m$self" In times past, when /od would speak to me, I would answer, C ut, /od, 6ou donAt understand"C Now isnAt that stupidE If an$!od$ understands, /od does" After all, HeAs the All9 knowin% One" ut !ecause I was faced with a pro!lem which looked !i%%er than an$thin% I had e-er e<perienced !efore, the pro!lem in m$ estimation !ecame !i%%er than /od" Suddenl$ /od didnAt understand what I was %oin% throu%h" The i!le sa$s ;esus is the e<press ima%e of /od" IHe!" 'D="J He came into this earth and perfectl$ e<pressed the will, the nature, the
0'
a!ilit$, and the wa$s of /od" The i!le sa$s that while He was here, He was Cin all points tempted li.e as we are, yet witho%t sin.6 IHe!" +D'1J" There is nothin% $ou and I can e-er e<perience that ;esus has not alread$ conquered" He knows what itAs like to li-e on this planet" The i!le sa$s that we ha-e a Hi%h .riest 7ho can !e touched with the feelin% of our infirmities, I-" '1"J ;esus knows what itAs like !ein% here" He knows how mean and u%l$ people can !e" He e<perienced it Himself" He knows the pressures and trials of this world !ecause He confronted them too" ut He o-ercame them all, and He left us an e<ample to follow" ut listen to the testimon$ of ;esusD C The 4ather hath not left me alone= for do always those things that please him.6 I;ohn 2D*(J" This should !e our num!er one %oal" ,ur pri!ary goal in this life should not e to get rich& it should e to please God. If $ou will please /od, $ou will !e rich" /od will see to it that $ou ha-e e-er$ need met" I.hil" +D'("J ut we need to realiFe that /od has set forth certain laws, requirements, and conditions which we must o!e$ if we are to recei-e our
5)
needs met" /od is not %oin% to make us o!e$ them" He is not %oin% to force us to li-e !$ His commands" He Bust simpl$ sa$s, CIf $ou are intelli%ent enou%h to do what I sa$, then hereAs what I will do for $ou" If $ou wonAt do it, then I ha-e no choice !ut to let $ou lead $our own life" 6ou will li-e like the rest of the world and $ou will perish with them" 6ou will die without knowled%e"C /od has said, CMy people are destroyed for la&. of .nowledge.6 IHos" +D)J" ut thereAs no e<cuse for a lack of knowled%e in the da$ and a%e in which we li-e" The 7ord of /od is %oin% forth in the world like ne-er !efore" There is no e<cuse for the od$ of #hrist !ein% i%norant of the thin%s of /od" If there were ne-er another meetin% or cassette tape or paper!ack !ook made a-aila!le to $ou, $ou still ha-e the i!le" If $ou will %et with the Hol$ /host, $ou can learn it" There is no e<cuse for the od$ of #hrist to !e destro$ed !ecause of a lack of knowled%e" All the seals ha-e !een taken off /odAs 7ord" The Hol$ Spirit is re-ealin% to us the inner workin%s of our co-enant with /od and showin% us how to li-e !$ it" The Amplified "ible
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sa$s in .ro-er!s 'D**D 6Aow long, O simple ones ... will yo% love being simple86 The wisdom of /od is a-aila!le" ItAs cr$in% out in the streets"
AappyBblessed, fort%nate HenviableIBis the man who finds ... Jisdom ... 4or the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it than fine gold ... !ength of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are ri&hes and honor. Proverbs <+(<,(0,(7
So the wisdom of /od is a-aila!le to us" 7hat we need to do is to make the decision to !e o!edient to /od" 7e ha-e to quit leanin% to the natural, to the wa$s of this world" Lo $ou realiFe that man?carnall$ minded man?and /od are diametricall$ opposed to each otherE The world has one wa$ of doin% thin%sH /od has another" If $ou listen to most forms of mass communication toda$, $ou will hear the worldAs wa$" ut the i!le sa$s there are two kinds of wisdom in the earth" One is earthly, sens%al, devilish I;ames =D'1J" 4or the most part, that is what is !ein% con-e$ed to the world" The sad thin% is that the od$ of #hrist has
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fallen into the trap of %oin% alon% with what the world sa$s" If the world sa$s there is depression, then we %et depressed" If it sa$s there is inflation, then we %et inflated" /enerall$, whate-er the world sa$s, the od$ of #hrist accepts as the G%ospel truth"C ut it is not the /ospel truthK There is another truth, another wisdom Cthat is from above.6 I-" '5J" This truth tells us that we #hristians are not su!Bect to this worldAs s$stem" 7e !elon% to a hi%her orderK 7e !elon% on a hi%her planeK
+eed for Discipline

It is sad to report, howe-er, that man$ of /odAs children are not enBo$in% all the !enefits of that hi%her life" The$ simpl$ lack the self9 discipline necessar$ to %et into /odAs 7ord and to make up their minds that the$ are %oin% to li-e in this hi%her realm whether an$!od$ else does or notK It takes determination to do that" 0ost people ha-enAt !een trained to e<ercise self9 discipline" Our societ$ toda$ is %eared to a sort of Ctake9it9eas$, han%9loose, if9it9feels9%ood9do9 itC attitude" The od$ of #hrist has allowed
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those principles to creep into the #hurch" The pre-ailin% attitude seems to !eD CIf the preacher sa$s somethin% I donAt like, IAll Bust lea-e"C CIf thin%s donAt %o the wa$ I like, IAll Bust quit"C GIf I donAt feel like %oin% to church, IAll Bust sta$ home"C 7ith such a Ctake9it9or9lea-e9it, an$thin%9 %oesC attitude, no wonder so man$ people are ha-in% a hard time spirituall$, ph$sicall$, and financiall$" Somewhere down the line $ou ha-e to draw a !oundar$ in $our life and sa$, CIn the name of ;esus #hrist of NaFareth, those are deeds of the old man" IAm a new man, and IAm not %oin% to li-e that wa$ an$more" IAm not %oin% to follow those paths an$more"C 7hen $ou make that decision, !e forewarned" It wonAt !e lon% until $ou %et a mar-elous opportunit$ to %o !ack to the old wa$" 7h$E ecause C Satan &ometh immediately, and ta.eth away the word.6 I0ark +D'1J?if $ou let himK e assured that the Le-il will tr$ to force $ou !ack to $our old wa$ of life" 0an$ times people stand up and sa$, CIAm %oin% to do it /odAs wa$ from now on"C Then Satan comes to attack, and suddenl$ the$ !e%in
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to weaken" The pressure !uilds, and the$ fall apart" All of a sudden the$ realiFe that the$A-e compromised" COh, I know this is not ri%ht, !ut I donAt know an$thin% else to do"C Sooner or later, the$ are totall$ !ack into the worldAs wa$ of thinkin%, actin%, and li-in%" Oh, the$ still lo-e /od" ut !ecause of a lack of commitment and discipline, the$ end up li-in% like the rest of the world around them, -ictims of the worldAs s$stem" ItAs time we were deli-ered from that" ItAs time we make the decision to %o /odAs wa$" This is not the easiest decision $ou will e-er make, !ut, dear /od, itAs worth itK It is worth all of the hours spent in /odAs 7ord and in fellowship with Him" It is worth the effort and the discipline it takes to refuse to %o the worldAs wa$" It is worth it !ecause one da$ pa$da$ will come" 7hen it !ecomes a life9st$le, $ou wouldnAt consider %oin% an$ other wa$K I canAt ima%ine li-in% the wa$ I used to li-e" I canAt ima%ine turnin% m$ !ack on /odAs s$stem now" IAm !lessed" /od is prosperin% me" IAm in health" IAm ha-in% the time of m$ life" IAm not sa$in% that I ne-er ha-e pro!lems" IAm not sa$in% that I ne-er e<perience ad-ersit$"
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If an$thin%, I ha-e %reater ad-ersit$ now than IA-e e-er known, !ecause 6to whom m%&h is given, m%&h is reF%ired.6 I3uke '*D+2"J The Le-il does not stop attackin% $ou Bust !ecause $ou %ain knowled%e" If an$thin%, $ou !ecome more dan%erous to him, and he will attack harder" ut the more knowled%e $ou %et, the stron%er $ou %et" The stron%er $ou %et, the !etter $ou resist" The !etter $ou resist, the quicker he flees" /od has made pro-ision so that e-en thou%h Satan does come to tr$ to steal the 7ord from us, we %et stron%er in the 3ord and can o-ercome e-er$ attack"
%hy God(s People 2uffer

Now notice that /od sa$s, 2 f they obey and serve Me, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleas%res. "%t if they will not obey Me, they shall perish by the sword, and shall die witho%t .nowledge.6 In His -isitation, the 3ord told me, CSon, 0$ people are sufferin% financiall$ in this da$ and time !ecause of three maBor factorsD diso!edience, re!ellion, and lethar%$"C 3etAs consider these for a moment"
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Diso edience
/od has told us what to do, !ut we ha-e said that it wonAt work" He has told us how to do thin%s His wa$, !ut we ha-e said, C ut, 3ord, the e-enin% news sa$s """C /od is tellin% us one thin%H the world is tellin% us another" 7e stand in the strate%ic position of choosin% which one we are %oin% to !elie-e" 0an$ times !ecause of a lack of commitment to /odAs wa$, we lean to the worldAs wa$" 3et me ask $ou a question" Lo $ou ha-e childrenE If $ou do, do $ou demand o!edience from themE Is it not well with them when the$ o!e$, and not so well with them when the$ donAtE The i!le sa$s, CAono%r thy father and thy mother ... that it may go well with thee.6 ILeut" 1D')J" ThatAs what I tell m$ kids e-er$ time the$ are diso!edient" I sa$, CIt is not well with thee, and it is not %oin% to !e well with thee until thou doest ri%ht" 7hen thou doest ri%ht, it will !e well with thee a%ain"C If there is one scripture m$ kids know itAs thisD CIt wonAt !e well with thee unless thou o!e$s th$ papaKC I demand o!edience from m$ children" It
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displeases me when the$ are diso!edient" Now the$ are Bust kids, like an$!od$ elseAs kids" The$ tr$ thin%s here and there, and the$ %et punished for it" The$ are corrected and disciplined" 7e sit down to%ether and talk a!out whatAs ri%ht and wron%" I can show them from /odAs 7ord wh$ what I sa$ is the wa$ to !eha-e" Then the$ ha-e the choice of either o!e$in% or diso!e$in%" If the$ diso!e$, it is not %oin% to !e well with them" The$ open themsel-es up for trou!le" If the$ o!e$, then Bust what has !een promised is %oin% to come to pass" If I demanded o!edience from m$ children, and then diso!e$ed /od m$self, I would !e a h$pocrite" 7hat kind of an e<ample would that !e for m$ childrenE If I e<pect them to o!e$ me, then the$ ha-e e-er$ ri%ht to e<pect me to o!e$ m$ 4ather, and so does /od" If we sa$ to our children, C6ou are %oin% to o!e$ me or !e punished,C then turn ri%ht around and sa$ to /od, C ut, 4ather, 6ou donAt understandH I donAt want to do that,C what kind of e<ample is thatE 7hat do $ou think will !e the result of that kind of h$pocris$E No wonder so man$ families end up with re!ellious children, !ecause the parents themsel-es re!el"
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)e ellion
6ou ma$ sa$, C ut IAm not re!ellin% a%ainst /od"C 7ell, letAs consider what re!ellion is" 3etAs take tithin% for e<ample" Lid $ou know that tithin% is a principle of / od8 Some people ar%ue a!out whether tithin% is a New Testament teachin% and whether New Testament people should !e tithers" Those who want to ar%ue a%ainst it sa$ that tithin% was instituted in the Old Testament under the 3awH therefore, as New Testament creatures we are e<empt from it" ThatAs not so" Tithin% was part of the Old Testament 3e-itical 3aw" 7e find the tithe first mentioned as a requirement of the 3aw in the twent$9se-enth chapter of 3e-iticus" ut that is not the first time tithin% is mentioned in the i!le" Tithin% %oes !ack to /enesis, the first !ook of the Old Testament" There we read that A!raham %a-e /od Ctithes of all.6 I/en" '+D*8J" In fact, it was not /od 7ho instituted the tithe?it was A!raham" A!raham did not tithe !ecause it was a law" The law hadnAt e-en !een %i-en $etK He did it !ecause of his lo-e for /od, !ecause of his Cattitude of %ratitudeC for what
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the 3ord had done in his life" 7e tithe !ecause we want to" 7hen $ou realiFe from /odAs 7ord that tithin% is a principle in which /od e<pects $ou personall$ to take part, !ut then refuse to do so, that is diso!edience" Once $ou ha-e !een told that it is diso!edience and still refuse to tithe, then that is re!ellion" The i!le sa$s Crebellion is as the sin of wit&h&raft.6 I' Sam" '1D*=J" And /od wonAt !less witchcraftK 7hen $ou fail to o!e$ /od, $ou are diso!edient" Once $ou realiFe $ou ha-e !een diso!edient in an$ area II Bust used tithin% as an e<ampleJ and ha-e !een told to correct that diso!edience, !ut $ou still refuse to o!e$, then $ou are no lon%er Bust diso!edient?$ou are re!ellious" Liso!edience leads to re!ellion" If $ou tell $our child to do somethin% around the house and he doesnAt do it, that is simple diso!edience" ut if $ou point out to him what he was supposed to do, clearl$ instruct him to do it?and how to do it?and he still refuses to o!e$, then his diso!edience has !ecome re!ellion" 6ou see, man$ times the reason we ha-e not known the kind of prosperit$ that /od has
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made a-aila!le to us is !ecause there are areas of diso!edience in our li-es" 7hen we continue to !e diso!edient, it leads to re!ellion" And there is no wa$ /od can !less re!ellion" ut there is a cure for diso!edience and re!ellionD repentance" If we will turn to the 3ord in sincere repentance, He will sa-e us and deli-er us from destruction" There ha-e !een times in m$ own life when /od has instructed me !$ His 7ord to do somethin%, and as soon as I saw it, I wished I hadnAtK I didnAt want to hear it, so I tried to i%nore it" If I was mad or an%r$ at some!od$, I would tr$ to for%et I had e-er read #hristAs teachin%s a!out strife and disharmon$" I would find somethin% in the i!le I liked !etter, somethin% like, C"less the !ord, O my so%l, and forget not all his benefits.6 I.s" '8=D*J" I liked the part a!out all His !enefits" But, you see, we can(t ignore God(s instruction and e5pect to receive His enefits. It 6ust won(t work. 7hen we i%nore the thin%s /od has spelled out -er$ clearl$ in His 7ord, thatAs diso!edience" 7hen we continue to diso!e$, it leads to re!ellion" 7hen we are in re!ellion, we cannot in-ite /od into the midst of our pro!lem
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until we ha-e rid oursel-es of that diso!edience and re!ellion" He is alwa$s there with open arms, waitin% for the moment that we sa$, C4ather, for%i-e me"C 7hen we do, thatAs when He takes char%e" He for%i-es and cleanses, puttin% that sin under the !lood of ;esus" He wipes the slate clean and sa$s to us, CNow, start afresh"C Then He sa$s, C/o, and sin no more" LonAt !e diso!edient an$more"C Thank /od for His %race and for His merc$K ut somewhere down the line we should mature enou%h that we donAt need special manifestations of His %race" 7e should !e%in to %row up spirituall$" 7e e<pect our children to %row up" 7e e<pect the principles that we la$ down to !ecome a part of their nature and their life so that the$ follow them unconsciousl$, Bust like %ettin% dressed in the mornin%" It is a part of m$ nature to wear clothes" 0$ mother tau%ht me how to put on m$ own clothes when I was a little !o$" Thou%h I didnAt understand wh$, she made me realiFe I couldnAt lea-e the house without m$ clothes on" I donAt ha-e to call up m$ mother e-er$ mornin% and ask her, C0ama, should I put on
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m$ clothes toda$EC The thin%s we are teachin% our children should e-entuall$ !ecome an inte%ral part of their li-es, of their -er$ natures" In the same wa$ when /od instructs us in an area or leads us in a path we are to take, we should do it without hesitanc$" 7e should not e-en think twice a!out whether or not we ou%ht to o!e$" It almost amuses me when people come up to me and ask, C rother ;err$, /od told me to do somethin%" Lo $ou think I shouldEC If /od told $ou to do it, !$ all means do itK If $ou are not sure whether or not it was /od, thatAs another thin%" ut if $ou know deep down in $our heart that /od told $ou to do it, then $ou donAt need a confirmation" /odAs tellin% $ou is confirmation enou%h" 7ell, /od has told $ou that if $ou will o!e$ Him, $ou will spend $our da$s in prosperit$ and $our $ears in pleasures" Are $ou %oin% to do itE
Lethargy
3ethar%$ is another thin% which has run rampant in the od$ of #hrist" .eople %et laF$
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and slothful sometimes" In e-er$ church there is usuall$ one %u$ who is turned on and who wants to do e-er$thin%" 7hen the pastor %i-es him somethin% to do, he %ets in there and does it" 7hen another need arises, the pastor asks for people to %et in-ol-ed, !ut no!od$ will" Then this %u$ pops up and sa$s, CIAll do it, .astorKC So he does it" efore $ou know it, heAs doin% all the Bo!s" No matter what the need is?teachin% a Sunda$ School class, keepin% the nurser$, cleanin% the restrooms?this %u$ is ri%ht there to do it" E-er$thin% %ets piled on that one person" 7h$E ecause there are a multitude out there who are laF$" The$ sa$, CIf I take that Bo!, IAll !e too tied down,C or CIf I %et in-ol-ed in that, I wonAt !e a!le to do this,C or CIf I %et committed to that, IAll miss the Super owl"C And those people canAt understand wh$ the$Are ha-in% such a stru%%le with pro!lems all the timeK IAm so %lad /od doesnAt ha-e that attitude when IAm in needD CIAm sorr$, ;err$, !ut IAm so !us$ with rother #opeland" I canAt help $ou ri%ht now" If I met yo%r needs, I couldnAt -isit with him"C
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ArenAt $ou %lad /od isnAt like thatE I ha-e ne-er run into @enneth #opeland at the throne room of /od, ha-e $ouE 7hen I %o to /od, I ne-er see an$ of /odAs children there" E-er$ time IAm in need, I ha-e /odAs full attention? and I donAt ha-e to stand in line to %et it" ThatAs the wa$ He wants me to !e where HeAs concerned?a-aila!le" If I make m$self a-aila!le and o!edient to Him, then He sa$s I will spend m$ da$s in prosperit$ and m$ $ears in pleasures" There was a $oun% man who worked with our ministr$ a few $ears a%o" The first time I met him, I knew he was one of the rare kind who Bust canAt %et enou%h of the 7ord of /od" This $oun% man wanted to work with us, !ut at the time we didnAt ha-e an$ positions open" He started comin% to our church" He took notes on e-er$thin% that was preached" He studied the 7ord constantl$" A few months went !$, then one da$ our office mana%er said to me, C6ou know, we need another maintenance man to clean up around here"C So I su%%ested that he check with that $oun% man and see if he was interested"
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0ost people who come around lookin% for a Bo! want to start at the top" The$ want to preach" ut this $oun% man said, CIAll do an$thin%"C 7hen he came on staff, the first thin% he did was work outside on the %rounds" 7hen I dro-e up, he was out there workin%" He had a cassette recorder a!out '2 inches lon% strapped to his side, with headphones on his head and wires runnin% all o-er his !od$" He was pla$in% some of m$ teachin% tapes while he worked" One da$ he read in Leuteronom$ ) where /od said to !ind the 7ord around $our neck and ha-e it on $our wrist" He came in the ne<t da$ with that recorder and headset on as usual, !ut there was a !i% !and around his arm" He had put some scriptures on that !and" E-er$ time he looked at it, he would read it o-er and confess those scriptures" One da$ he came in with a piece of wire wrapped around his neck and stickin% out in front of his face" He had some scriptures on it so he could read them while he was hoein%K I ne-er saw an$thin% like it" IAm not su%%estin% that $ou %o to such an e<treme" That %u$ was desperate for the 7ord,
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and he didnAt care what he looked like or what people thou%ht or said a!out him" Some folks thou%ht he was nuts" He did look like a nut" ut, $ou see, he had made up his mind that he was %oin% to %et the 7ord, and he didnAt care what it took to do itK He Bust kept o!e$in% /od and doin% what /od said to do" Toda$ he is the pastor of a -er$ successful church" /od prospered him" 3ethar%$ is actuall$ a spirit that comes upon people?a spirit of laFiness and slothfulness" It is an effort of the ad-ersar$ to %et us to la$ down, %i-e up, and pla$ dead" 3ots of people are affected !$ this spirit" One reason is the wa$ the$ were !rou%ht up" Some people ne-er had an$ responsi!ilit$, so the$ donAt know how to handle it" I ut, thank /od, the$ can learn"J I was not a disciplined indi-idual when I came to ;esus" In fact, I was totall$ undisciplined" I was a compromise %oin% somewhere to happen" I went throu%h at least ten Bo!s the first $ear and a half of m$ marria%e" 7h$E ecause when thin%s %ot tou%h and pressure came, I would Bust quit" Lurin% m$ first semester at colle%e, I did fine until final
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e<ams" I quit school two weeks !efore the semester ended" I did not ha-e the principle of discipline !uilt into me as I do now" It was not somethin% I had alread$ de-eloped" The 7ord of /od made a new man out of me" ;esus said, C f ye &ontin%e in my word, then are ye my dis&iples indeed.6 I;ohn 2D='J" #is&iple comes from the word dis&ipline. ThatAs what a disciple is?a disciplined one" If we continue in the 7ord, it will discipline us" In fact, if $ou e<pect to li-e !$ /odAs 7ord, $ou will ha-e to %et disciplined" It puts a demand on $our life" 0an$ people re!el at what the$ call the Gfaith messa%e"C The reason the$ re!el is !ecause it demands that the$ do somethin%" Some people simpl$ donAt want to do an$thin%" ut in !oth the Old #o-enant and the New #o-enant, /od alwa$s demanded that His people o!e$" If the$ did, it was well with them" If not, the$ suffered the consequences of their diso!edience"
Co!!it!ent
%hen you get so desperate for the %ord
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that you will o ey God no !atter what, then you will spend your days in prosperity and your years in pleasures. If $ou donAt o!e$, $ou will perish" ;esus said, CAe that hath my &ommandments, and .eepeth them, he it is that loveth me.6 I;ohn '+D*'J" If we donAt keep His 7ord, there is e-er$ reason to question whether we reall$ lo-e /od" ItAs important to realiFe these thin%s and make the decision to do whate-er we see in /odAs 7ord" 7e must make the commitment that whate-er /od sa$s to us !$ the Hol$ Spirit, we will do" 7e must not !e children who are diso!edient and re!ellious, !ut alwa$s pleasin% to our 4ather"
%here the Bla!e Goes

I said that the three maBor thin%s which ha-e caused /odAs people to !e in !onda%e are diso!edience, re!ellion, and lethar%$" The cure, as we ha-e seen, is simpl$ to repent and !e%in to o!e$ /od" Now, $ou need to reco%niFe and admit one simple fact" Read it out loudD 7If I a! failing, if I a! not prospering, if I a! not successful, it is not God(s fault, nor the fault of the %ord of God-it is !y fault.7
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Too man$ times people donAt want the responsi!ilit$ put on them" ItAs so much easier to place the !lame on some!od$ else when thin%s are %oin% wron%" 7e %ot that from Adam" 7hen /od asked Adam wh$ he had diso!e$ed, Adam said, CIt wasnAt me" It was that woman 6ou %a-e meKC E-er since that time, people ha-e !een pointin% their fin%er at some!od$ else" Ask some!od$, C7hatAs $our pro!lemEC The$ will pro!a!l$ answerD C0$ wife """ m$ hus!and """ m$ kids """ m$ pastor """ m$ !oss """ m$ emplo$ees """ the %o-ernmentKC How man$ times will someone answer, C0eCE Not -er$ often" ut thatAs where the fault lies?with us" If there is an$ failure, an$ defeat in our li-es, we are responsi!le" 7e ha-e no one to !lame !ut oursel-es" ut, praise /od, we donAt ha-e to stop there" 7e donAt ha-e to accept thin%s as the$ are" 7e can chan%e them" 7e Bust need to reco%niFe the truth of our failure and quit !lamin% others for it" Then repent, !e%in to o!e$ /od, and reap all the !enefits of that o!edienceK IAm so %lad that /od isnAt %oin% to wait until e-er$!od$ in the world shapes up !efore He
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does somethin% with me" The responsi!ilit$ is on me" 0$ !lessin%s will !e%in to flow when I %et m$self lined up with /odAs 7ord" It is o!-ious that the world is not o!e$in% /od" ThatAs wh$ the world is sufferin% like it is ri%ht now" The world is hurtin%, %o-ernments are failin%, economic s$stems are in chaos, financial institutions are crum!lin%, and people as a whole are sufferin%" ut Bust !ecause thatAs the wa$ the world is %oin% does not mean the od$ of #hrist has to follow that trend" 7e donAt ha-e to %o down that ne%ati-e stream" /od has saidD
My tho%ghts are not yo%r tho%ghts, neither are yo%r ways my ways, saith the !ord. 4or as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yo%r ways, and my tho%ghts than yo%r tho%ghts. saiah 55+$,'
If we make the decision to %o /odAs wa$, then we will !e on a hi%her plane than the one on which this world is operatin%" E-en thou%h the world ma$ !e headed for ruin, we donAt ha-e to %o with it" ;ust !ecause the world is headed for a recession, or depression, or inflation, does not mean we ha-e to %o that
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wa$" 7e are in the world, !ut not of it" The .salmist saidD C have been yo%ng, and now am old= yet have not seen the righteo%s forsa.en, nor his seed begging bread.6 I.s" =5D*1J" Thou%h we are in this world, and this world is headed in a ne%ati-e -ein, we do not ha-e to !e %o-erned !$ that" Some!od$ asked me, C7hat are $ou %oin% to do if %asoline reaches M1 a %allonEC As lon% as /od has M1"'8, we can %o" E-er$ time %as prices %o up, and %rocer$ prices %o up, and rent %oes up, I make an appointment with m$ 4ather and sa$, C4ather, I need an increase in m$ allowance"C I ha-e ne-er !een forsaken and ha-e ne-er !e%%ed for !read" It doesnAt make an$ difference if !read %oes to M'("5* a loaf? /od has M'("5=K And itAs a-aila!le to all His kids" If we are o!edient to /od, we donAt ha-e to !e %o-erned !$ what is happenin% in this world" As for me and m$ house, we are %oin% /odAs wa$ !ecause /odAs wa$ worksK How a!out $ouE /odAs s$stem is a hi%her s$stem, and it works" It supercedes the laws !$ which the world li-es" If we are not prosperin% !ecause
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we are followin% the course of this world, itAs our fault" ItAs !ecause of our diso!edience" All it takes for us to turn the situation around is to make a true commitment to /odAs wa$ of doin% thin%s, then refuse to !ack off from that commitment" I ha-e ne-er re%retted m$ decision to li-e !$ /odAs 7ord?and neither will $ou" ut in order to reap the !enefits, we must !e o!edient" Sa$ this with me out loudD GIf I o!e$ and ser-e /od, I shall spend m$ da$s in prosperit$ and m$ $ears in pleasures"C Now stand firm on that promise, and $ou will see it come to pass in $our lifeK
8 %illingness to 2erve
It is the will of /od that His people prosper" This is especiall$ important to the #hurch !ecause of the times in which we li-e and !ecause of our responsi!ilit$ as #hristAs representati-es and am!assadors in this world" /od tells us in His 7ord that Cthe wealth of the sinner is laid %p for the C%st.6 I.ro-" '=D**J" 7h$ is thatE 7hat is the purpose of that wealthE 7hat are Cthe BustC %oin% to do with itE 7e are %oin% to finance the %reatest re-i-al this planet has e-er seen" /od has not promised wealth for us so we can spend it on our lust" /od is not a%ainst our possessin% thin%sH He is a%ainst thin%s possessin% us" The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the Bust so that our needs will !e met, !ut its primar$ purpose is so that we can !ecome
5=
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channels of !lessin% or instruments of Almi%ht$ /od" It is %oin% to take lots of mone$ to finance the re-i-al that is comin% on this planet !efore the return of the 3ord ;esus" Ri%ht now Satan is usin% people in the world as reser-oirs of the wealth which ri%htfull$ !elon%s to the od$ of #hrist for the sake of the /ospel" Satan wants people who will follow him and do e<actl$ as he instructs them to do" Then he can use those people as reser-oirs to funnel %reat sums of mone$ into acti-ities that are e-il and detrimental to societ$" ut .ro-er!s '=D** is a commandment of /od which has alread$ !een released, and it will come to passD CThe wealth of the sinner is laid %p for the C%st.6 The Amplified "ible puts it this wa$D 6The wealth of the sinner Hfinds its way event%allyI into the hands of the righteo%s, for whom it was laid %p.6 ThatAs wh$ I am so thrilled with the messa%e ;esus has %i-en to me, so assured of its authenticit$ and so confident of our success" /od wants us to prosper !ecause in these last da$s we ha-e a tremendous responsi!ilit$, a -ital role to pla$ in !rin%in% ;esus !ack to the
Jillingness to Serve
95
earth to catch awa$ the saints" There is an enormous Bo! to !e done" To accomplish that Bo!, /od needs for us as His people to !e prosperous"
$he Lord(s )e uke

As I ha-e alread$ stated, we ha-e not prospered to the de%ree that /od desires !ecause of diso!edience, re!ellion, and lethar%$" 7e simpl$ ha-e !een laF$ where /odAs instructions are concerned" 3etAs read ;o! =)D( once a%ainD
Then he sheweth them their wor., and their transgressions that they have eE&eeded.
3et me make this statementD If $ou will sta$ pure !efore /od and allow Him to re-eal $our work to $ou, He will show $ou where $ou are missin% it" He will !rin% $our error to $our attention and show $ou what $ou ha-e !een doin% wron%" I want $ou to realiFe that we as mem!ers of the od$ of #hrist should welcome a re!uke from the 3ord" If IAm in error, I donAt want to sta$ thereH I want /od to correct me" Error creates !onda%e, !ut the truth will set $ou free" I;ohn 2D=*"J If I am in error, I want /od to
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tell me plainl$, C;err$, hereAs $our pro!lem"C It ma$ hurt, !ut thatAs !etter than li-in% in !onda%e all m$ life" 7hen /od points His fin%er at $ou and sa$s, COuit doin% that,C it ma$ hurt" At first, $ou ma$ not want to accept it" ut the i!le sa$s it is a fool who refuses instruction" I.ro-" 'D5"J A wise man welcomes a re!uke" ThatAs how we are corrected and !rou%ht out of error" 3et me call to $our attention what the Apostle .aul said to Timoth$D C Prea&h the word= be instant in season, o%t of season= reprove, reb%.e, eEhort with all long s%ffering and do&trine.6 I* Tim" +D*J" Two of these three instructions are not comforta!le for the od$ of #hristD repro-e and re!uke" 7h$ did .aul instruct Timoth$ to repro-e, re!uke, and e<hortE ecause these thin%s !rin% perfection to the od$ of #hrist" Second Timoth$ =D') sa$s that all Scripture is %i-en !$ inspiration of /od and is profita!le for reproof, correction, and instruction" 7e need to welcome /odAs correction in our li-es" 7hen /od re-eals that we are in error, it is not !ecause He is condemnin% us" 7hen $ou are actin% in conflict with /odAs 7ord, He will not condemn $ou, !ut He will con-ict $ou !$
99
His Spirit" I welcome /odAs correction and instruction !ecause I donAt want to li-e in !onda%e"
Ae sheweth them their wor., and their transgressions that they have eE&eeded. Ae openeth also their ear to dis&ipline, and &ommandeth that they ret%rn from iniF%ity. Job <7+',()
ThatAs %ood instruction" If $ou will %o !efore /od and sa$, C4ather, show me m$ error,C /od will do it" Then He will open $our ear to discipline" Once $ou ha-e !een shown $our error, /od will e<pect $ou to discipline $ourself in that area" In other words, $ou will !e held responsi!le for that instruction" He will e<pect $ou to walk in the li%ht of it" 6ou will !e e<pected to determine that no matter what the pressure or temptation, $ou will not compromise and $ield to it a%ain" /od will e<pect $ou to Creturn from iniquit$"C
0n 0ttitude of 2ervitude
Then -erse '' sa$s, 2 f they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleas%res.3 Once a%ain, we ha-e a
9$
condition" /od sa$s, 2 f they obey and serve ....3 Some people think a!out !ein% o!edient, !ut the$ will not ser-e" /od sa$s, C f they obey and serve....3 E-identl$ /od wants us to ha-e an attitude of o!edience and an attitude of ser-itude" I realiFe we are no lon%er under the 3aw" Howe-er, ;esus said that no man can ser-e two masters" No man can ser-e two masters" Apparentl$ there is a responsi!ilit$ where the od$ of #hrist is concerned to ser-e one master, not Bust %i-e lip ser-ice to him" 7hen $ou relinquish $our relationship with Satan, $ou !ecome lo$al to /od" 7hen $ou sa$, CSatan, $ouAre no lon%er the %od of m$ life" I make ;esus the 3ord of m$ life,C $ou take upon $ourself an attitude of ser-itude" 6our entire e<istence should then center around ser-in% Him" 7hen $oun% men are called into the armed forces of this nation, we sa$ the$ are Cin the ser-ice,C meanin% Cin the ser-ice of our nation"C As #hristians, we are soldiers of the 3ord, in the ser-ice of the 3ord" Ha-e $ou e-er !een to !oot campE If so, then $ou can relate to the followin% stor$"
9'
7hile I was in !asic trainin%, I thou%ht, Lear /od, whatAs a nice %u$ like me doin% in a place like thisE 7hatAs wron% with these peopleE 7h$ donAt the$ let me sleepE 7h$ donAt the$ let me eat what I want toE 7h$ do I ha-e to run throu%h those e<ercises $ellin% Ckill, kill, killC !efore I can eat !reakfastE I donAt want to kill an$!od$H I Bust want to eat" 7e had a sa$in% in the ser-iceD CThere is the ri%ht wa$, the wron% wa$, and the Arm$ wa$"C 7e learned to do thin%s the Arm$ wa$, re%ardless of whether we liked it or not" 7hen $ouAre in the Arm$, $ou do thin%s the Arm$ wa$" 0an$ times that wa$ seemed a!solutel$ ridiculous to us, !ut we did it" 7e learned o!edience" 7e were tau%ht discipline" 7e learned to ser-e" There comes a time in the life of an$ soldier in com!at when he !ecomes %rateful for the thin%s he was tau%ht in !oot camp" Sooner or later he realiFes and appreciates the -alue of o!edience to commands, !ecause his -er$ life depends upon it" 7ell, m$ friend, we are in the ser-ice of the 3ord" The i!le sa$s if we o!e$ and ser-e Him, that o!edience and ser-ice will pa$ off" Too
$)
man$ times p e o p l e m i s i n t e r p r e t t h e t e r m Ccharismatic"C The$ think the$ are free of their denominational restriction" ut CfreeC usuall$ is interpreted to mean irresponsi!le" That is not what !ein% charismatic means" The Apostle .aul warned us a!out this kind of attitude" In /alatians 1D' he saidD C Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Ghrist hath made %s free.6 Then in -erse '= he wroteD C""" only %se not liberty for an o&&asion to Iser-eJ the flesh.6 Some people think that !ecause the$ are freed from denominational !onda%e that the$ are freed from commitment of an$ kind" That is not true" /od wants a commitment from us" 7e are free from reli%ious tradition, !ut letAs not for%et that the i!le still teaches us to !e committed and totall$ dedicated" 7e need to strai%hten our thinkin% where this freedom is concerned" 7e are in the ser-ice of the 3ord and our li-es are not our own" 7e ha-e !een !ou%ht with a price?the shed !lood of the 3ord ;esus #hrist" 7e !elon% to Him" 7e are to !e at His disposal, in His ser-ice, read$ for whate-er He desires us to do"
Purpose of #aith
$(
0an$ people ha-e %otten the Cfaith mo-ementC so confused" Now donAt misunderstand me" IAm not preachin% a%ainst faith" IAm a faith teacher" I am preachin% a%ainst the error that has somehow crept into the mo-ement" Some people ha-e the mistaken idea that we donAt ha-e to commit oursel-es to an$thin%, that we can do whate-er we want" Such people ne-er channel their faith toward meetin% the needs of humanit$ and ser-in% /od" ut thatAs what itAs all a!out" ThatAs what faith is forK /od ne-er intended for $ou to de-elop $our faith so $ou could %o around accumulatin% the thin%s $ou want" God wants your faith strong so you can e His instru!ent of lessing to hu!anity, to stop the ravages of 2atan(s warfare in the lives of others. ThatAs what this thin% is all a!out" If $ou will %et in-ol-ed in !lessin% others, /od will see to it that all the thin%s $ou need will !e added unto $ou as well" 0an$ times we ha-e %otten our priorities in the wron% order" 7e seek thin%s instead of seekin% the #reator" ThatAs !ackwards" /od has said that if we will seek first His @in%dom and
$:
His ri%hteousness, all the thin%s we need?e-en the desires of our own heart?will !e added unto us" 7e need to realiFe that we are in the ser-ice of the 3ord" 4aith has !een %i-en to us !$ Him to %et His work done, not to ser-e our own selfish ends"
Daily Prosperity
/od has told us, 2 f they obey and serve Me, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleas%res. "%t if they do not obey, they will perish by the sword, and they will die witho%t .nowledge.6 O!edience causes prosperit$ to come to us dail$" He said, 2They will spend their days in prosperity.6 In other words, /od desires that we prosper e-er$ da$" There is a -erse in /odAs 7ord that sa$s He desires that whate-er we set our hand to prospers" 7ell, m$ little hands are !us$ e-er$ da$" If /od wants to prosper whate-er I set m$ hand to, then e-identl$ He wants me to prosper e-er$ da$" 0$ o!edience will cause me to prosper dail$H diso!edience will ro! me of a da$As prosperit$" If I am not willin% to o!e$ and ser-e, then m$ actions will ro! me of that da$As prosperit$" If I refuse to follow the instructions
$<
/od has %i-en me in His 7ord and !$ His Hol$ Spirit, then I cannot e<pect prosperit$ that da$" That has happened to lots of people" Their da$s ha-e !e%un to mount up, and $ears of prosperit$ ha-e !een ro!!ed from them" That is not the will of /od" ut, as I ha-e said, there is a cureD repentance" If we are willin% to repent?to %o !efore /od, confess our sin of diso!edience, and ask His for%i-eness?then /od will cause that sin to !e remo-ed" 7hen the sin is remo-ed, the hindrance to our prosperit$ is remo-ed" 7e can start afresh, and our prosperit$ will !e%in to flow a%ain" ut He will e<pect us to walk in o!edience and ser-e Him dail$" 7e should prosper e-er$ da$ as we follow /odAs instructions dail$"
Daily , edience
0an$ times people want /od to talk to them a!out their dail$ %uidance, !ut are not willin% to follow the %eneral instructions in His 7ord" $ %eneral, I mean the instructions that are for all the od$ of #hrist" 6ou see, the i!le is for all of us" I am e<pected to li-e !$ it, Bust as
$0
$ou are" Howe-er, there ma$ !e some indi-idual instructions /od %i-es to me personall$ that He ne-er speaks to $ou a!out" He ma$ tell me to do somethin% He would ne-er ask $ou to do" Howe-er, we are all required to o!e$ the written 7ord" Our o!edience to that 7ord puts us in a position to ha-e /od speak to us indi-iduall$ !$ His Spirit to %uide us dail$ in our own personal li-es" If we are willin% to o!e$ the %eneral instructions, then we are willin% to o!e$ the specific instructions to us personall$" ecause some people wonAt o!e$ the %eneral instructions, the$ ha-e a hard time hearin% specific instructions" I hear people complain, C/od ne-er talks to me"C I ask them, CAre $ou o!e$in% the 7ordEC CNo"C CThen $ou shouldnAt e<pect /od to talk to $ou" If I had written $ou a letter with instructions a!out how to li-e, and $ou wouldnAt read or o!e$ it, I wouldnAt !other to tr$ to instruct $ou -er!all$"C Some people keep /odAs 7ord out on the coffee ta!le so e-er$!od$ will !e sure to see it
$5
when the$ come in" The$ ma$ pick it up now and then to read a -erse or two at ni%ht !efore the$ %o to sleep" Some ma$ e-en read it reli%iousl$, !ut the$ will not o!e$ its contents" Then the$ %o to /od and sa$, C3ord, please help me" I need some ad-ice"C /od asks, CLid $ou read 0$ ookEC C7ell, no" I donAt %et an$thin% out of it" ut IA-e %ot to ha-e some help on this situation here" 6ouA-e Bust %ot to tell me how to handle itKC If this descri!es $ou, read the Book' It will %i-e $ou a %eneral concept of how /od operates" 4rom His 7ord we learn /odAs thou%hts and wa$s" 7hen we know such %eneral thin%s and are o!edient to His %eneral instructions, then we are in a position to recei-e specific instructions a!out our own situations" 0an$ people are wantin% /od to help them in their !usiness, $et the$ wonAt follow /odAs %eneral instructions a!out !usiness" The$ want /od to %i-e them specific instructions a!out their marria%e, their health, or their finances, $et the$ wonAt o!e$ what He has said in His 7ord a!out these thin%s"
$7
7e cannot e<pect to recei-e help from /od if we i%nore what He has alread$ told us" 7e must learn to o!e$ /odAs 7ord" There is no other wa$" 7hen we are willin% to o!e$ /odAs 7ord Iall of it, not Bust the parts we likeJ, then /od will ha-e dail$ communication with us !$ His Spirit"
$rust the %ord

Someone asked me one time, CHow can $ou possi!l$ !ase $our life on the i!le when men wrote it, and men are capa!le of makin% mistakesE How do $ou know those men were accurateEC I told that person, C7ell, I Bust !elie-e that an$!od$ smart enou%h to create a uni-erse is surel$ capa!le of %ettin% somethin% across to a man clearl$ enou%h that he could %et it down on paper the wa$ He wanted it written"C Another person told me once, C7ell, IAm Bust not %oin% to !ase m$ life on somethin% men wrote"C CAre $ou sa-edEC I asked" C6es"C CHow did $ou %et that wa$EC
$9
C;ohn =D')"C CA man wrote that" ItAs 3ohn =D'), not God =D')" A man wrote that"C C6es, !ut /od inspired it"C C6es, /od inspired it, and I ha-e the audacit$ to !elie-e it" IAm %oin% to hea-en !ecause I !elie-e what ;ohn wrote" If I can !elie-e ;ohn =D'), I can also !elie-e = ;ohn * in which he said, C"eloved, wish above all things that tho% mayest prosper.6 The same man wrote !oth -erses" It was the same man hearin% /od" If ;ohn was accurate in ;ohn =D'), itAs possi!le he was accurate in = ;ohn *" If he was accurate in either one, he should ha-e !een accurate in !oth" If he was inaccurate, then we are wastin% our time !ecause none of it can !e trusted, none of it will work"C Someone else asked me, CHow can $ou !ase success on the 7ord of /od when it was written !$ mere menE How can $ou ha-e the audacit$ to !elie-e that circumstances are %oin% to chan%e !ecause of somethin% written !$ a manEC I answered, C ecause thatAs what ;esus did"C On the mount of temptation, our 3ord ;esus
$$
#hrist didnAt !ase His -ictor$ and success on somethin% /od had said to Him in an audi!le -oice" He quoted somethin% 0oses had written ?somethin% written !$ a CmereC man" If 0oses had missed it, ;esus would ha-e !een in trou!le" ;esus told Satan, C t is written.6 7ritten !$ whomE 0oses" Not /od, !ut 0oses" If 0oses had not written the messa%e the wa$ /od intended it, ;esus would ha-e !een !asin% His -ictor$ o-er SatanAs temptations on a falli!le source" 7hat if 0oses had missed itE ut he didnAt miss it, !ecause he had heard from /od" .eter said that these thin%s were written in times past !$ hol$ men who were mo-ed !$ /od" I* .et" 'D*'"J Thank /od, we can !ase our li-es on it" I know IAm not %oin% to hell !ecause /od %a-e the words to a man" /od inspired it, !reathed upon it, and anointed it" 0$ eternal destin$ was chan%ed !ecause of it" Since I !elie-e ;ohn =D') was inspired of /od, I ha-e no reason to dou!t that the whole i!le was inspired of /od" If .aul wrote that /od shall meet all of m$ need accordin% to His riches in %lor$ !$ #hrist ;esus I.hil" +D'(J, to me that is Bust as real and powerful as ;ohnAs tellin%
$'
me that if I !elie-e on ;esus #hrist I shall not perish !ut ha-e e-erlastin% life" I ha-e no more pro!lem with .hilippians +D'( than I do with ;ohn =D')" Some people can !elie-e one part of the 7ord, $et ha-e trou!le with another part" The onl$ reason for that is !ecause the$ ha-enAt de-eloped their faith in that particular area" 7hen we !elie-e /odAs 7ord Iall of itJ is inspired of /od and we are willin% to o!e$ the principles outlined in it, then our dail$ communication with Him will !ecome -er$ intimate" He will %uide us in our dail$ affairs" If $ou are alwa$s willin% to do what /od tells $ou, then $ou are %oin% to prosper" If $ou hesitate, ar%ue, and tr$ to talk /od out of it, $ou will !e ro!!in% $ourself of prosperit$" ItAs Bust that simple"
,rdered 2teps
The steps of a good man are ordered by the !ord+ and he delighteth in his way. Psalm <9+:<
/od wants to order our steps" The word order is a militar$ term" To order is to
')
command" /od orders IcommandsJ our steps, if we will o!e$ those orders" 0an$ people ha-e no idea that /od is tr$in% to lead them step !$ step in this life" The$ Bust take off in some direction" The$ tr$ and fail in different areas" Then finall$ the$ !e%in to %et smart and see their mistakes" 6et all the time /od was wantin% to order their steps and pre-ent those mistakes" %e don(t have to learn y trial and error& we can learn y si!ple o edience'
... am the !ord thy *od whi&h tea&heth thee to profit, whi&h leadeth thee by the way that tho% sho%ldest go. saiah 0$+(9
/od wants to lead us in the wa$ we should %o" If we will o!e$ and ser-e, then we will profit and prosper" If an$!od$ ou%ht to know how to profit, itAs /od" If an$!od$ knows how to li-e well, itAs /od" I am so thrilled that this personalit$?this All9knowin%, All9mi%ht$, All9 successful /od?was willin% to put the principles upon which He li-es into a !ook, then send us His Hol$ Spirit I7ho knows how the$ operateJ to indwell us, to teach us how to profit, and to lead us in the wa$ we should %o"
'(
All we ha-e to do is !e willin% to o!e$ and ser-e" If I want to prosper and succeed in m$ life, /od alread$ knows the steps necessar$ to %et there" He has alread$ laid out the path I should take" He knows what is necessar$ to reach e-er$ %oal or am!ition or -ision that He has placed in m$ heart" He knows what steps I need to take" If I am willin% to let Him order m$ steps and if I will do e<actl$ what He tells me without hesitation or ar%ument, then prosperit$ will come to me" E-er$thin% I set m$ hand to is %oin% to prosper, and IAm %oin% to spend m$ da$s in prosperit$" ut if IAm diso!edient, the whole wheel of pro%ress is stopped"
0ttitude of , edience
Now let me share somethin% with $ou a!out an attitude of o!edience" In Ephesians )D'9= .aul writesD
Ghildren, obey yo%r parents in the !ord+ for this is right. Aono%r thy father and mother= whi&h is the first &ommandment with promise= that it may be well with thee, and tho% mayest live long on the earth.
':
/od has a famil$" He is the 4ather, the Head of that famil$, and we are the children" Surel$, an$thin% He would tell children in the natural to do, He would e<pect from His spiritual children" In fact, e-er$thin% I ha-e learned a!out !ein% a %ood father to m$ children has come from /od" The similitude of m$ fatherhood comes from /od" In other words, an$thin% %ood that I do as an earthl$ father was imparted to me from /od, m$ hea-enl$ 4ather" IA-e had some situations with m$ two dau%hters" 7hen the$ !ecame teena%ers, I had to la$ down some new rules" These rules were not alwa$s too popular with the %irls" There ha-e !een times when the$ ha-e diso!e$ed me" IThe$ knew !etter, !ut the$ did it an$wa$"J 7ell, it was not pleasin% to me, and it was not well with them" 7hen I come home and find that m$ dau%hters ha-e !een diso!edient, that the$ ha-e re!elled a%ainst the instructions I left, I donAt like it" I e<pect m$ %irls to o!e$" 7hen the$ donAt, thin%s definitel$ donAt %o well with them" 7hat pleases me most is when the$ o!e$ what I sa$ without ar%ument" I detest ar%ument when instructions ha-e !een %i-en" I donAt like
'<
that in an$ kind of relationship, and neither does /od" It is dishonora!le to ar%ue with /od" I donAt want m$ children to ar%ue with me, !ut I also donAt want them to i%nore what I tell them" Ha-e $ou e-er %ra!!ed $our child and said, C3isten to meK Are $ou listenin% to meEC C6es, sir, IAm listenin%"C C7hat did I sa$EC CI donAt know, !ut IAm listenin%"C 0an$ times /od is tr$in% to tell us somethin%, !ut we are so !us$ doin% somethin% else that we donAt hear Him" C/od told me to %i-e that awa$, !ut I donAt want to, so IAll Bust act like I didnAt hear what He said"C If $our child did that, $ou would spank him" Lo $ou see what diso!edience doesE It opens the door to the ad-ersar$" 7hen /od has %i-en us instructions which we refuse to o!e$, itAs not /od who !eats us in the flesh?itAs the Le-il" /od is the 4ather of spirits" He chastises His children with His 7ord" He will scour%e I!eat onJ us with His 7ord" /od is a spiritual 4atherH He does not use carnal methods to train spirits" As a father in the natural, I use words and
'0
rods" The i!le sa$s, CAe that spareth his rod hateth his son.6 I.ro-" '=D*+J" 0$ kids know I lo-e them, Bust as m$ dad lo-ed me" ut /od uses words" If I re!el at His words, itAs almost as if He has to fold His arms and sa$, CIAm tr$in% to tell $ou, !ut $ouA-e decided $ou want to learn it the hard wa$"C And He Bust has to !ack off and let us ha-e our little e<perience" Someone has said, C6es, !ut e<perience is the !est teacher"C No, e<perience is second !est" The Hol$ /host is still num!er one" If we will o!e$ /od, we will learn the eas$ wa$" 0ost people are hard9headed" I was so hard9headed in the past" I wanted an e<perience" So /od would !ack awa$ and sa$, COka$, ha-e $our e<perience then"C 3ater I would sa$, CIAll ne-er do that a%ainKC I could ha-e sa-ed m$self that hard lesson if I had listened to /od" 0$ dad used to tr$ to %et throu%h to me when I was a teena%er" 6ou see, I was a hotrodder, alwa$s dra% racin% in the streets, and Lad didnAt like it" He would sa$, CSon, if $ou donAt quit dra% racin% in the streets, IAm %oin% to take $our ke$s awa$ from $ou" 6ouAre %oin% to tear up $our car" 6ou could hurt
'5
$ourself and endan%er the li-es of others" IAm not %oin% to put up with it"C He told me all the consequences that could happen if I continued to diso!e$" Lo $ou know wh$E He didnAt want me endan%ered" He didnAt want m$ life snuffed out !ecause of some foolishness" He knew what he was talkin% a!out" ut as a $oun%ster, I thou%ht I knew more than Lad" As children we think we know it all" Some of /odAs kids think the$ know more than He does" The$ ha-e the same attitude toward Him as $oun%sters sometimes ha-e toward their parentsD COh, what does He knowE He doesnAt understand"C If onl$ we could learn once and for all that /od knows what is !est for usK Then o!edience would !e so much easier and quicker for us" 7e could sa-e oursel-es so much miser$" ut, no, sometimes we Bust ha-e to learn the hard wa$" 0$ dad told me wh$ I shouldnAt dra% race in the street" He told me what would happen if I continued to do so, !ut I i%nored his ad-ice" At first, it wasnAt deli!erate" I would Bust %et tempted to race" I would !e fine until some!od$ pulled up ne<t to me and re--ed his en%ine" I reall$ didnAt intend to race" I didnAt
'7
intend to !reak the law or to diso!e$ Lad, !ut I couldnAt resist the temptation" I couldnAt refuse a challen%e" Then one time I left the rear end of m$ car la$in% in the middle of the street when I !lew up the transmission" 7hen I %ot home, Lad asked, C7hat did $ou doEC CLra% raced in the street"C C7hat happenedEC CTore up m$ car"C CLidnAt I tell $ou that would happenEC C6es, sir"C G7h$ didnAt $ou o!e$ meEC CI will now"C IsnAt that dum!E ut thatAs what we do" 7e %row up with that kind of attitude, then we let it carr$ o-er into our relationship with our 4ather /od" All /od is askin% us to do is to o!e$ and ser-e Him !ecause He knows what is !est for us" He led the path of ;esus throu%h this earth, and ;esus was a total success" /od knows the pitfalls alon% our wa$" The i!le sa$s He will show us thin%s to come" I;ohn ')D'="J He knows how to lead us throu%h
'9
this life if we are willin% to o!e$ and ser-e Him"
9uickly and 9uietly

In the third chapter of ' Timoth$ the Apostle .aul %i-es some instructions a!out the office of !ishop" One of the requirements is that he rule Cwell his own ho%se, having his &hildren in s%bCe&tion with all gravity.6 I-" +J" The !iving "ible sa$sD 6Ae m%st have a well1behaved family, with &hildren who obey F%i&.ly and F%ietly.6 ThatAs an attitude of o!edience" Ouickl$ and quietl$" 0$ kids ha-e heard that so much" In fact, now when we tell them, C6ou should o!e$ """,C the$ sa$, C6es, we know?quickl$ and quietl$"C ThatAs the attitude there should !e in o!edience" ThatAs the kind of attitude /od wants us to ha-e" He wants us to o!e$ Him, not when we %et around to it, not when we finall$ decide that He knows !est, not after weA-e tried e-er$thin% else, !ut the moment He sa$s it" Ouickl$ and quietl$" That means without ar%ument, without hesitation" 3et me %i-e $ou an e<ample from m$ own e<perience to illustrate what I mean" A num!er of $ears a%o, I was %ettin% read$ to %o to 0emphis, Tennessee, for a meetin%" 7hile I
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was packin%, /od spoke to me and said, CSon, I want $ou to sent ;oe Ia minister friendJ some mone$"C I said, CIAll do that, 3ord, Bust as soon as I %et throu%h packin%"C ut I %ot !us$ and for%ot a!out it" As I was dri-in% toward 0emphis, the Spirit of /od spoke to me a%ain, CI told $ou to send ;oe that mone$"C C3ord, I for%ot" ut IAll do it Bust as soon as I %et to 0emphis"C And I Bust kept on dri-in%" ;oe was !elie-in% /od for a need he had ri%ht then, and /od was wantin% me to help meet that need?!ut I was too !us$" The$ were !oth doin% their part" ;oe was pra$in% and !elie-in%H the 3ord was mo-in%?!ut I wasnAt doin% m$ part" The sad thin% a!out it was that ;oe li-ed less than twent$ miles from m$ home, !ut I was %oin% to wait until I had dri-en all the wa$ to 0emphis !efore I sent him that mone$" It mi%ht ha-e taken a week to %et to him" I %ot to 0emphis and checked into m$ hotel" As I was l$in% in !ed asleep in the middle of the ni%ht, suddenl$ I woke up" /od said, CI told $ou to send that mone$ to ;oe"C
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C/od, IAll do it Bust as soon as I %et !ack home"C CThatAs not %ood enou%h" #all $ou wife and tell her to %et that mone$ o-er to him ri%ht now"C C ut, 3ord, itAs the middle of the ni%ht"C CHe needs it nowH in fact, he needed it hours a%o" He is standin% in faith, !elie-in% 0e to meet his need" IA-e talked to se-eral people toda$ a!out meetin% his need and all of them ha-e responded like $ou"C Then He added, CThe ne<t time $ouAre in need and $our help doesnAt come when $ou need it, donAt sa$ a word"C 7hen I heard that, I wanted to %et in m$ car and dri-e !ack home ri%ht thenK I called #arol$n and said, C/et that mone$ o-er to ;oe" LonAt hesitate" /od said to do it nowKC She %ot it to him as quickl$ as she could" /od tau%ht me somethin% in that e<perience" He said, CSon, there is a spiritual law that $ou released in $our life when $ou acted that wa$" I said, A#o %nto others as yo% wo%ld have them do %nto yo%.@ ThatAs wh$ $our needs sometimes %o da$s !efore the$ are met" ItAs not 0$ fault" I spoke, !ut $ou caused 0e to
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ha-e to speak to people who dela$, who wonAt o!e$ quickl$ and quietl$, who hesitate and put it off" 6ou set the pattern in $our own life !ecause of the wa$ $ou act" Is that the wa$ $ou want to li-e the rest of $our #hristian lifeEC I said, CNo, Sir, IAm %oin% to correct that" 4rom now on when 6ou tell me to %i-e, I will do it ri%ht awa$" IAm %oin% to allow 6ou to order m$ steps and lead me in the wa$ I should %o" IAm willin% to o!e$ and ser-e 6ou" 7hate-er 6ou tell me to do, IAll do without ar%ument, hesitation, or dela$"C The attitude in o!edience is quickl$ and quietl$" It does not !rin% deli%ht or pleasure to $ou as a parent when $our children ar%ue with $ou a!out somethin% $ouA-e told them to do" If the$ %et around to doin% it in a week, thatAs not pleasin% either" 7hat is pleasin% to $ouE It pleases me when m$ children do what IA-e instructed them to do without ar%ument, especiall$ in the presence of others" It is em!arrassin% when $ou ask $our children to do somethin% for $ou in the presence of others and the$ make e<cuses or act like the$ didnAt hear $ou" ThatAs not pleasin%" Neither is it pleasin% to /od when He sa$s,
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C/o to the pastorAs house and %i-e him a da$ offH clean his house for him,C !ut we answer, CIf I do that, whoAs %oin% to clean mineE esides I didnAt like what he preached last week"C If $ou act that wa$, $ou will ro! $ourself of that da$As prosperit$" Suppose $ou %o to the %rocer$ store, and /od sa$s to $ou, CSister ;ones is in dire need" u$ her some %roceries"C ut $ou sa$, C ut, /od, I onl$ ha-e M+8" 6ou know I canAt do that"C If /od tells $ou to do somethin%, He is !i% enou%h to help $ou carr$ it out" Our pro!lem has !een that we Bust ha-enAt !een willin% to o!e$" 7e come up with all these e<cuses and ro! oursel-es of that da$As prosperit$" /od sa$s, C/o tell $our pastor that I donAt want him sweepin% the church floor an$more" 6ou %o down there and sweep it"C 7e ha-e to learn to o!e$ /od" It ma$ not alwa$s !e eas$, !ut it alwa$s pa$sK
2erve and , ey
IAm %oin% to tell $ou somethin% -er$ important" To prosper the wa$ /od wants us to, we must !e willin% to o!e$ and ser-e"
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.eople willin% to ser-e are people who are e<alted" E-er$!od$ wants to !e num!er one" ut ;esus said, CJhosoever of yo% will be the &hiefest, shall be servant of all.6 I0ark '8D++J" The chiefest of all are those who are willin% to ser-e" 0en and women who are willin% to ser-e will !e e<alted !$ /od" He will !rin% them to honor and prosper them" 3et me show $ou an e<ample of a man in the i!le who wasnAt willin% to o!e$" In the fifth chapter of * @in%s we see a man who almost ro!!ed himself of his prosperit$ !ecause of his attitude toward o!edience" He was not willin% at first to o!e$ /odAs instructions !ecause the$ didnAt line up with what he thou%ht he should do"
Now Naaman, &aptain of the host of the .ing of Syria, was a great man with his master, and hono%rable, be&a%se by him the !ord had given deliveran&e %nto Syria+ he was also a mighty man in valo%r, b%t he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone o%t by &ompanies, and had bro%ght away &aptive o%t of the land of srael a little maid= and she waited on Naaman@s wife. And she said %nto her mistress, Jo%ld *od my lord were with the prophet that is in
Jillingness to Serve SamariaD for he wo%ld re&over him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Th%s and th%s said the maid that is of the land of srael. And the .ing of Syria said, *o to, go, and will send a letter %nto the .ing of srael. And he departed, and too. with him ten talents of silver, and siE tho%sand pie&es of gold, and ten &hanges of raiment. And he bro%ght the letter to the .ing of srael, saying, Now when this letter has &ome %nto thee, behold, have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that tho% mayest re&over him of his leprosy. And it &ame to pass, when the .ing of srael had read the letter, that he rent his &lothes, and said, Am *od, to .ill and to ma.e alive, that this man doth send %nto me to re&over a man of his leprosy8 wherefore &onsider, pray yo%, and see how he see.eth a F%arrel against me. And it was so, when /lisha the man of *od had heard that the .ing of srael had rent his &lothes, that he sent to the .ing, saying, Jherefore hast tho% rent thy &lothes8 let him &ome now to me, and he shall .now that there is a prophet in srael. So Naaman &ame with his horses and with his &hariot, and stood at the door of the ho%se of /lisha.
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity And /lisha sent a messenger %nto him, saying, *o and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall &ome again to thee, and tho% shalt be &lean. : Kings 5+(1()
At this point Naaman must !e willin% to o!e$, or he wonAt !e healed of lepros$" 0an$ times what /od tells $ou to do will not make sense to the natural mind" IA-e had /od tell me to do thin%s that, had I asked peopleAs opinion, the$ would ha-e said, CThatAs craF$KC ut I didnAt ask people, I asked /od and He said to do it" So I did it, and it workedK Here the messen%er of /od has told this man what to do" The instructions, inspired !$ /od, were -er$ simpleD C/o Bump in the ri-er"C ut Naaman %ot mad" The King James Version sa$s, C"%t Naaman was wroth.6 I-" ''J" ThatAs understanda!le" Suppose $ou were deathl$ ill and went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to ha-e Oral Ro!erts la$ hands on $ou and pra$ for $our healin%" 7hen $ou %ot there, he wouldnAt e-en come out" He Bust sent out a messa%e that $ou were to %o Bump in the Arkansas Ri-er" How would $ou feelE 7ould $ou do what the messen%er said to
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doE I had an e<perience similar to this while I was workin% as associate minister for @enneth #opeland" It was m$ responsi!ilit$ to take rother #opeland to this hotel room after each meetin% and attend to his needs" Also I was supposed to answer an$ questions the people mi%ht ha-e" One ni%ht in @ansas #it$, rother #opeland and I were sharin% a room" 7e had Bust returned from a meetin% and rother #opeland was ph$sicall$ drained from ministerin% to the people for hours" He had Bust %otten settled in !ed for the ni%ht, when suddenl$ there was a knock at the door" 7hen I opened it, there stood a $oun% man who wanted to see rother #opeland" I said, CIAm sorr$, sir, !ut heAs in !ed asleep"C CI donAt care" I want to see him"C C7ell, IAm sorr$, ma$ I help $ouE IAd !e %lad to help $ou, if I can"C C6ou wonAt do"C C7ell, thereAs nothin% we can do for $ou toni%ht" #ome to the meetin% in the mornin%"C CI want to see him now"C
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CSir, IAm tr$in% to !e as nice as I can, !ut $ou canAt see him now" He is asleep and $ou canAt come in"C CIAm comin% in,C he insisted, and pushed me down" 7hen I hit the floor, it woke up rother #opeland" He %ot up and told that man in no uncertain terms, C7hate-er this fellow tells $ou, $ouAd !etter !elie-e what he sa$sKC I was Bust followin% rother #opelandAs instructions" Some people wonAt o!e$ /od if He doesnAt conform to their preconcei-ed notions" Naaman was like that" He should ha-e reBoiced o-er the instructions" 7ho cares what /od tells $ou to do, as lon% as it worksE Some people think, "%t, !ord, that@s not the way yo% told "rother Aagin to do it. Jhy do have to do it this way8 ecause $ouAre not @enneth Ha%inK 6ou had !etter not tr$ to do somethin% a certain wa$ Bust !ecause /od told rother Ha%in to do it that wa$" 6ou need to do what /od wants $ou to do" /et rid of all $our preconcei-ed ideas and listen to /odAs instructions to $ou" Then o!e$ those instructions without question or hesitation" Notice what Naaman didD
Jillingness to Serve "%t Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, "ehold, tho%ght... >;ight there is one of o%r main problemsBwrong thin.ing.? ... Ae will s%rely &ome o%t to me, and stand, and &all on the name of the !ord his *od, and stri.e his hand over the pla&e, and re&over the leper. v. ((
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This %u$ had it all fi%ured out, didnAt heE He had the whole script written in ad-ance" This thin% was %oin% to !e dramatic" Sometimes /odAs instructions are -er$ simple, so simple that some people miss them" Naaman was not willin% to o!e$ and simpl$ follow /odAs instructions" He was mad, and finall$ left" ut one of his ser-ants came to him and askedD 0$ father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wo%ldest tho% not have done it8 how m%&h rather then, when he saith to thee, Jash, and be &lean8 -" '= In other words, G3isten, if the prophet had told $ou to do somethin% reall$ hard, wouldnAt $ou ha-e done itE Then wh$ donAt $ou do thisE All heAs askin% $ou to do is to dip $ourself in that ri-er se-en times" He said $ou would
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reco-er from the lepros$" 7h$ not do itEC Thank /od, he did do it and the Scriptures tell us his 2flesh &ame again li.e %nto the flesh of a little &hild, and he was &lean.3 I-" '+J" ut do $ou see how his diso!edience, his attitude of hesitation and dela$, his unwillin%ness to do it the wa$ /od said, could ha-e cost him his healin%E Lo $ou remem!er the situation with .eter in the !oatE ;esus was preachin% one da$ and a crowd of people had %athered around Him and were a!out to push Him into the water" He saw a fisherman, .eter, who had !een out fishin% all ni%ht lon% with his partners, ;ames and ;ohn, and their father" The$ were all on the shore washin% their nets, !ut .eter was still in the !oat, Bust comin% in to shore" 7hen ;esus saw .eter, He asked if he could stand in his !oat and preach from it" 7hen He had finished His sermon, ;esus turned around to .eter and said, C !a%n&h o%t into the deep, and let down yo%r net for a dra%ght.6 I3uke 1D+J" .eter replied, 2Master, we have toiled all the night, and have ta.en nothing K.3 I-" 1J"
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That attitude almost cost .eter the !est da$As fishin% he e-er had" C3ord, weA-e !een out there all ni%ht lon% and ha-enAt cau%ht a thin%"C ut then his whole destin$ for that da$ was chan%ed with these wordsD C""" nevertheless at thy word will let down the net.6 I-" 1J" ThatAs how ;esus wants us to respond to His instructions" 7hen He sa$s to do this or that, to %o here or there, to %i-e somethin%, or to make oursel-es a-aila!le for some particular work, He wants us to answer, C6es, 3ord, at Th$ 7ord I will do it"C 7hen we create that attitude of o!edience in our li-es, /od will lead us in the wa$ we should %o and e-er$thin% we set our hand to will prosper" 7e will spend our da$s in prosperit$ and our $ears in pleasures"
: +ature of #aith
In the fourth chapter of Romans we read that A!raham is known as the father of faith, Cthe father of all them that believe6 I-" ''J" Perse = tells us that CAbraham believed *od, and it was &o%nted %nto him for righteo%sness.6 ecause A!raham !elie-ed /od, the 3ord referred to him as His friend" IIs" +'D2"J ecause /od knew A!raham would !elie-e Him and !e o!edient to Him, /od chose him to !e the man throu%h whom He would esta!lish His co-enant of !lessin% for His people, and indeed for all people who will accept it !$ faith" In this co-enant Icontract, a%reementJ /od promised that if A!raham Iand his seedJ would o!e$ and ser-e Him, /od would a!undantl$ !less him Iand his seedJ" Perse '= tells usD
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity The promise, that he sho%ld be the heir of the world, was not >given? to Abraham, or to his seed, thro%gh the law, b%t thro%gh the righteo%sness of faith.
/od promised that A!raham Iand his seedJ would inherit the world" ut that promise did not come !ecause of the 3aw Iwhich would come some +=8 $ears laterJ" It came !ecause of A!rahamAs faith in /od" /alatians =D( tells us that 2they whi&h be of faith are blessed with faithf%l Abraham,3 and -erse *( assures us that 2if ye be Ghrist@s, then are ye Abraham@s seed, and heirs a&&ording to the promise.3 $hat !eans everything God pro!ised 0 raha! elongs to us' %e are 0 raha!(s seed, and the lessings of 0 raha! are ours' A!raham was the father of faith" Perse '' of /alatians = declares that Cthe C%st shall live by faith.6 If we are %oin% to li-e in accordance with the wa$ /od has ordained Ithat is, !$ faithJ, then we need to understand certain thin%s a!out faith" 7e need to understand how to li-e it and how to full$ consecrate our li-es to /od so that the$ are pleasin% to Him and so that there will !e no hindrance to His !lessin%s
Nat%re of 4aith
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comin% upon us as the$ did upon A!raham" I would like to !e called the friend of /od" I would like to !e so intimate with /od that He would not do an$thin% without first re-ealin% it to me" ThatAs the wa$ it was with A!raham" /od had such an intimate relationship with A!raham that He would not destro$ Sodom and /omorrah until He had first talked it o-er with His friend" I/en" '2D')9**"J In fact, it was A!raham who dictated the conditions for that destruction" I--" *=9=="J Now that is intimac$ with /od" 7e ha-e the a!ilit$ to walk that closel$ with /od" ut to do it, we need to know somethin% a!out how A!raham %ot into that fa-ored position" 7e need to know what he did to !e a!le to enter into that kind of !lessin% and prosperit$, how he entered into that life of faith"
#aith %orks
3etAs look a%ain at the fourth chapter of Romans where the Apostle .aul is descri!in% A!rahamAs life, usin% him as an e<ample of the life of faithD
And he >Abraham? re&eived the sign of
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity &ir&%m&ision, a seal of the righteo%sness of the faith whi&h he had yet being %n&ir&%m&ised+ that he might be the father of all them that believe, tho%gh they be not &ir&%m&ised= that righteo%sness might be imp%ted %nto them also+ And the father of &ir&%m&ision to them who are not of the &ir&%m&ision only, b%t who also wal. in the steps of that faith of o%r father Abraham, whi&h he had being yet %n&ir&%m&ised. ;omans 0+((,(:
Notice that phraseD C""" who also wal. in the steps of that faith of o%r father Abraham.6 /od is instructin% us New Testament !elie-ers to walk in the steps of the faith of our father A!raham, the father of faith" To some people li-in% !$ faith means Cquit th$ Bo!"C It does not" 6ou can li-e !$ faith and ha-e twel-e Bo!s, Bust as lon% as $ou donAt make them $our source" 3i-in% !$ faith does not mean quit $our Bo!" In fact, if $ouAre %oin% to quit $our Bo!, then $ou had !etter know how to li-e !$ faith first, or $ou will star-e" 3i-in% !$ faith does not mean $ou can quit work" In fact, the opposite is true" 0$ i!le sa$s, Cfaith wor.eth.6 I/al" 1D)"J Some people !elie-e that the life of faith is a life of laFiness"
Nat%re of 4aith
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ut ;esus li-ed !$ faith, and He said, 6My 4ather wor.eth hitherto, and wor.6 I;ohn 1D'5J" In another place He said, 6 m%st wor. the wor.s of him that sent me6 I;ohn (D+J" ;esus was sent into this world !$ the 4ather to work, and He told us, CAs my 4ather hath sent me, even so send yo%6 I;ohn *8D*'J" 7hen $ou li-e !$ faith, $ou will ne-er work so hard nor enBo$ life more" I donAt work less now that I li-e !$ faith" I work more, and I enBo$ it more"
#aith , eys
7e are to walk in the steps of the faith of our father A!raham" ut what was it a!out A!raham that caused /od to !less, honor, and esteem him so muchE His faith, of course" 3etAs look at the ele-enth chapter of He!rews?the %reatest faith chapter in the entire i!le?and see if we can pinpoint what it was a!out A!rahamAs faith that /od likedD
"y faith Abraham, when he was &alled to go o%t into a pla&e whi&h he sho%ld after re&eive for an inheritan&e, obeyed .... Aebrews ((+$
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6ou ou%ht to underline that word o eyed. Remem!er ;o! =)D''?the ke$ to di-ine prosperit$D C f they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleas%res.6 4aith is essential to recei-e /odAs !lessin%s" That is undenia!le" 7ithout faith we cannot please Him" IHe!" ''D)"J ut faith without works Icorrespondin% actionsJ is dead" I;ames *D*)"J 4aith is necessar$ if we are to !e !lessed !$ /od, !ut o!edience is the ke$ to the miraculous" O!edience is the door9opener to prosperit$"
#aith $rusts
"y faith Abraham, when he was &alled to go o%t into a pla&e whi&h he sho%ld after re&eive for an inheritan&e, obeyed= and he went o%t, not .nowing whither he went. Aebrews ((+$
There are some people who wonAt act on /odAs 7ord and do what /od sa$s unless the$ ha-e a!solute proof that it is %oin% to work" CIf I knew this was %oin% to work, then I wouldnAt mind o!e$in% /od"C I answer that !$ sa$in%, C7ell, IAm %lad that all $ou need is some indication that this will
Nat%re of 4aith
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work" Here it isD t is writtenD6 6ou see, thatAs all the proof we need" 7hat else should we wantE C7ell, if I Bust knew someone that it has worked for"C If thatAs all $ouAre lookin% for, read He!rews ''?the hall of fame of faith, people who e<ercised faith and won" Not onl$ that, there are a few around toda$ for whom it has worked" Now I understand human nature" I understand wh$ people want to !e assured that it will work !efore the$ %o out on a lim! with it" ut as #hristians, our attitude ou%ht to !e, C less /od, IAm %oin% to act on /odAs 7ord whether an$!od$ else does or notK IAm %oin% this wa$ !ecause /od said it would work, not !ecause some other person said it would" If I ne-er see someone it has worked for, IAm still %oin% to act on it, and itAs %oin% to work for meKC 2o!e people will tell you that whatever it is you are trying to do can(t e done' Lid $ou know that accordin% to the laws of aerod$namics, it is impossi!le for the !um!le!ee to fl$" His !od$ is too !i% for his win%s" It is scientificall$ impossi!le for a
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!um!le!ee to %et off the %round" The onl$ pro!lem is, the !um!le!ee doesnAt know that" 6ou see, !um!le!ees donAt read scientific Bournals" The$ donAt listen to what the scientists sa$, and if the$ did, the$ wouldnAt !elie-e it" The !um!le!ee !elie-es he can fl$, so he Fooms ri%ht o-er the heads of those learned men of science who stand earth9!ound and shout up at him, C#ome !ack down here" ItAs impossi!le for $ou to do what $ouAre doin%KC ThatAs what I like a!out !ein% a !elie-er" 7hile the world stands around sa$in%, CIt canAt !e done,C we Bust keep on fl$in%" ThatAs what the life of faith is all a!out" 7hen the world sa$s we canAt do it, that ou%ht to !e like Csic AemC to a !ulldo%K
#aith Is Patient
A!raham was called of /od to %o into a place he knew nothin% a!out" He had no e-idence in the natural that such a place e-en e<isted" /od Bust told him to %et up and lea-e, so he o!e$ed"
Ae went o%t, not .nowing whither he went. "y faith he soCo%rned in the land of promise, as in a strange &o%ntry, dwelling in taberna&les
Nat%re of 4aith with saa& and Ja&ob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Aebrews ((+$,'
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3etAs look !ack at He!rews )D'','* to see a !eautiful e<ample of how this man entered into the !lessin%s of /od, into di-ine prosperit$D
And we desire that every one of yo% do shew the same diligen&e to the f%ll ass%ran&e of hope %nto the end+ That ye be not slothf%l ...
The Amplified "ible sa$sD 6That yo% may not grow disinterested and be&ome Hspirit%alI sl%ggards.6 LonAt !e laF$"
... b%t followers of them who thro%gh faith and patien&e inherit the promises.
Notice, the$ inherit the promises" That should %i-e us some idea of how we recei-e /odAs !lessin%s" ut it is not enou%h for us Bust to ha-e faithH we must also ha-e patience" 7e must G let patien&e have her perfe&t wor., that >we? may be perfe&t and entire, wanting nothing3 I;ames 'D+J, 2... for in d%e season we shall reap, if we faint not.3 I/al" )D(J" 7e inherit the promises Cthro%gh faith and
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patien&e.6 IHe!" )D'*J"
#aith ;nows
4or when *od made promise to Abraham, be&a%se he &o%ld swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, S%rely blessing will bless thee. Aebrews 7+(<,(0
E-er$!od$ is lookin% for a sure thin%" 7ell, this looks like one to me" /od didnAt sa$ He mi%ht !less us or that there was a stron% possi!ilit$ He would !less us" He said, CS%rely blessing will bless thee.6 Surel$" 7e donAt need an$ other e-idence than that" Th%s saith the !ord ou%ht to !e e-idence enou%h for an$ #hristian" If /od sa$s $ou are healed, then $ou are healed" If /od sa$s $ou are !lessed, then $ou are !lessed" If /od sa$s $ou are an o-ercomer, then $ou are an o-ercomer" If /od sa$s $ou are more than a conqueror, then $ou are more than a conqueror" If /od sa$s no weapon formed a%ainst $ou shall prosper, then no weapon formed a%ainst $ou shall prosper" If /od sa$s it is His will that $ou prosper, then it is His will that $ou prosperK 7h$E ecause /od said, S%rely. And /od is
Nat%re of 4aith
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not a man that He should lie" INum" *=D'("J Some people seem to think that li-in% !$ faith is a life of !ein% insecure" ut IAm not stum!lin%" The steps of a %ood man are ordered !$ the 3ord, and thou%h he fall, he will not !e cast down" I.s" =5D*=,*+"J The 3ord will %rip him !$ the hand and lead him on" His 7ord is Ca lamp %nto my feet, and a light %nto my path6 I.s" ''(D'81J" IAm not walkin% insecurel$" IAm not walkin% in darkness" If an$!od$ is walkin% in darkness, itAs the world?people who donAt know m$ /od" I walked in darkness !efore I met /od, !efore I had de-eloped this relationship with Him" ut now I walk in the li%ht" I donAt walk in uncertaint$" 3ike the Apostle .aul, IAm confident, I walk !$ faith and not !$ si%ht, I know in whom I ha-e !elie-ed, and I am full$ persuaded that He is a!le to perform that which He has promised" Some!od$ has said, C ut those people who li-e !$ faith ne-er know whatAs %oin% to happen"C 6es, we do" I know whatAs %oin% to happen in e-er$ area of m$ life" 7hen IAm !elie-in% /od and standin% on His 7ord, then the
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fulfillment of His 7ord is %oin% to happen" I donAt know how /od will do it, and I learned lon% a%o to quit tr$in% to fi%ure it out" ThatAs not m$ responsi!ilit$" 0$ responsi!ilit$ is to walk in o!edience to Him, one step at a time, to listen to Him, to follow what He sa$s, and to !elie-e He is a!le to perform His 7ord" /odAs responsi!ilit$ is to confirm His 7ord with si%ns followin%" How He does it is His !usiness" 7hen I walk in the li%ht of /odAs 7ord, IAm not walkin% in uncertaint$" The Apostle .aul said, C am &onfident6 I.hil" 'D)J" That doesnAt sound like an insecure man to me" 3i-in% !$ faith is not li-in% in uncertaint$ an$ more than li-in% !$ dou!t is li-in% in assurance"
#aith )eceives
A!raham was a man who o!e$ed /od, and the i!le sa$s %reat !lessin%s came upon him" /od promised A!raham that if he would walk in the li%ht of His 7ord and do all that he was commanded, He would !less him Iand his seedKJ a!undantl$" A!raham entered into that co-enant with /od" He walked in the !lessin%s of the Old #o-enant"
Nat%re of 4aith
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$hank God, we are 0 raha!(s seed' %e are heirs according to the pro!ise, and we have a right to live in those lessings' 7hen ;esus %a-e Himself at #al-ar$, He did not do awa$ with the !lessin%s of A!raham ?He enlar%ed upon them" The$ are still ours toda$" /od promised to !less A!raham, and the i!le tells us that Cafter he had patiently end%red, he obtained the promise6 IHe!" )D'1J" Lo yo% want to o!tain the promiseE Then letAs walk in the steps of the faith of our father A!raham" To help $ou do that, I would like to share se-en factors of A!rahamAs life, se-en steps that will lead $ou into the !lessed state which A!raham enBo$ed with /od"
< 2even 2teps to the Life of #aith

Now the !ord said %nto Abram, *et thee o%t of thy &o%ntry, and from thy .indred, and from thy father@s ho%se, %nto a land that will shew thee+ And will ma.e of thee a great nation, and will bless thee, and ma.e thy name great= and tho% shalt be a blessing+ And will bless them that bless thee, and &%rse him that &%rseth thee+ and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the !ord had spo.en %nto him .... *enesis (:+(10
The first thin% we notice is that /odAs call upon A!rahamAs life demanded a!solute confidence in and o!edience to the 7ord of
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/od" The same call is upon our li-es toda$" If we are to reap the !lessin%s of A!raham, we must displa$ the same a!solute confidence in and o!edience to the 7ord of /od that A!raham showed" ut how do we do that toda$E After all, /od ma$ not speak to us audi!l$, as He seems to ha-e done with A!raham" /od ma$ not tell us to ph$sicall$ pack up and lea-e our home countr$, to mo-e to some unknown .romised 3and, as He instructed A!raham to do" If we are to follow the e<ample of o!edient, faithful ser-ice to /od which A!raham set for us, there are se-en thin%s we must do"
2tep ". 2eparate 4ourself fro! the $ies of this %orld

A!rahamAs call was a call of separation from the ties of this natural world" 6ou cannot !e !lessed !$ /od if $ou tr$ to li-e in the world and in /odAs s$stem at the same time" /odAs s$stem and the worldAs s$stem are in direct opposition to one another" The$ do not a%ree" If the$ did, there would !e no need for preachin%" 7e would alread$ !e li-in% /odAs wa$ naturall$" ut the natural world does not li-e
Seven Steps to the !ife of 4aith
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/odAs wa$" The natural world tells us, CThereAs a !i% headache out there waitin% for $ouKC ThatAs not what /od sa$s in His 7ord" /od sa$s, C;esus !ore $our !i% headaches"C ThatAs a Sa-elle paraphrase of ' .eter *D*+D C Jho his own self bare o%r sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, sho%ld live %nto righteo%sness+ by whose stripes ye were healed.6 The world does not sa$ $ou are healed" On the contrar$" If $ou listen to the tele-ision, $ou will soon disco-er that $ouAre either sick or a!out to %et sick" CAs lon% as there are winters and hus!ands,C the tele-ision pronounces, Cthere are coldsKC And then the$ set in to sell $ou somethin% for the cold the$ are tr$in% their !est to talk $ou into" Then thereAs this oneD CHow do $ou spell reliefEC I alwa$s want to Bump up and shout, C;9 E9S9U9SKC IAll !e so %lad when #hristians %et some *+9hour9a9da$ 7ord TP stations to put out the /ospel" Then we can start doin% our own GcommercialsC for the 3ord, pickin% up where the world lea-es offD GHow do $ou spell reliefE ;9E9S9U9SKN
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It should !e o!-ious to an$one with an$ spiritual perception at all that the world and /od do not a%ree" The world sa$s, G7atch outK ThereAs a famine in the land" Hard times are comin%" Lepression is upon us" Recession is here" Hold on to what $ouA-e %ot" LonAt let it %et awa$ from $ou" Thin%s are %oin% to %et worseKC ut /od sa$s, C*ive, and it shall be given %nto yo%6 I3uke )D=2J" 0$ friend, it is time we %et !oth feet out of the world and into /odAs 7ord" 3etAs quit han%in% onto the worldAs wa$, usin% it as an alternati-e in case the 7ord doesnAt work" /od called A!raham and said, C3ea-e $our home countr$, $our relati-es, and $our fatherAs house" /o to a land which I will show $ou, and I will make of $ou a %reat nation"C A!rahamAs call demanded a!solute confidence in and o!edience to the 7ord of /od" It was a call of separation from the ties of the natural world" 7e are to walk in the steps of the faith of our father A!raham" His call e<presses to us the startin% point of the life of faith, and the first requirement of that life of faith is separation from the world" The Apostle .aul sa$s, 2"e not &onformed to
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this world+ b%t be ye transformed by the renewing of yo%r mind3 IRom" '*D*J" 7e ha-e to separate oursel-es from the 7orld" 7e ha-e to %et rid of the worldAs attitude a!out life and take on /odAs attitude" Second #orinthians )D'5 tells us to 2&ome o%t from among them, and be ye separate, saith the !ord.3 Perse '+ sa$s, 2Jhat fellowship hath righteo%sness with %nrighteo%sness8 and what &omm%nion hath light with dar.ness83 6ou canAt keep min%lin% in the worldAs wa$s and e<pect to !e !lessed of /od" 6ou ha-e to separate $ourself from the ties of the world" /et rid of the worldAs attitude" Ouit han%in% on to what the world tau%ht $ou" Lecide once and for all that $ou are %oin% /odAs wa$" The #hurch does not need to !e worldl$" 7e should not ha-e the same passions and desires that the world has" I donAt ha-e that nature an$more" I am a new creation" 0$ desire should ha-e chan%ed" If I catch m$self still cra-in% the thin%s that the world cra-es, then IAd !etter %o spend some time with /od" I need to separate m$self from the ties of this world" Now, I didnAt sa$ that $ouAre not supposed to ha-e the material necessities of life" And ;esus didnAt sa$ that either" In fact, He said that
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if $ou will seek first the @in%dom of /od and His ri%hteousness, all these things will !e added unto $ou" The thin%s He was talkin% a!out were food, clothin%, and shelter?material thin%s" /od wants $ou to ha-e the material thin%s of life" /od doesnAt want $ou to li-e !elow the world" He wants $ou to !e more prosperous than the world" In fact, He doesnAt e-en want $ou to !e less fashiona!le than the world" If an$thin%, He wants $ou more fashiona!leK 7here did we e-er %et the idea that /od has no taste, no e$e for !eaut$E Some people are still hun% up on whether a #hristian woman should wear earrin%s and lipstick" GLid $ou see rother Sa-elleAs wife on that platform this mornin%E Lid $ou see that lipstick on her lipsE She canAt !e hol$ and wear that stuffKC It doesnAt make an$ difference if a woman comes to church wearin% 3ucite house paint on her faceK ThatAs !etween her and /od" 0$ wifeAs lipstick has ne-er stopped the anointin% in our meetin%s" 7hen /od sa$s we are to separate oursel-es from the world, He is not talkin%
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a!out %oin% around in sackcloth and ashes" He is not opposed to our ha-in% nice thin%s" 7hat /od is opposed to is our followin% after the lust of this world, ha-in% the same un%odl$ desires that the world has" If $our am!ition and %oal in life is to !e rich, then $ou ha-enAt separated $ourself from the world" 6our moti-ation and lifeAs am!ition should !e to know /od more intimatel$ than an$ other personalit$ in this uni-erse" If it is, then He will see that $ou prosper e-er$ da$ and that $our $ears are filled with pleasure"
2tep =. #orsake 0ll to #ollow God

/od said to A!raham, 6!eave yo%r &o%ntry, yo%r .indred, yo%r father@s ho%se.6 He insisted that A!raham lea-e them and follow Him" This commandment si%nified that /od required a totall$ consecrated life" He demanded that A!raham !e willin% to forsake all to o!e$ Him" 0an$ people want to o!e$ /od, !ut the$ want it to !e on their terms" Some!od$ alwa$s wants to pla$ C3etAs 0ake a LealC with /od" It wonAt work that wa$" 6ou either pla$ !$ His rules, or $ou donAt pla$" 6ou see, /od is smarter than $ou and I" He
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isnAt tr$in% to !e hard" He knows how to make life work at its !est" If $ou are willin% to forsake all to follow Him, He will lead $ou into an ad-enturous and e<citin% life" There is a price to pa$, and not man$ people are willin% to pa$ it" ut /od is not tr$in% to take an$thin% awa$ from $ou" He is not tr$in% to squeeFe $ou into a mold and make $ou into a ro!ot" It is not His intention to depri-e $ou of an$ %ood thin%" .salm 2+D'' sa$s, CNo good thing will he withhold from them that wal. %prightly.6 All He wants from $ou is total dedication to Him" 7hen I was %rowin% up, m$ %reatest am!ition in life was to operate m$ own auto paint and !od$ shop" I %rew up around wrecked cars" 0$ dad was an auto !od$ man with a reputation as one of the !est in the state of 3ouisiana, and he tau%ht me e-er$thin% he knew" 0$ %oal in life was to !e a !etter !od$ repairman than m$ father and to one da$ ha-e m$ own !usiness" In fact, when I was Bust a little fellow, m$ dad and I would talk a!out it at the !reakfast ta!le almost e-er$ da$" CLad, one of these da$s weAre %oin% to ha-e our own shop"C
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C6es, when $ou finish school and %et $our colle%e education, weAre %oin% into !usiness and ha-e our own shop to%ether"C CI can Bust see it now,C I would sa$, Cwith a !i% si%n out front that sa$s, SAPE33E ANL LAL .AINT ANL OL6 7OR@S"C After #arol$n and I %ot married, I worked at different Bo!s for a while until finall$ I couldnAt stand it an$more" I didnAt want to %o to colle%e" I wanted to work on cars" So after three and a half $ears, I quit colle%e and started workin% on cars" Then one da$ m$ dream came true" I finall$ %ot m$ own shop" I had arri-edK That !od$ shop !ecame m$ %od" It consumed m$ life" I was willin% to spend twent$ hours a da$ in that shop to make it %o, !ecause it was m$ %od" /od had called me to the ministr$ when I was onl$ twel-e $ears old as a result of seein% Oral Ro!erts on tele-ision" ut I re!elled a%ainst /odAs call on m$ life" I had m$ shop" It had !ecome m$ %od?and I was d$in% inside" Then @enneth #opeland came to m$ home town and I went to one of his meetin%s" He preached the messa%e of faith" I didnAt
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understand e-er$thin% he said that ni%ht, !ut the ne<t mornin% I went to m$ shop, walked throu%h the office into the shop area, and went into the tin$ restroom of that shop" I locked the door !ehind me, sat down on the floor, and cried like a !a!$" I said, C/od, I canAt take this an$more" I donAt want to li-e like this" IAm tired of runnin%" I want to do what 6ou want me to do" I donAt know how to do it" I donAt know what to sa$" ut IAm tired of this kind of life" IAm %i-in% m$ life to 6ou" If 6ou want me to preach, IAll preach"C I made up m$ mind that da$ to forsake all and o!e$ /od" At that moment I cut the strin%s that linked me to e-er$thin% I had li-ed for" I had ser-ed the Le-il dili%entl$ for the past few $ears, so I was %oin% to !e no less dili%ent in ser-in% /od" 7hen I made the decision to forsake all and o!e$ /od, I didnAt care what an$!od$ said or thou%ht a!out me" I didnAt care whether or not the$ understood what I was doin%?and most of them didnAt" I made up m$ mindD CIAm forsakin% all" I donAt care what an$!od$ sa$s" IAm %oin% to o!e$ /od, e-en if it means se-erin% m$
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relationship with m$ own famil$"C 6ou see, the$ didnAt understand me" The$ thou%ht I was nuts" ut it made no difference to me whether the$ understood or not" I was %oin% for ;esus" The Hol$ /host spoke to m$ heart and said, C3ock $ourself up for the ne<t three months, and IAll teach $ou the 7ord"C 7hen I came out of that !edroom after !ein% locked up for three months with the 7ord, I was on fire inside to do the work of the 3ord" I didnAt ha-e a con%re%ation to preach to" I didnAt ha-e people in-itin% me to hold an e-an%elistic meetin% for them" So I went out into the streets and hun% around outside !ars and loun%es, waitin% for someone to come throu%h the door" I would %ra! some drunk, set him down, and unload the New Testament on him" He had no choice !ut to %et sa-edK I forsook all to o!e$ /od, and e-er$thin% I %a-e up to ser-e ;esus, He has %i-en !ack to me more than a hundredfoldK >y friend, there is a price to pay. $here is a co!!it!ent to !ake. But it(s worth it. Some people in this faith mo-ement toda$ are Bust da!!lin% around in it" The$ are pla$in% %ames, learnin% to talk the talk, !ut the$ donAt
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know what real commitment is" The$ ha-e no root, no solid foundation" 0$ friend, it is time to %et in all the wa$? !oth hands, !oth feet, head to toe" 7e must !e willin% to forsake all to follow /od" C ut $ou donAt understand what IAd ha-e to %i-e up to do that"C An$thin% $ou %i-e up for the sake of the /ospel is well worth the %i-in%, I assure $ou" There is much in store for $ou when $ou do, such as life more a!undantl$"
2tep 8. Don(t $urn Back ?nder Pressure

And Abram Co%rneyed, going on still toward the so%th. And there was a famine in the land .... *enesis (:+',()
A!raham decided to o!e$ /odH !ut the moment he left his countr$, he walked ri%ht into a famine" He pro!a!l$ thou%ht, Oh, m$ /od, I wish I had ne-er left m$ countr$" Lo $ou suppose that was reall$ /od talkin% to me, or was it Bust somethin% I ateE 0an$ people decide, CIAm %oin% to li-e !$ faith ....6 ut when the Le-il slaps them in the
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face a time or two, the$ quit" The$ sa$, CI want to start %i-in%" I want to o!e$ /od and tithe"N ut then the car !reaks down and the$ quit %i-in%" Lo $ou know what this re-ealsE A lack of real commitment" Some people are committed as lon% as e-er$thin% is %oin% well" ut the moment thin%s start %ettin% a little !it uncomforta!le, their commitment weakens" It is -er$ eas$ to !e committed to /od while $ou are sittin% in church hearin% the 7ord and e<periencin% the anointin% of /od" ut commitment reall$ counts when the meetin% is o-er and $ou walk out the door !$ $ourself" It is out there, not in church, that commitment is reall$ measured" 7hen it looks like the world has ca-ed in on $ou, $our commitment will reall$ pa$ off" 6ou will !e a!le to stand in the midst of ad-ersit$ and sa$, CI will Bo$ in the /od of m$ sal-ation" I will not fear what man can do to me" IAm not lettin% depression attack me an$ lon%er" I know this doesnAt look like the time to do it, !ut IAm %oin% to reBoice in the 3ord"AA There will !e plent$ of opportunities to turn !ack under pressure" I will ne-er for%et the da$
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I found out from /odAs 7ord that I was healed !$ the stripes of ;esus" I came out of m$ !edroom like a !olt of li%htnin% and said to m$ wife, C#arol$n, did $ou know weAre healed !$ the stripes of ;esusE 0$ da$s of sickness are o-erKC efore that da$ was o-er, as I was sittin% in m$ li-in% room, I heard a -oice in m$ mind sa$, C6ouAre %ettin% the flu" In Bust a moment $our e$es are %oin% to start waterin%, $our nose is %oin% to start runnin%, and $ouAre %oin% to %et chills" 6ouAd !etter %o to !ed"C 7hen I heard that -oice, I !elie-ed it" /od confirms His 7ord with si%ns followin%, and so does the Le-il" If $ou !elie-e what the Le-il sa$s, he will confirm his word with si%ns followin% too" 0$ e$es started waterin%, m$ nose started runnin%, and I %ot cold" The -oice said, C6ouAd !etter %et in !ed"C So I %ot up and went into the !edroom" C/et under the !lanket" 6ouAre %oin% to %et cold"C I %ot under the !lanket and was sittin% there in !ed shakin%" Then the -oice informed me, C6our muscles and Boints are !e%innin% to
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ache"C And, sure enou%h, I !e%an to ache all o-er" A!out that time #arol$n walked in and saw me" She said, C7hat are $ou doin% in !edE I thou%ht $ou were healed and that $our da$s of sickness and disease were o-er"C I said, CI thou%ht so too, !ut IA-e %ot the flu"C Ri%ht then I had an opportunit$ to turn !ack under pressure" 7hat #arol$n said made me so mad, !ut she was ri%ht" As I was l$in% there with the s$mptoms of the flu, I knew I didnAt ha-e an$ !usiness !ein% mad at her" She had told me the truth" I needed to channel that an%er a%ainst the Le-il" He was the one who had lied to me and %ot me into that condition" Instead of turnin% !ack under pressure and sa$in%, CAw, that healin% stuff has passed awa$" It doesnAt work" After all, IAm sickKC I stood on m$ feet and said, CSatan, in the name of ;esus #hrist of NaFareth, I resist $ou" I am healed !$ the stripes of ;esus, and $ou canAt keep these s$mptoms on me" I command $ou to flee"C So he fled and took his l$in% s$mptoms with him" 7hen $ou %et an opportunit$ to turn !ack
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under pressure is when $ou will find out how committed $ou reall$ are" 7hen $ou sa$, G4rom now on, IAm %oin% to walk in lo-e, Bust like /od said,AA !race $ourself, !ecause some!od$ mean and u%l$ will cross $our path" 6ou will ha-e a %olden opportunit$ to %et into strifeK C4rom this moment on, IAm %oin% to !e a %i-er"C race $ourself, friend, !ecause that attitude is dan%erous to the Le-il" Once $ou trul$ decide to make %i-in% the essence of li-in%, $ou !ecome a threat to him and his kin%dom" He will attack $our finances like ne-er !efore" He canAt afford for $ou to operate the principle of %i-in%" It will chan%e $our life and the li-es of others all around $ou" He must tr$ to stop $ou" ut he canAt stop $ou unless $ou let him" There ha-e !een times when I ha-e %i-en a lar%e amount to some #hristian endea-or" Immediatel$ the Le-il set in on me" I would think, Oh, dear *od, wish hadn@t given that m%&h. &o%ld s%re %se that money right now. That thou%ht was nothin% more than an attempt !$ Satan to force me to turn !ack under pressure" One of his fa-orite weapons is fear"
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The moment some people put their offerin% in the plate, Satan puts his fear in their mindsD Oh, *od, hope nothing bad happens. The Apostle .aul said, 2Je are not ignorant of Satan@s devi&es, lest he get the advantage over %s.6 I* #or" *D''"J 7e must realiFe that the Le-il comes immediatel$ to steal the 7ord" ut when he comes, we can take the same 7ord he is tr$in% to steal and defeat him with it" LonAt turn !ack under pressure" Slap him on the head with the sword of the SpiritK @eep !an%in% him around with that sword" He will finall$ lea-e $ou alone"
2tep :. %alk the Life of #aith ,ne 2tep at a $i!e

LonAt tr$ to fi%ure out the life of faith for ne<t month" Take it one step at a time" The steps of a %ood man are ordered !$ the 3ord" LonAt tr$ to !e Oral Ro!erts, or T" 3" Os!orn, or @enneth Ha%in, or @enneth #opeland" LonAt tr$ to !e $our pastor" 7alk on the le-el of $our own faith, not someone elseAs" 3et the li-es of such %reat men of /od !e a testimon$ and an inspiration to $our faith, !ut donAt tr$ to do what the$ ha-e done !ecause
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the$ did it" 3et their faith9filled actions inspire $ou to %et close to /od as the$ did, to de-our His 7ord as the$ did" 7hen $ou ha-e de-eloped the kind of relationship with /od that the$ ha-e, $ou will !e%in to accomplish the kinds of thin%s the$ ha-e accomplished" 0an$ people are tr$in% to !e some!od$ else" The$ hear a person sa$, CI %a-e m$ car awa$, and /od %a-e me a !etter one,C so the$ think, CI need a new carH IAll %i-e mine awa$ too"C If their onl$ moti-ation is to do somethin% !ecause someone else did it, the$ will !e sadl$ disappointed" It wonAt work" I thank /od for the inspiration @enneth #opeland is to m$ life, !ut I donAt do thin%s Bust !ecause he does them" I do what /od tells me to do" @enneth #opeland has done thin%s in faith that sta%%er m$ ima%ination" ut !efore he attempted such audacious thin%s, he spent hours meditatin% the 7ord and fellowshippin% with /od" He %raduall$ de-eloped his faith so that it would not !e shaken" I would !e craF$ to tr$ to do what rother #opeland has done without ha-in% m$ faith on the le-el of his faith"
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The thin%s that %reat men of faith accomplish should not inspire us to take risks, to act foolhardil$, to %am!le with our own li-es and the li-es and well!ein% of our lo-ed ones" C4aith &ometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of *od6 IRom" '8D'5J" Spend the time with /od that these men spent, de-elop $our own faith in the 3ord and in the inte%rit$ of His 7ord, then will come the time when $ou can act in o!edience to Him and do %reat thin%s as these men ha-e done" 7hen /od tells me to do somethin%, I can do it without dou!t, without hesitation, and without un!elief" If necessar$, He will perform miracles in m$ !ehalf to confirm His 7ord" LonAt tr$ to li-e some!od$ elseAs faith" 6ou need to walk the life of faith one step at a time, Bust as $ou clim! or descend a fli%ht of stairs one step at a time" To tr$ to skip steps and Bump directl$ up or down is risk$ !usiness" If $ou tr$ it, $ou will %et hurt" I realiFe that takin% one step at a time is slow" It ma$ seem that $ou will ne-er %et there, !ut keep at it lon% enou%h" 6ouAll make it" It ma$ not !e the quickest wa$, !ut, !elie-e me, itAs the wisest"
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CIAm too impatientK I want it nowKC ThatAs not faith" 4aith is patient" /od tells us in His 7ord to !e Cfollowers of them who thro%gh faith and patien&e inherit the promises6 IHe!" )D'*J" LonAt tr$ to imitate what others are doin%" 4ollow /odAs leadership" /et to know Him" Le-elop $our own faith" Take it one step at a time"
2tep <. Honor God with your 2u stance

If $ou follow these principles, /odAs !lessin%s will come on $ou" 7hen the$ do, honor Him with $our su!stance" Remem!er, the i!le sa$s in /enesis '=D* that A!raham was rich as a result of his o!edience to /od" In /enesis '+ we see him immediatel$ %i-in% /od tithes of all" I-" *8"J /od made A!raham rich, so A!raham honored /od with his su!stance" 0an$ times when the pressure is relie-ed, people start %i-in% /od less instead of %i-in% Him more" 7hen the !lessin%s of /od start comin% in, the$ should honor Him all the more !ecause of His !lessin%s" Notice what /od sa$s in Leuteronom$ 2D59
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'+D
4or the !ord thy *od bringeth thee into a good land, a land of broo.s of water, of fo%ntains and depths that spring o%t of valleys and hills= a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates= a land of oil, olive, and honey= A land wherein tho% shalt eat bread witho%t s&ar&eness, tho% shalt not la&. any thing in it= a land whose stones are iron, and o%t of whose hills tho% mayest dig brass. Jhen tho% hast eaten and art f%ll, then tho% shalt bless the !ord thy *od for the good land whi&h he hath given thee. "eware that tho% forget not the !ord thy *od, in not .eeping his &ommandments, and his C%dgments, and his stat%tes, whi&h &ommand thee this day+ !est when tho% hast eaten and art f%ll, and hast b%ilt goodly ho%ses, and dwelt therein= And when thy herds and thy flo&.s m%ltiply, and thy silver and thy gold is m%ltiplied, and all that tho% hast is m%ltiplied= Then thine heart be lifted %p and tho% forget the !ord thy *od, whi&h bro%ght thee forth o%t of the land of /gypt, from the ho%se of bondage.
Notice first of all that /od sa$s, 6JhenBnot if?$ou !e%in to prosper, donAt for%et to honor
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0e"C God elieves that these principles work. He knows that if $ou !elie-e and put these principles into practice in $our life, $ou will !e prospered" Secondl$, /od knows there is a dan%er that when His people !e%in to reap His !lessin%s and a!undance, the$ will !ecome la< in their worship and o!edience" He has promised us %reat a!undance, !ut He also cautions us a!out for%ettin% to praise and honor Him Cfrom whom all !lessin%s flow"C /od is tellin% us here, C7hen 0$ !lessin%s come upon $ou, honor 0e, remem!er 0e" Remem!er, I am the One 7ho %ot $ou out of !onda%e" Remem!er, it is I 7ho deli-ered $ou from po-ert$, from sickness, from defeat, and set $ou on a solid rock"C 7hen /odAs !lessin%s come upon us Iand the$ will if we will !e o!edientJ we should not honor /od less, we should honor Him more" If $ou were a %i-er when the pressure was on, donAt quit %i-in% !ecause the pressure is %one" If $ou were in !onda%e and /od has set $ou free, honor Him" Ne-er for%et that it is He 7ho deli-ered $ou from the house of !onda%e" Now letAs read the rest of this passa%e" /od
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reminds us that it was HeD

who led thee thro%gh that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and s&orpions, and dro%ght, where there was no water= who bro%ght thee forth water o%t of the ro&. of flint= Jho fed thee in the wilderness with manna, whi&h thy fathers .new not, that he might h%mble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end= And tho% say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. "%t tho% shalt remember the !ord thy *od+ for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his &ovenant whi&h he sware %nto thy fathers, as it is this day. #e%teronomy $+(51($
A!raham was !lessed of Almi%ht$ /od" /od made him -er$ wealth$" He walked in the !lessin%s that are outlined in Leuteronom$ *2D'9'+" He was !lessed comin% in and !lessed %oin% out, !lessed in the cit$ and in the field" E-er$thin% he set his hand to was !lessed" He was the head and not the tail" He was a!o-e and not !eneath" 7hen his enemies came a%ainst him one
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wa$, /od caused them to flee from him se-en wa$s" A!raham walked in the !lessin%s of Leuteronom$ *2" If we are to walk in those same !lessin%s, we need to follow the steps of faith of our father A!raham" One of the thin%s A!raham did when those !lessin%s !e%an to o-ertake him was to honor /od with his su!stance" He %a-e /od tithes of all" Now I am a !lessed man" /od has deli-ered me out of !onda%e" I donAt %i-e /od less of m$ life now, I %i-e Him more" If we were to take a sur-e$ of the people who attend our meetin%s across the countr$, we would pro!a!l$ find that more are under the circumstances of life than on top" ut, thank /od, that ratio is chan%in% as we keep feedin% on the 7ord" 0an$ people who come to our meetin%s are hurtin%" The flood has alread$ struck" The$ are li-in% under pressure and stress" 7hen the$ learn these principles, the$ make up their minds to put them into practice in their li-es" The$ do so, and miracles start happenin%" Their !lessin%s start comin% in" Then the$ start thinkin%, There@s no need to be so diligent now. The
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!ord has blessed %s. Je have money in o%r po&.et and a ni&e &ar to drive. Je gave o%r way o%t of that mess. Now things are loo.ing %p. Je don@t need to .eep giving li.e we were before. The press%re is off. Now we &an start ta.ing it easier. The i!le sa$s, CAappy is the man that findeth wisdom ... and happy is every one that retaineth her6 I.ro-" =D'=,'2J" LonAt e-er %et less dili%ent" ecome more dili%ent" 7hen #arol$n and I first started out, we were Bust ha-in% to !elie-e /od for our own needs" All I had to !e responsi!le for was m$ famil$" Toda$ I am the president of a corporation with a lar%e staff" I must !e concerned not onl$ for m$ own famil$ !ut also for the finances to run a ministr$" I ha-e people who must !e paid" I canAt afford to !ecome less dili%ent now that I ha-e more responsi!ilities" I must sta$ on top of thin%s" If ;esus of NaFareth were to walk up to $ou in the flesh and work a miracle in $our finances so that $ou suddenl$ had unlimited resources, /od would still demand from $ou total dependence upon HimK 6ou will ne-er reach the place where $ou donAt ha-e to !elie-e /od" 6ou will ne-er quit
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operatin% in faith" Some people think that when the$ %et to hea-en, the$ wonAt ha-e to use their faith" ut the$ willK /od is a faith /od" It is impossi!le to please Him without faith" 7e will use our faith in hea-en" The onl$ difference is, there wonAt !e an$ resistance to our faith in hea-en" The Le-il wonAt !e there to interfere with it" /od has deli-ered us out of !onda%e" 7e are !lessed, and !lessed people honor /od with their su!stance"
2tep @. )ecogni*e God as your 0 solute 2ource of 2upply

A!raham reco%niFed and acknowled%ed /od as his a!solute Source of Suppl$" In the fourteenth chapter of /enesis, A!rahamAs nephew, 3ot, had !een taken capti-e !$ a !and of marauders" A!raham took three hundred of his own ser-ants, cau%ht up with the !and of thie-es, and did !attle with them" He defeated them soundl$ and !rou%ht 3ot and the others out of capti-it$" The 7ord of /od sa$sD
And the .ing of Sodom went o%t to meet him >Abraham? after his ret%rn from the sla%ghter ... And the .ing of Sodom said %nto
Seven Steps to the !ife of 4aith Abram, *ive me the persons >yo% have liberated?, and ta.e the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the .ing of Sodom, have lift %p mine hand %nto the !ord, the most high *od, the possessor of heaven and earth, that will not ta.e from a thread even to a shoelat&het, and that will not ta.e any thing that is thine, lest tho% sho%ldest say, have made Abram ri&h. *enesis (0+(9,:(1:<
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A!raham made up his mind that his a!solute source of suppl$ was /od, not the world or man or natural means" He said, CI donAt want so much as the shoestrin% out of $our sandal" I donAt want it e-er said that a man made A!raham rich, !ut Almi%ht$ /od"C 7e need to walk in the steps of the faith of our father A!raham and make /od our a!solute Source of Suppl$"
2tep A. Don(t Pursue )iches, Pursue the Creator

LonAt make riches the am!ition of $our life" 0ake knowin% /od and !ein% His instrument the am!ition of $our life" If $ou will do that, /od will see to it that $ou are pro-ided with all the thin%s $ou need for $ourself and to meet
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the needs of others" After all, $ou canAt %i-e what $ou donAt ha-e" /od places the same kind of call on our li-es toda$ that He did on A!rahamAs life, a call of dedication and separation unto Him" In the tenth chapter of 0ark, we read the stor$ of a man who was not willin% to make a wholehearted commitment to /od !ecause of a wron% attitude a!out thin%sD
And when he >Jes%s? was gone forth into the way, there &ame one r%nning, and .neeled to him, and as.ed him, *ood Master, what shall do that may inherit eternal life8 And Jes%s said %nto him, Jhy &allest tho% me good8 there is none good b%t one, that is, *od. Tho% .nowest the &ommandments, #o not &ommit ad%ltery, #o not .ill, #o not steal, #o not bear false witness, #efra%d not, Aono%r thy father and mother. And he answered and said %nto him, Master, all these have observed from my yo%th. Mar. ()+(91:)
7h$ was this $oun% man wealth$E ecause he o!e$ed /od" /od had said in the A!rahamic #o-enant that if His people would ser-e Him and do all that He commanded them, the$
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would !e !lessed" This man had done that" ThatAs wh$ he was rich" /od made him rich !ecause he honored Him and kept the commandments"
Then Jes%s beholding him loved him, and said %nto him, One thing tho% la&.est+ go thy way, sell whatsoever tho% hast, and give to the poor, and tho% shalt have treas%re in heaven+ and &ome, ta.e %p the &ross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved+ for he had great possessions. Mar. ()+:(,::
This $oun% manAs pro!lem was not his possessionsH it was his attitude toward those possessions" He was not willin% to separate himself from them" He was not willin% to dedicate himself to a life of consecration to /od" He was sad and %rie-ed !ecause he was not willin% to forsake all"
And Jes%s loo.ed ro%nd abo%t, and saith %nto his dis&iples, Aow hardly shall they that have ri&hes enter into the .ingdom of *odD And the dis&iples were astonished at his words. Mar. ()+:<,:0
;esus did not sa$ it was impossi!le for the
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rich to !e sa-ed" He said it was hard for them to enter into the @in%dom of /od" 7h$E ecause of their attitude toward their possessions" ut notice that the disciples were astonished at what ;esus said" The$ were taken a!ack" 7h$E ecause the$ werenAt poor men" .eter, ;ames, and ;ohn werenAt poor fishermen, as we so often see them portra$ed" The$ were !usinessmen, partners in a thri-in% commercial fishin% operation" 3et me remind $ou that ;esus called .eter to follow Him on the da$ of .eterAs miraculous catch" .eter cau%ht more fish on the da$ that ;esus called him to the ministr$ than on an$ other da$ in his career as a commercial fisherman" .eter e<perienced the most prosperous da$ of his career the da$ ;esus called him" Lo $ou know what thrills me a!out .eterE His dedication" He wasnAt perfect, he made some mistakes" He was impetuous, alwa$s Cshootin% his mouth off"C ut that da$ he was faced with the opportunit$ of realiFin% the %reatest am!ition of his life?to !e the !est fisherman in the land and produce more fish than an$!od$ else?$et he turned his !ack on it
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all to follow after an itinerant preacher" That took ner-e" He didnAt know where he was %oin% or what he was %ettin% into" ut he left it all and followed ;esus" ThatAs dedication" ThatAs consecration to /od" This rich $oun% ruler was faced with the same choice" He was put to the same test as .eter, $et he failed" He said, in essence, CI canAt do it" I canAt turn m$ !ack on it all and lea-e it !ehind to follow ;esus"C So he went awa$ sad" ThatAs wh$ ;esus said it was so hard for the rich to enter the @in%dom of /od" IIt is hard for them, not hard for /od"J ut ;esusA statement alarmed .eter" 7h$ should .eter !e concerned a!out the rich %ettin% into the @in%domE ecause he had riches" He asked ;esus, 6Jho then &an be saved86 In other words, if it was hard for the rich to !e sa-ed, then to .eter it seemed that ;esus was pointin% His fin%er at him and sa$in% he couldnAt !e sa-ed" ThatAs wh$ he immediatel$ said, 6!ord, we@ve left all to follow Lo%.6 I-" *2"J .eter and the other disciples must ha-e had possessions, or the$ could not ha-e Cleft allC to follow ;esus" If the$ were poor, the$ wouldnAt
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ha-e had an$thin% to lea-e" In -erse *+ ;esus e<plains to .eter wh$ itAs hard for some rich people to enter the @in%dom of /od" ItAs not !ecause of their mone$, !ut !ecause of their love of it"
And the dis&iples were astonished at his words. "%t Jes%s answereth again, and saith %nto them, Ghildren, how hard is it for them that tr%st in ri&hes to enter into the .ingdom of *odD Mar. ()+:0
;esus didnAt sa$ it was hard for those who ha-e riches to !e sa-ed" He said it was hard for those who trust in riches to enter the @in%dom" 6ou can ha-e riches without trustin% in them" ut most people who ha-e riches trust in those riches" I ha-e spent time with millionaires, teachin% them how to trust in /od rather than in their riches" The$A-e trusted in riches so lon% that the$ donAt know how to trust /od" There are man$ thin%s that riches canAt produce, !ut faith can" Some thin%s that mone$ canAt !u$, our faith can %et" No amount of mone$ can !u$ healin% for an incura!le disease" ut faith can %et it" The same faith that can heal $our ph$sical !od$ can also meet $our financial needs and put food on $our ta!le"
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;esus said it is hard for people who trust in riches to enter the @in%dom of /od" 6ou ma$ sa$, GIAll ne-er ha-e that pro!lem" All I ha-e is M'+"AA Has /od e-er talked to $ou a!out %i-in% awa$ that M'+E G ut, 3ord, this is the onl$ mone$ I ha-e" 7hat am I %oin% to do if I %i-e it awa$EC 6ou ma$ not ha-e -er$ much mone$, !ut $ou ha-e a lot of trust in itK There are people with onl$ *1 cents who are committin% the sin of trustin% in richesK ;esus said the rich $oun% ruler lacked onl$ one thin%" He lacked commitment" 7hen ;esus put him to the test to see if he would make a commitment, he failed" It wasnAt what the rich $oun% ruler had that kept him out of the @in%dom?it was what he lacked' He had done what Leuteronom$ 2 said not to do" He had taken /odAs co-enant principles and !ecome a rich man" Then he had turned his trust from /od to his riches" .ride had entered into his heart" ;esus was onl$ tr$in% to deli-er him of his trust in riches" He wasnAt tr$in% to take an$thin% awa$ from him"
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;esus said it is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the @in%dom" This prompted .eter to sa$D
!o, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jes%s answered and said, Verily say %nto yo%, There is no man that hath left ho%se, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or &hildren, or lands, for my sa.e, and the gospel@s, "%t he shall re&eive an h%ndredfold now in this time, ho%ses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and &hildren, and lands, with perse&%tions= and in the world to &ome eternal life. Mar. ()+:$1<)
Here ;esus issues a challen%e to the disciples" He is tellin% them, CI challen%e $ou to find a man, an$ man, who has made this kind of consecration of his life to 0e with inte%rit$ and sincerit$ of heart, forsakin% all to follow 0e, who did not recei-e a hundredfold in this life"C Some men toda$ are preachin% a%ainst the hundredfold principle" The$ are doin% it !ecause people ha-e taken it out of its settin%" The$ ha-e %i-en mone$ without %i-in% their lifeH then ha-e e<pected to recei-e a
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hundredfold return" That is not what ;esus was talkin% a!out" He was emphasiFin% the fact that the$ did not ha-e to !e afraid of losin% if the$ followed Him, that /od pro-ides !ountifull$ for those who are trul$ and totall$ committed to Him" .rosperit$ !elon%s to us, !ut it is not to !e sou%ht after" Riches and wealth !elon% to us, !ut the$ are not to !e pursued" ;esus said, C See. ye first the .ingdom of *od, and his righteo%sness= and all these things shall be added %nto yo%6 I0att" )D==J" .rosperit$ !elon%s to us, !ut in the minds of some people, this thin% has %otten distorted" All the$ are after is thin%s" The onl$ reason the$ attend our meetin%s is to tr$ to learn a formula for %ettin% thin%s" The$ think that the faith messa%e is a %et9rich9quick messa%e" It is notK It is a success stor$, !ut it is not a %et9rich9quick messa%e" The life of faith does not in-ol-e takin% a formula from /odAs 7ord and usin% it to fulfill the lust of the flesh" The life of faith is a life of total consecration to /od" If we will seek first /od and His ri%hteousness, He has promised that we will not lack an$ %ood thin%" If we
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ser-e Him, we will not want, or suffer, or li-e in !onda%e" I ser-e /od" He has first place in m$ life" IAm not in !onda%e to an$thin%?morall$, ph$sicall$, mentall$, spirituall$, or financiall$" IAm not seekin% richesH IAm followin% /od" ecause IAm followin% Him, HeAs %oin% to prosper me" 7h$E So I can !e a !lessin% to humanit$" The more I am !lessed, the more I can do for /od" The more !lessed we are, the more of a !lessin% we can !e" ThatAs what /od told A!rahamD 6 will bless thee and ma.e thee a blessing.6 ThatAs what life is all a!out, !ein% !lessed of /od so that $ou, in turn, can !e a !lessin%" /od wants $ou to ha-e $our needs met and much left o-er so $ou can !e an instrument to help some!od$ else" There is no %reater Bo$ on earth than to !e a!le to help some!od$ out of a misfortune" There is no %reater thrill than !ein% a!le to keep someone from losin% their home" There is no %reater deli%ht than to %i-e to someone who is hun%r$ and to see them fed" ThatAs lifeK ThatAs li-in%K This messa%e is not desi%ned to teach $ou
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how to %et all the thin%s $ou ha-e wanted for so lon%" Its purpose is to set humanit$ free" /od wants His people free from !onda%e so we, in turn, can !e His instrument to Cset at li!ert$ them that are !ruised"C /od, help us to see that truth"
@ Consecration-;ey to Prosperity
Total consecration to /od is definitel$ the ke$ to di-ine prosperit$" If there is not a total dedication of $our life to /od, $ou ma$ e<perience a temporar$ prosperit$, !ut it will not !e real or permanent" 0an$ people toda$ are considered prosperous from the worldAs -iewpoint, !ut I donAt call a person prosperous whose stomach is eaten up with ulcers or cancer, re%ardless of how much mone$ he has in the !ank" How can an$ person !e called prosperous whose health is ruined, whose famil$ life is in sham!les, or whose mind is tormented !$ dou!t, fear, worr$, or stressE ThatAs not prosperit$" /odAs estimation of prosperit$ includes not onl$ mone$ to meet our needs and to help
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others, !ut also peace of mind, success in marria%e, ph$sical health and well9!ein%, honor and fa-or with others, lon% life?the list %oes on and on" Real i!le prosperit$, as defined in .ro-er!s = is total prosperit$?ph$sical, mental, social, material, and spiritual" It is prosperit$ produced !$ the wisdom of /od that in-ol-es all of the aspects of human e<istence" 0one$ is Bust a part of /odAs prosperit$" /od wants us to prosper in e-er$ wa$?spirit, soul, and !od$, sociall$, and financiall$" The ke$ to that di-ine prosperit$ is total consecration to /od" This is where we ha-e missed it" 7eA-e had the mistaken idea that we were in this thin% to see what we could %et out of it" ut we are in this to please /od" That should !e our moti-e" I deli%ht m$self in the 7ord of /od, not !ecause it will produce somethin% for me, !ut !ecause it is His personal lo-e letter to me" I donAt read it to learn how to acquire thin%s, !ut to learn more a!out m$ lo-in% hea-enl$ 4ather, to !ecome more like Him and more pleasin% to Him, to !etter ser-e Him" The thin%s that come as a result of such consecration and dedication are Bust Cfrin%e
Gonse&rationBKey to Prosperity
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!enefits"C ;esus said, CJhat shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own so%l86 I0ark 2D=)J" Someone ma$ sa$, CIAd rather ser-e ;esus and !e !roke than !e rich and %o to hell"C 7ell, $ou can ser-e ;esus, miss hell, and still not !e !roke" /od wants us to prosper" If we are %oin% to prosper and li-e in di-ine prosperit$, accordin% to /odAs s$stem, then we must seek /od first, not thin%s"
Be $rustworthy
0an$ times people ha-e not prospered as the$ should, and ne-er will enBo$ a %reat de%ree of prosperit$, !ecause the$ canAt !e trusted with it" As soon as life !e%ins to %et a little easier, the$ for%et their /od" I hear people sa$, CThatAs the reason /od ne-er %i-es me much" He knows if I had an$thin%, I would !ecome proud and for%et Him"C #han%e $our attitude, then /od can trust $ou" /od isnAt interested in keepin% thin%s from $ou so $ou will sta$ out of sin" He wants to see $ou mature so He can trust $ou, and !less $ou,
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and use $ouK It isnAt hard to chan%e $our attitude and lifest$le" Second Timoth$ *D*' tells usD C f a man therefore p%rge himself from these IsinsJ, he shall be a vessel %nto hono%r, san&tified, and meet for the master@s %se, and prepared %nto every good wor..6 All $ou ha-e to do is to spend time in /odAs 7ord, fellowshippin% with Him" He will cleanse $ou of that sin and remo-e that e-il thinkin% from $our heart" He will make $ou into a -essel of honor, meet for His use" Then He can entrust $ou with His riches" At times /od has told me, CI can trust $ou with a %reater anointin% and with more finances now"C At other times I ha-e had to pro-e I was read$ for more" The da$ I left @enneth #opelandAs or%aniFation to launch into m$ own ministr$ I wasnAt preachin% !efore crowds of 1,888 to '1,888 people as I do now" Thank /odK I wasnAt immediatel$ made responsi!le for hundreds of thousands of dollars" I couldnAt ha-e handled it" ThatAs wh$ some preachers %o !ad" /od !e%ins to ad-ance them, the$ !e%in to pro%ress, then the$ %et their e$es off /od and on thin%s" ThatAs when the$ start %oin% downhill" I ha-e learned
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from othersA mistakes" I ha-e watched what has happened to those people and learned how to a-oid those pitfalls" I didnAt enter the ministr$ to %et rich" IAm not preachin% for wealth" IAm preachin% !ecause I ha-e compassion for humanit$" I am a messen%er of /od, and I want people to know the$ donAt ha-e to li-e in !onda%e" An$thin% I %et as a result will !e /odAs doin%, not mine" I couldnAt care less a!out !ein% a millionaire" 6ou see, I know m$ heart" And thatAs the ke$" 6ou need to search $our heart and find out what $our moti-es are" If $ou ha-e a pure heart and are sincere !efore /od, $ou will prosper !ecause /od can trust $ou" Some people ha-e !een suppressed financiall$ o-er the $ears, !ut in that suppression the$ ha-e pro-en themsel-es honest !efore /od" /od will not let such folks remain suppressed" Then there are others who ha-e had all the$ wanted of this worldAs %oods" The$ ha-e !een selfish and %reed$ with them" The$ will find themsel-es !ecomin% a!ased, !ein% !rou%ht down" 7h$E ecause itAs lawD CJhosoever shall eEalt himself shall be abased= and he that shall h%mble himself shall be eEalted6 I0att"
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*=D'*J" The rich $oun% ruler had this kind of wron% attitude toward thin%s" His trust had turned from /od to riches" He could not let %o of them to follow ;esus" He had !ecome a sla-e to his wealth" That reall$ constitutes idolatr$" 0one$ can !ecome an idol?a %od?to people" 6ou see, /od is the 0ost Hi%h /od" The i!le sa$s He is a Bealous /od" IE<" *8D1"J He will not allow Himself to !e shared with an$ other %od" He will not accept a di-ided heart from His people"
$rust God(s Laws of 0 undance

7hen ;esus instructed this man to dispose of his possessions, He did not intend for him to remain poor after he had %i-en e-er$thin% awa$" In fact, for that man to ha-e remained poor after o!e$in% ;esusA commands would ha-e -iolated the laws of /od" .ro-er!s '(D'5 sa$s, CAe that hath pity %pon the poor lendeth %nto the !ord= and that whi&h he hath given will he pay him again.6 He would ha-e %otten it all !ack a%ain !ecause it is the law of /od" In .salm 2(D=+ /od said, 6My &ovenant will not brea., nor alter the thing that is gone o%t of my lips.6 ;esus wanted that man to put his trust in
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/od, not in riches" E-identl$ his trust in riches was so stron% that the onl$ wa$ to !reak it was to ha-e him %i-e it all awa$" ;esus knew what it would take for this man to put his trust !ack in /od" He required that he sell what he had, %i-e the mone$ to the poor, and follow Him" ;esus is not askin% us to sta$ !roke" He is askin% us to lea-e all and ser-e Him" If we do that, He wonAt allow us to remain in need" 4or Him to do so would -iolate /odAs law" ;esus was offerin% this %entleman the %reatest financial -enture Iand ad-entureJ of his entire life" If he had done what ;esus commanded, puttin% his trust in /od and not in his riches, /od would ha-e seen to it that he %ot !ack e<actl$ what he had %i-en awa$" And he had %reat possessions" All of it would ha-e come !ack to him" ut thatAs not all" /od has an e-en !etter deal for those who are o!edient to Him" ;esus said, GIf an$ man will forsake all for 0$ sake and the /ospelAs, he will recei-e a hundredfold in this life"C ut this fellow was shortsi%hted" All he could see was what he had ri%ht in front of him" He !lew the !est deal he could e-er ha-e !een offered"
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.erhaps $ou ha-e done the same thin%" ItAs re%retta!le, !ut itAs not unaltera!le" It can !e chan%ed" The moment $ou pro-e to /od that $our trust is in Him and not in $our possessions?the m o m e n t $ o u demonstrate that $our heart is sincere and pure, that $our life is totall$ dedicated to Him, that $ou can !e trusted C""" !ecause $ou are pursuin% Him and not thin%s """N?/od will !e%in to pour out His !lessin%s upon $ou" He will continue to pour them out on $ou, more and more and more"
2eek #irst the ;ingdo!

I know !usinessmen all o-er the countr$ who were once stri-in% to !ecome wealth$" Their lifeAs %oal and am!ition was simpl$ to !e a success" Their !usiness !ecame an o!session with them" It !ecame their %od" Then the$ met the real /od and made ;esus the 3ord of their life" Their attitude chan%ed" The$ decided, CIAm not %oin% to let this thin% %i-e me ulcers" I will do what is necessar$ to run this !usiness, !ut IAm %oin% to ser-e /od first"C The$ started ser-in% /od, and /od !e%an to !less their !usiness" /od could trust them" The$ would take that increase and in-est it
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wisel$ in the poor, in the needs of the saints, and in the ministr$" So /od keeps !lessin% their !usiness, and it keeps %rowin%" The more /od can trust a person, the more that person is %oin% to %et" ThatAs the wa$ it works" But we have to give trust if we e5pect to e trusted. If we want God to trust us with His riches, then we have to trust Hi! with ours. If we want God to less our usiness, then we have to 7 e a out our #ather(s usiness.7 It stirs me to put m$ trust in /od" It stirs me to keep Him in first place, to keep m$ heart pure, to keep m$self in a position where He can alwa$s trust me" As lon% as He can trust me, IAll ne-er %o without" 0$ /od will suppl$ all m$ needs from His riches in %lor$ !$ #hrist ;esus" I.hil" +D'("J How I wish m$ critics would read this !ook, all those who criticiFe me and this messa%e of di-ine prosperit$K How I wish the$ could realiFe, once and for all, that we Cfaith teachersC are not preachin% a C%et9rich9quickC scheme" 7e are not tr$in% to trick people out of their mone$, or to teach them how to acquire thin%s for themsel-es" That isnAt /odAs messa%e,
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and it isnAt our m e s s a % e " . r i n c i p l e s l i k e t h e hundredfold return are not set up !$ /od to !e used to fulfill the lust for thin%s" Too man$ of /odAs people are -iolatin% /odAs laws, tr$in% to make this thin% work for them in a wa$ that /od ne-er intended it to work" If we donAt do it /odAs wa$, it wonAt work" /od is not seekin% a %reed$, selfish, C%et all we canC peopleH He is seekin% a peculiar people, a ro$al people, a people who ha-e their minds on Him and not on thin%s"
Be %illing to Learn
;esus ne-er implied that those who follow Him are to li-e in po-ert$ and lack" He didnAt require that of an$ who followed Him when He walked this earth in the flesh" It was not His intention to depri-e the rich $oun% ruler of his wealth" Neither was it His intention that the disciples li-e as paupers" He was careful to point out to them that an$one who had %i-en up an$thin% to follow after Him would recei-e that thin% !ack a hundred times o-er" 7h$ werenAt the disciples immediatel$ richE ecause the$ didnAt learn e-er$thin% o-erni%ht" .eter had a hard time
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%ettin% all this strai%ht, and IAm sure the others did too" E-en A!raham didnAt learn e-er$thin% in one ni%ht" A!raham was !rou%ht up in a home which knew a!out ;eho-ah, !ut his father was an idol worshipper" ThatAs one reason /od told him to lea-e his kindred and his fatherAs house" A!raham did lea-e, !ut he took his father and 3ot alon%" The$ mo-ed to another cit$ and sta$ed there fi-e $ears" A!raham didnAt lea-e his own countr$, as /od had told him to do, until his father had died" A!raham didnAt know much a!out the ;eho-ah /od" It was in /enesis '* that he set out, !ut it wasnAt until /enesis '5 that /od re-ealed Himself to A!raham as /l Shaddai. A!raham had to learn a!out /od" He didnAt know an$thin% a!out faith" He had ne-er li-ed this wa$ !efore" The !eautiful part of the stor$ is that A!raham was Bust like us, $et he !ecame the father of faith" He made mistakes, he failed, $et *od - i n d i c a t e d h i m w h e n h e consecrated his life to Him" /od called A!raham His friend, the father of faith" If A!raham, with all of his mistakes, could !ecome the father of faith and the friend of /od, surel$ $ou and I can !ecome somethin% in this world, if we will do what he did"
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A!raham had to learn, Bust as .eter had to learn" And he didK A!raham was -er$ rich, -er$ !lessed" /enesis *+D' sa$s, CAnd Abraham was old, and well stri&.en in age+ and the !ord had blessed Abraham in all things.6 In all thin%s" ecause A!raham learned, !ecause he was o!edient and faithful, /od !lessed him in e-er$ wa$" That same !lessin% is ours toda$ if we will !e o!edient and faithful disciples IlearnersJ of ;esus #hrist" 3ike A!raham, the disciples didnAt learn it all o-erni%ht" ut, thank /od, the$ learned it" T h e $ dedicated themsel-es to /od" It thrills me to read a!out .eter in the !ook of Acts" He acted Bust like ;esus" He did the same works ;esus did, with the same results" /od !lessed .eter, e-en with all of his !lunders, mistakes, and failures" 7h$E ecause .eter was willin% to learn"
)eceive God(s Blessings

Verily say %nto yo%, There is no man that hath left ho%se, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or &hildren, or lands, for my sa.e, and the gospel@s, "%t he shall re&eive an h%ndredfold....
Gonse&rationBKey to Prosperity Mar. ()+:',<)
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There is a ke$ word in this scripture" The word is receive. Notice that the !lessin%s of /od are recei-ed, not pursued" If $our desire is to !ecome rich, $ou are headed for trou!le" If thatAs $our %oal, $ou are headed down a hard road" Those who seek to simpl$ please their /od recei-e wealth and riches and !lessin%s" Such people donAt stri-e after richesH the$ are conferred upon them" If $ou will learn this simple fact, it will remo-e the stru%%le from $our life" Ha-e $ou e-er !een in need of thin%s, and it seemed that $ou Bust stru%%led and stru%%led tr$in% to %et themE 7ell, I want $ou to do somethin%" ,ver the ne5t thirty days, don(t try to get anything else you need& 6ust e a lessing every !o!ent that you possi ly can. 0t the end of those thirty days, write and tell !e a out the lessings that have co!e upon you. $ell !e a out the struggles you didn@t have. lessin%s are recei-ed, not pursued" ;esus said, 2"%t he shall re&eive ....3 ThatAs affirmati-e" ;esus is teachin% us here that our trust must !e in /od, not in riches" E-en thou%h riches !elon% to us, /od wants our trust in Him" ;esus
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said in 0atthew )D*+D 2No man &an serve two masters+ for either he will hate the one, and love the other= or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Le &annot serve *od and mammon >or ri&hes?.3 6ou cannot ser-e !oth /od and mone$" 6ou will either ser-e one or the other" If $our alle%iance is to riches, itAs not to /od" If $our lo-e is toward riches, itAs not toward /od" 6our carnal mind will tr$ to reason awa$ $our lo-e for mone$, sa$in%, C6ou donAt lo-e mone$, $ou Bust need it" 6ou reall$ lo-e /od"C 6our mind will Bustif$ e-il, !ut $our heart wonAt %o alon% with it" 6our heart will con-ict $ou" The -oice of the heart is sometimes called the conscience" The i!le e-en talks a!out the conscience !ein% seared as with a hot iron" 6ou can %o a%ainst the con-ictions of the Hol$ Spirit in $our heart for so lon% that $ou can actuall$ sear $our conscience" 6ou can ne%ate the -oice of $our conscience so that it wonAt e-en talk to $ou an$more" Some people ha-e done wron% and ha-e Bustified it for so lon% that the$ ha-e seared their conscience" The$ donAt e-en hear from their spirit an$more" It takes a supreme act of
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/od to %et such people strai%htened out" ut, e-en then, all the$ ha-e to do is to sa$, C3ord, IAm throu%h" IAm in-itin% 6ou to take o-er"C He will !e there in a moment to do so" .ursuin% riches will onl$ hinder us from enBo$in% real i!le prosperit$" I want to %i-e $ou an e<ample of a man who had prosperit$ on his mind and what happened to him as a result"
Then all the people of J%dah too. M--iah, who was siEteen years old, and made him .ing ... And he did that whi&h was right in the sight of the !ord ... And he so%ght *od in the days of Ne&hariah, who had %nderstanding in the visions of *od+ and as long as he so%ght the !ord, *od made him to prosper. : Ghroni&les :7+(,0,5
Notice that last sentenceD CAs long as he so%ght the !ord, *od made him to prosper.6 Some people sa$, C;ust !ecause $ou ser-e /od is no %uarantee $ou are %oin% to prosperKC Is that what the 7ord sa$sE
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and bra.e down the wall of *ath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod,
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity and b%ilt &ities abo%t Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And *od helped him against the Philistines ... Also he b%ilt towers in the desert, and digged many wells+ for he had m%&h &attle, both in the low &o%ntry, and in the plains+ h%sbandmen also, and vine dressers in the the mo%ntains, and in Garmel+ for he loved h%sbandry. Moreover M--iah had an host of fighting men ... The whole n%mber of the &hief of the fathers of the mighty men of valo%r were two tho%sand and siE h%ndred ... And M--iah prepared for them thro%gho%t all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to &ast stones. And he made in Jer%salem engines, invented by &%nning men, to be on the towers and %pon the b%lwar.s, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad= for he was marvello%sly helped, till he was strong. "%t when he was strong, his heart was lifted %p to his destr%&tion+ for he transgressed against the !ord his *od. : Ghroni&les :7+7,9,()1(:,(01(7
Not onl$ was UFFiah prospered, he was
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-er$ stron% Cfor he was marvello%sly helped6 !$ the 3ord" He recei-ed honor and %lor$" His name was spread far a!road" 6et !$ readin% the rest of the stor$, we see that UFFiah turned his trust from /od to his own stren%th, to his own riches, and ended up in a sad condition" In Leuteronom$ 2 /od warned the children of Israel that when the$ had settled in the .romised 3and and were prosperin%, the$ were to remem!er the 3ord their /od, that it was He 7ho had %i-en them power to %et wealth" UFFiah didnAt do that" As a result he was struck with lepros$, cut off from his throne and his famil$, and died in shame and a%on$" I-" *'"J In chapters *1 throu%h =1 of /enesis, we read a!out ;aco!, the %randson of A!raham" He was alread$ entitled to !lessin%s !ecause he was the seed of A!raham" Howe-er, he had an older !rother named Esau" As the eldest son, Esau had a !irthri%ht" ;aco! desired to !e rich" He had seen the prosperit$ of his %randfather A!raham, and he wanted to !e like him" The onl$ pro!lem was that ;aco! didnAt want to do what his %randfather had done to recei-e that prosperit$" He didnAt want to consecrate his life to /od" ;aco! put riches and prosperit$ a!o-e /od" He sou%ht them first" ecause of his lust
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for wealth, he would do an$thin% to o!tain riches" ;aco! !ar%ained his !rother Esau out of his !irthri%ht and decei-ed his father Isaac into !estowin% EsauAs !lessin% upon him" As a result of his deception and his cunnin% wa$s, ;aco! was forced to flee from his enra%ed !rother" He had to lea-e home, ne-er to see his mother a%ain" ISeekin% the wron% thin% will %et $ou into trou!le"J 3ater ;aco! settled down in a certain area of the countr$" There he saw a woman he desired" Her name was Rachel" Her father said ;aco! could ha-e her in marria%e in e<chan%e for se-en $ears of la!or" So ;aco! worked that se-en $ears for Rachel" 7hen the time was up and the !ride was %i-en, it was 3eah, not Rachel, that ;aco! %ot" ;aco! was tricked into workin% se-en lon% $ears for a woman he didnAt want" Then he had to a%ree to work se-en more $ears for Rachel" 7hile he was workin% that fourteen $ears for his father9in9law, his wa%es were cut !ack ten times" ;aco! was learnin% a hard lesson a!out deceptionD CLecei-e, and thou shalt !e decei-ed"C He had to pa$ dearl$ for the tricker$
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he had practiced a%ainst his father and his !rother" 6ou see, dishonest$ wonAt work" Impurit$ of heart wonAt work" Leception has a wa$ of fallin% !ack on the head of the one who practices it" ;aco! had wanted riches, !ut he ended up workin% for a man who decei-ed him and reduced his wa%es continuall$" It was not until ;aco! had an encounter with the 3ord and wrestled with the an%el that he !e%an to prosper" The onl$ reason he was wrestlin% with that an%el was !ecause he was fleein% for his life" He had heard that his !rother Esau and a compan$ of +88 men were out to kill him" 6ou see, this fellow had hard times" He had to learn commitment the hard wa$" After he had met that an%el and wrestled with him, ;aco! !ecame a new man" He was chan%ed" To mark that transformation in him, /od %a-e him a new name" Ja&ob means Cdecei-er,C so /od called him srael, Cthe prince of /od"C ;aco! had an e<perience with /od" ut it was not until he had put /od in first place in his life, as his %randfather A!raham had done, that ;aco! !ecame a prosperous man" 3ater in his life when he was returnin% to
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his own countr$ laden down with possessions, he could sa$ to his !rother EsauD C Ta.e, pray thee, my blessing that is bro%ght to thee= be&a%se *od hath dealt gra&io%sly with me, and be&a%se have eno%gh6 I/en" ==D''J" ;aco! had made a -ow unto /od, and /od !lessed him" /od increased his su!stance and prospered him" 7hat kind of -ow did ;aco! make to !e so !lessed !$ /odE The i!le sa$s in /enesis *2D*89**D CAnd Ja&ob vowed a vow, saying ... of all that tho% shalt give me will s%rely give the tenth %nto thee.6 #an $ou see the ke$ to prosperit$ hereE ItAs total dedication to /od" Seek /od, not riches"
Be +ot High1>inded
In ' Timoth$ )D(9'' the Apostle .aul warns the od$ of #hrist a%ainst pursuin% wealth and riches and puttin% them !efore /od"
"%t they that will be >want to be, try to be, desire to be? ri&h fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and h%rtf%l l%sts, whi&h drown men in destr%&tion and perdition. 4or the love of money is the root of all evil+ whi&h while some &oveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pier&ed themselves thro%gh
Gonse&rationBKey to Prosperity with many sorrows. "%t tho%, O man of *od, flee these things= and follow after righteo%sness, godliness, faith, love, patien&e, mee.ness.
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7e see clearl$ that those who seek after riches ha-e erred from the faith and will pierce themsel-es throu%h with man$ sorrows" ut we are not to follow their e<ample" 7e are to learn from it and sa-e oursel-es from their unhapp$ fate !$ keepin% our hearts pure, !$ followin% after ri%hteousness, and !$ allowin% the fruits of the Spirit to operate throu%h us" Some people think that /od wants us to follow after ri%hteousness, %odliness, faith, lo-e, patience, meekness?and !e !roke" ut $ou will not !e !roke !$ followin% after ri%hteousness, %odliness, faith, lo-e, patience, and meekness" 3etAs look at -erse '5 of ' Timoth$ )D
Gharge them that are ri&h in this world, that they be not highminded, nor tr%st in %n&ertain ri&hes.
Notice that riches are uncertain" 6ou canAt depend on mone$" A!out the time $ou think, CI ha-e M1,888, I can !u$ me a car,C the$ %o up to M'*,888K
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity Gharge them that are ri&h in this world, that they be not highminded, nor tr%st in %n&ertain ri&hes, b%t in the living *od, who giveth %s ri&hly all things to enCoy.
IsnAt that amaFin%E I donAt lo-e mone$" I donAt pursue riches and wealth" I follow after ri%hteousness, peace, lo-e, patience, meekness ?and /od %i-es me richl$ all thin%s to enBo$K )ichly all things. Loes that sound like those who totall$ dedicate their li-es to /od will %o withoutE NoK /od has said, CIf $ou will ser-e 0e, I will %i-e $ou richl$ all thin%s to enBo$"C ;esus said the same thin% in 3uke '*D
Ta.e no tho%ght for yo%r life, what ye shall eat= neither for the body, what ye shall p%t on ... Lo%r 4ather .noweth that ye have need of these things ... 4ear not little flo&.= for it is yo%r 4ather@s good pleas%re to give yo% the .ingdom. !%.e (:+::,<),<:
If we put our total trust in /od, our da$s of worr$ a!out prosperit$ and material necessities ?food, clothin%, shelter?are o-er"
Gharge them that are ri&h in this world, that they be not highminded.
If $ou make up $our mind to totall$
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consecrate $our life to /od, then $ou will !e !lessed" .ro-er!s '8D** sa$s, CThe blessing of the !ord, it ma.eth ri&h.6 So, I here!$ char%e $ou, rich person, donAt %et hi%hmindedK ThatAs what happens to some people after the !lessin%s start comin% on them" The$ %et hi%h9minded and !e%in to trust in the riches more than in /od" Perses '2 and '( of ' Timoth$ continueD
>Gharge them? that they be ri&h in good wor.s, ready to distrib%te, willing to &omm%ni&ate. !aying %p in store for themselves a good fo%ndation against the time to &ome, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
The richer $ou %et, the more /od e<pects of $ou" I %et amused sometimes !$ the people who come to me and sa$D C rother Sa-elle, would $ou pra$ for meE IAm !elie-in% to ha-e a prosperous !usiness, and IAm reall$ %oin% to put some mone$ in the /ospel when it all happens"C I ask, CHow much are $ou puttin% in nowEC CNone" IAm waitin% for this to happen first"C CThen $ou wonAt do it then either"C
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C ut, rother Sa-elle, if $ouAll Bust a%ree with me that /od will !less this !usiness deal, IAll reall$ put some mone$ in the /ospel" If this deal %oes throu%h, IAll ha-e thousands of dollars, and IAll put the tithe into the /ospel"C 4riend, if $ou had onl$ ten dollars $esterda$, !ut toda$ $ou ha-e se-ent$9fi-e, $ou are richer than $ou were, and /od e<pects $ou to do %ood with that increase" /od wants the rich to !e rich in %ood works" ThatAs wh$ He made them rich" He doesnAt want them to !e hi%hminded, %oin% around with their noses in the air sa$in%, CI %ot mine" 3et them %et theirs"C /od wants them to !e rich in %ood works, read$ to distri!ute" That is di-ine prosperit$" /od wants us to !e distri!utors" As we increase in !lessin%, we are to !e read$ to distri!ute and willin% to communicate" In so doin%, we la$ up in store for oursel-es a %ood foundation a%ainst the time to come" As we %i-e, we !uild up reser-es for oursel-es upon which we can draw in our times of need"
Be a Giver
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7e are to !e a !lessin%" 7e are to !e %enerous %i-ers" No matter how much or how little $ou ha-e to %i-e, !e a %i-er" /od will increase $our su!stance so $ou can %i-e more" Remem!er, giving is the essence of living. ItAs the !asic element of life" 7hen we are !lessed, we are to %i-e" .ro-er!s '8D** sa$s, C The blessing of the !ord, it ma.eth ri&h, and he addeth no sorrow with it.6 As /odAs !lessin%s come upon us and make us rich, we are to !e rich in %ood works?read$ to distri!ute, willin% to communicate" ItAs the law of /od to %i-e" 3ife is centered around how much of oursel-es we can %i-e out, not how much we can %et" In * #orinthians, chapter 2, we read a!out a %roup of people in the #hurch who were in deep po-ert$" The$ had tremendous trials and afflictions" The Apostle .aul said the$ didnAt ha-e an$thin% to %i-e, so the$ %a-e themsel-es for the ministr$ of the saints" Ne-er sa$, CI donAt ha-e an$thin% to %i-e"C ThereAs alwa$s $ou" ThatAs what /od wants more than an$thin% else?you. /od wants $ou !efore He wants $our mone$, $our house, $our car, or an$ of $our possessions" 6ou ma$ not ha-e an$ material thin%s to %i-e, !ut $ou can
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alwa$s %i-e $ourself" C7ell, what can I doEC 6ou can !e a help to some!od$ who needs a helpin% hand" 6ou can clean house, or fi< a roof, or !a!$sit children, or nurse a sick child, or -isit with an old person who is lonel$" There are a thousand wa$s $ou can %i-e without %i-in% mone$" 6ou can do somethin%" /od will honor that %i-in% Bust like it was mone$" Sometimes we think that if we donAt %i-e mone$, /od wonAt honor it" ThatAs not true" /i-e, and it shall !e %i-en unto $ou" 6As ye wo%ld that men sho%ld do to yo%, do ye also to them li.ewise6 I3uke )D='J" Ephesians +D*2 tells usD
!et him that stole steal no more+ b%t rather let him labo%r, wor.ing with his hands the thing whi&h is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Once a%ain we see e<pressed the essence of li-in%D %i-in%" 7e are to work with our hands" 7e are to la!or" The -er$ moti-e for our la!orin% and workin% with our hands is that we ma$ ha-e somethin% to %i-e to those in need" Some!od$ asked me, G7hat is all this
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%i-in% %oin% to do for meEC .eople tell me all the time, G7ell, rother ;err$, $ou know I can understand how people would %i-e to $ou, $ouAre in the ministr$" .eople are used to %i-in% to ministers" ut IAm a !usinessman Ior teacher, or housewife, or clerk, or salesman, or whate-erJ" .eople donAt %i-e to me" IAm not a nonprofit or%aniFation like $ou are"C IAm not either" IAm a workin% man, Bust like $ou" I ha-e a Bo! Bust like $ou" The mone$ we recei-e in offerin%s or throu%h the sale of tapes and !ooks %oes into a non9profit or%aniFation of which I happen to !e president" I am not that or%aniFation" I Bust work for it" I am paid a salar$ Bust like an$ other workin% person" 0ost of the time that salar$ doesnAt co-er all of m$ needs" 7hen that happens, I canAt Bust %o into the office and sa$, CI need ten thousand dollars, so IAm %oin% to take it out of the ministr$ funds"C ThatAs ille%al" IAm not an em!eFFler" I ha-e to !elie-e /od for m$ needs, Bust like $ou do for $ours" C7hat a!out all the mone$ that comes into $our ministr$ throu%h offerin%sEC
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It %oes into a corporation" 7e ha-e a fairl$ lar%e staff of people, and each is paid a salar$, includin% me" I conduct meetin%s" .eople ha-e an opportunit$ to %i-e free9will offerin%s" 7e sell tapes and !ooks" ut I donAt recei-e one dime from an$ of these sources" All these funds %o into the ministr$" I donAt %et a CcutC or a Cpercenta%eC or ro$alties or a commission" Therefore, /od has to do miracles for me personall$, Bust as He does for $ou" CThen how does /od %et thin%s to $ouEC In miraculous wa$s, unusual wa$s" The onl$ difference !etween me and some other people is that I !elie-e HeAll do it" The$ are con-inced He wonAt !ecause the$ are not in the ministr$" IAm con-inced He will do it for me, not !ecause IAm in the ministr$, !ut !ecause IAm in His willK /od is no respecter of persons" 7hat He will do for one of His children, He will do for another if that child will !elie-e" In 3uke )D=2 ;esus said, 2*ive, and it shall be given %nto yo%= good meas%re, pressed down, and sha.en together, and r%nning over, shall men give %nto yo%r bosom.3 E-identl$ /od uses men to %i-e to us"
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;esus didnAt sa$, G/i-e, and if thou art in the ministr$, men shall %i-e unto $our !osom"C I donAt care what $our Bo! is or what mine is, !oth of us ha-e to act on /odAs 7ord" I e<pect /od to work miracles for me Bust like $ou do"
Not with eyeservi&e, as menpleasers= b%t as the servants of Ghrist, doing the will of *od from the heart= Jith good will doing servi&e, as to the !ord, and not to men+ Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he re&eive of the !ord, whether he be bond or free. /phesians 7+71$
3etAs rephrase that a !itD C7hether he !e ;ew or /entile, male or female, !lack or white, $oun% or old, mana%er or la!orer, owner or worker, preacher or la$man"C It doesnAt make an$ difference what $ou are or who $ou are" Re%ardless of $our social status, economic class, educational le-el, a%e, race, se<, or occupation, /od sa$s that whate-er %ood thin% $ou do for some!od$ else, $ou shall recei-e the same of the 3ord" 3et me %i-e $ou an e<ample of how /od %ets thin%s to people who need them" Ha-e $ou
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e-er !een in a store to pick up somethin% and think, Lo% .now, Mary &o%ld %se one of those too. thin. @ll C%st get that and give it to her. ThatAs an e<ample of $our %i-in% into someoneAs !osom" 6ou mi%ht sa$, C ut no!od$ e-er thinks of me like that"C Are $ou doin% an$ %ood for an$!od$ elseE Start doin% %ood thin%s for others" /od has said that the same will !e done unto $ou" If $ou help some!od$, /od will see to it that $ou %et helped" 6ou are not doin% %ood works to impress /od" 4ou i!press God when you choose Hi!. 6ouAre not tr$in% to do %ood works to win merit from /od" 6ou are alread$ His" He canAt lo-e $ou more than He alread$ does" All $ou are doin% is the will of /od from the heart" 6ouAre doin% %ood !ecause that is the nature of /od, and He has promised, CI will see to it that e-er$ %ood thin% $ou do, the same shall !e done unto $ou"C This is what creates di-ine prosperit$" If we totall$ consecrate our li-es to /od, quit pursuin% riches and thin%s, seek /od with all our hearts, and do %ood to e-er$!od$ around us Ie-en our enemiesKJ, then we will !e%in to
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enBo$ di-ine prosperit$"
A 2owing in #a!ine
I donAt know wh$ the 3ord chose to re-eal Himself to me in such a special wa$" 7hen He supernaturall$ -isited me in m$ hotel room that da$ in Octo!er of '(2', the Shekinah %lor$ of /od so filled the room that there was nothin% I could do !ut stand in His presence" As I was standin% there, the 3ord said, GSon, 0$ people are in financial !onda%e, and I want them out" IA-e %i-en them the principles in 0$ 7ord !$ which the$ can prosper" ut !ecause of their diso!edience and re!ellion, !ecause the$ ha-e allowed a spirit of lethar%$ to come upon them, the$ are not the head instead of the tail and the$ are not a!o-e instead of !eneath"C Then He told me, CI donAt ha-e another *88 $ears to free them of that !onda%e"C Accordin%
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to /odAs timeta!le, this thin% is a!out to wind up" /od needs us free" He doesnAt need us !ound up financiall$, !ecause we are responsi!le for financin% the %reat end9time re-i-al, the %reatest re-i-al this world has e-er seen" /od is %oin% to supernaturall$ inter-ene on our !ehalf and pro-ide us with the a!undant prosperit$ we will need to accomplish His o!Becti-e in this a%e" If $ou will recei-e this messa%e as from the 3ord Himself, it will affect $ou" If not, it wonAt" The choice is $ours" 0$ sole purpose in sharin% this messa%e with $ou is to !e o!edient to /od" IAm doin% what /od instructed me to do" 7hat $ou do with it is !etween $ou and Him" This messa%e is workin% for me, and it will work for $ou if $ou will !elie-e it and act on it" The decision is up to $ou" 6ou can take it or lea-e it" /od is %oin% to mo-e on our finances as ne-er !efore" If $ou !elie-e this messa%e and participate in this plan, $ou will see the power of /od in operation in $our finances in a phenomenal wa$" Since Octo!er of '(2' when /od supernaturall$ -isited me and shared
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these thin%s with me, when He %a-e me the ke$s to deli-erance from financial famine, I ha-e e<perienced the %reatest financial miracles of m$ entire life and ministr$" Not onl$ has /od !rou%ht in more mone$, He has ena!led me to %i-e more than e-er !efore" And itAs not o-er $et" Some of the most astoundin% miracles ha-e happened to me and to those with whom I ha-e shared this messa%e" Testimonies ha-e come from people all o-er the countr$ documentin% these miracles" /od told me, CSon, 0$ people are in financial famine, and IAm %i-in% $ou the assi%nment to tell them how to %et out"AA And thatAs what IA-e !een doin%" IA-e set up meetin%s in o!edience to /od to share these principles with others" IA-e had the pri-ile%e of sharin% this messa%e !efore crowds of thousands and ha-e seen the power of /od released as ne-er !efore" If $ou will !e faithful with what /od %i-es $ou, He will see that $ou %et the desires of $our heart" ut if $ou think, *od is finally going to do a mira&le on my finan&es so &an spend it on the l%st of my flesh, it wonAt work" That attitude is wh$ man$ are in the situation the$Are in ri%ht now"
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Their minds ha-e !een on %ettin% thin%s" ecause of their selfishness and lust, /od has not !een a!le to !less them as He wanted" Their priorities ha-e !een all wron%" ut, praise /od, all that is chan%in%" I am %oin% to !e o!edient to /od and %o throu%hout the land tellin% /odAs people how to !e deli-ered from financial !onda%e"
%e >ust $ake Control

/od said, GThere are man$ thin%s that must !e accomplished !efore ;esus can come, and itAs %oin% to take an enormous amount of mone$ to %et it done"C One of the thin%s that will happen in the near future is /odAs take9o-er of e-er$ form of mass communication" /od is Cfed upC with men controllin% thin%s that were made for the /ospel" #olossians 'D') sa$s Call things were &reated by him, and for him.6 Tele-ision wasnAt made for porno%raph$" It was made for the /ospel" /odAs people are %oin% to take it o-er" If we canAt !u$ time on TP, weAll Bust !u$ the station, or the satellite, or the whole network, if
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necessar$K The od$ of #hrist will control the means of communication !ecause /od has said so" It all !elon%s to Him, and He will see that it is put into the hands of those who will use it for His purposes" /od deli-ered His people out of the hands of one pharaoh, and He hasnAt chan%ed" He is fed up with the od$ of #hrist !ein% on the short end" He is fed up with the od$ of #hrist not !ein% a!le to do what needs to !e done" He is %oin% to take action to see that the situation is remedied" And Satan canAt stop it, if we wonAt let him" The Le-il canAt keep us from winnin%" ItAs time we take our ri%htful stand as /odAs kids and %row up" 7e donAt ha-e another *88 $ears to pla$ around" 7e ha-e wasted man$ $ears pla$in% church" 7e ha-e !uilt monuments, stained windows, filled our sanctuaries with pews and fanc$ carpets, and produced Sunda$ school quarterlies with teachin% so watered down it sounded like ;eader@s #igest instead of the i!leK No wonder our $oun%er %eneration didnAt want an$ part of #hristianit$" 7ith the dou!le standards the adults presented and the dou!le standards the pulpit presented, itAs no wonder the $oun%
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people re!elled a%ainst the #hurch" ut that same %eneration is %oin% to put the Le-il under their feet like no other %eneration !efore" 7hen this %roup takes hold of the truth, the$ canAt !e shaken" It canAt !e taken awa$ from them" 7hen I went into the ministr$ in '()(, pastors who had !een #hristians lon%er than I had li-ed %ot mad at me for !ein% so !old" The$ didnAt like it !ecause I wouldnAt a%ree with their reli%ious traditions, !ecause I dared to sa$, C $ His stripes I am healed" 0$ da$s of sickness are o-er"C The$ actuall$ !ecame an%r$ at me !ecause I said, CI am redeemed from po-ert$" ItAs /odAs will that I prosper"C The$ would swell up like toads and sa$, C7ell, IAll tell $ou one thin%, $oun% man, when $ouA-e !een in this thin% as lon% as we ha-e, $ou wonAt !e talkin% like that" 6ouAll find out what itAs all a!out"C At the time of this writin%, IA-e !een in it twel-e $ears now, and IAm %ettin% !older all the timeK ItAs workin% !etter now than it did then" ItAs not %ettin% less effecti-e?itAs %ettin% more effecti-eK Some #hristians %ot turned on to the 3ord when #arol$n and I did" The$ made the same
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decision to li-e !$ the 7ord that we made" ut the$ ha-e %otten under pressure and quit" Some of them are still mad at us for winnin%" The$Are Bealous" After one of m$ sermons, a %reat !i% %u$ %ra!!ed me !$ the collar and nearl$ lifted me off the floor" He said, CI want to tell $ou somethin%" I donAt like it one !itK I spent four $ears of m$ life in the seminar$ stud$in% /odAs 7ord" ut now IAm sellin% life insurance to pa$ m$ de!ts" 6ouA-e ne-er !een to the seminar$ a da$ in $our life" 6ouA-e onl$ !een sa-ed a!out three months" ut $ou are preachin% and /od is doin% miracles" IAm not seein% /od do an$thin%" I want to know wh$KC Then I told him, C6ou know a lot a!out the i!le, !ut IAm living the i!le"C It isnAt enou%h Bust to know what the i!le sa$s" The ke$ is to li-e it" And the most important place to li-e it is not in the churchH itAs in the home" ItAs time the od$ of #hrist %ot fed up with the Le-il runnin% our li-es and with carnall$ minded men dictatin% to us" The od$ of #hrist needs to !ecome ;oshuas and #ale!s" ItAs time we quit runnin% around with ne%ati-e reports, feelin% sorr$ for
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oursel-es, weepin% and wailin% a!out how tou%h life is" ThatAs the worldAs testimon$K If $ouAre fed up with the Le-il, then tell him where to %et offK Then see that he does itK /od is fed up with the Le-il controllin% our finances" Unemplo$ment is hi%her than itAs !een in decades" .ro!a!l$ a lar%e percenta%e of those unemplo$ed people profess to !e #hristians" That ou%ht not !e" There is a monster in this land called inflation" It is destro$in% homes and creatin% ha-oc all around us" The whole world is e<periencin% it" Half of the #hristians $ou talk to are affected !$ it, almost to the point of %i-in% up" That ou%ht not !e" 0$ i!le tells me that nothin% shall separate us from the lo-e of #hrist, not tri!ulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or peril, or sword, or principalities, or powers, or thin%s present Iinflation is presentJ, or thin%s to come, or an$ other thin%K +othing can stop us from winnin%K +othing' No matter what kind of onslau%ht the Le-il !rin%s upon this earth, it shouldnAt stop the #hurch of ;esus #hrist" ;esus said, C Mpon this ro&. will b%ild my &h%r&h= and the gates of hell
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shall not prevail against it6 I0att" ')D'2J" Nothin% shall pre-ail a%ainst the #hurch that ;esus is !uildin%"
%e %ill Be Bictorious
The da$ has passed when the od$ of #hrist is in the minorit$" The da$ has passed in which the world dictates to us what we can and cannot do" 7eA-e alread$ pro-en to them that when we Boin to%ether, we canAt !e !eaten" It is e<citin% to watch the mo-ement of /od and the ad-ancement of the #hurch of ;esus #hrist in these last da$s" 4riend, /od is takin% o-er" The Le-il is resistin%, of course" ThatAs to !e e<pected" HeAs %oin% to fi%ht" He has his e-an%elists runnin% throu%hout the world, preachin% his propa%anda and stirrin% up trou!le e-er$where he can" ut he will ne-er %et ahead of /od" He canAt win" He that is in us is %reater than he that is in the world" 7e are -ictorsK In the past, the od$ of #hrist has suffered financiall$, !ut that is a!out to come to an end" /od is read$ to make His mo-e" He is not pleased to hear His people sa$in%, GI wish I could do more for the /ospel, !ut I canAt" I donAt
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ha-e it to %i-e"C He wants them to !e a!le to do what He wants done" He will see that the$ ha-e the means to do His work, if the$ will cooperate with Him" 7hen /od -isited me, He said, CSon, 0$ people are in financial famine, and IAm re-ealin% to $ou the ke$s to deli-erance" IAm %i-in% $ou the assi%nment to %o tell them how to !e deli-ered"C As a result, I had to release the church of which I was pastor in 4ort 7orth, Te<as" I ha-e !een on the road e-er since" 7e ha-e launched our national tele-ision ministr$ to %et this messa%e throu%hout the countr$" 7e are %oin% worldwide with this messa%e" /od is di-inel$ inter-enin% in our !ehalf"
God(s People in Bondage

E-er$ time /odAs people, as a whole, ha-e %otten into !onda%e, the onl$ wa$ the$ %ot out of that !onda%e was throu%h di-ine inter-ention"
Now Moses .ept the flo&. of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian+ and he led the flo&. to the ba&.side of the desert, and &ame to the mo%ntain of *od, even to Aoreb. And the angel of the !ord appeared %nto
Sowing in 4amine him in a flame of fire o%t of the midst of a b%sh+ and he loo.ed, and, behold, the b%sh b%rned with fire, and the b%sh was not &ons%med. And Moses said, will now t%rn aside, and see this great sight, why the b%sh is not b%rnt. And when the !ord saw that he t%rned aside to see, *od &alled %nto him o%t of the midst of the b%sh, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Aere am . And he said, #raw not nigh hither+ p%t off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the pla&e whereon tho% standest is holy gro%nd. Moreover he said, am the *od of thy father, the *od of Abraham, the *od of saa&, and the *od of Ja&ob. And Moses hid his fa&e= for he was afraid to loo. %pon *od. And the !ord said, have s%rely seen the affli&tion of my people .... /Eod%s <+(19
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Are $ou aware that /od can see the affliction of His peopleE /od isnAt surprised with an$thin%" He!rews +D'= tells usD
Neither is there any &reat%re that is not manifest in his sight+ b%t all things are na.ed and opened %nto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
/od knows e-er$thin% a!out us, e-en the
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num!er of hairs on our heads" He knows everything a!out His people" He can see the affliction and !onda%e of His people" He!rews +D'1 sa$s, 6Je have not an high priest whi&h &annot be to%&hed with the feeling of o%r infirmities.6 ;esus knows how we feel" He knows the situation we are in" He is a compassionate and merciful Hi%h .riest" In this passa%e from E<odus we see that /odAs people were in !onda%e in E%$pt !ecause of their diso!edience" E%$pt was not the will of /od for His people" onda%e has ne-er !een the will of /od for His people" ein% dominated !$ the world and Satan has ne-er !een /odAs will for His people" /od said, C have s%rely seen the affli&tion of my people whi&h are in /gypt """C IIn our time, in our %eneration, /od has surel$ seen the financial !onda%e of His people"J C""" and have heard their &ry by reason of their tas.masters= for .now their sorrows6 IE<" =D5J" 7hen $ou are financiall$ !ound, $ou are full of sorrow" 7hen $ou canAt do what $ou desire to do, when $ou canAt %i-e the wa$ $ou want to %i-e, itAs !onda%e" 7hen $ou sta$ up all ni%ht worr$in% a!out how $ouAre %oin% to pa$ those !ills, thatAs
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!onda%e" Some hus!ands are afraid to face their families at the end of the da$ !ecause the$ donAt !rin% home enou%h to meet the needs" Some families are so tormented !$ financial !onda%e that it is destro$in% their household" 4inancial !onda%e is one reason man$ men are in Bail ri%ht now, men who otherwise would ne-er commit a crime" The$ %et under pressure !ecause the$ donAt ha-e enou%h to sustain their families, so the$ steal or cheat or %am!le to %et it" And the$ end up in prison" ThatAs !onda%e" 7hen mem!ers of the od$ of #hrist sit up at ni%ht worr$in% a!out finances, weA-e missed somethin%" Somethin% is wron%" ;esus told us to take no thou%ht for those thin%s !ecause our hea-enl$ 4ather knows we ha-e need of them" He said that if we seek first the @in%dom of /od and His ri%hteousness, all those thin%s would !e added unto us" It isnAt ri%ht for the od$ of #hrist to !e filled with an<iet$, depression, frustration, defeat, and worr$" /od promised that the !lessin%s of A!raham are ours" In Leuteronom$ *2D'9'+ He assured us that we are the head and not the tail, a!o-e and not !eneath" He said He would !less
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the work of our hands, that we would !e !lessed comin% in and %oin% out, in the cit$ and in the countr$" These promises are ours now. It isnAt ri%ht that an$ mem!er of the od$ of #hrist !e suppressed !$ financial !onda%e"
Deliverance #ro! Bondage

6 am &ome down to deliver them o%t of the hand of the /gyptians6 IE<" =D2J" There comes a time when our hea-enl$ 4ather wonAt put up with a situation an$ lon%er" As a parent, $ou ma$ o-erlook some mistreatment of $our child once, or e-en twice" ut if someone keeps hurtin% $our child, $ou will intercede on his !ehalf" If $our child is !ein% unBustl$ treated, $ou wonAt stand !$ and allow it to continue" If we take action on !ehalf of our children when the$ are a!used, wh$ should it seem so unusual that our hea-enl$ 4ather would do the same for His kidsE 7here do $ou think we %ot that kind of protecti-e lo-eE 7e %et the similitude of our fatherhood from the 4ather /od" 7hen /odAs children are !ein% hurt, there comes a time when He cries, CEnou%hKC At one time in the histor$ of the children of Israel, the people cried out, C/od, for%i-e us"
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ItAs our fault that we %ot into this !onda%e, !ut please for%i-e usKC The .salmist tells usD
Then they &ry %nto the !ord in their tro%ble, and he saveth them o%t of their distresses. Ae sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destr%&tions. Psalm ()9+(',:)
7hen /odAs people %et fed up with !ein% lorded o-er !$ the Le-il, the$ will cr$ unto the 3ord, C4ather, for%i-e us for %ettin% into this mess" 4or%i-e us for lettin% the Le-il run our li-es" 3ord, deli-er us"C And He will deli-er His people out of their !onda%e" /od told 0oses, C am &ome down to deliver them.6 It was !ad news for .haraoh when /od came down on him" He wished he had ne-er heard of /l Shaddai. /od showed .haraoh that He is the 0ost Hi%h /od" .haraoh thou%ht he could stand up to /od, !ut he quickl$ learned that he was no match for the Almi%ht$" Neither is SatanK
God(s >essenger
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!iving in #ivine Prosperity am &ome down to deliver them o%t of the hand of the /gyptians, and to bring them %p o%t of that land %nto a good land and a large, %nto a land flowing with mil. and honey= %nto the pla&e of the Ganaanites ... Now therefore, behold, the &ry of the &hildren of srael is &ome %nto me+ and have also seen the oppression wherewith the /gyptians oppress them. Gome now therefore, and will send thee ... /Eod%s <+$1()
/od said to 0oses, CIA-e come down, and IAll send thee"C The .salmist sa$s that /od sent His 7ord and healed His people" How did /od %et His 7ord to themE How was His 7ord sentE $ a messen%er" /od sent a man named 0oses to take His 7ord of deli-erance to His people" /od sent a man named Oral Ro!erts to !rin% healin% to our %eneration" Reli%ious9 minded men had pushed aside the doctrines of the i!le sa$in% that healin% had passed awa$, that the power of /od was no lon%er in manifestation, that miracles had passed awa$ with the disciples" /odAs people were d$in% of sickness and disease, so He called Oral Ro!erts and told him, GTake healin% to $our
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%eneration"C It was not an eas$ Bo! to stand !efore the world and sa$, C/od sent me to !rin% healin% to this %eneration"C ut, thank /od, he did it" I ha-e the %reatest respect for Oral Ro!erts and for men like @enneth Ha%in who will stand and preach what /od said despite the opposition and anta%onism of people" Re%ardless of the consequences, these men kept preachin% the messa%e" Toda$ this nation knows a!out the healin% power of /od, and Oral Ro!erts is directl$ responsi!le for that knowled%e" /od used him as a messen%er" He stirred up other messen%ers, then people !e%an to !elie-e and to preach that messa%e" I am healed toda$ !ecause one man took healin% to his %eneration" I !elie-ed the messa%e he preached, and I walk in di-ine health toda$ !ecause of it" /od told one man, GIAm tired of 0$ people !ein% sick and d$in% prematurel$" IAm tired of seein% 0$ people oppressed with sickness and disease" Take healin% to $our %eneration"C And he did it" I asked the 3ord, C7h$ are 6ou tellin% me these thin%sE 7h$ am I in-ol-ed in thisEC C ecause I can trust $ou" 6ouA-e pro-en to
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0e that $ou donAt care what men sa$, that $ouAll !e 0$ man re%ardless of what the$ sa$"C I ha-enAt alwa$s !een that wa$" I remem!er pra$in% one time, C3ord, %i-e me a %reater anointin% in m$ life"C ut /od said, C6ouAre not read$ for that $et" 6ou donAt know the price it takes for a %reater anointin%" 6ouAre too easil$ influenced !$ people"C Then He went on to e<plain, C4or a %reater anointin% $ou ha-e to o!e$ 0$ commands without hesitation" At this point $ou arenAt willin% to do that" 6ou are afraid of what people mi%ht sa$ if the$ donAt understand $our technique"C I wanted to pretend that it wasnAt so, !ut $ou canAt pla$ %ames with /od" I knew what He was talkin% a!out" The first time some!od$ said somethin% dero%ator$ a!out the wa$ /od told me to minister healin%, m$ feelin%s were hurt !adl$" ut throu%h time and e<perience, I ha-e learned to do what /od sa$s the wa$ He sa$s to do it, when He sa$s it ou%ht to !e done" 7hen I am o!edient to His instructions, miracles occur" 7hen IAm not o!edient, fearin% peopleAs reaction or opinion, I fail" ItAs that
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simple" 7e must alwa$s !e more concerned a!out o!edience to /od than a!out pu!lic opinion" Our 3ord ;esus was misunderstood, !ut He didnAt care what men thou%ht" ecause of His o!edience, He was hi%hl$ anointed" /od said He chose me to carr$ this messa%e !ecause I donAt care what people think or sa$" The messa%e is thisD /od is %oin% to deli-er His people from financial !onda%e" He is comin% down to deli-er us" He said, CI ha-e come down, now therefore I will send $ou"AA 0oses said to /od, CJho am , that sho%ld go ...86 IE<" =D''J" ThatAs e<actl$ what I said" That is one of the most hum!lin% e<periences of m$ life" It is a tremendous responsi!ilit$ to !e chosen as /odAs messen%er" I treat that call with the %reatest respect and honor" I ha-e -owed !efore /od that I will ne-er let His call %o to m$ head, !ut I will hum!l$ fulfill the responsi!ilit$ and trust He has %i-en me" /od told 0osesD CGertainly will be with thee= and this shall be a to.en %nto thee, that have sent thee+ Jhen tho% hast bro%ght forth the people o%t of /gypt"""C I-" '*J" Notice /od didnAt sa$ Cif,C He said Cwhen"C I ha-e !een anointed and sent !$
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/od to !rin% $ou a messa%e of deli-erance from !onda%e" If $ou !elie-e and recei-e this messa%e, $ou are comin% out of !onda%e"
God(s >essage.
". I %ill Bring 4ou ,ut of Bondage
Gertainly will be with thee= and this shall be a to.en %nto thee, that have sent thee+ Jhen tho% hast bro%ght forth the people o%t of /gypt, ye shall serve *od %pon this mo%ntain. And Moses said %nto *od, "ehold, when &ome %nto the &hildren of srael, and shall say %nto them, The *od of yo%r fathers hath sent me %nto yo%= and they shall say to me, Jhat is his name8 what shall say %nto them8 And *od said %nto Moses, AM TAAT AM+ and he said, Th%s shalt tho% say %nto the &hildren of srael, AM hath sent me %nto yo%. /Eod%s <+(:1(0
I 0> sent me to $ou" He is %oin% to deli-er $ou Bust as He deli-ered those people out of the !onda%e of E%$pt" He took care of .haraoh once, and He will do it a%ain" This time our oppressorAs name is 4inancial onda%e, !ut 4inancial onda%e is no match for /od an$ more than .haraoh was"
Sowing in 4amine And *od said moreover %nto Moses, Th%s shalt tho% say %nto the &hildren of srael, The !ord *od of yo%r fathers, the *od of Abraham, the *od of saa&, and the *od of Ja&ob, hath sent me %nto yo%+ this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial %nto all generations. *o, and gather the elders of srael together, and say %nto them, The !ord *od of yo%r fathers, the *od of Abraham, of saa&, and of Ja&ob, appeared %nto me, saying, have s%rely visited yo%, and seen that whi&h is done to yo% in /gypt+ And have said, will bring yo% %p o%t of the affli&tion of /gypt... And they shall hear.en to thy voi&e ... And am s%re that the .ing of /gypt will not let yo% go, no, not by a mighty hand. And will stret&h o%t my hand, and smite /gypt with all my wonders whi&h will do in the midst thereof+ and after that he will let yo% go. /Eod%s <+(51:)
:(5
6ou can !e sure that the Le-il isnAt %oin% to take this l$in% down" ut he canAt stop it from happenin%" .haraoh didnAt take it l$in% down either, !ut the children of Israel came out of !onda%e an$wa$" Notice how /od accomplished their deli-eranceD !$ a mi%ht$ hand and wonders" It
:(7
will take a mi%ht$ mo-e of /od to %et us out of financial !onda%e" ut, m$ friend, /od has not for%otten how to mo-e with a mi%ht$ hand" He split the Red Sea supernaturall$" He drowned the armies of .haraoh supernaturall$" And He has not for%otten an$ of His techniques" HeAs the same $esterda$, toda$, and fore-er" IHe!" '=D2"J He can drown 4inancial onda%e in our midst Bust as He drowned the E%$ptian arm$" He can do it with a stron% hand"
And will give this people favo%r in the sight of the /gyptians+ and it shall &ome to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty >v. :(?.
Lo $ou remem!er the stor$E 7hen .haraoh finall$ let the Israelites %o, he stood and watched as the people, formerl$ his sla-es, marched out in triumph carr$in% all the %old and sil-er which ri%htfull$ !elon%ed to the E%$ptians" 7e are comin% out of financial !onda%eK 7e are %oin% to march into the enem$As camp and take !ack what !elon%s to us" The i!le sa$s the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the Bust and that it will e-entuall$ find its wa$ into their hands" I.ro-" '=D** A0."J 7e are %oin% to take !ack what Satan has
Sowing in 4amine
:(9
stolen from us" That mone$ !elon%s in the /ospel, not in porno%raphic mo-ie houses" It doesnAt !elon% in Bet planes full of prostitutes and un%odl$ men" It !elon%s in the /ospel" 7e canAt reach the masses in onl$ meetin%s, cassettes, and !ooks" 7e ha-e to %et to them where the$ li-e?in their homes" ThatAs wh$ we must take o-er tele-ision" It will take a lot of mone$ to do it, !ut we will ha-e it" 7e are comin% out of this !onda%eK
God(s >essage.
=. I %ill Co!!and >y Blessing ?pon 4ou
The !ord shall &ommand the blessing %pon thee in thy storeho%ses, and in all that tho% settest thine hand %nto= and he shall bless thee in the land whi&h the !ord thy *od giveth thee. #e%teronomy :$+$
In His supernatural -isitation with me, the 3ord said, CI am %oin% to di-inel$ inter-ene in !ehalf of 0$ people, and I am %oin% to command 0$ !lessin% upon them"C I want $ou to realiFe how powerful the command of /od is" 7hen darkness was co-erin% the earth, it took onl$ a command of /od to remo-e that darkness" 7hen the earth was without form
:($
and -oid, and darkness co-ered e-er$thin%, /od said, C!et there be light+ and there was light6 I/en" 'D=J" All /od had to do to chan%e the condition of this earth was to issue a command" It didnAt take $ears" /od spoke the word, and it came to pass" /od said, CI will co!!and the !lessin% to come upon 0$ people"C All it would take to wipe out e-er$ financial de!t is for /od to sa$, C4inancial de!t, %oKC /od is capa!le of chan%in% e-er$thin% with Bust one word" ThatAs how powerful He is"
!et them praise the name of the !ord+ for he &ommanded, and they were &reated. Ae hath also ... made a de&ree whi&h shall not pass. Psalm (0$+5,7
7hen /od commands, neither Satan, nor e-il forces, nor e-en man can ne%ate it" 7hen /od makes a decree, it stands" It is esta!lished" /od is %oin% to co!!and His !lessin% upon $ou" I am !lessed !ecause /od has commanded His !lessin% upon me" E-er$ time I turn around, I am !ein% !lessed" In fact, in #harlotte, North #arolina, when He %a-e me this messa%e
Sowing in 4amine
:('
for $ou, /od told me, CSon, IAm %oin% to use $ou as an e<ample to pro-e to the od$ of #hrist that when I command the !lessin% upon 0$ people, lack is a thin% of the past"C Since that moment, I ha-e e<perienced some of the most tremendous financial miracles of m$ entire life" 0ore than e-er !efore, I ha-e !een a!le to %i-e into %ood works and to families that are in need"
Th%s saith the !ord, Jhere is the bill of yo%r mother@s divor&ement, whom have p%t away8 or whi&h of my &reditors is it to whom have sold yo%8 "ehold, for yo%r iniF%ities have ye sold yo%rselves, and for yo%r transgressions is yo%r mother p%t away. saiah 5)+(
/od is sa$in% to us, CLonAt !lame 0e for $our situation" 6our trans%ressions put $ou in !onda%e"C Now notice -erse *D
Jherefore, when &ame, was there no man8 when &alled, was there none to answer8 s my hand shortened at all, that it &annot redeem8 or have no power to deliver8 behold, at my reb%.e dry %p the sea, ma.e the rivers a wilderness.
Lo $ou !elie-e that /od is Bust as capa!le of redeemin% a people toda$ as He was in the
::)
da$s of oldE 0$ /odAs hand is not shortened" He is still quite a!le to sa-e us from our situation" Notice how He connects deli-erance and redemption with wordsD CAt my reb%.e dry %p the sea.6 To re-erse an$ situation, /od onl$ has to speak the word and it is done" To !e redeemed from financial !onda%e, all we need is for /od to speak" If thatAs the case, then I want /od talkin% to m$ mone$, donAt $ouE I want Him to speak to m$ finances" 4riend, weA-e listened to the world lon% enou%h" 7eA-e listened to the news reporters and commentators lon% enou%h" 7eA-e read Time, Newswee., M.S. News, and the Jall Street Jo%rnal lon% enou%h" Now letAs find out what /od has to sa$ a!out this situation" He sa$s, CI will command 0$ !lessin%s upon $ou" All I ha-e to do is to speak to the sea and it will dr$ up"C An$one who is capa!le of doin% that can surel$ chan%e m$ economic condition without an$ trou!le" ut the question isD Lo $ou !elie-e He will do that for youC If $ou !elie-e He will, then act like it" /od can turn the tide of e-ents with a word" ;esus pro-ed that one ni%ht when His men were a!out to drown durin% a storm at
Sowing in 4amine
::(
sea" To chan%e those circumstances, He simpl$ stood up in the !oat and said, C.eace, !e still"C The wa-es stopped roarin%, the wind ceased, and the sea calmed" The elements knew !etter than to diso!e$ the -oice of Almi%ht$ /od" .eople i%nore /odH the elements donAt" ;esus spoke and the elements o!e$ed" The men with Him were astounded and asked themsel-es, CJhat manner of man is this86 I0ark +D+'J" That is e<actl$ what the world will !e sa$in% as /od !e%ins to command His !lessin%s upon the od$ of #hrist" Our /od can do it" Our /od will do it"
God(s >essage.
8. I %ill )e uke the Devourer for 4our 2ake
will reb%.e the devo%rer for yo%r sa.es, and he shall not destroy the fr%its of yo%r gro%nd= neither shall yo%r vine &ast her fr%it before the time in the field, saith the !ord of hosts. And all nations shall &all yo% blessed+ for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the !ord of hosts. Mala&hi <+((,(:
/od told me that afternoon, CSon, tell 0$
:::
people that I will command 0$ !lessin% upon them, and accordin% to 0alachi =D'', 6 will reb%.e the devo%rer for their sa.es.6 Satan cannot withstand /odAs re!uke" As !elie-ers we ha-e the authorit$ to re!uke the Le-il" 7hen $ou re!uke the Le-il, $ou %et !older" ut $ou ne-er re!uke him until $ou %et totall$ fed up with what heAs doin% to $ou" 6ou put up with his harassment until $ou %ot tired of it" Then when $ou ha-e taken all $ou can stand from him, $ou started re!ukin% him" Lo $ou know what the word reb%.e reall$ meansE CTo address sharpl$, to reprimand"C /od said, CIAm %oin% to command 0$ !lessin%s upon 0$ people, and IAm %oin% to re!uke the de-ourer for their sake" IAm %oin% to talk to their finances and command !lessin%s to come upon them" IAm %oin% to take care of the ad-ersar$ for them while those !lessin%s are comin% upon them" IAm %oin% to address him -er$ sharpl$" IAm %oin% to reprimand him" IAm fed up with his controllin% their finances"C It e<cites me to know that /od is talkin% to m$ finances and that He is re!ukin% the Le-il for me" 7hen /od re!ukes, all hell trem!les" In the !ook of Re-elation, the -oice of ;esus is
Sowing in 4amine
::<
descri!ed Cas the so%nd of many waters6 IRe-" 'D'1J" Ha-e $ou e-er !een to Nia%ara 4allsE The roar of those falls can !e heard for miles" ThatAs how it is when /od speaks" At one time /od spoke to ;esus from the skies and e-er$!od$ thou%ht it thundered" I;ohn '*D*("J 7hen /od sa$s, CSatan, I re!uke $ouKC all of hell and the principalities and powers of darkness reel under the force of that re!uke" As lon% as our /od re!ukes the de-ourer and commands !lessin%s upon us, there is nothin% the Le-il can do to keep us in !onda%e" The word devo%r means Cto eat up, to consume, to destro$, to a!sor! completel$, to swallow up"C 6ou see, thatAs what the Le-il has !een doin% to our finances" He has !een swallowin% them up, a!sor!in% them completel$, to keep us in !onda%e" /od has said, CI will re!uke the de-ourer for $our sake"C God(s >essage. :. 2ow in #a!ine E-en in di-ine inter-ention, there is alwa$s a condition that must !e met" 7hen /od mo-es with a stron% hand to deli-er His people, there
::0
are conditions which must !e met to recei-e that deli-erance" The 3ord dealt with me a!out this" He said, CSon, I will command 0$ !lessin% upon the people, and I will re!uke the de-ourer for their sakes" I will chan%e their financial condition if the$ will do what I tell them to do"C 7hen people are in famine and in financial !onda%e, the$ tend to hold !ack what the$ ha-e" 4earin% that the$ wonAt %et an$ more, the$ look around at circumstances and %et stin%$" In times of famine, people start hoardin% up" The$ withhold, which is the worst thin% the$ can do in that situation" That is totall$ contrar$ to the principles of /odAs 7ord" .ro-er!s ''D*+ sa$s, CThere is that s&attereth, and yet in&reaseth= and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, b%t it tendeth to poverty.6 The New nternational Version readsD 6One man gives freely, yet gains even more= another withholds %nd%ly, b%t &omes to poverty.6 A time of famine is not the time to hold on to the little !it $ou ha-e" That is the time $ou need to sow out of famine" ThatAs how $ou %et out of famine?!$ sowin%"
Sowing in 4amine
::5
/od told me, CSon, if people will do what IAm tellin% them, I will %i-e them the !lessin% of Isaac when he sowed in famine"C 3etAs look at that stor$ in /enesis, chapter *)D
And there was a famine in the land ... And the !ord appeared %nto him > saa&?, and said, *o not down into /gypt >in other words, 6#on@t r%n away from the famine6?= dwell in the land whi&h shall tell thee of+ SoCo%rn in this land, and will be with thee, and will bless thee= for %nto thee, and %nto thy seed, will give all these &o%ntries, and will perform the oath whi&h sware %nto Abraham thy father ... "e&a%se that Abraham obeyed my voi&e, and .ept my &harge, my &ommandments, my stat%tes, and my laws. *enesis :7+(15
Notice that in the midst of famine, /od told Isaac not to run or !e afraid of it, !ut to sta$ where He had told him to dwell" He assured Isaac that He would !e with him and take care of him, e-en in the midst of the famine"
Then saa& sowed in that land, and re&eived in the same year an h%ndredfold+ and the !ord
::7
!iving in #ivine Prosperity blessed him. *enesis :7+(:
Isaac didnAt withhold in famine" He sowed in famine" He %a-e in famine"

And the man waEed great, and went forward, and grew %ntil he be&ame very great+ 4or he had possession of flo&.s, and possession of herds, and great store of servants+ and the Philistines envied him. *enesis :7+(<,(0
/od told me, CIf 0$ people will %i-e in the same spirit that Isaac %a-e, !$ sowin% in famine rather than withholdin%, IAll %i-e them the !lessin% of Isaac"C Then He said, C6ou start, son, and IAll use $ou as an e<ample"C I too was in famine at the time" I didnAt ha-e all I needed and was tired of it" That $ear had !een one of the hardest periods financiall$ for m$ ministr$" 7e stood on the 7ord of /od constantl$" There was not one da$ that we could let up" 7e had to keep our faith a%ainst that mountain e-er$ da$" It seemed that the more I recei-ed, the more it would take" There was ne-er enou%h" /od said to me, CAre $ou fed upEC
Sowing in 4amine
::9
I said, C6es, IAm fed up"C He said, C7ell, IAm fed up too" IAm %oin% to command the !lessin% upon $ou and re!uke the Le-il for $our sake" If $ouAll do what IAm tellin% $ou to do, if $ouAll sow in famine, IAll %i-e $ou the !lessin% of Isaac?and in the same $ear a hundredfold"C #arol$n and I sat down to%ether and took ten checks out of our ministr$, one from each of the ten maBor departments that were in famine" 7e wrote each check for a thousand dollars, a total of ten thousand dollars" 6ou mi%ht sa$, C6ou %a-e awa$ ten thousand dollarsE That doesnAt sound like famine to me"C It is when $ou need millions" Now if $ou onl$ need fi-e dollars, then ten thousand is a!undance" ut when ten thousand dollars doesnAt come close to meetin% $our needs, then $ou are in famine" Success to one person ma$ not !e success to someone else" Someone ma$ sa$ proudl$, CI made a hundred thousand dollars this $ear"C ut to the person who normall$ makes fi-e hundred thousand a $ear, thatAs famine" I was in famine" And I was fed up with it"
::$
So #arol$n and I wrote out those ten checks for a thousand dollars each" 7e needed that ten thousand dollars desperatel$H !ut we sowed in famine, in o!edience to /od" /od was %oin% to command the !lessin% upon us and re!uke the de-ourer for our sake" The !lessin% of Isaac was %oin% to come on us" Then #arol$n and I took a thousand dollars from our own personal account, the last thousand we had, and sowed it in famine" /od had told me, CI will use $ou as an e<ample to pro-e to the od$ of #hrist that I will do what I sa$"C 7ithin one week Inot one $ear, !ut one week?se-en da$sJ, /od %a-e me an airplane worth M'18,888 for which I owe not one thin dimeK The ne<t ni%ht I was %i-en a check for M'88,888 for the e-an%elistic ministr$" Then I recei-ed another check for M'8,888" And it has ne-er stoppedK In one weekAs time, o-er a quarter of a million dollars came to meK Isaac sowed in famine and recei-ed a hundredfold return" /od told me to tell $ou that He is %oin% to %i-e $ou the !lessin% of Isaac" 6ou donAt ha-e to !e a preacher for this to
Sowing in 4amine
::'
work for $ou" All $ou ha-e to !e is a !elie-er" I preached this messa%e in a church in Oklahoma #it$" The people took it and acted upon it, sowin% in famine, in their need" 3ater the pastor asked how man$ in the con%re%ation had recei-ed financial miracles since the$ sowed in famine" O-er 51Q of his con%re%ation stood to their feetK O-er 51Q of that church had recei-ed financial miracles !ecause the$ had sowed in famine" That is a documented fact" A woman called our office and said she had !een tr$in% to sell her house for months" She %ot tired of it takin% so lon%, so she sowed in famine" Her house sold the ne<t da$" That, too, is a documented fact" I could %o on and on" 0$ files contain a folder full of such documented testimonies" /od is commandin% His !lessin% upon His peopleK Are you li-in% in famineE Lo you !elie-e that /od is no respecter of persons and that what He has done for me and for these I ha-e mentioned, He will do for $ouE In E<odus =1D+,1 we read these wordsD
And Moses spa.e %nto all the &ongregation
:<)
!iving in #ivine Prosperity of the &hildren of srael, saying, This is the thing whi&h the !ord &ommanded, saying, Ta.e ye from among yo% an offering %nto the !ord+ whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the !ord.
/od wants a -oluntar$ act of faith on $our part" He wants $ou to !e of a willin% heart" If $ou will sow out of $our need for the spread of the /ospel in these last da$s, /od has promised that $ou will reap a !ountiful har-est" LonAt make this a one9time effort, !ut a lifest$le" All /od wants is an opportunit$ to command His !lessin% upon $ou and to re!uke the de-ourer for $our sake" If $ou are of a willin% heart and are read$ to come out of $our !onda%e, then sow, and sow, and keep on sowin%" 6our freedom is at hand"
3erry 2avelle is a noted author, e-an%elist, and i!le teacher who tra-els e<tensi-el$ throu%hout the United States" ;err$ teaches the uncompromisin% 7ord of /od with a power and authorit$ that is e<citin%, !ut with a lo-e that deli-ers the messa%e directl$ to the heart" His down9to9earth approach and d$namic illustrations clearl$ present the a!solute authorit$ of /odAs 7ord" At the a%e of twel-e as ;err$ was watchin% the healin% ministr$ of Oral Ro!erts on tele-ision, /od spoke to his heart and called him into the ministr$" Se-eral $ears later, on 4e!ruar$ '', '()(, ;err$ made ;esus #hrist the 3ord of his life" Since that time, he has !een mo-in% in the li%ht of /odAs callin% on his life" .rior to enterin% his own ministr$, ;err$ was an associate minister with @enneth #opeland E-an%elistic Association" The scope of ;err$ Sa-elle 0inistries is far reachin%" esides tra-elin% throu%hout the United States, #anada, and other parts of the world, ;err$ conducts a dail$ radio pro%ram, CAd-entures In 4aith"C
The anointin% of /od upon ;err$As life is powerful, and people are set free as the 7ord %oes forth unhindered"
4or a complete list of tapes and !ooks !$ ;err$ Sa-elle, writeD ;err$ Sa-elle 0inistries ."O" o< ***2 4ort 7orth, T: 5)''=

Living in Divine Prosperity Jerry Savelle

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Living in Divine Prosperity Jerry Savelle

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Living in Divine Prosperity

Living in Divine Prosperity

HARRISON HOUSE Tulsa, Oklahoma

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

" #reedo! #ro! Bondage

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$he Higher %ay

4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

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4reedom 4rom "ondage

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

4reedom 4rom "ondage

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4reedom 4rom "ondage

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4reedom 4rom "ondage

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Giving. $he /ssence of Living

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0 Life12tyle, +ot a 2che!e

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

, edience 4ields Prosperity

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+eed for Discipline

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%hy God(s People 2uffer

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

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!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

%here the Bla!e Goes

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$he Lord(s )e uke

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

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!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

$rust the %ord

!iving in #ivine Prosperity

!iving in #ivine Prosperity