Abound in this Grace Also

If you are my friend on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, you will notice that I have been posting a lot about the subject of prosperity.

Now, for some reason, prosperity is a divisive subject in the Body of Christ. The Bible makes its position on prosperity crystal clear.

I have been studying prosperity for the last few weeks, because not only do I need a manifestation of prosperity, the Church needs a revelation on prosperity. We will never usher in the End Times move of God if we are not prosperous.

So, without further ado, let's dive on into this subject.

2 Corinthians 8:7, Paul is writing, and he says,

"But as you abound in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us-see that you abound in this grace also."

So, Paul is talking about grace. They've done a good job in these graces, but there is one that they are missing.

Verse 8, he says,

"I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others."

So, apparently, what Paul is about to tell us is a test of the sincerity of our love.

Verse 9

"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." (A quick note on that verse. The Greek word translated "rich" means, "financially wealthy". This is not referring to spiritual riches, but wealth.)

So, what Paul is saying is that, "Our prosperity is a measure of the sincerity of our love." (Oh man, I'm gonna get some comments on that statement!)

Now, before we go any further, I need to deal with something here. When did Jesus become poor? Because whenever Jesus became poor shows us when we have the right to be made rich.

We know that poverty, sin, sickness and disease, and separation from God are under the curse. (Read Deuteronomy 28-it will tell you what the Blessing is and what the curse is). We don't have space in this post to talk about Jesus' earthly ministry, but suffice it to say, He never broke a commandment from God, so God's Covenant mandated that He walk in The Blessing while He was here on the earth.

So, let's examine each of these aspects here.

2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that, "He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Well, that gives us something else we need to look up. Jesus became poor at some point, and He became sin at some point. When did that happen?

1 Peter 2:24

"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, the we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed."

Two things from that verse.

1. The stripes on His back purchased your healing. So, a transaction had to be made. Just like with sin and poverty, Jesus had to be made sick at some point.

2. This verse also tells us when. He bore our sins when? On the tree. So, Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the tree.

Now, when did Jesus become separated from God? On the cross He cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46) So, Jesus was separated from God on the cross.

We have two separate portions of scripture that tells us Jesus was made a curse at the cross. Let's look at a third one (the Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established-2 Corinthians 13:1). What we're doing is building an irrefutable case, so that no doubt can creep into your mind about God's will for you to prosper.

Galatians 3:13

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")"

So, Jesus became a curse when He hung on the cross. That means that was when He became poor, that was when He became sin, that was when He became sickness, and that's when He became separated from the Father.

So, we were given the right to be called sons of God when Jesus was separated from the Father.

We were given the right to be healed when Jesus was made sick.

We were given the right to be righteous when Jesus became sin.

We were given the right to prosperity when Jesus became poor.

All of that happened at the cross! That means, the second you made Jesus the Lord of your life, in the spirit, you were made healed, righteous, a son of the Living God, and prosperous. Now it's up to you to walk it out.

Now that that is established, let's continue on.

The Corinthian church abounded in many graces at the time Paul wrote 2 Corinthians by the Holy Spirit, but they did not abound in prosperity. That's what Paul is saying, "See to it that you abound in prosperity also."

Now, one thing people say about prosperity all the time is, "Well, I give, but I never get anything back." I think you need to read on a little more.

2 Corinthians 9:1-2

"Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: for I know your willingness (to give)" (Parenthesis mine)

So, Paul is telling the church here that they knew how to give, but they didn't know how to receive.

He said he didn't have to tell them about giving, and ministering to the saints. He said it was "superfluous."

The dictionary defines superfluous as, "being more than is sufficient or required; excessive."

We could read it this way. "It would be excessive for me to exhort you to give. You have demonstrated your willingness time and time again."

So, we can now see that people can sow seed without reaping a harvest. That means we have to learn how to reap our harvest.

Verse 6

"But this I say. He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

So, your harvest is dependent upon the seed you sow.

Notice, it isn't a dollar amount. Only you can define sparingly or bountifully in your own life. The greatest offering spoken of in the Bible is the widow's mite. She sowed all she had.

Now, according to the commentaries I have looked at concerning this passage, the two coins she sowed were equivalent to 6 minutes worth of pay. They were all she had. She had nothing.

But, she sowed what she did have. That was her significant seed. To the widow, this was a bountiful offering, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Blessing overtook her like it was promised to in the 28th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. She received a harvest on that seed, and I believe she was never poor another day in her life.

Verse 7

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Never let anyone force you into giving. You don't give to meet a need, or because of a desperate plea. No! You give for the purpose behind the need. I don't give to a ministry so that they can have enough money to put on a crusade or special meeting, I give because I know that as I give, I'm helping get people saved, healed, delivered and set free. That is the purpose behind the need!

Verse 8

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."

So, we're back to grace now. We know prosperity is a grace, and that we are supposed in that grace. Now, because of our sowing, God is able to make all grace abound toward you!

That means, if you're a sower, the grace to prosper is abounding towards you. All that's left is for you to receive it! God's done everything He's ever going to do about your prosperity-that was bought and paid for on the cross.

Verse 9

"As it is written: He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever."

Verse 10

"Now may He who ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness."

You are never without seed. If you are without financial seed, it is because you aren't a sower. He will minster seed to the sower. If you don't have any seed, determine that you will sow whatever seed you get. Start it off with prayer time, or something. You need to sow to get in on this grace.

Now, I want to get to this point here. God will multiply your seed sown. What is the multiplication of seed sown?

Well, let's look at it in the natural. If I sow 1 corn seed, I will reap 1 corn plant. On that plant will be many ears of corn, but I will still only have one plant. So, there is some blessing there, and that is right and good.

Now, let's say I sow 1 corn seed, and you come up behind me and sow 5 corn seeds. Well, when harvest time comes, I am now going to reap 6 corn plants, because the seed was multiplied in the ground.

The same thing happens when you sow seed in faith. God will multiply the seed you have sown. He can do it a few different ways. One of the ways is that He can have angels supernaturally multiply the seed you have sown.

Another way is through covenant partnership. For example, if you, I and someone else, are told to each sow $10 into someone's ministry, we don't just receive credit on the $10. We receive credit on the whole thing! Heaven has it recorded that each one of us sowed $30, and that is credited to your account! That is the multiplication of seed sown!

So, God wants you prosperous. In fact, He needs you prosperous!

Start believing God! Abound in this grace! Expect harvest! Expect your seed to be multiplied! But the first thing you have to do is sow.

Find yourself some good ground, and sow seed. Get involved in what God is doing.

This isn't something you have to work for-Jesus bought and paid for in His death, burial, and resurrection! As you walk in your sonship, realize that Jesus already did all this for you! He paid the price so you don't have to.

This isn't works. We don't prosper so we can boast about our prosperity, or tell people what hotshots we are. We prosper so that God can show His goodness! We prosper so that we can finance this end times move of God!

Remember that. You need to abound in this grace also.

There may or may not be more posts coming in this series. Be blessed!

The Honor and Power Connection-Digging up the Wells of Your Father(s)

In the last few posts, we have been looking at something the Lord spoke to me, called, "The Honor and Power Connection." I have been studying it, and think we're at the place where the Lord wants us to be, so let's jump on in.

We have discussed reverence, honor, and how those are the keys to a manifestation of the power of God. I want to discuss one more thing on this topic. Maybe we'll revisit it later, but let's finish this series up.

Genesis 26:12-18

¹² Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

¹³ The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

¹⁴ for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

¹⁵ Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth.

¹⁶ And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

¹⁷ Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

¹⁸ And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

Now, notice the key phrase here in verse 18. "Issac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father." I want to focus on that.

I think we need to get back to the basics as the Body of Christ. We need to go back to what got us to where we are today. If we are to truly rise up, and be the Church, preparing the earth for the Last Days move of God, it's time we start acting like it. Let's get busy.

We need to dig again the wells of our fathers! Go back to the early 1900's, dig up the wells of the Azusa Street revival, where people would fall out in the Spirit blocks away from the church!

Dig up the wells of the Healing Revival, expecting God to move, and make Himself known with signs and wonders!

Dig up the wells of the Charismatic Renewal, with the gifts of the Spirit flowing in our services!

Dig up the wells of faith taught to us by such great men as Smith Wigglesworth, Kenneth E. Hagin, and (even though he's still alive) Kenneth Copeland!

Dig up the wells of prosperity, so that we can finance the end times move of God!

You see, the problem is, we've become too lax in the church. We're content to let a man like Brother Copeland, or Keith Moore, or some other great man of faith march in front of us, and tell us everything God's done in their lives, and then we leave the service, go home, and act just like everyone else in the world.

Well, I'm tired of it. Get strong in the Word. Get yourself built up. Then go out and do something. Make a change. Part of the problem in the church is, we're so scared of missing God that we won't step out, and when we don't step out, we miss God.

No saints, we need to be bold! Step out in faith! Lillian B. Yeomans said it this way, "God delights in His children stepping out over the aching void with nothing underneath their feet but the Word of God."

So, step over the line of faith. Refuse to pull back.

If you look at all these revivals, they all have a few things in common. First, they occurred when a group of people prayed. And they prayed. And they prayed. And they prayed.

Revival is birthed in prayer. And in that time of prayer comes an expectation.

Second, the people who desired revival desired nothing more than the Word of God. They would go to meetings and hear the Word preached. They would spend time reading the Word, meditating on it, studying it. They lived the Word.

So, get in some meetings! If you have to take time off work, or whatever, find where God wants you to go, and get there!

Then the pray-ers and the ones who have made the Word first place step out in faith.

As they do that, they step out into what the Great Commission says in Mark 16. Notice at the end of that chapter, most Bibles say that the Lord was "working withthem and confirming the Word through signs following" or something to that extent. The word "them is added by the translators. If they put it in, I can take it out. How does it read then? "The Lord working with and confirming the Word through signs following."

Okay, so, the Lord is working the Word. It is irrelevant who is stepping out in faith to fulfill the Great Commission, because God isn't working with them, He's working with the Word.

When you put your faith in the Word, and put action to your faith, you'll see results happen. God will honor His Word, because He's not a respecter of persons-He's a respecter of faith.

When we step out in faith, we are honoring His Word (and we will be doing everything we talked about Honor being in the last two posts), and when we honor His Word, He honors us, by turning up the power.

I'm going to close this post out with a Word I believe the Lord has given me. "So go out, be bold. Be strong, and of a good courage. Dig up the wells of your fathers, and do not forget what I have taught you through them. Keep putting the teaching I have given them to work in your life, and you will see changes. Them that honor Me, I will honor, and them that despise Me, I will lightly esteem. Do not turn from My statutes, and I will honor you by turning up the power in your life"