Saturday, March 25, 2017

Finding your Wealthy Place- Five Steps of Entering Your Wealthy Place



You can enter into your wealthy place. It is important however to indicate that such is not an overnight thing. It is a process. Never try to take shortcuts. The good news is that there are sure steps you can follow to reach your wealth place. They are described as follows:

1. Know and Understand That There Is a Wealthy Place in God

Not every believer knows that he or she has a wealthy place. That is the reason some believers do not bother working on becoming wealthy. They think having a job is enough. But having only a job cannot make you wealthy. You need to also do something apart from your job. Do business and or invest where you can make money. A paycheck normally meets life’s necessities. But you also have wants. What about them. You need abundance. If only your needs are met, how are you going to be a blessing to the nations (to others).

“I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.
I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.” (Genesis 12:2-4).
 Abraham was promised a blessing and becoming great if he obeyed. Guess what? He obeyed and was blessed to be a blessing. So shall you be blessed if only you will obey. Someone might say, “Ah! This was said to Abraham and his descendents i.e. his seed.” Just look at the following scripture:

“So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family, and you will be given what God has promised.” (Galatians 3:29 – Contemporary English Version). Other versions say we are Abraham’s seed. I hope you know the song, “Abraham’s blessings are mine.” We used to sing that song but I don’t hear much of it today. So we are saying you are blessed.

If you have been praying and confessing but still broke, revisit the Word and see what God is saying about issues of money. There is a wealthy place. We read in Psalm 105:37, "He [the Lord] brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes." Do you see the GREAT God we serve? He does not want us to go empty handed. He is a God of abundance. I hope you remember the Father who had two sons (parable of the prodigal son). In Luke 15:11-12, it is recorded, “And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.” A good Father has a portion for everyone of his sons. As sons of God, our Father has a portion for everyone of us. Find your wealthy place. It is your portion.

2. Locate Wealth

Maybe you are asking yourself, “What is the wealthy place?” This is a place of more than enough. Here are other lands:

Land of “not enough”

We have our excuses for dwelling in this land. Excuses like, “Brother, not everyone is supposed to be rich. So I am OK the way I am. I am fine.” Others say, “I don’t want much my sister. I love the Lord. I pray and read the Bible. I am satisfied with what I have.” But you see, these are all religious excuses. There is abundance. Most of us know this land. Many passed through it. It is a land of struggling in life.
Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of THELAND OF EGYPT, from THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. (Deuteronomy 8:14).
It is time to come out of this land in Jesus Name. It does not glorify God in any way.

The Land of 'Just Enough'

Most people in life park in the land of "just enough."They are not trying to justify why they are here. They are satisfied with being here. They have just enough and are barely getting by. But they are satisfied. When you are satisfied you don’t fight for anything. You will not fight for your rights or try to have more. But this is not good enough child of God. It is true that God brings us to one land at a time. Why?

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandment, or no.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:2, 3).

During the wilderness experience, the Israelites were allowed to have “just enough”. God fed them with manna for each day. They were not allowed to gather more. Some tried and the manna got rotten and infested with worms. They were still on their way to their “wealthy place”.

Through the stages of our walk to the wealthy place there is a learning process. In the land of “not enough” you learn to depend on God for your needs (deliverance). Then in the land of “just enough” you learn that God can move you from one level to another. You need to demonstrate more trust on God. Furthermore, you learn to be trustworthy. God should trust you to be the guardian of His wealth. Some testing takes place. You must be seen to be faithful on the little so that much can be given to you.

The Land of 'More Than Enough’

As children of God, we should all be headed to this land. The question is, “Why is it important to get into this land i.e. the wealthy place?  This is because once you are in this land; you can help your neighbor. This is part of knowing and fulfilling your covenant.  God said to Abraham, "... I will bless thee ... and thou shalt be a blessing" (Gen. 12:2). In other words, God told Abraham, "I will bless you and your family so much that you will have to give some of your blessings away."

3. Be Willing to encounter obstacles and giants

As you are willing to encounter obstacles and giants, withstand them using the Word of God. Many believers are not even willing to go into their wealthy place. They are not even thinking about it. Do you know why? It is because there are giants. Have you noted how difficult and challenging to get more money? The reason is that there are giants in the wealthy place. There has to be some fighting and perseverance to enter there.

“And they [the twelve spies] told him [Moses], and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
NEVERTHELESS the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.” (Number 13:27, 28).

Not child of God that this was their wealthy place. God had given it to them. They were supposed to go and take it with God’s support. That is how some of us believers react to the promises of God. We have heard the promises given. But because of the obstacles and challenges, we end up not willing to go forward. We decide to settle for less. There will indeed be resistance. God wants to see us moving forward and then He will support us. Believe the Word and do it in Jesus Name.
Have a good attitude towards the Word of God. Be willing to obey. Look at the attitude of a believer who trusts God:

In Numbers 13:30, Caleb said, "...Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." Does it mean this believer didn’t see the giants? He saw them. But he saw God bigger than the giants. Now, who is magnified in your life? Is it God (His Word) or the giants? There is a wealthy place to be possessed. The other spies saw themselves as grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants except Joshua and Caleb. Guess what happened? Out of the generation that came out of Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb entered the “wealthy place”. Why? The believed and acted on the Word of God. Do you believe the Word? Are you going to act on it?

4. Expand your capacity to receive Wealth

In order to enter into your wealthy place, you need to cooperate with God. Have an excellent spirit like Joshua and Caleb. The reason why those who died in the wilderness without entering into the place of plenty is that they did not have the capacity to receive the wealthy land. Do not die in the wilderness. The place of “just enough” or place of “not enough”.
Some way or another, if you are going to receive in life what God has for you, you are going to have to be willing to take a step forward in faith from the mess you are in, toward the promise of God. When you do, God will meet you there. If your faith is really in God and His Word, your faith will not be denied— not now, not ever!

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). Allow God to enlarge you by the power of His Word and Spirit.

5. Step Five: Take the limits off God

If there is something that can hinder God’s full manifestation in our lives, it is our unbelief. Otherwise God is more than willing to take us to our wealthy place. He works in our lives to the extent that we believe and allow Him. He cannot force His way.
“Yea, they TURNED BACK and TEMPTED GOD,and LIMITED THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.” (Psalm 78:41).

You are the only one that can limit God. After you have removed the limits, adjust your vision. God once told Abraham that as far as his eyes would see, that land He was going to give to him. You can receive only what you can see. It is all in the Word. The question is, “Can you see it with your physical eyes closed?”

You remember Elisha’s servant Gehazi? When attacked by the Syrians he was afraid but Elisha told him not to. Why? There were angels all around them. Look at the following:

“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17).

In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray that your eyes may be opened and that you may see all that the Lord has prepared for you.

Blessings in Jesus Name!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Finding Your Wealthy Place- Part 3



God has given us principles to follow in order to reach our wealthy place. He has made those principles known through His Word. For us to build wealth according to God’s plan, there has to be a proper foundation. A proper foundation for a tall building needs proper digging to ensure sustainability. The Lord has given us some commands in His Word for us to obey. One of those commands is to tithe according to Malachi.

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10). And verse 9 of Malachi speaks of curses that come upon him who does not obey this command.

But there is a question and here it is, “Why do some believers who tithe remain broke?” They still have not entered into their wealthy place. This deserves an honest answer. This means the tithe does not bring the answer. But it is still very important. There are some adjustments to be made for us to enter our wealthy place. Once those adjustments have been made, you will enter the land of the rich.

“The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Deuteronomy 28:8).

The Lord shall command the blessing. This must be serious with God. A storehouse refers to your bank account or your investments. The Lord commands a blessing and He does not stop there. He further commands a blessing on whatever you SET your hand on. That may be your business or your job. Do something that is of value to people. Do what benefits people and they will buy from you.

Understand child of God that there is an enemy, the devil. As you move towards your wealthy place the enemy will not just roll over and play dead. He will try hard to stop you without giving up. The reason is that he knows what that means to him. Now let us look at how to lay the proper found for your wealth:

1) Use proven weapons- the Word of God to fight your battles

When Goliath was mocking the Israelites, David came. He knew the covenant he had with God and that Goliath did not have it. He decided to face him. King Saul tried to give him his armor but David had not proven it so he did not use it.
“And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:38-40).

There is a battle going on in the financial world. You therefore need proven weapons as there is no time for unproven ones now. The Word of God has been proven to be working now and again. Jesus proved it when He was tempted by the devil. But the question is, “have you proven it yourself?” David had proven his weapon. That is why he talked about killing a lion and a bear. Now, it is time for you to put the Word of God into a test. Prove it yourself in your own life. Is the Word of God real to you? Is it stored within you? Child of God, it is time. Rise up and start believing in the Word. Use it. Prove it.

2) Do not be high-minded

What is that? It is a charge to the rich. This will help you put the proper foundation on your way to your wealthy place. Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves A GOOD FOUNDATION against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (1Timothy 6:17-19).

The Lord has given richly all things to be enjoyed. REMEMBER to enjoy every MOMENT of your life? Be willing to distribute, support towards good works. Remember to support the Kingdom of God. By so doing, you are laying a good foundation for yourself.

If you follow God, He will make you rich. Never make earthly riches your number one priority. How can you see if money is priority number one in your life? If it is difficult for you to part with money and support the work of God, you have made money a god. God is ready to give you the kind of house you want, the kind of car you want, and the kind of clothes you want. But you need to prove to Him you are not going to get taken with pride and arrogance and conceit.

“All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, TO HUMBLE THEE, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3).

Note that the word “Humble” is the opposite of high-minded. Do not wait for God to humble you. Humble yourself. God wants to take you into your wealthy place. The Apostle Peter also talks about this issue of being humble before God.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6).

3) Don't Put Your Trust in Uncertain Riches

Why are riches of this world referred to as “uncertain riches?” It is because they are temporal. They can be lost anytime. Finances are an earthly institution. No one can go with it to heaven. When you die you go naked. It does not matter how much wealth you had accumulated. So we are encouraged to trust in the living God.

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."(1 Timothy 6:17). After Paul admonished the rich on the issue of avoiding being high-minded, he cautioned us about trusting on uncertain riches.

The Old Testament has something to say about trusting in uncertain riches.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5). Our eyes need to be set on God. Then we will receive an anointing to prosper. That will catch money because money has a tendency of developing wings to fly away.

May I conclude that knowing that there is a wealthy place for you is the first step. As we have highlighted, there are necessary foundations to be put in place. Those foundations will enable you to enjoy your wealth in a sustainable way. Follow the principles of success that God has put in place. That will help protect you from the enemy who always seeks way of hindering and destroying you.

Blessings in Jesus Name!

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Finding your Wealthy Place- Part 2



“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19).
We serve a God who has plans, purposes, designs and objectives. God has a plan for you to be wealthy. He has a purpose. God has a design and objectives about you becoming wealthy. Failure to understand the prosperity message results in selfishness. That leads to a situation whereby one thinks about grabbing everything for himself.
God wants His people to take care of His Kingdom business. If His people take care of His kingdom business, the Kingdom takes care of them. In order for wealth to be a reality in your life, it will take mainly two things:

1) Be willing

It takes willingness to enjoy the good of the land. Through your wealth, you will enjoy what life has to offer. Remember John 10:10, which says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Can you see the language God uses? God talks of abundance. If you are lacking in life, it is not God’s doing. He is not your enemy. God cannot benefit anything out of your lack. God grants abundance. That takes willingness. If you are willing you will follow God’s guidance on accumulating the wealth he has in store for you. Note that willingness is does not just end at the thought level. There has to be action in order for willingness to be demonstrated. Arise and take actions towards finding your wealthy place.

2) Be obedient

What made Abraham wealthy and very rich is obedient to God. Remember when he was about to slay his only begotten son Isaac? That takes obedience child of God. If you were asked to offer your ONLY child, what would you do? Definitely such would not be an easy thing and I am sure it wasn’t easy for Abraham either. But he obeyed. As a result God made him a blessing to the nations. He is considered the Father of faith today and to generations to come. Through your obedience to God, you will eat the good of the land.

God’s will

It is God’s will for you to prosper. According to 3 John 2, the Bible records, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Actually, three types of prosperity are talked about here: prosperity in your health; prosperity in your finances; and prosperity in your soul. God’s will for your prosperity and wealth is proven by scripture. Look at the following scripture:
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18).

See the purpose? To establish the God’s covenant. The purpose is to carry out the will of God on earth. We must support His kingdom with our wealth. It is not just about us and our children. We should not ignore what God cares about. God wants to bless you and further use you to fulfill His will on earth. If you trust Him, He will entrust you with wealth.

Blessings in Jesus Name!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Finding your Wealthy Place



God said in Deuteronomy 28:3, "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field."

There is what is called a wealthy place. God wants to bring you into your own wealthy place. Once you are in such a place you will not ask yourself if you have found it. You will experience it when you are in the city and when you are in the field. It works everywhere. It works in the city and in the field. In other words, whether you are a doctor, lawyer, school teacher, minister, business person, or you have some other vocation.
Remember that yesterday we talked about leaving all for Jesus? You started coming out of the practices that God does not like. Why? God wants to take you into your wealthy place. You cannot win the world and win God’s Kingdom at the same time. One must drop. Gen 12:1 The LORD said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.

“Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: BUT THOU BROUGHTEST US OUT INTO A WEALTHY PLACE.”
(PSALM 66:12)

You might have gone through the fire or water, but finally the Lord is bringing you into your wealthy place in Jesus Name. That is the place of plenty. It is God’s will that you come out of the tight spot financially. We do not serve a careless God. He does not take you out of Egypt and throw you into a wilderness and then leave you there to die. The wilderness is just a pathway to your wealthy place. So do not worry about what is happening in your life now. You are just passing through. Never think the wilderness is your destiny. Never think you should die there. No, No! Fix your eyes into your wealthy place. See God taking you through. Listen to Him. Obey Him.

I believe the following verse in Psalms is a prophetic word to the Body of Christ for this hour concerning finances.

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. (PSALM 102:13). Note that Zion refers to the Church.
When is the time to arise? The time is now. Do not stay in the wilderness till you die. If you have not yet found your wealthy place, arise now! Ask God to show you where or what is your wealthy place. He will speak to you in Jesus Name!

Blessings!