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THE LAWS OF BIBLICAL PROSPERITY
Part Thirty-One - Receiving God's Increase
Volume X Number 14 October 5, 2007

In this issue

Links to FREE Articles

Understanding How the Curse Works

Preparing to Take Possession

The Process of Taking Possession

Some Final Thoughts

Sinners' Prayer

Prayer Requests

Donations

Questions and Suggestions


 

Links to FREE Articles


Links to Special Financial Services















"Owe no man anything..."
-Romans 13:8














"...the borrower becomes the lender's slave."
-Proverbs 22:7















"...the righteous man shall live by faith."
-Romans 1:17















"...without faith it is impossible to please Him."
-Hebrews 11:6















"No one can serve two masters..."
-Matthew 6:24















"The Lord will make you abound in prosperity..."
-Deuteronomy 25:11















"...God loves a cheerful giver."
-2 Corinthians 9:7















"...the Lord... is giving you power to make wealth..."
-Deuteronomy 8:18

















Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus!

Biblical prosperity is the state of total well being where God is meeting all your needs: spirit, soul and body.

This is our third successive newsletter on the subject of God's increase. In the previous articles we discussed that according to scripture God clearly wants you to increase financially. It was true under the Old Covenant and it's still true under the New Covenant which the Word describes as having better promises (Hebrews 8:6) than the old one. A long time ago God gave His people the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and no where in scripture can we find that He ever cancelled that power when we moved under the New Covenant. On the contrary Jesus Himself said that He had come to give us abundance in every area of life (John 10:10). Abundance means to have more than enough, an overflowing increase, and this has always been God's plan.

But most Christians have trouble believing that God really wants them to have financial increase in their present lives. They doubt it because of the obvious physical evidence that only a few of us are actually living that way. So they have concluded that traditional religious teaching must be correct and that God is withholding His abundance even though this directly contradicts the Word of God. Did Jesus become poor so you could be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)? Did Jesus die on the Cross so you could be redeemed from the curse (Galatians 3:13)? Has God given you the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18)? Did Jesus say He had come to give you abundant life (John 10:10)? If your answer to these questions is "Yes, God truly DID those things," then it's not God who's withholding your abundance, which leaves us with an additional question: what are the REAL reasons many of us are not living the abundant life?


  • Understanding How the Curse Works
  • The opposite of abundance is INSUFFICIENCY which as a part of the Curse became possible only after the fall of Adam and Eve. Please refer to Genesis 3:14-24 and Deuteronomy 28:15- 68 to see all the various forms the Curse comes in. Certainly it's true that Jesus went to the Cross of Calvary and rose from the dead to establish a New Covenant under which Believers are absolutely redeemed from that Curse (Galatians 3:13). The Greek word for "redeemed" in this scripture means "to be rescued by way of paying a ransom." In other words, Jesus has "rescued" all Believers from the control of Satan and his Curse by paying the required "ransom." But most Believers go right ahead after they are born again allowing themselves to be controlled by the World's systems and ways of doing things instead of putting themselves under the control of the New Covenant and the Kingdom of God. Because of this, insufficiency continues to manifest instead of abundance.

    The fact is the New Covenant is a binding Contract between God and Believers with terms and conditions that are written down as the Word of God to guide the parties to the Agreement. This Contract contains all the BETTER promises we've been given because of Jesus plus all the original promises from the Old Covenant that haven't been specifically cancelled or replaced. Now, the Lord will never violate His own Blood Covenant but Believers are likely to violate it at any moment. Whenever we violate any of the terms and conditions of the Contract, whenever we take action counter to the Word of God whether willfully or from ignorance, we have committed sin. The wages of sin in all its forms is ALWAYS death (Romans 6:23). In other words, our sins always have consequences because they open the door to the Curse and to the enemy that uses it to steal, kill and destroy.

    In Part Twenty-Nine of this series, we outlined a list of basic reasons why Believers largely fail to walk in abundance. All of the reasons are forms of sin. We invite you to request a FREE emailed or post-paid copy of that previous newsletter for a more extensive discussion of the following sins that are most responsible for causing God's increase to be obstructed:

    • Insufficient faith
    • Defective love walk
    • Poor stewardship
    • Reluctant, disgruntled or inadequate giving
    • Unrighteous motivations
    • Disobedience
    • Failure to forgive
    • Loving the World
    • Failure to take authority over the devil

    Fortunately for all of us, the New Covenant also says that if we'll CONFESS our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This means that when you acknowledge your sin and ask God for forgiveness, He is quick to forgive and forget and by doing this you close the door to further attack from the enemy in relation to the particular sin you're confessing. Many precious Christians today are walking through life in trial and tribulation because they've forgotten, overlooked or refused to confess their sins and to reassert their authority over Satan in the name of Jesus. Consequently the door to adversity is ALWAYS OPEN.

    Friend, if you want to RECEIVE the increase God has for you, be quick to confess your sins and then try to walk the best you can in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contract. As we've said, Believers who are victorious have decided at some point in their lives that they'll try to live in agreement with whatever the Word says. The more you work at it, the fewer open doors Satan finds to come into your life through. The Lord is NOT asking you to be perfect in order to receive your increase; certainly it's impossible for you to be perfect anyway; but He IS asking you to respect His Word, to study it and to do your best to actually do what it says. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you and to bring to your attention and remembrance when there are confessions to be made. Then release your faith that you can have what you ask for (Mark 11:24).

  • Preparing to Take Possession
  • Once you've made the irrevocable, no turning back, decision to live in agreement with the Word, you can then take steps to RECEIVE your inherited increase and there are two key questions you'll need to have the answers to: 1) What exactly has God promised to give you, and 2) How do you actually go about taking possession of the things He has promised? The answers to both these questions can only be found in the Contract within the terms and conditions of the Covenant. But unfortunately the majority of Believers don't know what the Word says about it so they don't know HOW to receive their increase. Many are waiting for the increase to just manifest for them but it isn't going to happen that way. The faith that pleases God requires that we ACT on the Word. Faith without related action (works) is dead (James 2:14) and dead faith is impotent, unable to achieve any results. Therefore we have to step out and actually use our faith in order to receive our inheritance.

    The process starts like this: God has given us an inheritance but we have to ask for it specifically based on the terms and conditions of the Covenant. We can find out what the terms and conditions are by reading and studying the Agreement. The terms and conditions contain the promises of God as well as the procedures we have to follow to obtain them. When you understand the terms and conditions, then you believe you have the promises BEFORE you actually receive them in the natural (Mark 11:22-24). Faith is believing you've already received something before you can see it (2 Corinthians 5:7). In other words, faith is trusting that the promises of God are already yours well before they have manifested in your natural life. So far then, receiving your increase starts with studying the Word of God, asking Him specifically for what you find there and then releasing your faith to believe that those things ALREADY belong to you.

    The next step is to start taking physical possession of the promises included in your inheritance. The truth is you already possess them in the supernatural because redemption has given ALL of them to you. Now by faith you need to move your possession from the supernatural dimension to the natural. Taking possession involves action and intent on your part. It's not supposed to be a passive place in life where you wait and hope for your inheritance to fall on you. Obtaining your inheritance can only be accomplished by active faith in the Truth of the Word of God.

    When God was instructing the Israelites about going into the Promised Land, He told them to "go in and POSSESS the land" (Deuteronomy 1:8) and He's saying the same thing to Believers in the New Covenant about possessing our inheritance. To possess means to "take" something, to acquire ownership and control of it, to establish dominion over it. We are to take possession of what God has promised (Deuteronomy 1:21). It may seem like the task is too great or even impossible but God will be with you if your faith is strong and you'll be able to possess your inheritance (Numbers 14:8-9). And as you already know, faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). If you want strong faith, read and study the Word by immersion, listen to tapes, listen to sermons and teachings on line and try not to miss a church service for any reason.

    Now, the enemy wants to stop you from receiving, from taking possession of, your inheritance. He will do everything he can to disrupt you, to discourage you, to convince you that the Word doesn't work, to attack your faith and to prod you into agreeing with what the World says instead of what the terms and conditions of the Covenant say. In the case of the Israelites, the enemy was successful in bringing fear into their midst with the result that they were delayed for almost 40 years from taking possession of the Promised Land. The enemy is trying to do the same thing to you and up to now he has been successful with most Believers. We are being destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) that has led to a lack of aggressiveness, a lack of diligence and determination, for taking possession of our inheritance. Following are some of the more subtle ways the enemy tries to work against us:

    • He works to create doubt so you'll question whether or not your inheritance is for now.
    • He works to create sin consciousness so you'll question your worthiness to receive your inheritance.
    • He works to create false humility so you'll feel guilty about wanting to receive your inheritance.
    • He works to convince you that he's not a threat and that there's no need to exert your authority.
    • He works to create an attitude of self sufficiency so you'll disregard your inheritance.

    What God really wants us to do is TAKE OUR INHERITANCE BY FORCE. In other words, He wants us to use the power and authority we already have through the name of Jesus to overcome the enemy's obstruction and take possession forcefully of all the things Jesus won for us at the Cross of Calvary. To see this principle operating in the Word, read the following scripture Matthew 11:12 (NIV translation) that describes how Jesus regarded the people who were then coming into the Kingdom of God in response to His preaching of the Gospel:

    "From the days of John the Baptist - the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully (violently) advancing, and forceful (violent) men lay hold of it (take it by force)."

    What Jesus was saying is that the Kingdom of God is INCREASING because determined people had begun to take hold of the Gospel and to act on it in faith. Friend, God wants us to enter into the Promised Land just as the Israelites did but this time under the New Covenant and as we do we'll advance and be victorious. Another view of this principle can be found in Luke 16:16 (NIV translation):

    "Since (John the Baptist), the good news of the Kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it."

    In other words we're to be aggressive in taking possession of our inheritance. Most of the Body of Christ is passive about this subject waiting on God to manifest His inheritance when the reality is He's already made it available for the ones who will approach Him boldly and forcefully and take possession. It's already yours but you have to go after it and receive or take it.

  • The Process of Taking Possession
  • This doesn't mean we're to take possession by the flesh. We'll never be able to accomplish anything in our own strength. But the Bible DOES promise that by FAITH in the name of Jesus and in the integrity of His Word, we WILL be able to take possession of our inheritance. Our inheritance WILL manifest to us in the natural if we don't resort to the ways of the World. Not by our strength but by His strength says the Lord of hosts. And so, following are the steps that will bring you into possession of your Promised Land:

    � Walk in love - The Bible says that all the laws and principles of life in the Kingdom of God are dependent upon the fulfillment of two commandments: to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor (Matthew 22:40). Therefore, without love it's impossible to lay hold of the entire portion of the Promised Land that God has set aside for you.

    � Immerse yourself in the Word of God - This means that you shut out all the communications from the World (TV, Newspapers, etc.) and you begin to study the Word, listen to tapes, read helps books, etc. to the point that you are constantly meditating on the Word. The Word of God that is in you will be what manifests your inheritance.

    � Make your faith to become a force - The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). The more you are into the Word, the stronger your faith becomes. Your inheritance manifests in your life in direct relation to the strength of your faith.

    � Make your confessions agree with the Word - You have the power of life and death in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). If you always speak in agreement with the Word no matter what your circumstances look like you'll bring life to your inheritance.

    � Maintain your authority over the enemy and stand guard against him - The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy your inheritance (John 10:10). But by the complete work of Redemption at the Cross, you have received total authority by the name of Jesus over any work of the devil. To exercise that authority effectively, you must resist him (James 4:7) on a regular basis by confessing your sins and by commanding the enemy to stay away from your inheritance. If you don't do this your enemy will successfully obstruct the manifestation of your inheritance.

    � Rest in the assurance of the Truth of the Word - Resting means to abstain from anxiety, worry and impatience. It means waiting in faith, not in hope. Faith says the manifestation of your inheritance is on the way; hope is not sure. Be certain God watches over His Word to insure it performs exactly as He has promised (Jeremiah 1:12).

    Success in the Kingdom of God is based largely on this process. Most Christians try to try to find an easier way. Most Christians keep one foot in the World instead of selling out to the Word. But you will never find real success any other way. Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and you will find your inheritance.

  • Some Final Thoughts
  • In sum, the reason so many Believers are not walking in increase and prosperity these days is that we are failing to RECEIVE what God has already provided. We are guilty of slothfulness both in learning what the Word actually says and in applying the principles God has laid out for us to use in aggressively pursuing our inheritance. But by being more spiritually aggressive, by forcefully and "violently" pursuing what Jesus has already won for us at the Cross of Calvary, we will soon find ourselves enjoying the Promised Land.

    Friend, God longs for you to possess your inheritance. It's the desire of His heart. You are supposed to be prosperous in every area of life. He sent Jesus to die on the Cross of Calvary to redeem you from the Curse and restore you to the Blessing of Abraham. God has provided everything you need. You have authority and power and Satan has been defeated. So, if you want to see biblical prosperity fully manifested in your life, you going to have to step out aggressively in faith, knowing what you're doing and forcefully take possession of what God wants you to have. He won't do it for you. You have to do it yourself using His power working through your faith.

    Thanks for reading Prosperous Life Newsletter today. We pray that this publication has been a blessing. God bless you and we'll be looking for you again in three weeks on October 26.

  • Sinners' Prayer
  • If you have never invited Jesus to become the Lord of your life, you can do so today by saying the following simple prayer: Jesus I believe in you and that God raised you from the dead. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me for my sins and come into my life today.

    If you were sincere as you prayed, God has already come into your life and you are a new creation. Now ask the Lord to lead you to a good faith based bible teaching church where you can be developed to fulfill your potential in the Kingdom of God. If you're unable to find a church, give us a call and we'll help you find a good one.

  • Prayer Requests
  • Please e-mail your prayer requests to: [email protected]. We'll be honored to bring them before the Lord each Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM, Eastern Time.

  • Donations
  • If you have been blessed and edified by Prosperous Life Newsletter, please pray about making a Spirit-led love offering to support the work of the Ministry (Galatians 6:6-7). PLN is a non profit [501(c)(3)] gift to the Body of Christ so your financial gifts are tax deductible (please consult your tax advisor). You may mail your check or money order payable to Cornerstone Consulting Ministries to 10621 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 113, Miami, Florida 33176 or click on the donation tab for other payment options. May God bless you with His abundant harvest from sowing your precious seed into this Ministry.

  • Questions and Suggestions
  • It would bless us to have an opportunity to answer your questions concerning any of the areas covered by the ministry of PLN. We would also be happy to consider your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to e-mail them to us or give us a call anytime during normal business hours at our toll free number 1-800-357-4223.

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