The Prosperity Test

The Prosperity Test

December 10, 2013

Who are you going to honor with your finances?

It depends on who receives the first portion that leaves your checkbook.

The following is the scriptural precedent for receiving a double or confirmation.

“Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.” 

Gen 41:32 NAS

The Dream.

³³ “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. ³⁵ And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. ³⁶ Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

Genesis 41:33-36 NKJV

Tithing affects every area of your life. 

 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.⁹ You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “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. ¹¹ “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;

 Malachi 3:8-11 NKJV

Don’t give your tithe to a Christian University, A TV evangelist or a Christian Organization; bring the whole tithe into the church (storehouse). 

Because you’re not tithing YOU ARE under a curse.  God is not cursing you.  You’re cursed because we live in a cursed world.  A fallen cursed world and what God wants to do is bring your finances out from under that curse.  You have to give the first 1/10 of your finances because that’s how you redeem the other 9/10.  The Lord says if you do this He will open the windows of heaven and bless you AND HE will rebuke the devourer.

There are two common testimonies:

Tither – “We are so blessed.”

Non-Tither – “I can’t afford to tithe.”

You will never be able to afford to tithe until you tithe because you’re under a curse.  Every time you start to get ahead something else goes wrong.  The devourer is devouring your finances. 

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Exodus 13:1-2 NKJV

¹² that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. ¹³ But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Exodus 13:12-13 NKJV

The verse says “if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck.”  He is saying you are going to lose it anyway.  The tithe is going out of your account whether you give it or the devourer takes it.  Why don’t we give the tithe to God and the other 90% is blessed.  90% blessed by God is going to go a lot further than 100% not blessed.

 

²⁶ And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Genesis 47:26 NKJV

This was not an Egyptian practice this was a God principal.

1.  The Firstborn Must Be Sacrificed or Redeemed.

How do you know whether you sacrifice it or redeem it?  If it is a clean animal it had to be sacrificed (like a lamb).  It is unclean it had to be redeemed by the sacrifice of the clean animal.

Everything in the Bible points to Jesus.

            Where you born clean or unclean?   - Unclean (we were born in sin)

            Was Jesus born clean or unclean?    - Clean

The Firstborn clean (Jesus) had to be sacrificed so the unclean (you and I) could be redeemed.

Jesus is God’s Tithe.

God gave Jesus first, while we were yet sinners….

2.  The Firstfruits Must Be Offered.

¹⁹ The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Exodus 23:19 NKJV

The scripture says bring because you can’t give what doesn’t belong to you.  Bring it to the house of the Lord.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; ¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV

³ And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. ⁴ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:3-5 NKJV

Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?  Firstborn belongs to God.  Firstfruits belong to God.  The scripture says, “in the process of time”, meaning when he got around to it, Cain brought “an” offering.  Not the first.  God doesn’t receive second.  He is never in second place.  He is always first. When you give Him an offering that is not first it is not accepted.  In His nature He cannot accept it. 

3.  The Tithe Must Be First.

³⁰ And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.

Leviticus 27:30 NKJV

Don’t touch what is Holy.  Don’t leave it in your account.  Bring it to the house of God.

The tithe is the first 1/10 that LEAVES YOUR HAND. The first one is the redemptive portion.  It can redeem the other 9/10.  This is a heart issue not a legalistic issue. When you put God first everything else falls in line. 

Therefore…

¹⁴ So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

Exodus 13:14-15 NKJV

I was in bondage, but God…with a Mighty hand delivered me. Therefore I gladly bring to God the first of all my income.  Everything I have I know it came from His hand.  It’s a privilege to give Him the firstfruits. 

Please visit www.gatewaypeople.com and watch The Prosperity Test.

The Power Test

The Power Test

December 3, 2013

Definition of Power – The ability to do something or act in a particular way as a faculty or quality. The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.  - Webster’s

1.  From where does power come?

In John 19:10-11 we see that power was given.

Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”   John 19: 10-11 NKJV

The word power in this New Testament passage is Strong’s 1849 exousia (in the sense of ability) jurisdiction strength of judicial decision – Jn 19:10

In Psalm 62:11 we see Power as an attribute (an inherent part) of God.

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God. Psalm 62:11 NKJV

The word power in this Old Testament passage is Strong’s 5797 oz, oze; or (fully) Power is one of God’s attributes.

The desire for power comes from God.  Why, to help people.  It is only Satan that distorts it.

2.  To whom does power come?

The humble.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 1Peter 5:5-6

3.  Why does power come?

So that He may establish is covenant.

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:38

Summation:  All power is inherently God’s.  He gifts power (to steward) to further His kingdom.  I interject steward because as we have learned we will be tested by how we steward any gift of God.