Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 111 John 1:2-4
God will is Prosperity for His children; but for the whole man, body, soul and spirit and not just one particular area. He desires and wills to bring them health, and healing and to reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth as promised in His word:
'Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 'And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.
'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.
'Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.' " Jeremiah 33:6-9
However, truth and righteousness and justice which are the elements of true prosperity are words that are not spoken and sought much by God’s materialistic oriented people today; even though they is the foundational stone of God’s kingdom and character.
God loves truth and righteousness and justice so much that it cost Him the life of His only Son. Something that men take for granted that if God would not spare His own son why would He spare others who have not sought justice, righteousness and truth? It does not make sense at all the God is so loving, gracious and kind, as some propose and preach, that He will automatically forgive all sin and rebellion by even His own.
The doctrine of automatic forgiveness and general absolution of all things that God’s people might do is a lie from the pits of hell. For God is not stupid nor is He a fool. He sees what men do and say and He has already given His word on the matter::
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. John 2:23-25
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Mark 7: 5-9
Even in so called Evangelical churches, traditions and commandments of men motivated by selfishness and greed of the elders, rather than love and compassion of the Holy Spirit, have become more important than the commandments of God. As a result God’s word states:
Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. "When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 1:10-20
God even this day gives men a choice to reason together with Him about their sins and ways. If they u are willing and obedient, they shall eat the good of the land. But if they refuse and rebel, they shall be devoured by the sword. For God doesn’t lie and He keeps His word.
The other fact of the matter is that people who are called by God’s name say and do strange things in the House of God in God’s name and they think that they speak on behalf of God. Ironically by people who have rejected Apostle and Prophets in their midst today and then they think that they have favor with God and are in good standing with Him. But they have not asked God what He thinks about what they do for fear of finding out that they are a trouble to Him and He is weary of their ways and ideas.
A good example of all this is prayer and fasting that is done by most groups and churches which it does not line up at all with God’s word which states:
"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.
Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:1-11
The kind of fasting that God demands from His people is that of seeking and doing true justice, righteousness and truth; especially for the oppressed and afflicted in their midst. Definitely not the showing of partiality or being a respecter of persons; which is so common in the house of God today by those who call themselves Christians. These are major sins which has been glossed over by so many but are awful in the sight of God and about which He brings judgment.
For to God each person is important to Him and He does not make much distinction between the head and the toe or another part of the body. They are all equally important to Him. He loves them all and they all have an important part to play in His kingdom especially the lesser known parts.
But to hear the ways some people talk only the head is the important part and is to be listened too. Even though many times it is just a bunch of hot air. For as James the brother of Jesus has put it so well:
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:1-7
Those who talk and say so much, especially leaders in the House of God, have more to give an account, than those who keep their mouth shut. For God’s word states:
In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them. Proverbs 14:3
A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. Proverbs 14:16
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. Proverbs 17:28
So many in the house of God are talkers only and not doers of the word of God. They do things by the flesh and in presumption and not by the Spirit and in wisdom. The results can be seen in their futile deeds or running around in circles. They really do not bring about a major change to their community.
Most of them times they are a laughing stock in their community? They really do not know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about whom it is said:
God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked.
The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies. Nahum 1:2-8
The early Apostles, Prophets and disciples changed the world of side down with signs and wonder and deeds and true integrity. While the present prominent religious ones in America such as Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, Dr. Henry J. Lyons, W.A. Grant, and Karl Strader have only become wicked men who have brought shame to the body of Christ and by their foolish examples and deeds that have spoken louder than their words.
Truly they were excellent hypocrites as Jesus talked about them. They were and are false ones whose fruits spoke louder than their words. The sad part is that they never counted that the storms of life would come to them and their house would fall. As they did not built it upon the rock but upon the sands of human reason and logic and lusts.
When God brings and gives all the goodness and all the prosperity that He has promised in His word it stays. But when men achieve it for themselves it fails. For it was not wrought in God but in ideas and foolishness of men. God is not responsible for the words and thoughts of men but only for His words and thoughts including:
"Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. "When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you." Joshua 23:15-16
I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel 6:26-29
Daniel unlike the others of our day was a man of integrity, faithful and true and was full of the Spirit of the Lord and he prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. While the others did not; even though they had and have their excuses. But the bottom line is that they were not walking in truth and were not blameless. For true prosperity is first of the heart and spirit and truth and character. Then all the rest follows as it did with praying and faithful Daniel.
No comments:
Post a Comment