Biblical Prosperity: Prosperity in Finances/Wealth Cont.'.

Today, we, as His body, worship Jesus in spirit and in truth (John 4:23,24), not through the Mosaic law and its intricate system of offerings, firstfruits, first born, sacrifices, rituals, practices, feasts, and observances under a theocracy. Recognizing that this system was valid only until the new covenant, we now focus upon Jesus Christ and rejoice in His magnificent work on the cross. Our focus is not upon obedience to the rituals of the Mosaic Law, but it is upon the person of Jesus Christ Himself—as His disciples, i.e., learners, imitators and supporters of Jesus, our teacher, and Him crucified.

NEW TESTAMENT GIVING

New Testament giving is based on 2 Corinthians 9.

2 Corinthians 9:1-15Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you;2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready;4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.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.9 As it is written: 1 “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians chapters 8-9, and 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 state that a Christian is to evaluate the needs of others and to give as he is able to. No percentage guidelines are ever given! The Apostle Paul had ample opportunity to use the word "tithe" or at least mandate it as a standard to be preserved, but instead Paul gives us new rules for giving, which would supersede the Old Testament law for giving. If there is any single verse in the New Testament that nullifies the "tithing in the Church age" doctrine, it would be 2 Cor. 9:7, which says, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

Another principal of financial prosperity is to be a lender, not a borrower according to Deuteronomy 28:12. ( We a only take the blessings; we've been redeemed from the curses.)

Deuteronomy 28:1212 “The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

Still another Biblical principal is to leave an inheritance to your children. This is found in Proverbs 13:22.

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Lending to the poor is blessed by God according to Scripture, and financial prosperity is a promise of God.

Proverbs 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.

Deuteronomy 28:4-10 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.10 “Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.

God does not have a problem with you having financial prosperity, but financial prosperity not having you. All throughout the Bible there are many scriptures, which talk about finances. God has a plan and purpose for your life. When you find the plan and purpose for your life, God will cause you to financially prosper to carry out that plan. All the people in the Bible prospered financially because they were carrying out the plans for their life. The evil also had financial prosperity, but in the end were destroyed. After all, what can you do with many houses; you can only live in one at a time. How many automobiles can you drive, only one at a time?

He has prospered you financially, given you wealth so you can advance His Kingdom here on earth.

Resurrection Day

"Hope for the Hopeless - Believe Again!"

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."—John 11:25

Easter/Resurrection Day is that one time of the year which not only reminds us of the love that God has for humanity, but reminds us that He is the God of impossibilities. Although many things are collapsing around us, there is one thing that we can hold onto for security—and that is the promises of God. Jesus promised His disciples that He would return, and after three days in the grave, He arose. His resurrection should assure you that God is able to:

· Reverse the seemingly irreversible.

· Change the seemingly unchangeable.

· Overcome the seemingly insurmountable.

· Heal the seemingly terminally ill.

· Solve the seemingly unsolvable.

· Restore that which seemingly cannot be restored.

Christ's death and resurrection has many implications for those of us who have been delivered from the power of sin. Firstly, when He died, He died for all mankind. According to Galatians 2:20, we were crucified with Christ, and through the shedding of His Blood we were redeemed.

Galatians 3:13-14 states, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree': that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

By this Spirit, we are able to have faith and hope which transcends any circumstance or the doom and gloom reports that bombard us on a daily basis:

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."—1 Peter 1:18-21

God of the "Second-Go-Around"

Easter/Resurrection Day speaks to me of the God-of-the-second-go-around. It is interesting because when the Lord spoke to me that this year would be a year of the second-go-around, initially I thought He was referring to a second chance. Then God spoke to me about the difference between the resurrection of Christ versus the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus brought his grave clothes out of the grave because he would need them again. He was given a second chance at life. But Christ left His grave clothes in the grave because He would never need them again. He had a second-go-around at life eternal.

The old grave clothes are representative of what we will never need again. Where God is taking you, you will not need the "grave clothes" or old ways of operating. You will now function in a new realm in God. Lazarus operates in the realm of the earth. Jesus operates in the realm of the heavenlies.

In this season, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, let me remind you that there are some things, attitudes, habits and people that you will leave behind; because after God processes you during your times of trials, tribulations, testing and even crucifixion, you will evolve into a new person—and you will no longer rely on those old people and things for your happiness, joy, peace and prosperity. You will find them in Christ. Indeed, you will have a second go at life, love and ministry.

Second Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead Changes Everything

The other powerful thing that God showed me about Christ's resurrection was that He was resurrected to a realm of dominion and intercession. When God does a work in you, He should also be able to do a work through you. In this season, God is raising up intercessors: those who have committed themselves to a life of "boiler-room" prayers so that they can have throne-room power. He was resurrected and ascended into the throne-room, according to Romans 8:34: "...who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

Since you are crucified with Christ, you must also assume your place of dominion through prayer and intercession. As a result of our salvation, Ephesians 2:5-7 states that God "hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ;) (by...: or, by whose grace) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

I encourage you to hope again. The same power that resurrected Jesus from the grave is the same power that we have at work within each of us. I believe there are many of you who just need to hope again. Has your faith died? Has your joy been crucified? Have you buried your dreams? You must trust again, believe again and have faith again, "for with God," according to Matthew 19:26, "all things are possible." You must remember, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in you.

Do not give up. Even if you have been beaten down by circumstances, you will rise again. Your relationships will rise again. Your finances will be restored. Do not let your faith die, because according to Romans 8:11, the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you.

During this Easter / Resurrection Day season, may you be reminded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything. Easter puts human history in perspective. It brings a confident hope for the future and shows the incomparable power of God and the brightness of His glory.

Three of the Greatest Words in the Bible

With the Easter message we declare that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of life. He died a voluntary death and suffered crucifixion as the Savior of the world. He bore our sins in His body on the Cross, but He died as a victorious Savior. He died as our Savior, but He now lives as our Lord. To reiterate the words of Matthew, "He is Risen." Three of the greatest words in the Bible. This is what makes our Christian faith different from all other religions of the world. We serve a Living Savior, who was, is, and is to come.

Mark 16:1-6 states: "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, 'Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?' "And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, 'Be not affrighted: ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him.'"

Several women were bringing spices early in the morning and Luke says two angelic beings showed up in the empty tomb. The two suddenly appeared to the women and said to them, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee..." (Luke 24:5-6).

These words—"He is risen"—are words of foundation; Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection of Christ. A dead Savior cannot save. Thus, if our message is what it claims to be, then it is a foundational truth that the Lord Jesus arose bodily from the grave. It was impossible for death, hell and the grave to hold Him down. I declare that the same power that raised Christ from the grave makes it impossible for satan, the spirits of depression, oppression, sickness, affliction and poverty to hold you down or hold you back.

He is risen... three simple words of revelation, declaration, and observation that give hope to every Believer. Those who spoke these words knew the resurrection was not a myth, superstition or wishful thinking as some atheists and theologians assert on the part of man. The disciples knew it had actually happened; they knew it was a reality. This resurrection power is still available to us today.

He Did Exactly as He Promised

The angels had seen Christ come forth. The disciples had seen the undisturbed grave clothes and later saw Him in the upper room after His resurrection. These words were declared by angels and subsequently the disciples of Christ. The word "declare" comes from the Greek word "ginosko" which means "to know." In the New Testament, it is the intimate knowledge that expresses "experience," not just a mental assent or intellectual awareness, but a personal revelation. It is a knowledge grounded and based on a personal experience. It is my prayer that you may know Christ, not just through intellectual awareness but by personal intimate revelation and relationship.

I am glad there were many eyewitnesses to the fact that these words—"He is risen"—are true. These are words that brought comfort, encouragement and hope to the disciples; and they can bring comfort, encouragement and hope to you because He that promised that after three days He would return did exactly that. Christ's credibility is eternally secured.

Therefore you can trust Him in all things.

"For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."—2 Corinthians 1:20

We can surmise that the real treasure is the resurrection life of Jesus Christ within us. Your life may be under tremendous pressure, hopeless, afflicted; filled with external pressures, perplexities, and confusion. You may have been abandoned, struck down, stigmatized, distraught, marginalized, attacked, ostracized, but I want to encourage you today that you are not forsaken by God. Even though you may have been knocked down, the power of God within you can put you back on your feet, and give you vitality and hope.

The Good News of Easter/ Resurrection Day is Where We Feel Death is Irreversible, Jesus Destroyed its Power

The Good News of Easter/Resurrection Day is that where we feel death is irreversible, Jesus destroyed its power as He declared in 1 Corinthians 15:55-58, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave (grave: or, hell), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Easter/Resurrection Day should remind us that where we feel happiness is unattainable, we see that Jesus delivers happiness. Because of Easter, Jesus can give you a purpose to live for, power to live on, principles to live by and a hope for the future. Just as Jesus came out of the tomb, I decree and declare that you will come out. According to Psalm 118:17 you must declare over you own life: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD." You are coming out of everything that threatens to destroy your peace, your health and your happiness.

May this Easter (Resurrection Day) be a time of rejoicing for you, your family and loved ones as you remember that He is alive, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow.

Biblical Prosperity Lesson 4- Prosperity in Finances/Wealth

Prosperity in Finances/ Wealth

As you study prosperity, there seems to be more books on financial prosperity. Maybe it is because there will be more people buy these kinds of books. Of course, the only person making the most money will be the one who wrote the book. Everyone would like to win millions of dollar and not have to worry about working again. Many dream of this, but very few see the end of the rainbow. Little do they know that those who have are staying up late worried about loosing it. Then there are those who have, but are not satisfied; they want more. Some have inherited financial prosperity from prior generations. Some became wealthy in their young age through the world system.

There are those who never go to a church building who seems to have all the money. There seems to be those who are stingy and hoard the money to themselves. There are those in power who will take as much as they can, but will not pay a decent wage to those who work for them. They will loan at a high rate of interest just because they hold the power of money. It is said that the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. It takes money to make money.

Then there is the seemingly poor Christian who never seems to have enough. You are told that if you pay your tithes then you will prosper. You are told that offerings should be given over and above your tithes. You are told that tithes are to be given on the gross amount. You are told if you give money to their ministry, then you will be healed from your sickness. You are told if you will give into this ministry, then you will prosper. After giving religiously, you are still sick and broke. Since it is not working then you are told that God doesn’t want you to have anything. Some believe that it is wrong to pray for something as carnal as money. Some believe that you can not serve God and have money. You are taught that the rich man went to hell because he was rich, and Lazareth went to heaven because he was poor. You are taught that it is as easy for a camel to go through a needle's eye than it is for a rich man to get to heaven. Then there are the preachers who have a $100.00 line and a $500.00 line and a $1000.00 line to prophesy or pray for you. The poor Christian is waiting for a word from God to speak to them, but the ending is disappointment. It is like going to the casino and inserting all your money in the gambling machines because that one person out of thousands won a big amount of money. This must not be your lucky day, so you keep going back day after day and still no results. One day maybe your ship will come in. Does this ring a bell? All this is religious phooey. Some one said that insanity is when a person keeps doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

When you are not getting results, you need to get up from where you are, look at where you are going, and get on the right road. If you were driving from Memphis, Tennessee to Little Rock, Arkansas and you have been driving for two days and know that it should have taken two and one half hours, then you should know you must have taken a wrong turn some where on your way. That brings us to the subject of tithing.

Tithing can be bondage and not a blessing. The New Testament talks a lot about giving. Who is the Church? Is it a building where people say they go to worship God, but when you get there they only have a program and go home, feeling as empty as when they came? If you are enjoying where you are gathering with believers, then you need to give to have a place to continue to worship. Even Paul wrote to the church of Corinth:

1 Corinthians 16:1-3Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 8:1-13 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.7 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.

8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.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.10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;

I tell everyone it is a good place to start but don't be bound to it.

Here is the Biblical History of the Tithe with Old Testament references. In (Gen.) 14:20 where Abraham gives Melek (King) Melchizedek of Shalem (Shalom)"one tenth of everything"

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

Hebrews 7:1-2 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”

Also see where Jacob, after waking from his sleep lying with his head on the stone, and before leaving the renamed city of Beit'El (formerly Luz) pledges to give to the Lord God a tithe of all that He gives him.

Genesis 28:22 “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

You may look also in Nehemiah 10:38-40 where The Israelites reaffirm their vows to Yahweh including the vows regarding the various tithes including the first part of their dough, etc.

Nehemiah 10:38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.

In terms of the temple tithes, there are 3 different tithes: Deut 14:22-29 refers specifically to the "second tithe" required by the Lord God which is actually to be consumed by the priests within the temple in thankfulness to His increased bounty to him.

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.23 “And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.24 “But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you,25 “then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.26 “And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.27 “You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. 28 “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates.29 “And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

However, the "first tithe" in the temple is a tenth of all produce (agriculture & livestock) for the temple priests in payment for their services as temple priests (Lev.) 27:30-33;

Leviticus 27:30-33 ‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.31 ‘If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it.32 ‘And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.33 ‘He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’ ”

In (Num.)18:21. The Temple Priests were not to inherit a land blessing but were to serve in the temple; in return, they were sustained by the Lord God through the "first tithes" of the worshippers.

In addition, there is another tithe that is for the poor and which replaces the "second tithe" in the third and sixth year of the seven year cycle which ends in what is called the year of "sh'mittah" where the land is allowed to go fallow. (Some Rabbis argue whether or not this tithe to the poor actually replaces the second tithe or if it is in addition the third tithe.)

Another tithe is in Deut. 14: “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. The tithe described here is in its "pashat" (literal interpretation) first and foremost segregation unto the Lord God of the increase in one's crops and livestock (i.e., agriculture, food, animals). In the agricultural society in which they lived, Israel’s, "increase" was necessarily often measured by how much more agriculture or livestock one had from one period to the next. If the tithe was too much to carry, then they could convert the value of the agriculture or livestock into money first, carry the money to the storehouse instead converting into what you desire to eat merrily before the Lord God.

Deuteronomy 14:23 And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

This tithe (increase in the bounty of crops, agriculture, corn, wine, oil, livestock is to be brought by you physically into the "place which He ( the Lord God) shall choose to place His Name"

Deuteronomy 14:25-26 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.26 “And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.

Since the Levite priests do not have a land inheritance among the twelve other tribes, but rather are servants of the temple, they were to share their tithe with them and not forsake them. Also this was only done every 3 years.

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates.29 “And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Again, because the Levitical priesthood does not share in the land inheritance of the Israelites, they and the widow, the stranger/proselyte, shall come to the storehouse with you and share in the tithe (eat and be filled) so that the Lord God may bless. Israel was taught and believed that the reward for fulfilling the commandment of tithing was the blessing of wealth. (The Hebrew word can be read both as "te'asser" which means "tithe" and as "te'asher" which means "become wealthy.") ""Tithe, you shall surely tithe".

They were taught that as one who gives a share of his wealth to charity does not suffer a reduction in his resources but actually enjoys an increase. This was one reason for the year of Jubilee, every 50th year. ( Mascaro pp. 1-5)

A survey of all the writings of the Early Church up to A.D. 600 is silent about tithing in the Church being a necessity. In fact, it was the position of the great Church Father Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202) that tithing as a legal obligation is no longer binding. He explains this in chapter XIII of book IV in "Irenaeus Against Heresies," And for this reason did the Lord, instead of that [commandment], "Thou shalt not commit adultery," forbid even concupiscence; and instead of that which runs thus, "Thou shalt not kill," He prohibited anger; and instead of the law enjoining the giving of tithes, [He told us] to share all our possessions with the poor; And again in chapter XVIII of book IV he again states:

And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord's purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God. (Irenaeus p. 438, 962)

This provides us with ample evidence that Church-age tithing (versus NT giving) is simply a pharisaic type tradition. The great nineteenth century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, said this about tithing: "In the religion of Christ there is no taxation. Everything is of love." (Spurgeon, Volume 32, p. 213).

To be Continued.......

Biblical Prosperity Lesson 3 Cont:' Prosperity in Soul and Body

The soul is like a wall protecting your spirit. The soul is the mind, will, and emotions. In order for your spirit to be healthy from which all issues flow, the soul must be healthy and strong. If the soul is weak, then it would be like having holes in the wall which protects a city. The enemy could come through the holes of that city and destroy it.

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Now that Satan has been defeated, you are in an environment for the God of Love to come into your life. Since you have a free will, you must decide whether you want that new life that has been given to every person alive. This is the same decision that Adam and Eve had in their day. You must make that decision by renewing your mind.

The mind, will and emotions are part of the soul and must be brought into subjection with the heart, spirit, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Father God. The only way the soul can prosper is to study the word of God until the old junk that has been in the mind for years is pushed out and the new life of the word be in the mind until there is no more junk left in the mind. Your mind is like a computer. Once the mind has ingrained a way of thinking, it gets in a rut or habitual track that never leaves, unless jolted or forced off track. It only knows what it has experienced through the five senses. Since it has those characteristics, you must keep the Word of God in it day and night. You must begin to get new thought patterns. Your will must force yourself to read the word. There is such a battle in your mind that it will cause you to sleep not long after you start reading the word. If you do not understand the old English, get a translation you can understand. Praying is good, but it will not renew your mind. Your thoughts are directing your decisions, actions, and feeling every day. If there is no knowledge of the Word, then how can your soul be in harmony with your spirit and God? It can not recognize when your spirit and God are talking to it. It would be like your language was English and another person’s language was Spanish, and neither had studied each other’s language. You would not be able to communicate. This is why so many Christians are devastated and are held in mediocrity.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

A prosperous soul is one that hears and chooses to follow the spirit man. Then, we are promised that you will prosper, and live in health in every realm of life. This prosperity is not an extravagant lust for money, or material things. It is having your needs met and abundance enough to be a blessing to those around you.

There eight things that constitute a poor soul and how these can be turned into elements of a prosperous soul:

1. Having lack of knowledge of the Bible (Hosea 4:6)

2. Being controlled by the desires of the flesh that can not control weight, spending, sexual lust etc.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

3. Being weak, indecisive, or double minded.

James 1:7-8 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

4. Fantasizing on negativity and not being able to control your thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

5. Refusing to change, defending past behavior, and excusing yourself.

Proverbs 9:7-9 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. 8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

6. Spending all your life on natural, earthly, material things.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

7. Allowing emotions to control attitudes and behaviors.

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

8. Allowing fear, anger, bitterness, gossip or negative thinking to consume you.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

There are eight elements of a prosperous soul:

1. Being hungry to learn and change.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

2. Having a mind that meditates God’s Word and follows its precepts

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man 1 Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 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.

3. Having a disciplined mind and will that agree with the spirit.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

4. Focusing on godly thoughts and attitudes.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

5. Confessing your faults openly and seeking change.

James 5:6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

6. Having a mind that is set on things in which heaven and God are involved.

Colossians 3:1-10 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

7. Having control over feelings and emotions.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

8. Having a pure, positive, happy attitude towards life.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

The mind is an amazing, and powerful creation of God. No animal has a mind like yours. No machine or computer can match its abilities. It has been said that most humans only use ten percent of the mind. Could it be that God had a plan for the other ninety percent?

You are a spirit, you possess a soul or it will possess you, and you live in a body or spacesuit. The body is where your soul, spirit and God live. Everywhere your body goes, God is. With out your body, you would loose your authority over every thing that Jesus gave to you. With out it you could never finish the destiny and purpose that was given to you from the foundation of theWorld. If the body is weak and sickly, it can hinder the soul, spirit and God from doing great works through you. The body needs to line up and be in harmony with the rest of you and God. The body is wonderfully made. It is the only spacesuit that I know which can heal itself when it is torn. It takes in oxygen, food and water to give it energy. It has miles of arteries and veins to keep the blood moving through the body to keep it alive.

Psalm 139:13-15 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

The way we keep the body working in health and long life is to: Stay in the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 1 Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Do not be unequally yoked, take care of your body that God has given to you. Be proud of it, there is no other person on earth like you. God does not make junk.

In the past, The Bible talks about the life of mankind after the fall of Adam and Eve. The patriarchs who lived before the Flood had an average life span of about 900 years. The Bible speaks of how long the patriarchs lived, which were Seth’s righteous line, but speaks little about Cain and Abel’s line. The Bible did say that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. Note that this was after he left the presence of the Lord. Later we see that with out God the line of Cain and possibly Abel’s line did not live very long. When the righteous line of Seth mixed with the unrighteous line of Cain and possibly Abel, the unequal yoke with the righteous to the unrighteous caused the descendants to separate from God, causing their days to be one hundred and twenty years. This was compared to the equally yoked living much longer. Just be careful with whom you are yoked.

Genesis 6:1-3 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,2 that the sons of God (Seth) saw the daughters of men, (Cain) that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.3 And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

Later when the flood came, the whole unrighteous line was destroyed, but look what happened to the righteous.

Genesis 6:9; Genesis 6:22

Genesis 6:9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

Note that Noah walked with God, heard what God wanted him to do even though in his sense knowledge he could not understand. God saw him righteous because Noah heard, believed, and was obedient to the word. Later after Noah got off the ark he got drunk. Noah lived to be 950 years old.

God called Abram righteous, but Abram tried to help God by having a son by his handmaiden:

Genesis 15:4-6 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

In order to have health in your body, you should do every thing you can to take care of your body. After the flood the ages of the patriarchs dropped rapidly and gradually leveled off. Some suggest that this is due to major environmental changes brought about by the Flood. Since the environment is presently worse and the soil is depleted more than anytime on earth, we must find ways to keep our bodies healthy nutritionally.

In spite of all the abuse our bodies endure, whether through exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, or inactivity, it still usually serves you well for many years before it starts to break down. Even then, with a little help, it will respond and continue to function.

Think of your body as being composed of millions of tiny little engines. Some of these engines work in unison, some work independently; they are on call twenty four hours a day. In order for the engines to work properly, they require specific fuels. If the type of fuel given is the wrong blend, the engine will not perform to its maximum capacity. If the fuel is of a poor grade, the engine may sputter, hesitate, and lose power. If the engine is given no fuel at all, it will stop.

The fuel you give your bodies’ engines comes directly from the things you eat. The foods we eat contain nutrients. These nutrients come in the form of vitamins, mineral, enzymes, water, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. It is these nutrients that allow you to sustain life by providing you with the basic materials your body needs to carry on your daily functions.

Individual nutrients differ in form and function, and in the amount needed by the body; however, they are all vital to our needs. The actions that involve nutrients take place on microscopic levels, and the specific processes differ greatly. Nutrients are involved in all body processes, from combating infection, to repairing tissue, to thinking. Although nutrients have different specific functions, their common function is to keep you going.

If you do not give yourself the proper nutrients, you can impair the body’s normal functions and cause yourself great harm. Even if you show no signs of illness, you may not necessarily be healthy. It simply may be that you are not yet exhibiting any overt symptoms of illness. One problem you have is that you do not get the nutrients you need from your diet because most of the foods you consume are cooked and/or processed. Cooking and processing destroy vital nutrients that the body needs to function properly. The organic raw foods that supply these elements are largely missing from today’s diet.

The past decade has brought to light much new knowledge about nutrient and its effects on the body and the role it plays in disease. Phytonutrients are one example of the results of this research. Phytonutrients are chemicals present in plants that make the plant’s color, flavor, and ability to resist disease. Researchers have identified literally thousands of phytochemicals and have also developed the technology to extract these chemical compounds and concentrate them into pills, powders, and capsules. By understanding the principles of holistic nutrition, and knowing what nutrients you need, you can improve the state of your health, stave off disease, and maintain a harmonious balance in the way nature (God) intended.

Genesis 1:29-31 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.30 “Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Bodily health also comes in what you speak. You can either speak health in faith or speak fear in what might be. It should be just as easy to a believer to speak good things over himself than to speak fear. If you do this, then you might not have to speak healing Scriptures all the time. Find you some Scriptures and meditate on them day and night. Once you begin looking for them, the Holy Spirit will show you the truth. You will be surprised how of God’s Word is about health and long life. Some Scriptures are:

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Psalm 91:14-16 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Be proud of who you are. If God made your skin black, white, red or yellow, be proud of it. We all are One in Christ Jesus. If you were born cripple, then begin to meditate upon the healing Scriptures day and night. Satan tried to kill you from the womb, but greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

Psalm 103:33 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Biblical Prosperity

Lesson Three

Prosperity in Health/Soul and Body Part 1

All mankind was created in God’s own image and His own likeness, which came out of Him as spirit. It was time for mankind to step out on the earth and begin his destiny which was written before he came forth. His spirit was only one part. He needed a soul which could think and make decisions. In that soul was the five senses in which he could see all the colors that God had made on the earth. He could hear all the sounds which God made. He could smell the sweet smelling aroma coming from the earth. He could taste all the flavor of the food which he ate that God had made on the earth. He could touch and feel the creation which God had made. He could feel and enjoy love, joy and peace. This was a physical world and the soul was put in man to enjoy all God’s physical creation. Then God made man a physical body in which to live and move about on the earth. He formed the body out of the dust, which included his brain. He breathed in him the first spirit which was to begin his destiny on earth and life came into that clay body and made him a living being or soul. Adam came like a baby with a spirit, his soul was not developed and his body was naked. Adam was the first baby born on the earth.

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

God is a three part being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and so is mankind a three part being which is spirit, soul, and body. Since God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect harmony, mankind was originally made to have perfect harmony in spirit, soul, and body.

There were no evil influences around Adam in the beginning. He was taught by God the creator of all life. God walked in the cool of the day and talked with Adam. Adam must have known about every tree in the garden and every plant to give his body life forever. He must have been taught every word that pertained to life and Godliness. He was also taught what would get his spirit, soul, and body out of harmony. His spirit would be darkened and he would loose contact with God. His soul would take over, which was not made for creative power. He was already taught good to keep him in harmony forever. He did not need to know evil, because God had already seen what evil had done in the world that was before the creation of mankind.

Genesis 2:16-17And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The tree of knowledge of good and evil represents human autonomy, that is, self-rule and an assumed independence from God in all areas of life, which was spiritual, moral, social, relational, and ultimately, his physical being. The tree of life is the tree associated with experiencing the life of God, including immortality.

Since Adam’s strength for all he was called to be and do was inadequate in itself, he needed help for daily work, procreation, and mutual support through companionship. God made the second person out of the side of Adam and the next spirit came out with a plan and a destiny, which had a female body. God called her Adam, but was later named Eve after the fall of mankind.

Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Later we see in Genesis that Eve was deceived and Adam was disobedient and made a decision that gave all his delegated powers over to Satan. His spirit became darkened and God, the root of all life could no longer speak from Spirit to spirit, but had to begin to speak to mankind in an audible voice. Satan, who was not made in God’s own image and his own likeness, could only speak to mankind’s soul.

Since the universe was created for the earth and the earth was created for mankind and mankind was created for God, mankind broke the link of harmony and the whole link from mankind to the universe became cursed. Adam and Eve had to be removed from the Garden of Eden, because if they had gotten to the tree of life, in their fallen state, they would have lived forever with horrible diseases forever. It would have been hell on earth forever.

Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

Adam lived 960 years making decisions out of his soul, but because he lost his spirit connection with God, he finally died in his body. Mankind plunged into degradation, the earth plunged into degradation and Satan ruled the earth through mankind.

Genesis 6:5-6 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Because the one man sinned and gave up his authority on the earth, all his descendants were not strong enough to take back their authority from Satan. God the Son had to be born of a virgin and be a perfect man in spirit, soul, and body in order to take back what Satan had stolen. His name was Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He has borne our grief, And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

When Jesus bore our grief and carried our sorrow, it was for the healing of our emotional pain. When He was wounded and bruised for our transgressions and iniquities, our spirit was redeemed. When He was chastised for peace, our soul was redeemed. When He received stripes in his body, our physical bodies were redeemed.

When Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, right before His spirit left Him; He cried “It is finished.” The word it, means self in the Greek. This could be translated as “Self is finished.” This was the turning point where Jesus defeated the self centered soul in order to bring mankind back to the Father.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.

The New Covenant was fulfilled when Jesus went to the cross and His spirit left his body. But something happened after He left His body. He fulfilled everything in the physical world and now he went into the spiritual world to finish the work there.

Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

During the three days and three nights in the tomb Jesus went to Hades and conquered Satan. He stripped Satan of the keys, which represents his authority, the authority which Adam had in the beginning. Jesus did not conquer Satan for Himself, but for you and me. It was though you personally had met Satan and conquered him.

Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The next day after the burial the women came down to the sepulcher. They found it empty, but an angel was there.

Matthew 28:5-6 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

The Lord of sin, sickness, death and Satan died as Jesus, the Lamb and arose as the Lord High Priest. He conquered death, hell, and the grave.

When Mary met Him, she fell at His feet, calling Him her Lord. He said to her, “Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.” He had paid the penalty of man’s transgression. He had met the demands of justice. Now he is about to take His own blood, as the High Priest, into the Heavenly Holy of Holies, to make the eternal redemption. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus let love loose. It enabled God to give eternal life, a perfect redemption, a perfect freedom, to Satan-enslaved man. It made Jesus the head of a new creation. It made this new creation man a creative being, who is in the class with God. Out of the tomb came the light of the ages.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The mind receives all its impulses and knowledge from the five senses, which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. The natural man can only receive knowledge through what he observes or someone else’s five senses. All the knowledge taught through colleges, universities, and technical schools comes from the five senses. The natural man doubts miracles, because he doubts the Bible. It would be a perfectly normal thing for him to do this, because he can not understand them. They are in a realm above them. Natural man is spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2:1-3And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Death here means union with Satan, a partaker of the satanic nature. Spiritual death must be faced. That is the reason Jesus came to give man, who was spiritually dead a new nature.

To be continued......