INTRODUCTION

For today’s Easter message, I want to share with you something that I believe is vitally important to understand about the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, this is probably not something that will be preached in most churches today. But today, I want to proclaim to you not just about the one Resurrection, but about three resurrections. Yes, I want to talk to you today about three different resurrections that have been made available to every person through His one Resurrection.

Now, first of all, let me say that today is ALL about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Yes, His victory over death, hell, and the grave is what has provided us with this abundance of grace. So we praise God for this one, glorious Resurrection that makes the gospel I am going to share with you today possible! Amen? However, the fact is that Jesus’ Resurrection has made available several things – namely, three opportunities for us to be raised up to a new life.   

Now when I refer to these three resurrections that have come from His Resurrection, what I am referring to is the raising up of all three parts of us – our spirit, our soul, and our body.  

You know, you are not just a one part being. You are not just what you look at in the mirror every day – just a physical being. Nor are you just a two-part being like so many consider us – body and soul. No, the Bible teaches us that we are a three-part being – spirit, soul, and body (First Thessalonians 5:23). So, there are three parts to every person. Therefore, there are three parts to us that are in desperate need of life. 

You see, in the beginning, God created everything with life in it, including man. But when Adam bit into the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil, the Bible says, death reigned. The Lord God had warned him that on the day he would eat of that tree that he would “surely die.” But the original language there indicated that “in dying, you shall die.” In other words, with the sin of transgressing God’s command would come two deaths. Yes, the eventual physical death, but also the immediate spiritual death. Therefore, this sin in the garden resulted in death – both of the spirit & the body of man. 

So what does this mean? It means that mankind is in need of life again in both our spirits and our bodies. Yes, we need these two resurrections in order to have life! 

But I’m here today to tell you that all of us have another part of us that also needs to experience resurrection life, and that is our souls. You see, our soul is the part of us that connects us to the present things of this world. Yes, it is the part of man that ties together the physical and the spiritual. So if that “valve” is broken, there will be leaks. And if it’s severely disconnected, there will not be much of a flow of life at all. Therefore, we desperately need resurrection life in that part of our being as well. 

So there is both the opportunity and the need for resurrection and life in all three aspects of our entire person. So let’s look at the story in the New Testament where we learn that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life for our whole man …   

I AM THE RESURRECTION 

This is found in the Gospel of John in the familiar story of the resurrection of Lazarus. 

In John 11:18-24, we read – “Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ 
You know, so many Christians are notorious for doing the same thing that Martha did here – over-spiritualizing God’s promises. What do I mean by that? I mean that they will take a promise that God gives in His Word like say healing and then say that it is referring to our “spiritual healing.” Yes, they will take the verses that say that by His stripes we are healed and how Jesus also bore our sicknesses and carried our pains as referring to how the healing we receive is from our spiritual sickness and infirmity. But, no, that is not true. In fact, you are really not healed spiritually; you are raised to a new life and made a new creation spiritually. So, no, you are not just made a better you when you come to the Lord; you are made a new creation and the old things have passed away and all things have become new in you. Glory!   
You will also hear Christians who will always point towards how we will ultimately be “healed” when we transition from this life to the next. This is usually a point that is made at funerals. And while I certainly believe that nothing can be compared to the wholeness and fullness we will experience in the next life, this does not mean that we should write off the promises God gives us in His Word for wholeness and fullness in this life either! 
Saints, God has promised us physical healing in this life now! Let us not try to spiritualize all of His promises. For the Lord wants us to know that just as He was in the Old Covenant, the God who heals us, He still says to us today – “I AM the God who heals you!” 
Well, notice how Jesus responded to Martha in verses 25 & 26 – “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” 
Notice that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” … He didn’t say I WAS or I WILL BE; He said, “I AM …” So what Jesus was declaring to Martha was you don’t have to wait for the resurrection of the dead in the ages to come because you have the Resurrection with you right now! Amen! 
This is such a profound statement made by Jesus because not only is He declaring what He can do, but He is declaring who He is. And who He is, is who He AM! In other words, by using these two most powerful words “I AM”, He is identifying Himself as more than just a man. 
Do you remember when Jesus said in John 8:58 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM”? This, of course, infuriated the Jews, because He made Himself out to be the One who spoke from the burning bush on Mt. Sinai. 

Even in the Garden, when they came to arrest Jesus, He approached them and said, “Whom are you seeking?” They responded, “Jesus of Nazareth.” And the Lord said, “I AM!” Now I know many of our translations say that He responded “I am He” but the personal pronoun “he” is in italics. So literally, Jesus just responded with “I AM” – making that same proclamation that was made to Moses on Mt. Sinai. And do you know what happened? The same thing that happened when the Great I Am appeared to Moses – He hit the deck! When Jesus spoke these powerful words- “I AM!”—the soldiers and such fell back and hit the deck as well! Glory! (See John 18:4-6)

But just as it has been so eloquently put that the Old Testament is Christ concealed and the New Testament is Christ revealed, God revealed Himself as the I Am that I Am in the Old Testament, but Jesus came to fill in the blank in the New Testament. In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus revealed Himself as the I AM seven different times …

1. I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

 

1. I Am the Light of the World (John 8:12)

 

1. I Am the Door (John 10:9)

 

1. I Am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

 

1. I Am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

 

1. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

 

1. I Am the True Vine (John 15:1)

So Jesus reveals Himself to be more than a man! He reveals Himself as Divine, as greater than any prophet or good person as the Word clearly states that He is before all things and the creator of all things. Yes, all things were made through Him and for Him. Jesus was, is, and forevermore shall be the Great I AM!

And notice Martha’s response to His question in verse 27 of if she believed this – “She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’”

This response sounds extremely familiar, doesn’t it? It reminds me of the disciples’ response to Jesus’ question: Who do men say that I AM? They responded – “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-16) 

You know, man has always been confused regarding this question. When asked who Jesus is, some say that Jesus was a prophet and others say He was a good man. But the truth is that He was not just a prophet nor was He just a good man. Jesus was, is, and evermore shall be the Great I AM! 

You see, Jesus could not just be a prophet or a good man. He either is who He says He is, He is a liar, or He is a lunatic. Jesus said He is the only way to the Father. He said He is the way, the truth and the life. He said that we cannot have eternal life apart from Him. These are not the words of just a good person. Again, Jesus is either who He says He is, or He is a madman or a liar. There is no compromise.

No, He is who He says He is and, as the Scriptures expressly say to us, He was God manifest in the flesh. Therefore, Jesus is divine and is the great I Am! 

WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME

You can hold your place here in John chapter 11, but let’s quickly turn over to Revelation 1:8. In this verse, Jesus declares – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord …”

Now the word “Alpha” is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and “Omega” is the last letter of the same. Thus, Jesus is referring to Himself as the First and the Last. But this means so much more than just simply being the beginning and the ending of an alphabet. This is an ancient Greek formula that was used to convey eternity and timelessness. Therefore, this reference to Him being the Alpha and the Omega is a reference to Jesus’ being eternal.  

So what our Lord & Christ was declaring here is that He is the beginning of all things, and He is the conclusion of all things. He is eternal and everlasting – which means that He embraces and fills everything in between. And because He is timeless and envelopes all parts of our existence, He is a part of our past, present, and future. 

Thus the reason for Jesus’ next statement in Revelations 1:8 – “… who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” This again ascribes to Jesus the position of the Everlasting I AM as the prophet Isaiah describes the triune God in several places … 

In Isaiah 41:4, the Lord says through the prophet, “I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last I am He.” In Isaiah 44:6 he says, “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” In Isaiah 48:12 he says, “I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.” These are clear indications of the eternal nature of the Godhead represented within Jesus Christ.

But I want to draw your attention back to the point we made earlier – where Jesus said of Himself, “I am the Resurrection and the life.” 

So if He “Am” the Resurrection and He is also He “who is and who was and who is to come,” then He must also be the Resurrection that is, the Resurrection, that was, and the Resurrection that is to come. Amen? And this is what I want to talk to you about today on this Resurrection Sunday. I want to talk to you today about the three resurrections – the resurrection that was, the resurrection that is, and the resurrection that is to come.  

So let’s begin with the resurrection that was … 

THE RESURRECTION THAT WAS

The resurrection that was is the resurrection that most of us have already experienced – the new birth. This, of course, is a reference to our salvation experience when we came to the Lord. 

Sadly, most Christians are not aware of what transpired on the day that they were saved. Many do not see themselves as any different. But the truth is, something very significant took place in your spirit when you called on the name of the Lord.

The Bible calls it being born again. Now what it means to be born again is where the ignorance lays. This is where new life was given to the eternal part of us. In other words, it is where the Lord raised our spirit from the dead.


In fact, what we symbolically do through water baptism is a perfect representation of what happens at the new birth – for baptism is simply the outward expression of what took place inside of us when we called on the name of the Lord. Yes, our old man is buried with baptism into death and the new man is raised up (i.e. resurrected) to new life (See Romans 6:4-5)! 

Therefore, “the resurrection that was” is when our spirit was resurrected from the dead by the glory of the Father. This is to be the first resurrection that takes place in our lives – being born again, raised to a new life in Him. 

But what is also important to understand is that Jesus’ resurrection was pertinent to our salvation. Without it, we could not even have the opportunity to be born again, and without believing in it, we likewise cannot be born again.

We see this in First Peter 1:3 when the Apostle Peter said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 

The phrase “begotten us again” is referring to the new birth. So how does Peter say that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ “begot us again”? It was through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 
This is such an important part of our faith. As a matter of fact, Jesus’ resurrection is the most important event of our faith. Yes, even more than His birth (Christmas) and the Cross (Good Friday). Now, of course, these other two events were absolutely necessary for what God desired to accomplish for us, but if Jesus would have just been born and then just went to the Cross, our faith would be futile. There had to be a resurrection!
You see, without the resurrection of Christ, there would be no hope for us. First Corinthians 15:17 says that if Christ was not raised from the dead, we would still be in our sins. Even if Jesus went to the Cross, took all of our sins upon Himself, and suffered for us, we still could not ever have been born again until He was raised from the dead! The resurrection of Christ is what sealed the deal for our spirits to be raised from the dead. Amen!  
Far too many Christians stay at the Cross – meaning, they embrace what Jesus did for them through His passion, but they never leave the Cross and experience the power of His resurrection! We should identify with His resurrection!
But my point is that the Resurrection that was, is the giving of new life to our spirit man – that is, it is the resurrection of our inward man.  
THE RESURRECTION THAT IS TO COME
But there is also a resurrection which is to come: This, of course, is referring to the resurrection of our outward man on that great and glorious Day when Jesus splits those eastern skies and comes to claim His promised kingdom! 
The apostle Paul teaches us this in First Thessalonians 4:14-18 where he says, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

The apostle John gives us more wonderful insight of what will happen to those who are alive and remain at that time. In First John 3:2, he says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

What he was saying here was that right now, when just our spirit is raised from the dead, we are children of God, but it has not been revealed what we shall be when Jesus returns! But one thing we know from passages of Scripture like this one is that we shall be like Him. What is that referring to? It’s what Romans chapter 6 was talking about when it referred being in the “likeness of His resurrection.” Hallelujah! What an awesome promise! 

And so what we have the hope of is that one day – soon and very soon – we are going to have our physical bodies quickened. Yes, we are going to be raised up physically – those who sleep in Christ Jesus, will have their physical bodies resurrected, and those who are alive and remain, will also receive their glorified bodies. Both alike will receive the same resurrection that Jesus received, and we shall be like Him!

You see, I fear that we get so enthralled with what has already taken place in us through the new birth that we forget how much more glorious it will be when our body catches up to our spirit and we become like Jesus, in His resurrection! Oh, hallelujah! 

THE RESURRECTION THAT IS

But here is the main point that I feel the Holy Spirit wants us to take away from today – that Jesus is not just the resurrection that was and the resurrection that is to come; Jesus is also the resurrection that is! He is the Resurrection that AM! In other words, there is a resurrected life that is available and to be had by us today! 
Didn’t Hebrews 11:6 say that without faith it is impossible to please God “for he who comes to Him must believe that HE IS and that HE IS a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”? 
The writer of Hebrews did not say that God wants us to believe that He was or that He is to come… No, he said that we must believe that HE IS – that is, that He is who He says He is and that He’ll do what He said He will do. But even more than that, He is who He says He is and He’ll do what He said He will do NOW! In other words, He IS, right now, today all that He has said that He is! Glory! 
Well, God actually expects us to believe He is in the NOW and wants to reward, bless, heal, prosper, deliver, & honor us TODAY! God is waiting for His Church to get off their hands and start getting their hands on people to bring His kingdom to earth now.
And as I mentioned earlier, Jesus is not just the Great I was or the Great I am to come; He is the Great I AM! This means that He is in the NOW! His resurrection power can work in our lives now, today, in this very hour! It’s a resurrection power that is readily available to us TODAY!
We see this in Romans 8:9-11 when the apostle Paul tells us that the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies. This is in the now – not when Jesus returns. The Holy Spirit is alive and in our midst right now, and He wants to give life to our bodies today. Glory!   
Behold, today is the day of salvation (See Second Corinthians 6:2)! Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Today! The Lord wants you to experience eternal life today! He wants you to experience life and life more abundantly today. You don’t have to wait. You can be saved today. You can be healed today. You can be delivered today. Today is your day to experience the resurrection. 
FREEDOM TODAY!
This is exactly what we see in the story of Lazarus that we began looking at … 
John 11:38-44 continues saying, Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’”
To me, this is such a powerful example of the Lord’s will to see all of His people set free in every area of their lives today – not just spiritually and physically, but also in every part of our soul as well.  

You see, the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead is a type of our resurrection from the dead spiritually – how we became alive in our spirit when we received the Lord into our hearts. Well, notice how even after His resurrection that “he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.” 

You know, just because we have been raised from death to life through the new birth does not mean that we experience that same resurrection in our everyday lives. Many of us carry the residue of that old man into our new life. Many still have their hands bound, where they cannot do the things they want to do. Many still have their feet bound, where they cannot go where they want to go. Many still have their face wrapped up where their spiritual vision, sense, sight, and hearing are all impaired. In short, the vast majority of legitimately born-again believers are still wearing various “graveclothes” (unnecessarily, I might add). 

Well, the Lord’s next words in this account are extremely significant then … He said, “Loose him and let him go.” Glory to Christ! 

Friends, the Lord’s will is for all of His children to be loosed from our infirmities – whether that be weaknesses in our flesh, our body, or our soul. His will is for us to enjoy the liberation that Christ our Lord has purchased for us! Jesus tells us to let go of anything that keeps us from living for Him in power.  And he tells us to go and, in God's power, lose others from their bondage. Amen!   

Beloved, there is freedom found in this new life! No more bondage! No more identifying with our past! No more living under the law of sin and death! We are free – free to walk in His perfect liberty! 

Saints, we need to experience all three of these resurrections! Yes, it all starts with the resurrection that was – that is, being born again and saved – to where our spirit man is raised to a new life. And, yes, it will all be consummated with our physical bodies being raised up in the end. But it also includes every other area of our life that is in the present. He wants your entire soul to experience His resurrection life! Amen!

REVIEW

So today, I believe we will be concluding our series entitled “Financially Faithful” where we have been learning how we can be more faithful to the Lord in the financial part of our life. And church, we have been seeing some pretty cool testimonies come out of this from people “finding money” in their pockets and in the washer machine / dryer, people having those who owed them money paying them back out of the blue, people reaping exactly what they sowed, and even a random “estates & inheritances” testimony where someone was randomly included in someone’s will! Praise the Lord!  

So what we started out talking about were some very important mentalities to have in order to be better stewards of His resources: One of those was that God is actually pleased to see His people prosper. Yes, He actually desires for you and I to flourish financially like we desire for our own kids to be successful in this area. Another mentality we looked at was the belief that God wants His people poor. No, we learned that us having money is not a violation of God’s will for our lives. It’s simply covetousness and greed that the Lord is against. We also learned how we need to possess that blessed mentality that whatever we set our hands to prospers and wherever our feet tread, the Lord will give it to us. Understanding this and that we are redeemed from the curse of poverty is key to possessing our promised land. And finally, we looked at the fact that God calls us stewards, so an important mindset is that everything I possess is His and I am simple handling God’s money. 

Then over the past several weeks, we have been looking at the main way we can be most faithful in this area – in our giving. We studied the tithe in detail. We learned about how remembering the poor is also to be a priority. And then last week, we looked at the concept of offerings, which in and of itself was an eye-opener. 

And church when it comes to this subject of giving, I think our greatest takeaway ought to be a couple of things: 

1. That when we give – whether it be the tithe, alms, or offerings – that we are giving to HIM and not just to a physical person, place, or thing. Yes, my mentality when giving the tithe is that I am returning that 10% to the Lord even though I am giving to, say, a church. Also, the Lord taught us that when we give to the poor, we are lending to the Lord – and the Lord takes personally the way we treat those in less fortunate situations. Therefore, even when I take care of a specific need, the Lord is the One I need to see myself giving to. Likewise, when we give offerings, we ought to have the frame of mind that we are giving to the Lord that gift, which will certainly change both what we give and how we give it. Which leads me to the next takeaway … 
2. When I give, I need to give in love, by faith, and through honor. Yes, everything from the tithe to offerings need to be given with the mentality that I am wanting to show the Lord my affection and how much I value Him and the things He’s done for me. Therefore, I am honoring the Lord with the things I give to others, even though I am giving them to His people and works. Like I said already, this will probably change the gifts I give and how I give them.  

Church, just simply adjusting some of these mentalities will drastically change the way we both give and receive in our lives.

In fact, I remember hearing the former CEO of Andrew Wommack Ministries, Paul Milligan, once say that the number one reason God’s people don't prosper is because of the way we think. In other words, being successful in this area really has a lot to do with how one thinks about money. And I have found that to be true. In my years in banking, I learned that there was a big difference between the people who had money and those who didn’t. 

Those who didn’t have much, spent their money frivolously and didn’t balk at overdrawing their bank account or borrowing money. However, those who obviously had a lot of money would not eat bank fees or settle for lower interest rates. Really the “rich” would treat their finances the way the poor should have been, even when they didn’t need to. What’s the lesson, you ask? The lesson is that there is a certain way that people who have money think about money, and that’s one of the reasons why they have it. 

So in this last week that we are looking at being more financially faithful, I would like us to look at some of these natural ways that we ought to view money. Yes, today let’s move into how to steward the money that we do not give: Notice how I worded that— “… the money that we do not give.” The reason I say it that way is because, as we learned last week, giving is to be our primary focus. We saw how it is why we work a job. In fact, it is why we live and move and have our being. We are, first and foremost, called to be givers of God’s money. 

But you see, if all there was to prosperity is giving, then many of us in here would be millionaires by now. The fact is, we live in this world too and there are rules to prospering in this world as well. So there is certainly a good portion of finances that the Lord leaves us to handle – to pay for our own personal needs and desires. Amen? 

But, again, I want to remind you that we are simply stewards of the Lord’s money. So even this money that we are not giving and that we are free to use for our own personal needs and desires is still His.



WISDOM FOR FINANCES
So let me share with you some wisdom that I’ve gathered in this area. And I will say that this virtue called “wisdom” is the very virtue we should seek when it comes to this area of our finances. 
You see, possessing this one virtue is what led to one of the riches men the world has seen. Of course, I’m talking about King Solomon.
We all know the story, right? The young king had the Lord appear to Him at night, asking him what He shall give him. And Solomon had the prudence to ask for wisdom and knowledge to rule over God’s people. 
But one thing that I think most believers miss is what led the Lord to ask him this. In Second Chronicles 2:7, we are told “on that night, the Lord appeared to him …” telling him to ask what He could do for him. Well, it’s important to understand what happened on that day. At the end of verse 6, we see that Solomon offered to the Lord one thousand burnt offerings! Can you imagine that? That’s a super significant offering! Well, it was that huge offering that obviously instigated this, right – showing us again that truth that our gift does indeed make room for us (Proverbs 18:16). Amen?  
But my point is that when God appeared to him, giving Solomon the option for whatever he wanted, Solomon requested the wisdom he needed. Which was essentially Solomon seeking first the kingdom of God, right? And what does Matthew 6:33 teach us happens when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Jesus said that all these other things will be added to us.
And guess what? This is exactly what happened to Solomon when he practiced this principle: God then said that because he didn’t ask for riches, the life of his enemies, etc. that with this wisdom towards God’s kingdom would come the riches, honor, and wealth. 
You see, I think that we can become so focused on the fruit of flourishing in our finances and not always understand the real root of it, which is wisdom. And this is so important in the arena of finances …
The Bible teaches us that with wisdom comes riches, wealth and honor. One proverb says that wisdom brings in her left-hand riches and honor and length of days in her right. (Proverbs 3:13-18 & 8:12-18) So this is what Solomon discovered—that if you find wisdom, you will also find riches and wealth. 

So I think the real key to being financially faithful to the Lord is possessing this virtue of wisdom. Yes, if we just apprehend it, we can get a better handle on our finances. 
WHAT IS WISDOM?
You see, in studying the wisdom of God, you will find that it is the principle thing (Proverbs 4:7) - that is, it’s the “first fruit” in regard to importance and significance in the kingdom of God (literal Hebrew definition of “principle”). In other words, there is no other virtue that we can possess that comes before the wisdom that comes from above. 
So if wisdom is the principle thing and is this important to kingdom living, what is it? Simply put, wisdom is being skillful or an expert at something. For instance, if someone is skillful and an expert in auto mechanics, then you could say that they have wisdom in the arena of fixing cars. I have also heard wisdom defined as “the correct application of knowledge.” So in regard to auto mechanics, if someone has the ability to correctly apply the knowledge of fixing cars, then they would not only know what an engine is, but they would also know how it operates. 
This is an example of wisdom from a natural standpoint, but the wisdom we are talking about is godly wisdom and not natural, carnal wisdom… Godly wisdom can be defined as “the principles of right living.” It is having the ability to correctly apply what we know about God’s kingdom into everyday life’s situations – thus producing a righteous lifestyle that is according to God’s standards. So you could say that godly wisdom is being skilled in the arena of kingdom living.
So let’s take a look at what wise Solomon taught us about this area of our lives … 
ACKNOWLEDGING THE LORD IN ALL YOUR WAYS
The first point of wisdom that I would like to get across to you is – if all of this is His, then don’t you think we should treat it as such? For example, if say you give 15% of what you earn one month and that leaves you with 85% to spend on yourself, then do you think it is wise to just disassociate God from what you decide to do with that remaining 85%?  

You see, the answer to a thousand and one questions is simply “be led.” In other words, the answer to every question that arises like “what should I do with this?” or “what do I do here?” is – be led by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. 
But I would venture to say that very few of us that even tithe and give offerings, actually ask the Lord what we should do with the rest of our income. And the God’s honest truth is – the reason why we do not ask Him things like “Lord, should I buy this TV?” or “Father, do I switch to this company for my telephone service?” is because we still view it as our money to do with it what we please. But even if we viewed it as ours, wisdom would still ask the One who knows all things what we should do with it, right? 
You see, most Christians lean to their own understanding and intellect on every decision they make. This is why we get that important nugget of wisdom from one of the wealthiest men who ever lived on this planet taught us – King Solomon …
He said in Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Notice the first phrase in these verses- “Trust in the Lord.” The God’s honest truth is – we truly are trusting in the Lord when we follow His principles and are obedient to Him. This would be like us trusting in all those passages of Scripture that teach us about seeking first the kingdom of God financially. If we trust Him, we will be radical givers. 
Then notice that Solomon says, “with all your heart.” He did not say, “with all your head.” In other words, we are talking about not being “head-led”; we are talking about being “Spirit led” from a New Testament perspective.  
The next phrase is very interesting. It says, “and lean not to your own understanding.” The word “lean” denotes putting all your weight on something or relying on something else for support. You see, God gave us a brain to use but here, He is simply telling us not to put our total confidence in our own understanding. We are to use our head, but we are to put our ultimate trust in His understanding and not our own. 
When he says, “In all your ways” this denotes not in just what we consider the important “ways” but in all our ways. Regarding financial stewardship, this would mean including the Lord in every financial decision we make. 
By using the terminology “Acknowledge Him” we can see that the Holy Spirit desires to be acknowledged in every decision we make and every direction we take. The word “acknowledge” here was used in Genesis when Adam “knew” his wife Eve. So this word describes a closeness and an intimacy. This is what the Spirit of God desires to have with us. 
And last but not least, we have the promise of when we trust in Him and acknowledge Him in all of our ways. It says, “And He shall direct your paths” – not He “might” direct your paths, but He “shall” direct our paths when we trust Him and acknowledge Him. The word “direct” means “to make smooth or straight.” You see, if we are led by the Spirit of God 100% of the time, we would never get food poisoning, we would never make a bad investment, we would never get ripped off, etc. When we learn how to develop that close relationship with the Holy Spirit and are aware of Him in all of our ways, He will make our paths smooth and straight as opposed to hard and difficult.
So, my point is that all of these other practical guidelines we are going to give you today are not something to legalistically observe. They are just general guidelines. What is important is that you inquire of the Lord with how you need to do it personally. And this both requires and promotes personal relationship with God and communion with the Holy Spirit—which is our primary purpose and calling. Amen!       
THE FIRST STEP TO GETTING A HANDLE ON OUR FINANCES
Now the first thing that I believe is important in regard to learning to “handle” our finances is really “getting a handle” on our finances. And the only way to really do that is to write everything down. 
You know, the Lord spoke through the Prophet Habakkuk and said, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2) While the Lord was referring to the specific words He was giving them, the principle holds true even in our finances:

1. We need to write down what we have coming in and what we have going out – doing a spreadsheet even to know exactly where all of our income is going to. 
2. We need to make it plain and simple. Do not overcomplicate it, but rather make it practical.
3. Then we need to read over it carefully, find out where any adjustments need to be made and then “run” with that info …

Now what do I mean by run? Like it is with any form of physical exercise, it’s going to take some discipline to start doing what you plainly see needs to be done. You see, I am not currently in shape to run. So, I am in walking shape right now. But you have to start walking before you start running. But my point is – once you get into that physical condition, it becomes easy and even addictive. 
Therefore, when it comes to getting a handle on your finances, the key is in, first, writing down what you have coming in versus what you have going out and then disciplining yourself to make the adjustments you can clearly see you need, in order to turn things around. Amen? 
For example, the Book of Proverbs gives us a couple of Scriptures that talk about the importance of this “diligence” …
In Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” This verse describes the primary difference between the boss and the employee. Then in Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” This proverb again differentiates between the lazy soul and the diligent soul- the lazy wants more but doesn’t get it. The diligent gets it instead. 
So what does it mean to be diligent? I once heard God’s definition of diligence. He said, “It is an energetic drive to achieve by action what it believes.” The Lord said He is a rewarder of diligence (Hebrews 11:6). 
So after you write it out, let’s look at a good, general guideline of how our finances should be structured. But, again, let me caution you to not become overly rigid concerning this guideline because, for example, a danger of knowing all of the specifics of how much you’re giving is an unwillingness to go above and beyond what you might normally give. So leave some “wiggle” room in there for the Spirit’s periodic promptings.
You basically have three categories when writing down your finances:

1. LIVING: General Expenses (i.e. the money you live off of)
2. SAVING: Savings & Investments 
3. GIVING: (including your tithe, offerings, alms and any other money that you bless others with)

GIVING
Now, let’s start with giving since it is the priority, even above our personal expenses… 
Regarding “giving,” this should be at the minimum of 10% to start off with. I know some of us give maybe 12%-15%, but we should all start with the tithe as our general guideline and then purpose in our heart to give above and beyond that- both consistently by partnering with various ministries and sporadically by giving to various needs that you come across. 
So, 10% is a good percentage to budget for the giving category. And while we are on that, let me address a question that comes up regarding this… 
A good question that people who are struggling in their finances ask is- “If we owe a bunch of creditors, do we still give our tithe to the Lord?” And the answer is a resounding YES! Again, you are not giving if you have something left over; you are giving first. That must be the mindset because this Matthew 6:33 principle of seeking first the kingdom of God is what will make the rest of your money go further. Amen? 
LIVING
Now let’s talk about that “general expenses” category- or, the money you live on…
A good rule of thumb is that you really want that figure to be at 70%. But this is just the goal. If you are one of the many who’s general expenses are at 90% to (God forbid) 110-120%, you need to do what you have to do to get that percentage that goes towards general expenses down to at a maximum of 80%. In my opinion, a good average is 75%.
You may do this by selling your vehicle you still make payments on and buying an older vehicle outright.  You may do this by getting rid of Internet, cable etc. You could also get rid of your smart phone with its plan. 
But it might also be the case that you cannot eliminate any of these expenses because you’ve cut out everything you possible can. In that case, you can think of a short-term extra source of income to get the income number up instead of bringing the expenses down. 
Just determine what your skills are and put them to good use. Now pride does not like to do this because we think- “I deserve better. I shouldn’t have to do more than those around me.” Well, the bottom line is- you have to do what you have to do. And if experiencing a positive trend in your finances is important to you, then do what you need to do to solve the problem. You’ve heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results? Well, that applies here as well. 
Humble yourself and get up a little earlier on Saturdays to start mowing some people’s grass to get some extra income. Just be creative, and research ways that you might be able to generate more income for yourself. 
You see, you just want to get that “general expense” number down as far as you can so you can- SAVE! 
SAVING
This is a really important one because savings is crucial for one to get out of the financial mess they are in because we must develop this reserve for multiple reasons:

1. As an emergency fund for those surprise expenses that come up from time to time. 
2. As a means of preparing for your future (i.e. retirement, investments etc.) 

Now a good question is: is saving scriptural? Well, the Bible teaches us that a good man lays up an inheritance for his children’s children (Proverbs 13:22), doesn’t it? So, saving is evidently what the righteous do. However, what we are warned against is “hoarding.” 
No, the Bible actually backs saving… Proverbs 21:20 says, "There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man squanders it." And Proverbs 22:3 emphasizes, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." 
For example, if we would save $1000 each year and let this money earn 6 percent interest, compounded annually, we would have $24,672.56 at the end of a 15-year period. If at the end of 15 years of saving faithfully, a son or daughter is ready for college or the family needs to move into a bigger house or wants to serve the Lord on a full-time basis, the couple can start to withdraw their savings. They can withdraw $2000 a year for 10 years and still have $15,322.17, or slightly more than they set aside. Isn't this making your money work for you? God has a reason for the principle of saving money.
Of course, you are not going to get 6% interest in a regular savings account. This is where investing comes into play. And while many of us do not know a lot about investing, a good scriptural principle to live by is found in the Book of Proverbs…
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Also, Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” 
You see, there will be times in our lives when we will be faced with difficult decisions. These decisions will be hard because there will be a lot of risk involved. Say, for instance, when the opportunity presents itself for us to change jobs, move a considerable distance, or get married to someone. These are big decisions that we do not want to miss God on. 
So how do we make sure we are not missing it when making big decisions like this? 
Let’s look over at Deuteronomy 19:15… It says, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits: by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” As Matthew 18:16 & 2 Corinthians 13:1 both put it- “…every word shall be established.” 
Now I understand that Moses was referring to a specific situation when he originated this often-used verse, but as evidenced by Jesus’ and Paul’s use of this saying, it has a myriad of meanings. And I believe that one particular meaning is that it is also referring to “every word from God.” So I would quote this verse as saying, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word from God shall be established.” In other words, we have a way to establish (i.e. make firm and solidify) everything that God speaks to us. And what way is this? In the mouth of two or three witnesses! 
You see, not only do we have the inward witness, but we also have multiple witnesses that God will use to verify and establish the direction that He wants us to go! We have the inward witnesses of peace, our desires, what seems good to us, and what we know in our hearts, but there are other witnesses that God has given us so that we can make sure that we are not being led astray by what we think is God. 
So how do we avoid making these same bad choices that others originally thought were from God? It is through obtaining multiple witnesses. It is through not making any rash decisions when we think we have heard from God- especially on the risky decisions. 
So what are the different witnesses that we have available to us to protect us from making these big mistakes? I have divided them into three categories:

1. GOD  
2. YOURSELF
3. OTHER PEOPLE

Of course, I put God number one on my list of witnesses because He is by far the most important part of our decision-making process. The “God witness” would include His Word (i.e. the Bible), a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, or any other God-inspired experience. 
If what we believe God is leading us to do contradicts what the Bible clearly condemns, then we can throw that idea out the window. For example, if someone believed God told them that they were supposed to be with someone else’s husband and they were committing adultery with that man, then it is rather obvious that they did not hear from God because the Bible clearly is against adultery. So the Word of God is a witness that keeps us from making major mistakes.
Other “God witnesses” we have would be if we were to hear God’s audible voice telling us what we need to do or, more subtly, the Holy Spirit speaking clearly on the inside of us giving us direction. But did you know that just having this one witness- the God witness- is not enough when making major, life-altering decisions? Why? It is because the enemy can certainly twist and mimic these so-called God-experiences.
Now let’s look at what I call the second witness- Yourself… 
There is an inward witness that we have within ourselves that is manifested in many different ways. And this witness that we have in ourselves is another witness that we have to help us be established in the direction we receive from God. 
You see, if we face these bigger decisions that we believe the Lord has put before us (i.e. things that have a lot of risk involved if we miss God), we would be wise to have not just the God witness, but also to have the witness within ourselves. Why? Because, as I just made the point of, we might receive some kind of supernatural experience that seems like God but if it does not bear witness with our spirit then we need to be cautious. In other words, we can receive a word from God, but we also need to have that witness within ourselves in order to confirm what we experienced. God set it up this way! He put that new spirit within us to confirm whether the things that we hear or experience are God inspired or not. This is the second witness!
But, on the other hand, if we feel like the Lord is leading us in a certain direction through this second witness and this is a risky decision, we can and should seek another witness such as the first witness we discussed- God. We can do this by asking the Lord to confirm what we are feeling in our heart to do and He might just give us a Scripture or two to confirm this. He might have the Holy Spirit speak gently to our heart what He wants us to do. Whichever way He decides to honor your wise request, it will give you more of a solid foundation to stand on as you step out in faith.  
But not only will God confirm these inward witnesses through the God witness but He might send the third and final witness to you- Other people. Let me explain…
If you have a desire to do something that you feel might be from God or if you just know in your heart that you are supposed to do something, and then you ask the Lord to confirm whether this is his plan for you or not, He might not use that first witness. He might will to use other people as that confirmation. 
He might move upon someone to come to you and say something like, “Yay, Thus saith the Lord, you are supposed to do this or that!” or He might do it more subtly by sending someone across your path to just make a passing comment that you know to be a confirmation of what you already know in your heart. Either way, God will oftentimes use people whether they know they are being used (i.e. a prophecy) or whether they do not know they are being used (i.e. just a suggestion or comment). 
But there are other ways to receive this third and final witness such as seeking godly counsel… 
For instance, if we receive either or both of the first two witnesses, we can go to someone who we believe hears from God, someone we respect, and someone we know will be honest and forthright with us. This is an important part of the third witness that God oftentimes uses to correct us when we are getting off of His path for us. Therefore, we would do good to not only listen to the godly counsel that we are offered, but also to seek out this counsel when faced with a big decision. 
So we have three witnesses that we can use to let every word be established… We have the “God Witness.” We have the “Inward Witness.” And we have the “Other People Witness.” All three can and should be used when making these big and risky decisions.
There is a word used in wise financial investing called “diversification.” This word means “to spread your money around.” In regard to investing the experts say that we should spread our investments around and not put all of our eggs in one basket, because in doing so, we eliminate the risk of a financial disaster. 
This is just an illustration of what I am talking to you about this week… It is a wise thing to not just invest all of your trust in just one witness because we are always capable of missing it. It would be wise on these bigger decisions to “diversify” and seek two or three witnesses. For in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word will be established.
WISE AS SERPENTS
Now regarding this wisdom, let’s go over to a New Testament passage of Scripture and look at a statement our Lord told His disciples: In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said to His disciples— “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” 

Herein lies a great principle for the proper stewardship of our finances: We certainly want to be “harmless” in our dealings—meaning, we are not to get over into hurting others simply because things benefit us. We are not to be that overaggressive businessman who runs over others to get to the place he wants to go. Therefore, we are gentle with our dealings, not harmful. But we are also to be wise as serpents. 

Now what does this mean? Well, let’s consider how a serpent is indeed wise… Have you ever noticed how snakes spend a lot more time being still than moving? In their natural wisdom, they only make small, calculated movements. 

I believe this is a very important element of wisdom that we would do good to embrace in the handling of our finances. Take small, calculated steps. Don’t be quick to move and just blare on without giving a lot of thought to where you are going and how you are getting there. For example, many people don’t consider the outcome of their fleshly impulses. They just do what feels right at the moment, giving no consideration to what it will cost them tomorrow. 

THE BONDAGE OF DEBT

This is one of the primary reasons people get into debt… 

Now another important principle of financial stewardship is to keep out of unnecessary debt and thus avoid the debt trap. Borrowing for a house or car is one thing, but taking on financial obligations that are beyond the ability of one to pay is another. Psalm 37:21 says, "the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again." 

The minute a person goes into debt, he loses a portion of his freedom. As Proverbs 22:7 says, "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." 

For example, do you remember that example I gave you previously of if we saved just a $1000 each year and let this money earn 6 percent interest, compounded annually, we would have $24,672.56 at the end of a 15-year period? Then we saw that we could withdraw $2000 a year for 10 years and still have $15,322.17, or slightly more than they set aside. 

Well, suppose we decided that instead of saving $1000 a year, we would go into debt for $1000 to buy maybe some new furniture. And suppose we then continue to increase our indebtedness by $1000 during each of the 15 years, without paying back one cent. With 10 percent interest, compounded annually, on the increase in debt, the couple's debt would have been an astronomical $34,949.74. The debt on $1000 alone for that same period, without any repayment, would have been $4177.21. 

Far too many people think you can buy now and pay later. That isn't true. I've found that easy credit now makes people uneasy later. It is proven that a person pays more for the use of borrowed money than he or she gets in interest for saving it.

WHAT ABOUT CREDIT CARDS?
Let’s look at an example of this that we can all relate to- credit cards…
When dealing with credit cards, many Americans have the mindset that they are a means of getting what they want today even though they do not currently have the money. For instance, many Americans will say things like- “I can put this new flat screen, high-definition television on my credit card and then I’ll own it.” But the reality is- they don’t really own it because they are going to have to pay for it down the road- plus some! 
You see, wisdom will not do this. The reason why is because wisdom will consider what something is going to cost down the road before acting on the impulses of the flesh to purchase it now. 
Now don’t get me wrong- I am not saying that using credit cards is unwise (Sorry Dave Ramsey); it just becomes unwise when we do not handle them correctly. This occurs as we spend money on our credit card knowing that we will not be able pay it back immediately - thus incurring those high interest rates. But if we use a credit card, all with the mentality that we will pay it back at our first opportunity, then there is nothing wrong with them. 
However, my point is that it is unwise to simply gratify the flesh and not consider the repercussions of those decisions. So, in regard to this, we should do our best to avoid using credit as a means to get what we want today at the cost of tomorrow. 
Now we can flip this principle of wisdom regarding credit cards because did you know, you can actually use credit cards to your benefit? For example, Shannon and I have used credit cards for some time now that earn us cash back- anywhere from 1% to 5%. Of course, that is not a tremendous amount but when you charge everything you can on it (while deducting those payments out of your checkbook register as if you were using a check or a debit card) then it can add up. 
For instance, when we have to make a major purchase, we use the credit card even though we might have the money sitting in our checking account. Why? Because we want to earn the rewards with the credit card company on that purchase and then we will turn around and pay it back before the interest sets in. There are some credit cards that earn travel rewards and I know a man who earned a free trip to Hawaii for himself and 3 other family members after just a few years of charging everything he could on that credit card while paying the bill in full every month! This is how credit cards can actually benefit us.
So I am not saying that using credit cards is wrong; what I am saying, however, is that it is just how most Americans use them that is wrong. 
Now there are some strong opinions out there regarding credit cards and whether people should use them or not. I know that some of the most prominent financial gurus out there say we should cut them up, but a rationale I have discovered is - are credit cards really bad, or is how people mishandle them the real problem?
As I was writing this about the misuse of credit cards, a particular scripture was ringing in my head… “The law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1:8)… 
You see, in the circles that I have run in, most people have this negative perception of the Mosaic and Levitical Laws. We understand that the law was given by God strictly to show us His unattainable righteous requirements - all with the hope of us throwing our hands in the air and asking for mercy. In this case, God sent the Messiah - the Lord Jesus - to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law for us so that when we responded in this manner, He would save us by grace. This is using the law “lawfully.” 
On the other hand, to use the law “unlawfully” would be to try and fulfill the righteous requirements of the law while rejecting the sacrifice offered through the blood and body of the Lord Jesus. In other words, using the law “unlawfully” would be us using the law as a means of justification before God. So, you see, the law is not bad in and of itself; it is just how people have used it that is bad. 
Likewise, credit cards are good, if people would use them “lawfully.” But the problem is many use credit cards as a way of gratifying their flesh today without giving any real thought to what it will cost them tomorrow.  
Let me ask you another question: Does the Bible say that money is the root of all evil? Many would quickly answer and say, “Yes!” But that is not what the Bible says. It says that the love of money is the root of all evil. So it is the misuse and mishandling of money that is the root of all evil. In other words, it is in how one views money that is the real pitfall. Therefore, I view credit cards the same way. They are not evil and foolish if they are used wisely. 
Now people will say, “Yeah, but statistics tells us that if we have the plastic in our pocket, we will more readily spend it than if we only use cash.” Well, that might be true with some people. And I will tell those people that if they cannot control what they spend if they are using a debit or credit card, then go to the all-cash formula. But I would encourage them at the same time to work on having more self-control and to be more Spirit led. You might say, “Why?” It is because credit cards can be beneficial. They are only detrimental if we spend money that we do not have when the payment on said credit card is due because we should strive to never pay any interest on a credit card. Also, we should not have a credit card that has an annual fee either because unless you spend a lot in order to accumulate a lot of the rewards you earn, the fee will offset any rewards you’re getting. 
But my point is that you should indeed get rid of your credit cards if you are prone to spend more money because it’s so convenient to, if you are paying an annual fee for the card or you are not paying it off every month and therefore making interest payments on top of the regular balance of what you’ve spent. But if you have these things in order, credit cards can be beneficial to you… 
How, you ask? By the points & cash back balance you can accumulate. Working in banking, I saw people who will use their debit card for everything. They used it for every little purchase they made and sometimes it got them in trouble because they would forget to write down those purchases and their bank balance would go down further than expected and then when they wrote maybe a large check all of those items hit at the same time and it overdrew their account. 
And let me say this while I’m on the subject- if you have made it a habit to go into your overdraft in your bank account or have accumulated “NSF” (i.e. insufficient funds fees), you are hurting yourself badly. I have seen people who just live that way and they would be shocked if they actually saw how much money they are paying the bank annually. No, your credit cards and bank accounts should be working for you, not you for them. 
Another benefit of using a credit card over a debit card, aside from the rewards you can earn on a credit card that you won’t get for using a debit card, is in the event that you card is ever compromised (meaning, somebody gets your card information and starts using it fraudulently) then you have more recourse- because if they use it, even though the bank (w/ a debit card) may eventually be able to get your money recovered, it is a much bigger inconvenience than if your credit card was charged fraudulently. 
So my point is that credit cards can actually work for you by using them on all of your purchases, knowing that you will have the money at the end of the month to pay the entire balance off, and letting the rewards/points begin to accumulate over a period of time. This is how Shannon and myself pay for a lot of our Christmas shopping. We use a particular credit card that earns cash back and then redeem it once a year for things that make our money go a lot further than normal.              
So, wisdom will make financial decisions today that will be beneficial tomorrow. In other words, wisdom will invest as opposed to incurring debt! This is the heart of wisdom regarding the financial arena.

CONTENTMENT IS KEY

A very important principle to living free from debt is being content with what one has. 

Hebrews 13:5 puts it succinctly: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

You see, if we willingly violate this godly principle and allow the room for covetousness to enter our heart, then we are opening up other spiritual dynamics that will hurt our financial condition…

One area where people often first become discontent involves the old automobile. Too many people trade or sell their cars before they are used up. There's a big difference between fixing up the old junk heap to drive three more years and buying a new car. Many salesmen make the slick remark, "You just make that easy monthly payment." There is seldom anything easy about that monthly payment. It seems to get harder to make all the time. Second Corinthians 6:10 is so beautiful to apply here. It reads: "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." My friends in the automobile business tell me that most cars are good for more miles than most people put on them. Just because a car has over 100,000 miles doesn't mean a person has to get rid of it. Look at some of the buses, trucks and cars still going strong, especially in countries outside North America. They are cars of the same age and mileage that other people junked years ago. A worthwhile saying to remember on contentment is this: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without."




WATCHING FOR WOLVES

And have you noticed how easy it is for us to get ourselves into this debt snowball? The world will help you!
 
You see, in the context of Matthew 10:16, Jesus was giving them an admonition because He was sending them out as sheep among the wolves. And you have probably heard before that sheep are, by nature, dumb. Therefore, Jesus was telling us, “Hey, you guys are being sent out like dumb sheep into a world filled with wolves that are ready to devour you. So be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves!” 

So let’s consider this in the arena of the world’s economy: If you have done business in this world long enough, you will know that there are indeed wolves in the business world - and they are not just the tax collectors, the car salesman, etc. You need to know that in the marketplace almost a total 100% of businessmen and businesswomen are not looking out for your best interest; they are looking out only for what benefits them. I bring this up because so many of us are naïve. We easily trust that people are telling us the truth all of the time, and in many sales tactics, people tell what they call white lies and purposefully do not tell you all they know because they are trying to get that sale. 

So we are to be “harmless as doves” in that we are not repaying them evil for evil, but we are also to be “wise as serpents” in that we do not succumb to the sales tactics that they use like “This is a limited time offer: act now!” or “Come on! You know you want this car right now!” Many people “buy” into these forms of manipulation because they are “sheep.” In other words, they are just led around by what others are telling them to do, blindly trusting others. 

But the truth is, that as the Lord’s sheep, we are to be led around by only one and that is the Good Shepherd. As Psalm 23 so poetically states that when the Lord is our shepherd, we shall never “want” (i.e. lack). He will lead us in the way in which we should go, which is beside still waters. In other words, He will lead us by or through still waters. Most people only see that as saying he will lead us beside the still waters, but how about He will lead us by (or, through) still waters- that is, through peace. 

You see, we need to learn to be led by peace and as Colossians 3:16 says, let the peace of Christ rule (i.e. act as umpire & call the shots) in our hearts. Saints, if you don’t have peace about something, NEVER do it! Be led by those still waters in your heart as Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would provide living waters on the inside of us. How many of us have had a lack of peace about doing a business deal and then we regret it later? Start to pay attention to that peace on the inside of you before you make a move. This is being wise like a serpent. 

And this leads me to what I would call – the heart of wisdom. 




THE HEART OF WISDOM
I have found that the heart of wisdom is this: it always looks ahead. In other words, the very basis of wisdom is that it always considers the future when making current decisions.
Isn’t this just a common characteristic of a wise person? Through the knowledge and experiences of life, a wise person who chooses to learn from their life-lessons will make adjustments the next go around. In other words, because of what they learned will happen when they do certain things, they consider the outcome of their current decisions. This is wisdom, and this is exactly the opposite of what a fool does.
You know, as you read through Proverbs – the Book of Wisdom – you find that Solomon spent a lot of time differentiating between the wise person and the fool. And we also see that in describing the foolish person, he used the exact opposite characteristics of those we see in the heart of wisdom. 
For instance, a fool will speak without thinking - never considering how what he is about to say will affect him or those hearing him. In regard to this, a fool will vent all his feelings. In other words, what is in his heart will become obvious because he will always let you know what he is thinking no matter how inappropriate it might be. A fool will also just blare on without giving any thought to his destination. He will rarely consider how what he is about to do will affect him down the road. So, you see, a fool conducts himself in the exact opposite manner of the wise. 
People with the heart of wisdom will not vent all of their feelings. They will consider the effect their words will have before they speak them – and in many respects, godly wisdom will restrain any words that would be hurtful and harmful to the hearers. The wise will also consider where what they are about to do will take them before they move forward – thinking ahead as to whether or not their current decision will lead them away from God’s perfect plan for their life. To put it simply – the heart of wisdom is that it looks ahead and considers where it is going.    
Let’s now look over at a verse in the 90th Psalm that uses this terminology “the heart of wisdom” (This Psalm was actually a prayer that Moses prayed during the time Israel was wandering in the wilderness for 40 years) ... 
In this Psalm, Moses prayed for something that I believe we should all pray for consistently for our own lives and the lives of others. In this awesome prayer, Moses shows us how the heart of wisdom applies to our life on this earth versus our life in eternity. 
So what was it that Moses specifically prayed for that will enable us to gain a heart of wisdom? In verse 12, he asked the Lord to “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” What a powerful verse this is!  
What Moses was asking Yahweh was to teach them to count the number of days that they had. What does this mean? Just think about it: the carnal human tendency is to suppose that we will live on this earth forever. Most people (particularly young people) just float through life never considering that their life may end soon. Since this life is all that we have ever known, we just live life never really considering what happens after we die. But life after death is a reality that we must consider! As a matter of fact, eternity is something that we better consider because how we live our life now will determine where and how we will spend eternity. 
Do you see how vague this is to most people – even Christians? But this is exactly why Moses prayed this for Israel… He prayed that God would teach them to calculate and evaluate their days on this earth so that they would be ready for the next life. So I pray now for all of us… “Lord, teach us to number our days as well - to see how short this life really is so that we would make the most of our time here on the earth. Lord, give unto us this heart of wisdom.” Amen! 
In the 90th Psalm as well as several other places in Scripture we are reminded of our human frailty. The Scriptures that are ringing in my ears even as I am writing this describe mankind as grass (see Isaiah 40:6-8 & James 1:9-11). And the point of emphasis in these Scriptures is that we are like grass in that we grow up one day and are cut down the next. Some of us are beautiful, glamorous, and successful like the flower of the grass, but we all will suffer the same fate of death regardless of what we accomplish here on the earth. We are all but a vapor. 
You see, in the world success is sought for. People live their whole lives to make a buck and be able to retire one day. And although there is some wisdom in preparing for our future here on the earth, if that is all we live for, then we are living a life of vanity. 
You see, our life on this earth is so short in comparison to eternity. And I believe the church has allowed the same mentality of the world to creep into it. We have adopted the same carnal and foolish thinking that is only concerned with this earth-life. This is indeed a grave mistake because a day is coming, soon and very soon, when we will stand in front of our Master and have to give an account for the stewardship of our life on this earth. I personally want the Lord to look at me and say, “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in little (i.e. in this short life) and now you will become ruler over much (i.e. in the eternal kingdom of God)!” 
So which end of the spectrum are you going to strive for? Are you going to live for today and be in debt for the future or are you going to live for the future and lay down your life today?  Life is short, my friends, so live for eternity! 
So, in conclusion, we could say that making current decisions that will positively affect our future is the heart of wisdom! By far the most important aspect of this is regarding the spiritual because he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:8). But we should also incorporate this characteristic of wisdom into our earth-life as well—physically, financially, etc.

REVIEW
 
In our current series called “Financially Faithful,” we are learning how we as Christians can be more faithful with our finances. And if you don’t think you can, think again. We all can stand to improve in this area because it is not one another that we are comparing ourselves against. No, our standard is the Lord and His Word. So, let’s go to another level and learn how to not just be faithful in our own eyes, but to have the Lord look at us and say, “Now that’s my good and faithful servant.” Amen? 
 
So over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying what the Bible calls the tithe. And over the course of the past couple of weeks, we have been answering several questions such as:
 
1.What is the tithe?
2.When is the tithe?
3.Why do we tithe?
4.Where do we tithe?
 
We learned that the tithe simply means “tenth” – or, we might say 10%. So the tithe is not just some random amount that we decide to give a person, place, or thing. No, it’s specifically 10% of our increase, nothing more and nothing less. So the tithe is not an amount; it’s a percentage.
 
Then we answered the question “When is the tithe?”, which is basically that question of whether the tithe was just under the law or do we have to tithe under the New Testament. And we learned that the principle of the tithe didn’t start with the law. No, Abraham tithed well before there was a commandment to do so. Not only that, but the tithe is mentioned in the New Testament as well. So tithing is not just something that was “under the law.” No, it was before the law and after the law. Therefore, tithing is an eternal statute that is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  
 
Then last week, we answered the question “Why do we tithe?”, and we learned that the simple answer to that question is because His Word teaches us to. That’s really the only reason we need to practice it. However, I think the best motivation for doing it is because it’s the right & honorable thing to do and because we love God and seek to honor Him by returning to Him 10% of what He has blessed us with.
 
So this is the simple answer that should refute all other objections. For example, if a person gave me $1,000, I should have no problem with giving $100 back to them. However, if I don’t see that 1K as a gift – thinking I earned it – and don’t recognize who it is who gave it to me, then giving $100 to that person might not be my tendency. So this is why it is important for us to understand where every good gift and every perfect gift in our life comes from. Once we see that, giving back to Him becomes a much easier thing to do.  
 
But I offered you another reason why tithing is our responsibility as the people of God – We saw that not only should we tithe back to the Lord because it’s an honor thing; we should tithe because it is a holy thing. Yes, we learned that there are some things that the Lord specifically considers to be His, and the tithe is one of those things.  
 
In fact, when you study the principle of the tithe under the law, you’ll find that it essentially was a taxation of Israel. In other words, it was a system put in place by God through Moses for His people to pay for things in the kingdom of Israel. This is why you see the word “render” associated with it – because it is something one “gives back.”  
 
So this is why the tithe is still a good practice for us today. No, not because we have to or because of some rule or law, but because, first, we want to honor the Lord like Abraham did, and secondly, we know it consistently provides for the kingdom of God like Moses put into place.  
 
Then last week, we ended by answering the question – “Where do we tithe?” In other words, where does the tithe belong and where should we be giving it? And we looked at several Scriptures and determined what God’s Word teaches us regarding this …
 
We saw from Malachi 3:10 that we are to bring all the tithe into the “storehouse,” and this word was used to describe the “treasuries” of the House of the Lord. And in this treasury of God’s house, I’m sure you found all kinds of valuable things including crops, fruit, meat, etc. along with gold, silver, and other monetary items.
 
But we saw that the storehouse that the Lord told them to bring their tithes to was located in God’s “House” (See Malachi 3:10): Now God’s House is not to be misunderstood as just a physical building or Structure. Just because a building is called a church doesn’t mean it really is a church in the sense that God intended it. This is why we need to be led where we plant ourselves and where we sow our seed. Not every ministry & church out there, God approves of. 
 
The Lord told them in Deuteronomy 12:1-5 to bring tithes to the place where the Lord chooses, where His name is, and where He has chosen as His dwelling place. So that criteria describes that we bring the tithes to the place God’s tells us, first of all. But we also look for the ministries or churches that represent the Lord’s character & power and the ones where we sense the Lord’s presence.
 
And we learned from Deuteronomy 26:12 that one of their tithes was specifically intended for the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows – which we saw describes everything from the full-time ministry workers to the lost and the poor. And while we can all certainly be used of God to individually give to these things, the tithe being brought into the storehouse of God’s House is a means to taking care of a lot of these needs corporately rather than just individually. I bring this up because I believe that if you are a part of a good church that properly stewards their resources to take care of the needs of folks – both naturally and spiritually – then you don’t have to go seek out people who fit this category. You trust your local church to distribute to the appropriate parties.
 
So based on what I read in the Scriptures and believe is wisdom from above, I believe the tithe predominantly belongs in your local church. And why? Because a good, healthy church contains “Levites” (i.e. workers that have devoted themselves full-time to the ministry). It also will take care of the strangers, widows, and orphans. It’s where your children & grandchildren are cared for. It’s where your pastor will visit you, call on you, pray for you, etc. It’s where the physical building is located where you can gather together with other believers. These are not things other ministries provide for you.
 
So I for one, choose to “bring” my tithes to this here storehouse and trust the leadership team to distribute to the needs contained both in our gathering place and to the needs God puts on our hearts outside of these walls. This is where I tithe – because I believe HPC is good ground and is doing the work of the ministry. Amen.  
 
AN UNCHANGING ORDINANCE
 
Now I want to finish up our look on the tithe this week by looking at the benefits of this particular type of giving. Yes, there are some very specific promises given to the tither that I for one hold on to. So let’s go over to Malachi chapter 3 and look at some powerful verses about the tithe and what’s promised to the tither. Let’s begin in verse 6 …
 
Malachi 3:6-7 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them.”
 
Notice that He didn’t say, “For I am the Lord, and I like to switch things up sometimes.” Nor did He say, “For I am the Lord, and you never know what I am going to do.” No, the Lord does not change, and nor do His ordinances, precepts, and statutes.

So when it comes to the principle of the tithe, unless we are specifically told in the New Testament that the tithe has been done away with, then it is wrong to assume that this statute has passed away. I mean, to say such things sounds eerily similar to saying tongues, healing, miracles, etc. have passed away. And I believe most of us would agree today that these teachings are “doctrines of devils.” So one just needs to be careful about talking about all the things that are repeated in the Scripture as “passing away.” In fact, if you study First Corinthians chapter 13 where they get these ideas from, you’ll find that the time frame when things like tongues, prophecies, etc. will pass away is when His kingdom has fully come in the form of the new heavens and the new earth. These verses are not even referring to a dispensation that has occurred yet.
 
No, things like tithing, which was mentioned even before the law, in the law, and after the law is not to be presumed as having changed for us in the church. Now our motivation for giving it might have changed. Our heart in “rendering” it back to Lord might not be the same. But the fact is, it was, is, and always will be a good practice for the people of God. Not to mention, giving above and beyond 10% ought to be New Testament standard. Amen? Therefore, the tithe is just a bare minimum of what every disciple should be giving. And if that’s the case, then why are people squabbling about it? No, those are usually the people who aren’t giving 10% -- and I cannot see a way that those people who say we ought to just be led and purpose in our hearts when & how much to give are being led by the Holy Spirit and by a generous heart if they are  not giving at least 10%.
 
God does not change, saints! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore! This is why I wholeheartedly believe that tithing is the same today as it was yesterday. Amen?
 
Now the rest of Malachi 3:7 says, “Return to Me, and I will return to you, Says the Lord of hosts. But you said, In what way shall we return?”
 
Now this phrase – “Return to Me, and I will return to you” reminds me of the New Testament verse that says, “Draw near to me and I will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). And this is an eternal statute as well – for when one decides to make the steps to draw near and return to the Lord, He will respond by meeting you somewhere in the middle. We see this with the prodigal son when he decided to return to his father’s house and the father ran out to meet him on the road. This is the Father’s heart!
 
But when they asked the question – “In what way shall we return?” – The Lord immediately answered with what He said in verse 8 – “Will a man rob God?” and then proceeds to talk about them not giving tithes & offerings as prescribed in the Law.
 
Did you know that one of the first things to go when someone departs from the Lord is their giving? It sure is!  If you want to find out the condition of a person’s heart, all you have to do is look at their “treasure” – for where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. So once a person’s heart becomes cold towards God and the things of God, their money is usually one of the first places that gets affected.
 
Likewise, one of the things that is the first to come when someone returns to the Lord is their giving. Why? Because once the heart is converted, gratitude is the natural response for the grace given. And therefore, giving becomes the natural response.
 
Now that doesn’t mean that the person automatically knows about giving. This is where knowledge comes into play. We must be taught. We must be educated. Then information coupled together with a right heart will result in giving.
 
 
 
 
DON’T ROB YOURSELF
 
Now let’s deal with this response that God gave them to their question of how shall they return to Him. He asks a question – “Will a man rob God?” – and then He answered it by saying, “Yet you have robbed Me!”
 
And I’m sure like many of us would have been, they were legitimately puzzled with this. They had never gone into the treasury of the House of God and taken from it. They had never stolen anything from His tabernacle/temple. So how on earth could they have “robbed” God? So when they asked in what way had they robbed Him, His response was – “In tithes and offerings.” But I’m sure their question was – How is us not tithing or giving offerings robbing God? Well, consider two things:
 
Number one, as we learned last week, the tithe is the Lord’s. He said it was holy to Him – meaning, it was to be set apart unto Him and He viewed that first 10% as His. Therefore, they were simply “rendering” it to Him. So if they weren’t giving back to God what was set apart or consecrated to Him, what were they essentially doing? They were robbing God – that is, taking what was His and using it for themselves.
 
Number two, even the offerings that they were instructed to give under the Mosaic & Levitical laws were not even what they purposed in their heart. They were prescribed. So God evidently viewed what they were choosing not to “render” to Him as stealing from Him.
 
I wonder if God has the same mentality today? Are there things that God considers His today? Well, while we are not commanded to give specific offerings like they were, we have seen that tithing was and is still being practiced both before and after the law. However, I do not go as far as saying one is robbing God if they don’t tithe or give offerings because we do not have commandments to do so like they did under the law. However, like with Abraham, it is something we practice out of our love & honor for the Lord, not out of a grudging obligation.
 
So if I do not tithe, I don’t see it as me robbing God, but I do see it as me robbing myself. Yes, if I choose not to honor the Lord with 10% of my increase, I am robbing myself of the privilege and honor of giving a sacrifice back to the Lord that is a sweet-smelling aroma, holy & acceptable in His sight. I am robbing myself of the opportunity to give to my Creator and Savior with a thankful heart for all the blessings He has already bestowed on me. If I don’t tithe and give offerings, I am the one being robbed; not God. Therefore, it is in my best interest to honor Him with my financial gifts.
 
He even went as far as saying in verse 9 that “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” Usually, people read this as the curse of God coming upon them, but that’s not exactly how it works. He’s not in the cursing business; God’s in the blessing business. However, when one departs from the Lord and from His ordinances, they open themselves up to being cursed – for the absence of light is darkness. So the withdrawing from light Himself will naturally result in darkness.
 
 
TRY ME!
 
Then in verse 10, the Lord says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this …”
 
You know, you will be hard-pressed to find another example in the Scriptures where God invites us to “try Him” (i.e. test Him). He’s usually not too keen on us testing Him. But in this case of the tithe, He readily invites us to test Him on it.
 
Now I don’t encourage one to do it with the attitude of – “Well, I’m willing to give it a try to see if God will indeed give me a return on my investment.” Do it for the right reasons. Don’t do it because of what it will do for you. Do it because it’s righteous. Do it because it’s honorable. Do it because you love the Lord. Amen?
 
POURING OUT A BLESSING
 
But He said to try Him now in this and see – “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
 
Now the phrase “windows of heaven and pour out” can certainly be used to describe the opening up of the atmospheric heavens and rain being poured. We see it used this way in Genesis 7:11 when describing how God opened up the heavens to flood the earth. But it is also used to describe how like rain is a blessing from God, heaven’s blessing is poured out, like He goes on to say in this verse.
 
And again, it’s important to understand that for their predominantly agricultural society, the abundance of rain was definitely a blessing. So the rain was symbolic of the natural resource that created increase in their fields. Rain likely won’t do that for you. For example, if we start tithing, having the forecast change to rain might not be a blessing to us. In fact, for some people that work outside for a living, it might be considered a curse.
 
So what I see the windows of heaven opening up and God pouring out a blessing on us describing is, God’s favor & blessing coming from heaven on whatever type of ground that our increase comes from and supernaturally bringing forth that increase. So if your increase comes from the stock market, we can expect some kind of blessing on our investments to see increase. If your increase comes from sales in a particular vocation, then you can expect opportunities & favor to increase. The list goes on. But the bottom line is God’s blessing is released from heaven on the tither to see increase in their life.
 
This is what the Lord described in Deuteronomy 8:18 when he said it is He who gives us the “power” to get wealth. Church, we need God’s strength to increase financially. We could work our fingers to the bone and burn the candle on both ends, but it’s God’s ability that will yield the best results.

In this example, you can till the ground and plant seed all day long, but if the Lord doesn’t give you rain, then all your labor will be in vain. We need God’s blessing upon our hard work. And this is what is promised to the tither. Tithing doesn’t replace hard work and setting your hands to something. But it does release blessing on what you set your hands to, and blesses it. Amen
 
So no, this doesn’t mean that God is going to open the windows of heaven and start raining down money on you. However, what it does mean is that God will send His blessing on whatever you set your hand to and whatever it is that produces your harvest and supernaturally bring that increase.
 
And the cool part about it is, you won’t always be able to put your finger on how these blessings are coming in your life. The bread will supernaturally multiply in your basket. The sandals on your feet will supernaturally last longer. You might not be able to put your finger on it, but it seems like your money is just going further. This is part of the blessing on the tither – It released God’s blessing on us and our things to create increase. So much so that – “That there will not be room enough to receive it.”
 
Did you know that this is EXACTLY what happened to tithing Abraham? The Bible says that God blessed him with so much that the land could not hold him (Genesis 13:6)! This is why he and Lot had to split up. It was because of God pouring out on him such a blessing that the land did not have room enough to receive it. That sounds like Malachi 3, doesn’t it?
 
That same blessing continued to the sons of Abraham as well … We learned that Jacob had instilled in him the principle of tithing (See Genesis 28:22), which undoubtedly was passed down from his grandfather. So while we are never told that Jacob’s father, Isaac, tithed, it is clear that he did. Why, you ask? Because look at the blessing that was on his life:
 
When he dwelt in Gerar, God blessed him so much there that even in the year of famine, he reaped a hundredfold harvest. The Scriptures teach us that “The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous” (Genesis 26:12-13) to where even when the Philistines stopped up his wells, he was able to find another one. Like the cork that always rises to the top, he was the blessed of the Lord!
 
But my point is that the blessing on the Patriarchs’ lives was a literal fulfillment of the tither’s blessing. They knew how to honor the Lord with the tenth of their increase, and they were so blessed that the land couldn’t hold them, and they were envied & hated by the other nations of the land. 
 
So the tithe is one of the means by which heaven’s blessing is released on our lives. Again, we might not be able to quantify it. It might not be something that we can explain. But God’s blessing will multiply our seed sown and increase the fruits of our righteousness. No doubt!
 
But it’s important to know this – God’s blessing is generally not going to come straight from Him. He uses other people oftentimes to bless us. Jesus taught us this in Luke 6:38 – Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. He didn’t say “shall God give into our bosom”; no, He said men shall give it to you.
 
So just know that when God is blessing you, it will sometimes happen through other people. And sometimes, they won’t even know why they are doing it. But you can! When you see these things from Malachi chapter 3, you’ll know exactly why this person just had it on their heart to do good to you. It’s God’s blessing being poured out on you! Amen. 
 
HE WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER
 
But wait! There’s more … Not only did the Lord promise to pour out the blessing from the windows of heaven, but He also said, “‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ Says the Lord of hosts;”
 
Now the literal “devourer” that they were concerned about was all those pesky pests that liked to devour their harvests. But this obviously means more than just locusts or other insects & animals that tended towards consuming their crops. This describes the devourer—that is, the devil and his minions.
 
You see, the devil is ultimately the thief, destroyer, and devourer. Sure, natural things like insects, animals, and people can exhibit the same characteristics, but at the root of it all, the devil is one who steals, kills, and destroys.
 
So when the Lord says, “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes …” we are seeing the Lord stand in the gap between our increase and the devil’s desire to consume it.
 
Have you ever had situations where maybe you received some windfall in your life like a financial gift of some kind but as soon as you received that money, unexpected bills arose that drained you of that money? Maybe it was that you were believing God for a new car, and then someone comes out of nowhere and gives you a chunk of money that will help go towards that new vehicle. However, at the same time, you receive that money, something breaks in the house that requires you using that money on it instead of going towards the new car. Well, a lot of times, that’s the devourer. It’s like having holes in your pockets. One step forward and two steps back.
 
Well, the blessing of the tither is that the Lord will rebuke the devourer for our sakes. In other words, on our behalf and for our behalf. So no more one step forward and two steps back. More like one step back and two steps forwards and having another pocket or two to hold more.
 
So the devil cannot destroy the fruit of our ground. No, we have a hedge around us like Job did originally. He doesn’t have access to our stuff. It’s like having a fence up around us. So all of our fruit is protected from being devoured.
 
But the devourer doesn’t just consume fruit that comes up. In some cases, he keeps fruit from ever being produced. This is why the Lord said, “Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field.” So all of those things in our life that don’t like to “work,” we can speak to them and declare that our vines will not fail to bear fruit! Amen!
 
MIXING FAITH WITH GOD’S PROMISES
 
But let me end by saying this, that when it comes to the promises of God, it is important that we don’t just view God’s promises as something we sit back and watch Him perform. It’s extremely important that we mix faith with the promises of God (See Hebrews 4:2). God can give us His Word – He can say many things – but if His people don’t mix faith together with His Word, we can miss out on some good eatin’.
 
So these specific promises we have learned about – take & use them! Especially when it seems like they are not happening. That’s when a person of faith will apply these things – when they don’t see it – for they walk by faith and not by sight!
 
No, this is not all just something that we need to expect God to do while we sit back. Under our new & better covenant, we are taught that we all our kings & priests. Yes, we’ve all been anointed and given authority. Therefore, the power to bless is in our hands & mouths! The power to rebuke the devil is ours as well! So the idea of just letting God do all of this isn’t completely New Testament. We need to cooperate with and work together with Him on these things.
 
So let me give you a couple of examples: When you tithe, bless your tithe. Speak over your gifts (spouses, do these things together) and proclaim in faith that you are honoring the Lord with these gifts and use Scripture to remind God of what He has said.
 
And when it comes to time where it seems like the devil has come in to devour your harvest, stand up in faith and rebuke Him. The Bible teaches us that you and I are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). So when he is infringing on our property, we run Him off. We do this by saying something to the effect of – “No sir! Not today, satan! I’m a tither and you have no right to devour my harvest! My finances are blessed, not cursed. So, get!”
 
This is how we mix faith with God’s promises to the tither. And when we tithe in faith, receive the blessing of the tithe by faith, and resist the devourer by faith, we will more consistently see the manifestation of the promise for the tithe. Amen.