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“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42

With that, we have principle #3…give!

Here we have a very important reason to live by Biblical principle #2…because how can you give what you don’t have yourself? On top of paying yourself so you’ll have the necessary funds for unexpected things that pop up in life, you want to pay yourself so you can have a little something to give to others! Why? Because it’s sharing the love of Christ in a way that can be understood. A hungry fellow on the street corner may not be in the frame of mind to understand that Jesus loves him, because he’s blinded by his circumstances…but give him a sandwich or a hot meal, and that, he can understand!

“…Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

Granted, this verse (at least to me) is not referring to money or material things. But it’s just as true of money as it is of the spiritual things. We have freely been given far more than we will ever deserve or earn. It’s our responsibility to give to those who have less. At the same time, we have to use a little wisdom here. For instance, it’s not very wise to go into debt in order to be able to give! Debt is another Biblical principle we’ll take a look at, but for now, just know it’s not using common sense to borrow $500 from the bank or credit card, just so you can buy lunch for the people at the homeless shelter! If you have $500 in the bank from following principle #2 and that’s what you feel led to do, then by all means, do so. But don’t go into debt in order to give!

Money is a tool that the Lord has given us to put to work for him, as well as for ourselves. We are supposed to use it for his kingdom and his glory. The problem is, most churches today don’t teach us how to manage our money…or how the economy has shifted for us…from the “wordly” economy to the “kingdom” economy. So we just go with what we know (the worldly system) and try to make it work in the system of the kingdom of God. And when it doesn’t, we can’t figure out where we went wrong. Generally speaking, debt is not a good thing to get into, even if your intentions are good.

Giving is a Biblical principle. But you have to have it (by saving some for yourself) first!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ” Matthew 25:31-40

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

I know you’ve heard it said that you can’t out-give God. It’s very true. But again, you have to use a little wisdom and common sense.

“Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”" Matthew 19:21

I don’t believe Jesus was teaching against prosperity here. I believe Jesus was teaching the gentleman in question, that the man was more in love with his material wealth than he was with his Lord. Anyway, with that said, if you feel led to sell all your possessions and give to the poor, then do so. But nowhere in the Bible does Jesus imply that you should go into debt to give to the poor! Give wisely and with a little common sense! But do give!

“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” Proverbs 28:27

Maybe you don’t have much yourself. Maybe some of it is your own doing. A lot of it probably has to do with being deceived by the worldly system of doing things. But as you begin to apply these principles…starting with #1 and #2…you will soon be able to follow along with #3. Be patient in following these principles. Be faithful. Be wise…and as you learn…as you begin to see changes in your own situation…then share it with others! Don’t stick you lamp under the basket…share it with your brothers and sisters!

The next principle we’ll touch on, is one mentioned in this post…debt! So be sure to check back soon!

Til then, may the Lord abundantly bless you!

This post probably won’t be as long as the last one! Sorry bout that, but it’s such an important principle that we need to be aware of, I could probably post two or three more on tithing. However, this post is not about tithing, but about principle #2…storing up some money for yourself. A lot of people may have the impression that this sounds selfish or unnecessary, but actually, it’s neither. While it CAN be selfish if we allow greed to creep in, it’s really not selfish at all. Neither is it unnecessary or foolish. In fact, what it is, is Biblical!

We’ll start, again, with Abraham. I could give you several verses to verify that he was a wealthy man. So was Jacob…and David…and Solomon, along with many, many others. How did they gain wealth? They gave the Lord what was required, or more. They used what they needed to use. And they saved some for themselves! If they hadn’t saved anything, how would they have obtained all the things they had? If they gave it all away or squandered it, how did it accumulate over the years? How did they leave inheritances for their kids? They saved some for themselves!

The concept of inheritance is so Scriptural, there’s no way to include all the passages in this post. God, Himself, gave Abraham an inheritance…He gave you and I an inheritance! You can’t pass along what you don’t already have in your possession. And you can’t have it in your possession, unless you’ve gotten it and keep enough of it to pass on!

There are so many angles to pursue here, and so many verses I could share! God doesn’t want you to be selfish or greedy. But He does want you to be wise. When Joseph was sold into slavery to Egypt (the entire story can be found in the latter part of the Book of Genesis), there came a point that God told him to store up provisions because a famine was coming. God told Joseph to “store up”. Understand that God didn’t tell Joseph to hoard everything he could get his hands on, or to keep it all to himself, but God did say “store up”. The reason he was to store up, was so that when there was nothing left, he could share from his surplus! Two keys here…store up…and share! Store up IN ORDER to share might be even a better way of looking at it.

Let’s look at some Bible stuff. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live, according to the Bible. It’s also interesting to note that he was “greater in riches” than “all the other kings of the earth.” (1 Kings 10:23). At the same time, he didn’t appear to be greedy or selfish. “The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones…” (1 Kings 10:27). Verse 26 says he accumulated chariots and horses. ACCUMULATED. In other words, he saved some for himself…for emergencies or the unexpected things that pop during the course of every day living!

“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer…” Proverbs 30:24,25

Ants are “extremely wise” because they “store up” their food in the summer when it’s plentiful, to get them through the winter when it’s not!

“He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Proverbs 10:5

“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” Proverbs 21:20

Matthew 25:1-13 tells the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them, called foolish by the Lord,  used up all their oil and missed the bridegroom’s coming because they had to go buy more oil. Five of them, called wise by the Lord, took along some extra oil and entered into the wedding banquet. They had stored up enough to last through the unexpected delay of the bridegroom!

There are many, many others! We are not to be selfish or greedy…but we ARE to be wise! It’s not just ok to save some for yourself…it’s WISE! It’s BIBLICAL! Again, I could drag this thing on, but I hope and pray that you see the point! Now, you may be thinking you’re not making enough money to save any right now. You don’t have to save $100 a week, or $50 or $25…just save something. Even if it’s only $5 or $10. And most importantly, don’t touch it! Put it in the bank or some other place where it can draw a little interest for you.

This site offers some ways to make extra money that won’t cost you a single penny! Try some of them out! (There are more coming, by the way)! If you’re reading this, you have an internet connection available to you, so you can do them. You can do them online or off. Take what few dollars you might make a month and SAVE it! Use these as your savings money and let it add up. Just start saving SOMETHING!

As time goes by, we’re hopefully going to be giving you some ideas on how to use the gifts that God has already given you, not just to add blessings to your life, and help you break the chains of many forms of bondage, but also to increase your wealth. There are also a ton of free resources on the internet that will help you with these things, as well. The internet, itself, is a valuable tool…but it you have to begin TODAY to set a little aside for yourself, or none of it will help you out a lot.

It’s ok to save for a rainy day. It’s ok to save for the unexpected. It’s ok to save so that you’ll have something to share with others. It’s ok to save for the upcoming famines. It’s ok to store up in the summer what you will need for the winter. It’s ok. In fact, it’s not just ok…it’s a Biblical principle!

“Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Matthew 13:12

This passage is not speaking of money, but the principle holds true in financial situations. Ever heard the old saying that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? It’s a Biblical principle! The rich man can afford insurance to cover his medical expenses when he goes to the doctor, for example. The poor man goes to the emergency room at the hospital because he can’t afford to pay cash for the doctor’s visit, and he has no insurance.  The hospital charges ten times as much and the poor guy ends up even farther in debt. The rich man gets a credit card with 5 to 9% interest. For the poor man it’s 19% on up. That’s the worldly system. You know as well as I do that the above statements are true. It’s a Biblical principle. Whoever HAS will be given more. Whoever does not have, even that will be taken from him.

Pay yourself. Save something, even if it’s just a little, so that you can HAVE. So you can be given MORE. So you can share more. So that you won’t be the one that even what you have will be taken from you.

“…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…” Hosea 4:6

Like it or not, this is the number one dog on the list! There are a great many people that have been deceived into thinking that tithing is an Old Testament thing that has no bearing on us today. How wrong they are! While it’s true that it’s not a “commandment” or “law”, and while it’s true that you don’t have to tithe to be a Christian, it’s also true that it’s a very basic principle on which your financial foundation rests. I urge you to read this entire post carefully if you don’t tithe! I’ll even shed a little New Testament light on it for you! :0)

First of all, let me say that whether you tithe or don’t, it’s not going to directly affect me one way or another! I’m not after your money, because your tithe doesn’t come to me…it goes to “the storehouse”…or your home church. It will indirectly affect me, because your tithing affects the strength of the body of Christ…of which I am a part. Other than that, it’s entirely for YOUR benefit that this post is here!

The very first thing we’re going to look at is Malachi 3:6: “I the Lord do not change.”  He doesn’t change. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30

That hasn’t changed from the days of old. Remember? “I the Lord do not change.” If He claimed it as his then, He claims it as his now. A tithe (or a tenth) of everything belongs to the Lord…whether we give it to Him or not. The idea of  giving  an offering to the Lord goes back to the beginning of man. In Genesis 4, you can read the account of Cain and Abel making their offerings. The very first sacrifice actually took place in Genesis 3, when the Lord made garments of skin for Adam and Eve (vs. 21). It was there that Adam learned how to sacrifice animals to the Lord, by watching the Lord, Himself.

Moving on, there is a difference between a tithe and an offering. A tithe is simply a tenth. You can’t tithe 5% and you can’t tithe 20%. A tithe is a tenth. Anything over a tenth is an offering. Anything less that a tenth is “robbing God”.

Now, from the days of Adam, Cain and Abel, we move slightly forward to Abram (Abraham). On the way back home from rescuing his nephew Lot from some evil kings, Abram bumped into a fellow by the name of Melchizedek, who happened to be a priest of God.  Melchizedek blessed Abram, Abram “gave him a tenth of everything”  and there we have the first recorded tithe! All this can be found in Genesis 14, by the way. There are many passages that speak of offering the firstfruits, the firstborn or the best of the firstfruits. What all that boils to down is this: You can’t tithe on what’s left over, even if it equals up to a tenth. The tithe is the FIRST ten percent!

If you’re having financial struggles, the first question you need to answer is the question of tithing. In order to break the chains of bondage, you’re going to have to really study this next passage and pray about it a bit…and please, don’t get upset with ME cuz it’s not MY principle…it’s God’s! I didn’t write it, HE did!

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” Malachi 3:8-10

If you’re not tithing, you are under a curse! That’s a huge chunk of your problem right there! You are under a curse! Now before you get too defensive, let me say, too, that there are a good number of Christians who DO tithe that are struggling financially, too. We’re going to take a look at all that, as well, but step number one is to be sure you tithe…and be sure you tithe on the firstfruits. Otherwise, you’re already cursed! But look what happens if you do tithe…

“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 3:10,11

He plainly tells us…”Test me in this”…and look at the rewards! Read it again. “See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit.”  WOW! You won’t have room for all the blessing! Which means it’s gonna spill over from you to others! After all, it’s gotta go SOMEWHERE…right? Your possessions will be protected and your fruit isn’t going to rot on the tree or fall to the ground to waste away…it’s going to be USED productively! All because of your tithe!

At the same time, be warned that this doesn’t necessarily mean God is going to pour money on you from heaven. In fact, it says nothing about money. But it does say He’ll pour out so many BLESSINGS that you won’t be able to hold them all. That may include money and it may not. But whatever it includes for YOU, it WILL be a blessing. As far as that goes, I’m willing to say that there’s no money in heaven for God to shower you with. Money was created by man and the world system. All the money there is, is already here on earth. But tithing can open up the avenues for you to find your portion of it to use for His glory while you’re here.

Keep in mind, that you have a choice. You can live under the curse or under the blessing. You don’t HAVE to tithe. But if you choose not to, then why complain about being under the curse? Especially when now you know how to step out from under it? It’s not a requirement. It’s a choice. You’re no less saved, whether you tithe or not. You’re no less His child. But the floodgates of heaven are opened (or not) by your actions and your choice. IF you choose to tithe, THEN the floodgates of heaven will open…

Let’s talk a little New Testament. I know there are a lot of people that think the OT is kinda retro and really doesn’t apply to much these days (even though the Lord never changes!). Back to Genesis 12 where God first tells Abram he will become a great nation…through 13 where God gives Abram all the land he could see and promises that his descendants will be like the dust of the ground…through 14 where Abram rescues Lot and offers the tithe …through 15 where God promises Abram his descendants will be like the stars in the sky…through 16 with the whole bit with Hagar and Ishmael…to chapter 17.

“I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Genesis 17:2

God is going to confirm His covenant between Himself and Abram. What covenant? Everything that’s happened from chapter 12 thru 16. Everything that has taken place between God and Abram so far…confirmed in the Lord in…well, let’s let Him say it in His own words.

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7

God established an EVERLASTING covenant between Abram and Himself, the sign of which would be circumcision. Now that’s a good thing for Abram, I suppose, but what does that have to do with you and I…or the New Testament? For one thing, it’s an EVERLASTING covenant. Secondly:

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galations 3:29

You’ve already inherited the promise of Jesus Christ, if he is your Savior. But in order to receive the blessings of the covenant, you have to live up to your part, too. God blesses each and every one of us every single day we’re here on earth whether we tithe or not…whether we’re even one of His kids or not! But to receive the special blessings that go along with tithing, you have to tithe. Otherwise, you’re already living under the curse because you’re robbing God.

My personal take on this thing, is that by our tithing we are opening up the floodgates of heaven for blessings. Would I suggest that you tithe regardless of your circumstances? Yes. But I would also suggest that you not tithe because I suggested it…after all, I’m no different from you. I would suggest you pray about it. I would suggest you read these words again…and I would suggest you do as the Holy Spirit leads.

“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.”

And remember…God doesn’t need your money. He doesn’t need anything about you…or anything about me. But He wants us. And He wants our trust. And that, my friend, can be a hard road to cross at times…

First of all, let’s look again, very quickly at prosperity. If prosperity was a sin…if God intended for His kids to barely get by on modest means…why did He, not just allow, but why did He cause so many of His kids to prosper in the Bible?

“Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper…’  Genesis 32:9

“But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ” Genesis 32:12

“The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” Genesis 39:2

Those are just a couple of verses for demonstrational purposes. God CAUSED these guys to prosper. He didn’t just ALLOW it, He CAUSED it to happen! Now, that’s all well and good for those guys, but what does that do for you and me? It shows us that God wants us to prosper. That prosperity is ok for His kids. And it’s not only ok for His kids…it’s a promise TO His kids!

“The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.” Deuteronomy 6:24

We’ll touch on some of this in another post, but this might be a hinderance to some of us receiving our prosperity! Do we fear the Lord our God? Do we obey His decrees? Do we even understand what it means to do these things?

“The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity…” Deuteronomy 28:11

“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” Deuteronomy 30:15

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

“In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21

Ok, that one isn’t a promise! Rather, it’s a statement of fact. King Hezekiah prospered. Why? Because in everything he did, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. Does that sound a little familiar? Allow me to jog your memory just a little! :0)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

To continue…

“Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.” Proverbs 13:21

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Proverbs 16:20

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Proverbs 21:21

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

That’s more than enough evidence to support the fact that God wants you to prosper, I would think! The problem with some of the above passages, is that they are Old Testament, and there are a lot of people that believe the Old Testament has passed us by, oddly enough! Then, too, a lot of those promises seem directed toward specific people, such as Jacob…or toward the Jews in general. But what about US…you and me? What about those of us living under the New Covenant, or the New Testament?

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29

Wow! If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise! Which means that the promise of prosperity that was made to the Jews, is yours too! We’ll take another look at a verse we’ve already used.

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:11

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 2:1

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” 1 Timothy 6″17

“Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matthew 20:15

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

“You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18

“…Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

Ok, so Matthew 10:8 isn’t necessarily talking about money, but it doesn’t exclude money either! The question I pose to you concerning some of the above verses is this: How can we give generously and share in what we have if we barely have enough for our own families? We can’t. That’s the whole thing. We’re not supposed to have barely enough! We are supposed to prosper! We are supposed to prosper so that we CAN give generously! Our giving is a testimony to the One we serve!

“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9

How can we use what we don’t have?

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

How can we give what we don’t have?

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 KJV

What, may I ask, is abundant about being in bondage to debt? I know Jesus was talking about a lot more than just money here…but I also believe money was included in that umbrella of abundance.

An even greater question is this: If we haven’t learned how to conduct ourselves in such a way that we prosper financially, what does the following mean for us?

“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Luke 16:11

The financial problems we face are with God’s provision. They are with our own mismanagment or misunderstanding. Sometimes, even with our receiving! Which is what this study is about…

Prosperity. It’s already been promised. It’s already been given. Now we just need to learn how to receive it…

At the risk of opening up a giant-sized can of worms, I’d like to take a moment to share with you why I, personally, have chosen Christianity as my particular faith. I have to say upfront, that I detest the word “religion” when it comes to sharing my beliefs, because religion, in my eyes, is nothing but a set of ceremonies, traditions, rules and regulations that are forced upon those who practice whichever “religion” they choose. Therefore, I will share with you my faith, as opposed to my “religion”.

From a strictly human standpoint, one reason that I choose Christianity is this: Of all the “religions” in the world that I am aware of, only one has offered me salvation in spite of my weaknesses. All others require that I behave a certain way or follow certain rules that can’t be followed by the ordinary human being. Heck, most of us can’t stick to something as simple as a diet, for crying out loud! How can we possibly follow all the rules of religion…IF we can even remember them all??

Jesus tells me that all I have to do to receive salvation from him, is to believe in who he is and what he’s done for me. That, I can do…even if I can’t always follow all the rules! I don’t have to change who I am to follow him, which is good, because I can’t change me! But I CAN allow HIM to change me into what he will have me become! And I often find, to my surprise, that I don’t generally know I’ve even been changed, until I look back at what I was and compare it to what I am…

Reason #2: I don’t have to follow any traditions or perform any rituals or ceremonies I don’t understand in order to be accepted. He takes me just as I am. I don’t have to dress up. I don’t have to fall on my knees and recite man-made sayings that will usher me into my place in heaven. I can just be me. I can talk to him when I like, where I like, how I like. I don’t have to use fancy words I don’t know the meanings of. I don’t have to be in a special sanctuary. I don’t have to wait til a certain time of day. Anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances. He’s always there.

Reason #3: Most, if not all, of the other “religions” of the world offer a safety net type deal. If you don’t make it to heaven, then you don’t necessarily go to hell either. You can go someplace where you can “work your way” back into your heavenly spot. If I wasn’t good enough to get in the first time, why the heck would I think I could be good enough to work my way BACK in?? With Jesus, I don’t have to “work”. He’s already done all that needed to be done. All I have to do is accept it. And no, it doesn’t seem fair that I’m rewarded for what he did. But then, I’m not the one that came up with the Christian idea of salvation. Thankfully, all I have to do is take it or leave it!

Reason #4: Of all the religions in the world, there is only one that faces persecution. There’s only one that is ridiculed. There’s only one that has been banned in some countries. One that folks would like to ban in other countries. One that grows stronger in the face of the obstacles that are thrown against it. You can talk about witchcraft, Buddah, the Koran and astrology in school. But mention Jesus or take a Bible…(and this is in a country that “practices religious freedom”)! In light of all this, it seems that there is only one faith the devil is trying to stop…Christianity. If he’s so focused on this one that he has no time or need to deal with the others, then I would say there’s something suspicious in that. Like maybe, Christianity is the one that defeated him??

Reason #5: This is the one that leaves me speechless! (I know, hard to believe, huh?) Of all the religions that ever have been…of all the different people those religions hold up for me to worship…(and keep in mind, these are “religious” people!)…only ONE…that’s right…only ONE…has ever offered to take my sins upon himself and be punished in my place, so that I wouldn’t have to face the wrath and judgment of a wrathful God. Only one. In spite of who I am. That one is Jesus. Not to mention the fact that he’s the only one that’s ever been resurrected!  :0)

Who would you choose?

From a Biblical perspective, I’ve seen the promises come true! I’ve seen people healed…sometimes at my very fingertips. I’ve seen people changed. I, myself have been changed. I’m still being changed. I’ve seen the mysterious hand of God on people, in people, in the very atmosphere that we suck in and blow out! I’ve seen, with my own eyes, just a tiny fraction of what God can do! It’s the only one that makes sense to me. You may have another that makes sense to you, and if so, that’s fine. I’m just sharing with you why I made the choice that I made. There are no rules, regulations, ceremonies, traditions, or rituals to follow. Only a Man. The Man. Jesus. That’s all I have to do. It’s so much easier than trying to be something I’m not, or something I can’t be. And that’s why…

“…if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

It’s not forced on any of us. It’s a choice. Choose wisely, my friend…

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25

And with that single verse, many Christians have concluded that wealth, for God’s children is…well, maybe not such a good thing! The truth is, it’s not wealth, itself, that makes it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. It’s the man that possesses the wealth. The treasures do absolutely nothing but sit there until the rich man pulls them out and uses them as he desires. The problem isn’t the wealth. The problem is the rich man. I would even be so bold as to claim that the rich man in this verse, probably wouldn’t enter the kingdom of God even if he wasn’t rich…because of who he is on the inside.

What Jesus is saying is to be careful…wealth has a way of changing people. Remember where it came from. Use it wisely. Don’t be selfish or greedy, but use it as God would have you use it. The Bible is full of wealthy “men of God”. Abraham was a wealthy man. Jacob, Joseph, David, Solomon and many others. In fact, if you go back through the Bible, you might be surprised that wealth is, not only alright for Christians to possess, but prosperity is a  promise from God to His kids!

Just as a note here, this site is NOT a “prosperity ministry”! There are many promises that God has made to us that we’re going to be looking at as time goes by. This just happens to be first on the list! Prosperity is not the center of this ministry, nor is it even the main focal point! The main focal point is your freedom in Christ, which includes, among other things, prosperity!

From a purely earthly perspective, we have knowledge of very few, if any, children of royalty that were poor. We, on the other hand, are not children of A king…we are children of THE King! With that in mind, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). (This by no means, should be interpreted to imply that you’ll get everything you ask for!)

If you’ll go back and read the story of creation again, in the first chapter of Genesis, you’ll find that everything God created was created for you and me. Everything. From the ground we walk on, to the birds and animals, the stars in the sky…everything. The one single thing that God created for Himself, was Adam. Not because He had to…but because He wanted to. Everything else was created for Adam and those who would follow….you and me. That includes what we humans refer to as “treasures’. We already know, by looking around us, that God is more than generous toward us! He’s not asking us to believe He’s GOING to do something…He’s already DONE it! Just look around!

Anyway, God knew the wordly system that would follow the fall of man would center around, among other things, money. Or wealth. Treasures. Whatever you wanna call it. He also knew that, like other things in the center of the worldly system, wealth would be abused and misused by many. For instance, look what many people will do just to get one more dollar! You know it. I know it. They know it. People will lie, cheat, steal, torture, kill…for a dollar. And a dollar is what? A piece of paper! Be that as it may, it represents wealth. And wealth is a desire of many human hearts. Which, by the way, is another reason many of us are not wealthy!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Attitude means a lot to God. Do you seek prosperity because you’re greedy? Lazy? Selfish? Or because it’s a promise from God? Because it’s a tool for you to use to help others…to help advance the kingdom of God? Because the more you have, the more you can give? Search yourself. He already knows! This will be an important factor in receiving the promises of prosperity that He’s given you!

Just wanted to give a little overview of the idea behind the concept of living in two different kingdoms at the same time! In Acts 17:24-28, Paul is clearly teaching that God made the world and everything in it. Everything, EVERYTHING is a part of God’s kingdom! But we’re gonna disect God’s kingdom just a little bit…into smaller pieces, so they’ll be a little easier to chew on!

God created the earth. But it wasn’t until Adam was created, that the world was “born”. So here, we have two separate “entities”, if you will. We have the earth, and we have the world. Two separate, distinct “kingdoms”. He created the earth, and upon the earth, He created the “world”. Genesis 11:9 says this:

“That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.”

The Lord confused the language of the world. That would be the people and the “system” that inhabited the earth. After confusing the language of the world, He scattered them over the face of the earth.

Take a look at 1 Samuel 2:8: “…for the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; upon them he has set the world.”

Upon the foundations of the earth, He set the world.

I like Psalm 24:1 as a great example:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…”

The earth is the Lord’s and so is the world. I could give you an awful lot of other verses to confirm this idea, but I don’t want to run it into the ground TOO much! I do, however, want to give you a clear idea on this thought about the earth and the world being two separate and distinct things. It’s important to understand that concept, so that you can understand the next one!

When God created Adam, the “world”, or the worldly system, was born. God then proceeded to give Adam a great gift…the gift of dominion over the earth and the newly created worldly system. Now, God didn’t give Adam the earth or the world. He gave Adam dominion over the earth and the world. God still retains His ownership, but He gave Adam the right and privilege to rule over them.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

As time went by, Adam ate the forbidden fruit, and in so doing, he passed the gift of dominion on to the fallen Lucifer. You can actually look at this thing a couple of different ways. You can look at it from the perspective that Adam’s birthright was stolen from him by the devil, much like Esau’s was “stolen” by Jacob. Or you can look it from the perspective that Adam gave away that birthright…much like Esau gave his to Jacob. Either way is about the same. Jacob ended up with Esau’s birthright, and satan ended up with the right to the dominion over the earth (and the world) that once belonged to Adam.

And with that, dominion over God’s first “kingdom” was handed over to his enemy, the devil. That kingdom is still in existence. It’s the world and the worldly systems that we’re all so familiar with…and, as the enemy of God has dominion over it, it’s in direct contrast to everything God wants to do for you and in you, as we shall see!

Somewhere down the line, 4000 years or so, Jesus was born of the virgin Mary…God manifest in the flesh, as 1 Timothy 3:16 puts it. With his birth, there entered onto the earth, a second kingdom…the current kingdom of God. Jesus has dominion over this one (John 3:35). This kingdom is what Adam’s kingdom would have been had he not been disobedient to God’s command concerning the forbidden fruit. I’ll share a little more on this later on, but for now, the point is that from that time on, there have been two kingdoms present on God’s earth. The one ruled by the enemy, and the one ruled by the Son!

The problem is, they share the same space. They don’t have distinct boundaries outlined on a map. They are inter-mingled with one another. A citizen of one kingdom can be sitting beside a citizen of the other, with no obvious distinction between the two, as far as appearance is concerned. The same applies to geographical location! It all APPEARS to be part of one big kingdom…the world in which we live. That’s what makes it so difficult to distinguish between the two…and for many people, to even admit that there ARE two different and separate kingdoms! Hence, the depth and strength of the deception! (I know this is sounding a little far-fetched to some of you, but bear with me!)

So, how about a little Scripture for these claims? John mentions three times (12:31, 14:30, 16:11) that there is a “prince of this world”. This prince has nothing to do with God, as you will see from the passages. In fact, this prince is being driven out and condemned…and has no hold over Jesus! Obviously not royalty from God’s kingdom! Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, calls this same prince, “the god of this age”. In Ephesians 2:2, Paul calls him the “ruler of the kingdom of the air”. Again, when you read the passage, it’s clearly not a ruler of God’s kingdom! Last, but not least, as far as this topic is concerned, there is the “testimony” of Jesus, himself!

In Matthew 4:1-10, there is an account of the temptation of Jesus. Verses 8 and 9 say this: “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t argue with satan over his right to give away these “kingdoms of the world”. Jesus did reply that we are to worship God and serve Him only, but he never argued satan’s right to give away the kingdoms of the world! Why? Because God gave Adam domion over the kingdoms of the world back in Genesis…and Adam gave them to satan when he ate the forbidden fruit!

When Jesus died on the cross, this new kingdom…the kingdom of God…was set in place for all eternity, by the obedience of the Son.  The same kingdom that would have been if Adam hadn’t fallen. Romans 5:19 says (with a little liberty by this author) that through the disobedience of one man…Adam…the kingdom of the world was handed over to the fallen Lucifer. And that, likewise, through the obedience of one man…Jesus…the kingdom of God was restored as it was intended to be from the beginning.

At some point, I hope we get to the fact that all of this…everything…including the fall of Adam, and the passing of the world system over to satan…was all a part of God’s overall plan! For now, though, just understand that at the present time, we have two kingdoms in the same place, at the same time, occupying the same space.  And we, because we really don’t know any better, are trying to be a part of both kingdoms. And that’s where the problem lies!

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…” Matthew 6:24

The worldly kingdom is directly opposed to God’s kingdom in every way! Some of the differences are very subtle. Others are more obvious. The principles of God’s kingdom will bless those living in the worldly kingdom whether they acknowledge Him as God, or not. The principles of the worldly kingdom will NEVER bless those living in God’s kingdom…in spite of their acknowledgment of Him as their Lord. This is where our challenges come in. Separating the two kingdoms. The two sets of principles and “laws of nature”.

And that’s what we shall endeavor to explore together!