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38. Channels of Blessing

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In Your Bible Read This Out Loud: Psalm 75:6

Memorise This Verse: Colossians 3:23 ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men’

Afterwards Talk About This:  Should Christians be the most successful people in the world of employment?

Something To Do Before Next Time:  The next time you go to work imagine that Jesus is your boss

Written Diploma Work:  According to Psalm 1 it says that whatever we do will prosper, write one side on what we must do to qualify for this promise.

Meditate Word By Word On This Verse:  Ecclesiastes 2:26

In the sections located in this chapter concerning releasing the blessings of God, consideration will be given the channels that God would seek to prosper us through, and the things that have the potential to block those channels. So having started a life style of giving can we expect money to mysteriously appear in our pockets or come in the post? or do we have a part to play in availing ourselves of the grace of God?.

Whilst the bible never promises any get rich quick schemes, and whilst with God all things are possible, it would appear that we very much have our part to play in releasing faith and seeing the intervention of God.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says, ‘But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today’.

The Psalmist in Psalm 37 highlights the inheritance that the righteous can expect to enjoy, not when they get to heaven but actually here and now

verse 9 ‘For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land’

verse 11 ‘The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace’

verse 22 ‘Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land’

verse 29 ‘The righteous will inherit the land

verse 34 ‘He will exalt you to inherit the land’

In fact, Jesus himself declares the same truth in the beatitudes when he says in Matthew 5:5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’. Consequently, should not the people of God believe God for better jobs, pay rises and promotions – not for selfish reasons but to have more to give into the work of God? Are there not many companies that are run by ungodly people and run in a way that gives money and greed first place in all that is done and not a thought is given about God? Why should the ungodly have the well paid jobs and the positions of power – should not God’s people rise up in faith and believe him to exalt them to inherit the good things of the land. The psalmist later says in  Psalm 75:6 ‘No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings down one, he exalts another’

Moreover, Paul writes in Colossians 3:23 ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.’ It should be the case that whilst the unbelievers in the work place seek to get away with as much as possible, the Christians should be the most dedicated and the most reliable workers and so should be getting the promotion in the office. Just like the Psalmist, Paul uses the word inheritance let the church release faith for this inheritance and the positions of power and the wealth of this world will come flooding into the Kingdom.

Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes brings further insight firstly, he very much agrees with Colossians 3:23 which says in  9:10 ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might’. Secondly in 2:26 he says, ‘To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the sinner’. Let us believe God for wisdom, knowledge and happiness in our job hunting and our career decision making so that we attain to the better jobs and let the wicked have the less well paid jobs (and even then they are only storing up wealth for the body of Christ).

Why should the pagans beat the people of God to the best jobs and to the setting up of the best firms – let us rumble the pagans and plunder their wealth for the sake of Jesus and the taking of his Kingdom to the poor and destitute. A further channel of prosperity is in the area of starting up a new business. Should not the people of God seek to take away the market share of the many companies that are run for greed and profit and not for the Kingdom of God? Speaking of those who meditate on the promises of God, the psalmist says in the first Psalm ‘He is like a tree planted by streams of living water, which yields it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers’. James reveals the same blessing of those who meditate on the promises of God when he says in James 1:25, ‘He will be blessed in what he does’

Surely it is time for Christian businesses to come forth the world over in the knowledge that whatever they do will prosper and be blessed of God. Money will move away from ungodly and dishonest companies and into companies that are run with a view to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. All God needs is someone who will believe these great and precious promises. Did you notice in the parable of the minas in Luke 19:13 that the servants of the master were told to ‘Put this money to work’? The Holy Spirit has been sent to guide believers into all truth and teach them things to come (John 16:13). Any believer who makes the Holy Spirit his senior partner in his company will be a success waiting to manifest.

A further area of the channels of prosperity that God could use is the making of decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For example, the next time you seek to make a major decision about buying something like a house, a car, a bike, or even a washing machine – why not pray about it and ask God to lead you by the power of his Spirit to the best bargain going. Let us believe God that we will buy the right house that will increase in value quicker that any of the others that were available, and for the car and washing machine that will last longer than the others, and that he will put us in the right place at the right time to get the best value for money on what we spend.

Remember that children of Israel wandered for a long time in the desert but their clothes and shoes did not wear out, can we not believe God that the things we buy will last longer and better than if we hadn’t sought his guidance in the decision making process?

For example, one brother planted some seeds and they rotted, he went to the word of God about the promises about whatever he did prospering and replanted his seed and commanded it to bring forth fruit and it later sprouted a harvest. Perhaps some of us need to pray over our cars, pray over our business, pray over our livestock, pray over our land and our crops and command them to be blessed and prosperous in the name of Jesus. Speak words of spirit and life to them and they will have no choice but the yield the good things of God.

A further channel of prosperity which many people in the Western church do not want to hear is the area of letting God change our desires so that we can live a more basic and cost efficient lifestyle. How many people go to church and sing songs about Jesus being all that they need and yet secretly they are not content with just Jesus but want a luxurious lifestyle as well! Allowing God to change your desires and letting him highlight areas of greed in your life can release a lot of money, which instead of being spent on the things of this world can be spent of the work of God.

One final area that if everyone in the Kingdom of God practised would have unbelievable benefits is the area of keeping money amongst fellow believers. For example, there are approximately 1.75 billion Christians in the world who hold a lot of money – should we therefore not seek to do as much business and trade with each other as possible and let as little as possible go to the ungodly? If you need a new car is there a Christian car dealer you could go to? If you need a computer is there a Christian computer company you could go to? Why not always seek to make your purchases with a Christian company as often as possible and keep as much money in the Kingdom as possible. These two sections have hopefully inspired you to look for God to move in several areas. There are doubtless many more, so keep on looking and expecting for God to work in terrific ways to bless and prosper you.

A House of Prayer for the Poorer Nations

Pray for Ethiopia

62,564,875 people, 65% Christian

Strong church growth but Muslims are pushing for an Islamic state.


This study contains the personal beliefs and practices of of the author who recommends them to the reader. The author takes no credit for their success where applied and likewise takes no responsibility for any failure or disappointment.

The House of Prayer for the Poorer Nations at the end of each section is based on Operation World 21st Century Edition © Patrick Johnstone, Jason Mandryk. Published by Paternoster. All scriptures are NIV © Hodder & Stoughton.

 

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