Prosperity

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.- Ephesians 3:14-21

Whether you adhere to "prosperity teaching" or not, there is quite a lot in the bible about prosperity. God DOES want us to prosper. As Jeremiah 29:11 simply puts it, "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." Not only does He offer eternal life through His Son, Jesus, but the Bible is filled with His generous and abundant promises in this life. He wants to bless you with provision and supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Phillipians 4:19). He wants to pour out His abundant favor on you and cause everything you touch to prosper (Psalm 1). In the New Testament, John prayed that we would prosper and be in health “as our soul prospers.” One translation says “as you are strong in spirit” (3 John 1:2, KJV). God wants to bless you with spiritual gifts and make you strong in your inner man. God wants your inner man to be strong and healthy because your internal condition affects your external condition. If you are healthy in your soul, you will be healthy in your relationships, finances and every other area. On the other hand, if your internal condition is negative, sour and defeated, then your life will reflect this same reality.

How do you become strong and healthy in your soul? Firstly, by making Jesus your Lord and Savior and dedicating every area of your life to Him. Secondly, as you meditate on and follow His Word, you are giving strength to your inner man. Then you are programming your mind and heart in the right direction. You are setting yourself up to prosper and be in health in every area of your life!

Prosperity isn't just about material wealth. There is a spiritual prosperity which is worth more than gold, silver, oil or any any precious stone. God created us and knows our needs. What good is money when our marriage is suffering or our children are in rebellion or our health is failing? God is a complete and abundant God that wants us living a complete abundant life. Prosperity simply means to thrive, to be vibrant and alive. It’s a picture of vitality. When you are prosperous, you have more than enough to give to others... you have an abundance of goods, peace, grace, empathy, hope, faith and love. God has so many good and perfect gifts in store for you. Every good gift from God is meant to draw us closer to Him in worship, dependence and praise. Often times, people have an idea about God based on past experiences. But today, we encourage you to let go of old beliefs failures and mindsets and see God according to His Word. He is good and faithful, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! Seek Him today and experience the life of blessing He has in store for you!

Psalms 23:1 is a portrayal of prosperity. David gave one hundred million for the building of the temple... not too bad for a cheese sandwich delivery boy who started out with five rocks and a slingshot. Since God is no respector of persons. Since Christ has come and brought with Him the new covenant is it not apparent that God is pleased to see us reach that same level? Revelation 5:12 - Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive (1) power, (2) and riches, (3) and wisdom, (4) and strength, (5) and honor, (6) and glory (7) and blessing!" These seven blessings are given to the Son and to the Church. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours… and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's." Romans 8:17 declares, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." Not equal heirs (half and half), but joint-heirs. All that He has is yours, and all that you have is His, you can believe this because it's the living truth of the Bible.

At the same time, God is not some vending machine or genie that bows to our wishes and will. He is sovereign and decides the course of our lives (Prov. 16:9). We must bend our will and thoughts to His and commit all our ways to Him. It is this very requirement under which God says time and time again in His word that He will prosper us. Why would a holy and just God grant us prosperity if we are living out of His will? Would you lavish the best you have on children that do not obey your rules? For many, getting prosperity may even cause us more harm than good if our lives and hearts are not in the right place.

Prosperity is Our Birthright

There are two families in the Bible: The family of God ("Our Father which art in heaven") and the family of Satan (Jesus said, "Ye are of your father the devil"). When God is your father, all His wealth belongs to you. He has promised to take care of His children.

At Calvary, we brought to Him (Jesus) our poverty, and He brought the riches of Abraham. When Jesus was on the cross, He was hungry, thirsty, and naked. When he died, He was buried in a borrowed tomb, but when He cried, "It is finished!" poverty died. Know that if you are a believer, meaning you have accepted Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior, you have the right to prosperity; all that He said you can have.

It is written, "God's ways are always prospering" and his [The flesh/the enemy] ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; God's judgments are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, He sniffs and sneers at them." Jesus won for us the right to take authority over our circumstances (within His will) as we walk in faith. You can read about the authority of believers in Colossians 2:9-10.

We as believers must excercise that authority, given to us by God through "The Word, Jesus who is LORD, who came not only by water, but by water and blood, and it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one" (1 John 5:7-8).

To take authority over poverty, over our financial lack, over our sickness and over every circumstance, that is blocking your path is what biblical prosperity is. Because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).

Biblical Example

If it were sinful for you to enjoy material blessings then God would not have given them to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon or His Son Jesus Christ! "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5:12).

God's children have historically been prosperous. In Genesis 13, Abraham is described as having many cattle along with silver and gold. This description is not that of being spiritually rich, but of being "literally" rich, just as we can be spiritual rich. Solomon was wealthy. And King David said, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Jacob had great wealth when he left the service of His father in law.

Jesus proclaimed His personal wealth! If wealth were a negative thing, why would God the Father give it to His Son, Jesus Christ? Matthew 13:44 says, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field…" Treasure excites people. John the Revelator described his eternal home as having foundations of twelve kinds of precious stones, twelve gates of solid pearl, and streets made of gold. Mansions have been designed by the Architect of the Ages for God's children.

People like to say that Jesus was poor. But was He poor? Remember those gifts given Him by the three wise men... gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Those were intended for His ministry. He was poor once. Jesus was poor while He was on the cross. Why was He poor on the cross? He was poor; because He took the poverty of those who accepted Him and replaced it with the wealth of Abraham. When he proclaimed "It is finished" He was proclaiming not only the saving work which He came to do but also the expansion of the Abrahamic covenant to all who would accept Him.

Not to Be Our Focus

King Solomon, the man whom God granted exceeding wisdom and riches greater than any other person on earth, took full advantage of his prosperity and indulged in every pleasure possible to humans. He had 700 wives from surrounding nations, servants, gold and silver beyond measure, pHd's in science and botany and yet towards the end of his life, he realized that it was all "vanity" (see Ecclesiastes 2:1-8) If he "had it all" and saw that it did not satisfy, then can we learn from that to put prosperity in its proper place? Solomon goes on in chapter three to explain the realization that apart from God there is no satisfaction, that we are to be content with basic resources and to realize that God Himself determines the seasons for everything in life and what our path is to be.

Also, we are not to love earthly wealth so much that we are willing to kill, cheat, debase, or deceive others for it, even to the extent of losing our lives. Some “Christians” (whom are only Christians in title) are willing to lose their lives over money. Revelation 21:27 - "Nothing impure will ever enter it (His kingdom), nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life".

So you see it's not all about finance. Finance is good and ok to have as long as we are good stewards and do not let it rule our lives. Luke 16:11 - "If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (finance), who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:9-10). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father...” (James 1:17) "Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle." (James 1:17 The Message Bible)

In Him we have redemption, deliverance and salvation through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor. That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the first fruits, the pledge and foretaste, and the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it - to the praise of His glory.

So What is the Purpose of Prosperity?

So if wealth and pleasure do not satisfy, if it is all vanity, then why does God want us to prosper? Paul explains in 1 Cor 2:9 that God has prepared wonderful things for us in His kingdom. What Paul saw when he was transported to heaven was so intense and awe inspiring that he didn't even try to explain it. He simply encouraged believers to stay in the Lord and says that we will be VERY pleased with the result. Imagine living in a city with streets of gold, free of pain, sickness and poverty... with only joy and fulfillment for the rest of eternity. This sounds like prosperity doesn't it? Okay so what is the difference then?

While we are in this flesh our main role is to prepare for life in the new kingdom. To live selflessly, strive for righteousness, live in obedience and to love as God loves. That character transformation here on earth has a two fold effect. It prepares us for life in the new kingdom and it prepares us now to be used by God, to show unbelievers what kind of God we serve... a God who provides, heals, protects and restores. If we are obedient to His will and seek first His righteousness and His kingdom (Matt 6:33) then God will provide for us. We are to use whatever God prospers us with to spread the gospel. As God prospers our marriages, we are to tell others about His blessing. As God prospers our health, we are to pray for and over others for their health (while believing for the power to heal). As God prospers our finances, we are to give and meet the needs of others.

Prosperity is not designed to bring us ease and pleasure (although prospering makes life easier and is pleasurable). It is designed to empower us to live in victory and be a blessing to others so that they too will come to know and serve Him. God is more than able to give you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. Your only hope of catching up is planting seeds in the Kingdom of God. The Scripture said that when you clothe and feed the poor, we're doing it to Him. The Kingdom of God is the only surefire investment you will ever have.

Do You Qualify?

You do not qualify for God's abundance until you become God's child. You cannot pray "Our Father which art in heaven" until you become a true son or daughter by receiving Jesus.

Why tithe? The Lord commands it. Refusal to tithe is rebellion against God. If you do not tithe, you live under a financial curse. "You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed Me" (Malachi 3:9). "Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go" (Joshua 1:7, NKJV). Live, eat, breath, sleep, walk, work, and love to fulfill God's Will.

The Word says to "give, and it shall be given unto you." Should you expect to gain when you give? Yes! As Jesus told the rich man in Luke 18:22. There are two kinds of givers: reason givers and revelation givers! Malachi 3:10 - Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse. Leviticus 27:30 says, "All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's". Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse... not some... ALL! Giving bring blessings into your life. Reason givers are controlled by their minds. They do not ask God how much they should give; they ask their bank account(s) or their CPA. In Luke 12:48 "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much as been committed of him they will ask the more." Do you know how many charity organizations and people from all walks of life bombard Donald Trump and Bill Gates everyday? Revelation givers are controlled by the Holy Spirit. They see God as their supplier. Revelation givers do not give according to what they have, but according to what God can supply. Revelation givers know that the earth is going to pass away and know the true value of a soul. Remember it is the Lord who gives you the power to get wealth. Give and it shall be given unto you. God has given you His very best. Will you give Him yours?

Hard times are wrong times to stop giving to God! You give your way out of financial lack. Dr. Cho's church in Korea has about 750 thousand members. The financing of their building program started with one woman bringing her rice bowl and laying it at the altar of the church. The congregation then followed. The congregation's seed allowed such a large harvest that they built the church with cash! It shows as does the story about Elijah and Elisha and the widow and her son 1 Kings 17: 8-16. That sometimes the blessing of God takes giving away your very last... to the point of death. It is total abandon to the will and goodness of God that pleases Him and opens up the window in heaven.

If you are not prospering, it is not God's fault. If you are not receiving then you are not giving. Plant your seed in good ground! What is good ground? Good ground is the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." You do not pay your electric company for the electricity you use.. you pay your electric company. Likewise, pay your tithes where you are being spiritually fed. The fact is that not every church is good ground. Not every television ministry is good ground. Why? Many churches and ministries do not represent the true Kingdom of God. Any ministry that promotes positive thinking or financial prosperity over repentance, and confession to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is preaching a false doctrine and therefore does not represent the true Kingdom of God. It is biblical to keep your tithes with your local church but if you are not being fed there then perhaps you need to find a place you are being fed, commit to that ministry and support it's storehouse.

Prosperity is a decision. Tithe, and show kindness to others by giving because God will give to you an increase of income when you do. When you turn loose what is in your hand to God, God will turn loose what is in His hand to you. "And Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying: 'O that You would bless me, and enlarge my territory that Your hand would be with me, that You would keep me from evil that I might be free from pain'" (1 Chronicles 4:10). What was God's response? God granted Jabez his request.

What causes an economic crash? What causes lack of prosperity? Hoarding. People stop investing their money because they develop a lack of confidence, and selfishness, the economy then freezes up and that can cause the lack of prosperity in their lives and a potential economy system to fail. In God's economic system, He gives to you so you can give to others. The money in God's system is constantly in circulation. His economy can never crash. Plant your money into the Kingdom of God. That is when you become wealthy enough to have financial freedom. Jesus taught us to invest wisely by investing in things that are permanent! Jesus taught us that it is not in our best interests to invest in something that moths can eat, rust can decay, or that thieves can carry off. Dewdrops are as pretty as diamonds until the sun comes out, because they are not permanent. The Bible teaches us that the world shall pass away. Simply said, the earth is not permanent. You need to invest wisely in the Kingdom of God. Lay up treasures for yourselves and invest in the Gospel! Why give? God has created a universe where it is impossible to receive without giving! The fact is that everything that God controls gives. If something within you resents giving, that something is not of God.

Giving is the only proof you have that greed has not become a cancer on your soul. The sun gives light without which the world would cease. The plants give food, shelter, clothing, oxygen, and so much more, the clouds also give rain. God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Givers gain. You do not qualify to receive from God or anyone else until you give. The Bible commands, "Give and it shall be given unto you." Until you give you will not qualify to receive the power to get wealth. Ecclesiastes 3:2 - There is a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. You must plant your seed before you can expect an increase! Without seed time it is impossible to have a harvest. If you give nothing, you get nothing. God can increase what you give one hundred fold, but nothing times nothing equals nothing. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground… it abides alone, it does no good" (John 12:24). Please read Luke 16:19-31.

When what you have in your hand is not enough to meet your need it becomes your seed. You can do three things with seed: eat it, feed it to your cows (or your overly pampered Pomeranian), or plant it. The fact is that there is no chance of increase until you plant it. You cannot have financial freedom without increase, and you cannot have increase without first planting your seed. Many people say, "I have nothing to give." That is wrong. "God who gives seed to farmers to plant will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest" (2 Corinthians 9:10-11). You do not have to understand God's economic system for it to work.

Poverty is a curse that is a result of sin, Genesis 3:17-19. Sin produces poverty. One drunken driver can instantly change the lives of a carload of lively healthy people. AIDS brings poverty, drug addiction and alcoholism bring poverty, sexual immorality brings poverty and crime brings poverty. There is a high price for low living… the wages of sin is death.

What is the Next Step Then?

If you can accept God's true purpose for prosperity, then why not start claiming your authority to recieve it? Right now believe for a strife free home. Believe "that all may be well with you and that you may live long on this earth" as in obeying your mother and father which is the first commandment with a promise - [Exod.20:12.] (Eph.6:1-3).

Believe for a bountiful harvest with the sowing of seed in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Claim through and by His Holy Spirit and blood, the joy, gladness, and peace intended for us all to have.
Claim His provision for all of your needs.
Claim authority over long life, good health, a healthy relationship, happiness and love with God-filled joy, respect and communication. Believe for restoration of a trouble-free home.
Claim understanding of each other and your children.
Claim nights of peaceful rest and sweet dreams according to the Scripture. (See Proverbs 3:24)

Do not cease to give God thanks at all times, even when you don't feel like it, when in pain or in happiness. Give thanks to "the Most High God, El Elyon, El Shaddai, the God of the mountains" with genuine thanksgiving. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Christ Jesus, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent so that we might be [to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy). Which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Jesus).

In Him we have redemption deliverance and salvation through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor. That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the first fruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down-payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete possession] of it - to the praise of His glory. That Spirit will guide us into prosperity and the proper use of it if we avail ourselves to Him and seek His purpose in all that we are, have and do.

Claim and believe for prosperity today but claim it in the way that God told Abraham. " I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." (Gen 12:2). Look with anticipation for blessing on your life so that you can be a blessing to others.

Giving Thanks

We must not stop giving God thanks at all times, even when we don't feel like it... in pain, in joy and happiness, give God thanks at all times because He, El Elyon (The Most High God, the Highest), El Shaddai (God Almighty), God of the mountains, and the God of the universe is more than deserving of all genuine praise and thanks and worship forever.

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Christ Jesus, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent so that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favour and mercy). Which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Jesus), the best gift of all.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth. God owns all the wealth in the world and all of God's wealth belongs to His children!

Stewardship

Luke 16:12 - 13 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. God knows our hearts, because whatever is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God, v.16.

If we are not faithful with someone else's wealth, who will trust us with our own? These few chapters speak to us in this way as well, that God is the owner and giver of all things that are good. Yes, all good things, and everything He does, He does for righteousness and goodness sake, no matter what it may be. Whatever there is that's bad or goes wrong is not His doing, because God is good ALL the time.

Money is meant to keep us out of debt and enable us to show kindness to others, not to hoard, to ruin our life chasing pleasure. God is the Creator, ruler, owner, and overseer of ALL things. He wants us to have financial blessings too because we as true believers should not owe or be in debt to anyone. (Deuteronomy 15:6,8; Deuteronomy 28:12; Genesis 14:22-24; Deuteronomy 24:10-11; Luke 6:34-5)

All the things in this world are temporary. One day soon they will all disappear… everything including the moon, sun and stars will be gone… to be replaced by other things that were never defiled by evil and sin. 2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The key to receiving all these spiritual blessings is found in Joshua 1:7. When we are careful to "observe to do" what God has commanded, we are setting ourselves up for success. We are engaging in His system of doing things; and when we do things God's way, we get God's results! If you want your prayers answered, seek to be an answer to someone else's needs and prayers.

God Almighty controls the economy of our land… and God controls your income! Your source is God, not the government. The Bible says, "It is the Lord that gives the power to get wealth." When you give to God, He controls your income. There is no such thing as fixed income in the Kingdom of God. Your increase is controlled by your giving, whether it's here or in the new coming Kingdom, or both, there are rewards when we walk in obedience to God's authority.

Regardless of Where You are Now

A widow in the Old Testament gave her last meal to Elijah as she and her son prepared to die of starvation. This was a time of great depression. She was a single parent, and Elijah had asked for her last slice of bread. She gave it to him. As soon as she gave what was in her hand, God supernaturally caused her cruse of oil to fill and her barrel of wheat to fill. At that point she had more than she could use. She had supernatural abundance, and that is what God wants for you. How do you get it? When you let go of what is in your hands towards God, then God will let go of what is in His hands towards you. The decision to live in poverty or prosperity is yours. Your future financial condition will be determined by your obedience. God is not limited to what you have. He is limited by what you give… give and you get, and thus the saying goes is actually Biblical. 2 Corinthians 9:6—He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Reciprocity

God owns all the wealth in the world! Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over." The fact is that givers gain, but you have to make the choice to be a giver also, to be kind and merciful as He is to us. If you are not receiving it, it may be because you are not giving it, and remember we are not only talking about money alone but with all the others gifts He has given to us. What is the "it" in the above passage? Does "it" mean only planting money and receiving prosperity? No, If you plant kindness you will receive kindness, if you sow discord you will receive discord, If you plant an apple seed, you will get apples. If you lend a helping hand you will receive a helping hand.

For with the same measure that you use in giving it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38). Read the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastics. You will see plenty and you may learn plenty of wise sayings from the Master Himself. Psalm 37:25 - I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging for bread.

The Bible says that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. When you give to the Lord, expecting to gain. You must be careful of what you plant. You will reap what you sow. If you sow wild oats, you will reap them. Whatever action you take, will determine what you will reap.

In Closing

Everyone agrees that prosperity is better that poverty. What most people don't realize is that it is your choice. You determine the size of your harvest when the offering pan comes by. Plant your seed according to your need. Attack your lack with seed time and harvest. Your prosperity gives God pleasure.

Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (Psalm 35:7). The Bible also says that God wishes above all things that you prosper and be in good health. God rejoices when His children prosper.

Acts 10:35 - "But in every nation whoever (is in reverence) fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him, and who is accepted by God gets what He promises. Your financial prosperity tomorrow will be determined by your obedience today. It is your choice! When we stay diligent, stay true in our walk in obedience to God, then and only then are we walking in His will that produces righteousness and prosperity.

Deuteronomy 30:19 - …I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life." Blessing is a result of choice, which one are you going to choose?

Would you like see God face to face? If you allow God to make your heart pure by the washing of the Word and the cleansing of the crimson stream from Calvary, you will see the living God face to face. God guarantees it! Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Today, choose to "observe to do" what God has commanded. Invite Him to search your heart and mind and remove anything that is displeasing to Him. Put Him first because when you make Him your number one priority, you are setting yourself up to prosper wherever you go.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We in the Western world are being told that money, superior intellect and education will produce happiness. Money and intellectual development certainly have their advantages. But they are not the answer to everything, and certainly will not produce happiness. Canada, America and England are three of the most highly educated societies on the face of the earth, yet we're rotting at the core with AIDS, drugs/alcohol, sexual perversity, hatred, oppression, corruption and greed. We pride ourselves on our social progress. But isn't it time to admit that, while we may be in the space-age technologically, we're still in the stone age spiritually?

When we tell a lie, our hearts hurt. When we commit adultery or fornication, our hearts hurt. When we slander another with a barbed tongue, our hearts hurt. When our actions are dishonest, our hearts hurt. When our hearts are dark and are at war with God, there is tension, frustration, anger, confusion, bitterness, loneliness, fear and guilt. When we've injured our hearts with such massive and prolonged abuse, the only solution is a heart transplant. Talented surgeons can give us a new physical heart. But the Great Physician can give us a new spiritual heart, without pain and without cost. Remember the words God spoke through Ezekiel: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

As Jesus proclaimed His principles of happiness (the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5), He was looking eye-to-eye with the Pharisees, who pretended to be pure. They were proud of their religiosity. They kept the letter of the law but their hearts were cold, hard and hateful. They worked from the outside in, while Jesus was telling them (and us) to work from the inside out. The Bible says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). We can pretend to be pure outwardly, but God is recording our inward thoughts, examining our motives, and cataloguing the places we go and the things we say and do. He observes the literature we read, the movies we watch, and the ideas we entertain. If we have become cosmetic Christians whose faults and defects are hidden by the wax of phony religiosity, we will be exposed as frauds. We can't pretend to be pure and get away with it. 1 Timothy 4:12 - Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Most people don't seem to understand what the true sense of the words "pure of heart" mean. We must understand what they mean in two senses. The first meaning is to be without hypocrisy, or to be sincere. The word "sincere" comes from two Latin words. "Sin" means "without" and "cere" means "wax." The one thing that can make a statue worthless is a crack in the stone. In an effort to deceive a prospective buyer, a dishonest seller would mix rock dust with wax and rub the mixture into a crack on a statue. In dim inside light, the wax made the statue appear flawless. But outside, the sun's heat would melt the wax and expose the fraud. Thus for a statue to be "without wax" meant that it was authentic, genuine, just as it appeared to be.

To have a pure heart doesn't mean that we are perfect, but that we walk in obedience and live a righteous life. A pure heart won't get us out of conflict and controversy though. It may well be the very thing that gets us into it. From time to time God, the master sculptor, places us in the heat of trial and adversity, where our contents can be tested. A pure heart is to be cleansed and undefiled. Only the pure will be permitted to enter heaven. Nothing unclean is going to enter heaven and God is the one who determines what it means to be clean. But aren't we Christians already pure (washed) by the blood of Jesus which was shed upon the cross? Yes, but we must choose to remain pure. The Bible says, "Everyone who has this hope in him [to be made like Jesus, to spend eternity with Him in heaven, purifies himself, just as He [Jesus] is pure" (1 John 3:3).

We then should take the next step. It's not God's job to chase us down. It's up to us to call upon Him, to chase and seek Him with gusto & everything we've got... mind, soul and spirit. Not to stroll but to gallop with reverence. In another place it says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you (James 4:8; Hebrews 10:22) - "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom". Can you see the connection here between mourning over wrong-doing as opposed to rejoicing out of a pure of heart?

The hallmark of purity is the holiness of God. Because of the holiness of God, sin isn't just wrong... it's stupid! The holiness of God guarantees that every man living below the standard of purity will be caught and sentenced. The Bible says, "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). That's not a suggestion... that's an order. God refuses to accept anything less. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Jesus said, "Happy are the pure in heart, for they are the only ones who qualify to see God. Matthew 5:8 - "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

"Prove Me now says the Lord of Hosts. If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out on you blessings that there will not be room enough to receive." (Malachi 3:10)"Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers" (3 John 1:2, KJV). In the New Testament, John prayed that we would prosper and be in health "as our souls prosper." One translation says "as you are strong in spirit."

Jesus said, "Man loves darkness rather than light because his deeds are evil." Our nation and much of the church gropes in darkness, stumbling in a pit of defeat, despair, depression and destruction. God is anxious to lead us in His light to reveal His ways in order to bless us and prosper all.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways said the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). When you plant your seed in the Kingdom of God , help clothe and feed the poor and needy, the Lord will multiply it far better than if you planted it anywhere else.

You and I were Gentiles, and He adopted us and made us a children of the One and only true ever living, and everlasting King. We now have the royal blood of heaven flowing in our veins and are saved (That's if you are born again), sealed, and sanctified. The Bible says, "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (John 14:6).

God wants us to live a good and lavish life while we are here on this earth; as long as we are good steward of all His blessings we can see and feel the goodness of the Lord's increase, and not just in one area.

God wants you to invest in yourself! "Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven." The day is going to come when all you will have is what you gave given to God. There are two words that Christians tend to confuse: self-interest (which is good) and selfishness (which is a spiritual cancer). It is in our self-interest to be saved. The options are heaven and hell. The Bible says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" and "The joy of the Lord is my strength." It is in your self-interest to invest in the Kingdom of God because God controls the economy on both sides of the Jordan River, He owns everything - ‎"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." (Ps 24:1). Deuteronomy 8:18 - "But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth."

The mind is best defined as the seat of human emotion, and the heart best defined as the seat of the intellect and will. The LORD of hosts who judges righteously, does test the mind and the heart.

Diligence is also a choice. Proverbs 13:4 says," The soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." What does this mean? Go to work! The only place you find success before work is in the dictionary. God provides worms for birds, but He doesn't shove them down their throats. Jesus said "these are the works you do, "believe." When we believe we act.