PROSPERITY

God’s Will Is Prosperity

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners,  Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Because Jesus Christ, the Word, was given to us we can be prosperous and successful in all things as we abide in Him and in His word and do whatever He commands us. He is a God who desires that we prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (3 John 1:2). The wealth of the heavens and universe is in the Word and the Word dwells within us as God’s children. Everything we need and desire, for it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom and to shower on us all of His goodness and mercy.  His word is unchanging:

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,  Who delights greatly in His commandments.  His descendants will be mighty on earth;  The generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches will be in his house,  And his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3

     The American Heritage Dictionary defines ‘prosperity’ and ‘prosper’ as:

pros·per·i·ty n. The condition of being prosperous.

pros·per v.  To be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one's finances; thrive.

Biblical prosperity means great riches, honor, silver and gold in the current time of life. We have an example of biblical prosperity in the life of Hezekiah:

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.  He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 2 Kings 18:1-7

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:20

Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;  storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.  Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. 2 Chronicles 32:27-29

As a result of his God given prosperity, King Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. He made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;  storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.  Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. So true prosperity is not just our soul being prosperous but also our whole man body, soul and spirit?

The devil, who is a liar and a thief and is jealous of man, doesn’t want man to be prosperous, rich and wealthy but poor and sick. Through a religious spirit he has lied to many of God’s people that abundant prosperity is not God’s will because he knows that whatever a person believes for he or she shall receive. And as long as person believes a lie he will not know the truth. The devil doesn’t want God’s people to know that Jesus endured absolute poverty and degradation for their sakes. Imagine if they believed that it’s their divine call and destiny to have abundance in all things and to be blessed in spirit, soul, mind and body? Imagine if they prayed and believed God that the healing and restoring power of God will come upon every area of their life, upon their spirit, upon their soul, upon their body and upon their finances? Imagine if they would break every curse and command every evil thing and every bad circumstance to flee from them? Imagine if they prayed that every attack spiritual emotional physical and financial would turn into victory right now? Imagine if they prayed and received an anointing that would break every yoke and destroy every bondage and wile of the devil? Why God’s people by grace and faith would be living and walking in divine health and prosperity here on earth and no demon would want this to happen?

But the truth is that all that belongs to God belongs to Jesus and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to God’s people, heirs of salvation and brothers and sisters of Jesus.  The truth is that all good things of heaven, including salvation, the baptism of the Spirit, divine health and abundant prosperity, come by faith from a God whose thoughts towards His children are good and not evil. From a God who made His sons and daughters to be royalty, kings and priests, who are reigning with Him (Revelation 1:6 & 5:10)!

Which normal parent delights in seeing his children poor, destitute, naked and sick? None! And neither does God. He delights in seeing His children blessed, be made perfectly whole, and minister like Jesus in the power of the Spirit with miracles, signs and wonders. Now all this is something that must be made real and true by the Holy Spirit or the carnal mind will not accept it.   But God’s word is unchanging:

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Jesus Christ, who made all things, became a man for our sakes that we through His poverty might become rich, spiritually and financially. But Jesus Christ was not financially poor on earth just because He was born in a manger. The three wise man had given His parents expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) which was at their disposal. Later during His ministry Jesus had his own house. The Bible records:

Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). John 1:38-39

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities-Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,  and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. Luke 8:1-3

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Luke 9:58

Yes, Jesus  had many of donors who gave to His ministry and  He had no place to stay in a  local area  problem, for the Samaritans cancelled His meeting and He was not welcome in the city as they did not receive him . (Luke 9:52-53) But Jesus who sometimes have as many as 120 people traveling with him bought food for the disciples (John 4:8) and had a treasurer Judas, who was a thief (John 12:6).  And Jesus was also extremely rich as God had anointed Him with the Spirit in unlimited measure and angels miraculously ministered to Him whenever needed (Matthew 4:11).

When Jesus was betrayed and arrested according to the plan of God, Jesus could have asked His Father, and He would have provided Him with more than twelve legions of angels, but then the Scriptures would not be fulfilled. Jesus didn’t have a problem turning the water into wine at the wedding (John 2:6-9)or giving Peter and friends net breaking boat sinking loads of fish (Luke 5:4-7).

Yes, the disciples of Jesus, Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Matthew,  were not poor.  A study of Caperanum, the home of Jesus Christ during His Galilean ministry after He left Nazareth reveals this. Capernaum was also the home of Matthew, the tax collector; Peter and Andrew the fishermen had left Bethsaida and had settled in Capernaum, and there was James and John there in Capernaum also.

Matthew, as the tax collector, certainly had accumulated assets from his duty of tax collection, particularly along the busy Via Maris which brought a great deal of trade to Capernaum, and a tax on products, particularly fish would have given Matthew a substantial income.

The home of Peter has been excavated and is relatively unquestioned. It was a multi-roomed home with two courts, probably two stories with 14 rooms opening onto the two courts. Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen, and fish was a productive product on the busy market where caravans transversed from Damascus and Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea. Dried fish was sold to be delivered all over the area.

Jesus Christ definitely was not anemic, impotent, and poor like many of God’s people who are bound by religious spirits and in a Satanic cycle of poverty rather than God’s cycle of prosperity unable to get or perform miracles! Yet God’s word is unchanging:

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;  He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust  And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,  To set them among princes  And make them inherit the throne of glory.  "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, 1 Samuel 2:7-8

Yes, the LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.  God doesn’t have a problem in making His people rich and prosperous. Jesus Christ suffered on the cross intense pain and shame to set us free from sickness and poverty. By His stripes we were healed in every sense of the word.  Jesus was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) including sickness and poverty. He is still the great Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider and Miracle Worker. It’s Satan, our arch enemy, who wants God’s people to suffer spiritual, physical and financial insufficiency and be sick and weak for he is a thief, a murderer and a destroyer  (John 10:10). God’s word is unchanging:

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."

The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke 13:10-17

Yes, the devil kept this woman sick for eighteen years and Jesus delivered her from her bondage. And because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever He can and will deliver any one from any bondage. There are many forms of bondage besides sickness. A person could be physically well but be bondage in his finances. However for a true believer God who owns the cattle on the thousand hills and all the silver and gold will deliver him from his or her bondage (Isaiah 61:1-5). Yes, the lack of money is a great bondage but Jesus delivers from all forms of bondage. Contrary to what some people believe money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil! Money is just a means of payment.  It’s is neutral. What a person does with money makes it either good or evil.  What is important is does a person possess money or does money possess the person?

Now the devil wants God’s people to be blind and ignorant about God’s desires for them to be healthy and wealthy and powerful. The devil is not stupid and he knows that whatever part of the Word of God is rejected by God’s people it will not become a reality in their lives. So he causes many religious folks to believe that sickness and poverty are the will of God and that prosperity and wealth and prosperity are from the devil. But all this is nothing but a lie from the father of all lies – the devil.  Poverty is like an infectious disease. It is like a virus Satan brings upon the Body of Christ. He has infected many individuals, families and whole churches with the "poverty virus".  As a result for them poverty and sickness have literally become a way of life.

But the truth of the matter is that Jesus had died on the cross to give us 100% victory over all things including to set us free from sickness and disease and poverty. He doesn't want us to be even 1% sick or poor. He gave His blood for us. He purchased us. We are His own and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to us- all of it!  That is the reason why Jesus wants us to live a 100% healthy life. Every sickness in our life and poverty is defeated by the blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His blood -- He died naked on the cross -- to set us free from sickness or poverty. Every financial lack in our life is defeated by the blood of Jesus. He wants us to live 100% wealthy and healthy lives. And All we have to do is to receive and confess God's Word concerning our health, healing, blessings  and prosperity and to act according to it. God’s word is unchanging:

"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

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