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Great Grace
God's Financial Favour on The Church
There is a Grace that has been provided by God Himself for the Church to walk in right now!! It is the greatest liberality, generosity and increase that the Church has ever known! God is able to make this Grace abound toward you. There is no lack and never has been any form of lack on God's side of things. What has been done for you and what has been supplied to you is the grace of God in an all abounding measure that we must, through faith, believe and receive.
Let's begin our study this month looking at a passage that immediately gives us a powerful perspective on this.
2 Corinthians 9:5-15 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: "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!
There is a ministry in the Church and on the Church of 'exceeding grace'. This is the fruit of those who are in right standing with God. Those who always have all sufficiency in all things and possess access to HIS abundance for every good work! One thing must be made clear and that is that giving does not make you righteous! There is only one way to be become righteous and that is through the Blood of Jesus. This being made HIS righteousness brings you to the place of GREAT grace, enabling liberality to distribute far beyond yourself and flowing out to the needs of others.
Grace, favour, supply and sufficiency from God are given or bestowed upon us enabling the Church to function at a level far beyond all natural human effort. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians he explained to them this revelation very clearly; once again expounding the financial manifestation of grace.
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 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.
There is a Great Grace available right now for the whole church to function in; a level of generosity and prosperity irrespective of the world's system or financial state. A heavenly Grace designed for earthly manifestation! This is something that the Corinthian church were encouraged would take them 'beyond their ability'. If you can accomplish something in your own strength, then you don't need the grace of God. However, when the Lord enables us, we must then commit to 'abound in this grace'.
When we function in God's supply rather than simply lean on our own understanding and strength financially, we give witness to the new life that belongs to us through Jesus which gives direct witness to His resurrection!
Acts 4:32-35 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
'All grace' is a gift from God that is received by faith! Grace is automatically given; but not automatically received. You can't do anything to earn His grace. However, you do have to receive His Grace gift by faith! The wonderful thing here is that even the faith that we use to receive salvation was also originally a gift from God, as each man was dealt the measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:7-8 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Grace IS the gift. While faith is the response and the corresponding action of receiving of this Great Grace! How do we do this? The same way you use your faith for anything.
- Put it before your eyes
- Put it in your heart
- Put it in your mouth
- Receive it
- Thank Him for it
- Walk in love and forgiveness
During the month of January this year, while I was in Texas, I heard Pastor George Pearsons of Eagle Mountain International Church; exhort his congregation to declare;
"I am expecting my greatest BLESSING ever today!"
This was a faith response to a prophetic Word by Kenneth Copeland for 2013. I would like to share this Word with you and encourage you to also take up a daily declaration of faith that great grace is upon you and that the BLESSING is at work in you in an ever increasing measure. So that every day you awake you have an expectation of a greater manifestation of the Blessing EVER!
THE YEAR OF GREAT GRACE - This Word of the Lord was received by Kenneth Copeland on August 17, 2012
Stay where you are. Stay steady. Your greatest BLESSING ever is at hand.
No one can stop My plan for you. It's a BLESSED plan.
Stay on My WORD. Stay strong in faith.
Insist on walking in My commandment of Love.
No devil, no government, no man can curse what I have BLESSED.
Believe that. Know that! You belong to Me not the world!
We will carry out the BLESSING plan together.
I am teaching you GRACE! Keep it on your mind throughout 2013, and beyond.
Never, ever let it go!
The thing that I can do that is exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think is to make all GRACE abound toward you, and that's what is happening for you and for your country, right now!
BE BLESSED!
ENJOY MY GRACE!
IT'S YOURS!
Now take a hold of all the exceeding Great Grace that God has given you and expect that today's manifestation of that BLESSING Grace is already there and simply waiting for your faith response.
I don't know about you; but I still believe that when someone is gracious enough to give me a gift the very least thing and most honouring thing I can do is to say 'Thank you, I receive that'.
So go on declare it by faith;
"I am expecting my greatest BLESSING ever today!"
And just watch what the LORD will do for you and through you for HIS GLORY!!
Love and blessings,
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- You are who God says you are!
- You can do what God says you can do!
- You can have what God says you can have!
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