Matthew 6:19-2119Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
G.o.d must be your source, if you will be a candidate for wealth in these last days. Many times, people make many things their source. There are natural resources, human resources and spiritual resources, whatever we call it, it is like a brook or a river that comes from the fact that rain has fallen. Just give it sometimes, it will dry up because it takes continuous dropping of rain to keep the river flowing. The source of a river is important, anything taking from you, if the source is not taken you can"t run dry because the source is everything.
Many times as human beings we treat effects; G.o.d treats the source therefore when you make G.o.d your source, you can"t run dry. Never treat G.o.d as if it does not matter. You can"t be focused on G.o.d if you think you are responsible to make things happen. G.o.d wants to be your source that is why G.o.d is telling us not to worry. It is lack of confidence in him that makes us carry unnecessary luggage, it is like a woman that is given a lift in a car and yet carries her luggage on her head. Anytime you enter a vehicle, provision has already been made for your luggage. G.o.d has carried us in his vehicle, we become his liability.
John 15:16
16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
That is why marriage on deception does not work. A certain man deceives a lady. He loans his friend"s car and takes the lady to an uncompleted building. He parades himself as the owner of the house until the lady finds out that the man is a dupe. G.o.d wants to be our source, men can fail. Many today have committed suicide because men failed them but G.o.d cannot fail. G.o.d creates a process around your life, you don"t see a new born baby today that starts to walk; the child follows due process. He crawls, sits, stands and starts to walk then he runs.
There is a process no matter how versatile you are today your foundation starts from learning the alphabets. If you can"t count 1 to 10, you can"t know mathematics and arithmetic. And if 1 to 10 fails today, engineering and science will failed for every building rest on the strength of the foundation. Many times we ignore the foundation but we must know that G.o.d is a G.o.d of foundation. Let us learn the process, don"t just be interested in what is working now, will it work forever? Don"t think you are the source of your prosperity. That is how the unG.o.dly thinks. You should rely on G.o.d. This does mean that you are inactive; it just means you are flexible in his hand as you acknowledge him in your daily life. If you even have the strength, the seed, the field and intelligence to make it; you will still have a poor harvest if there is no rain and sunshine on your farmland. Don"t open your life to devourer.
Matthew 6:19
19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Don"t put your trust in treasures that you start to look down on others and feel that G.o.d does not matter again in your life. Many today have made money a G.o.d. They look at it as if they have arrived, and n.o.body can talk to them. They don"t value G.o.d"s word and they see themselves as being better than others because they have money. The money that can fly away like a bird.
Have the right focus. Keep your heart jealously from the deceitfulness of riches. Let money be your servant and not your master. G.o.d has given it to you in order for you to use it to serve his purpose.
Many today are blessed by G.o.d but end up losing it because they have a broken focus. G.o.d is more than things. Source is more than resources, let G.o.d be your source. We can know your heart based on your att.i.tude to your treasure; G.o.d can measure your heart by what it is focused on. What is the priority of your life? Some are hasty to succeed, they don"t want to wait. More than 20 years ago they brought a woman to my office, she had cancer and doctors gave her up that she would die.
I was meditating in my office when she came so they told her to wait to see me as I was taking time to study the word of G.o.d So they told her to wait and my tract on divine healing was given to her to read. I wrote tract then on divine healing. When they gave it to her, she became angry that it was not a tract that she wanted to read? She left in anger so by the time I came out of the office she was no longer there.
Imagine her going to a hospital and they told her to wait that the consultant is busy. Would she have done that to a consultant? Especially when she had been told that there was no cure. She left the only place where G.o.d can help her.
So one day, I was doing a breakthrough meeting, people were rushing to the meeting to hear me preach and many were on the healing line. G.o.d has placed the healing anointing in the church to heal the world of it after which the believers will develop their personal faith through hearing and acting on the word. You won"t develop your muscle unless you use it by exercise. Ministries that develop around spiritual gifts don"t mature to sonship.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty G.o.d, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
You won"t be a gift as a son until you mature. Child is always born, you can be born again and be defeated in life. There are many born again Christians who are defeated, frustrated and asking Jesus to come now for them to go to heaven. Yet there are sons of G.o.d who are telling the devil, you can"t kill me. A woman diagnosed of cancer many years ago, confessed the word until she was healed yet people who had the same sickness had died. She became an exception to the rule, so who tells you that things cannot work. She developed herself from being a child to a son. Unless you become a son by eating and exercising your muscle, you will not become a gift to the body of Christ. But a child only eats for eating sake.
There are many today who are married, but are babies. Baby husband crying, not knowing what to do with life, The mystery of it is that they become drivers of a bus; without a destination. Many keep on roaming round churches to see if the pastor will pray for them. If the pastor does not pray, they run away. I did that program at the end of that month and I saw the same woman coming, I knew the background she was coming from that was why I gave her the tract first time she came. The tract was to prepare her to receive her healing like the doctor prepares a patient for operation. People follow the doctor"s instructions but when it comes to G.o.d, they don"t give G.o.d a chance. If you give G.o.d the chance that you give to human beings, you will get quick result. When I saw the woman on the healing line, compa.s.sion overwhelmed me to help her out, but there was no anointing. When the anointing is there I know, so I major on her in order to help her trying to make G.o.d to move on her behalf. G.o.d was not holding anything against her but she only came because she had to be there. If she has a way, she won"t have been there.
A mother eagle creates a nest for the eaglets. It puts sticky materials to be the solid base and looked for soft materials to be the cushion. Within the next four months, the nest becomes too narrow for the eaglets. If it remains in the nest, it will suffocate and die, then the mother eagle uses the beak to remove the cushion in the nest. As the eaglet becomes uncomfortable, there is no option for it than to move out.
The same G.o.d that gives us provision and comfort pushes us out so that our potential of greatness can manifest. Many years ago, a particular governor in a state sacked many of his workers. The thought of how they would survive made the workers to curse him. But many years after, the same people started praising him for sacking them because they went ahead to establish businesses with the severance pay that he gave them and it brought great profit. So what we cry about today, we will thank G.o.d for, in the future.
Comfort can make you to settle down prematurely. When a child is comfortable, he doesn"t want to leave the womb but when the water breaks and starts to flow out during the time of delivery, the baby has no option but to come out. Beloved, when G.o.d becomes your source, adversity turns to blessing, opposition becomes opportunities. G.o.d is bigger than everything, your life counts. G.o.d has a plan for your life; you will not fail.
Matthew 6:31-34
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of G.o.d, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
G.o.d is not saying that you should not plan. Don"t get worried about your future. Don"t be in haste, don"t abandon G.o.d. Don"t make G.o.d your number two. Don"t be too greedy about your future. You should have regard for what G.o.d is saying to you; don"t be covetous. When Jesus was teaching about the unjust servant, the Pharisees that were there laughed at him, thinking that Jesus did not know what he was saying. But Jesus was talking about making G.o.d their priority. When you seek G.o.d, other things will look for you.
Leave the people that think you don"t have anything now. Get settled with those that have value for G.o.d. Today people give to every other cause apart from G.o.d. They don"t love G.o.d the way they think they do. G.o.d does not respect men, he respects principles. He is a just G.o.d
Matthew 16:10-13
10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
You can"t serve G.o.d and money. The Pharisees wanted to serve the two. Money is a tool in your hand, it is your servant but you can"t be its servant. You have been made in the image of G.o.d; it is an insult for you to be a servant of money or anything in your life.
The Pharisees derided Jesus, the maker of wealth, the maker of destiny, the one that made everything, who left all the gold and mansions in heaven to come to the world. He lived in ordinary building with a woman who had nothing to give than the least of the offerings. She could only present a dove for sacrifice in the day of child dedication. You can have money without loving money; I have seen people who are poor who love money. In Britain today, people are paid more for working on Sunday morning and there are people who for one year do not step the church because of the double pay. The Babylonian system is enticing people from their free time with G.o.d to hear the word so that they can make more money.
This shows that they love money. You can love money being poor and you can love money being rich. It is your heart condition that matters, that is why we must guard our heart and not allow things to pollute it. The Pharisees scoffed at Jesus, the owner of wealth. They dismissed Jesus as being hopelessly out of touch.
Don"t get afraid that the more you love G.o.d, the more you will be poor, this is not so. I heard the testimony of an evangelist in America. G.o.d told him to make his itinerary so busy that there is no way he can make it without having a plane. Busy following G.o.d"s plan that without a plane, he will not be able to get to the next station. He did his part and one day, G.o.d spoke to him that he has done it. Everywhere he went, he spoke that G.o.d promised him a plane to do the work of G.o.d. Many will think that G.o.d will do it for him through speaking in a big meeting but one day, he was speaking in a place, with very few people in attendance. In fact they didn"t have a pulpit to preach but a broken fridge. So he was preaching to the people, when an old man came in from outside carrying a big sack. He was coming straight to meet the evangelist, every eye was focused on him. When he got to the evangelist, he said "I don"t go anywhere unless G.o.d told me". G.o.d told me at home this morning to come and give you money for your plane. The man was a rich American farmer and he didn"t even wait for an answer. He dropped the sack and walked out. n.o.body knew his name, after the meeting, he opened the sack and saw bundles of money that was enough to pay for the jet. You can be sure that G.o.d will bless the farmer for obeying Him. G.o.d will use men to bless you.
Luke 6:38 38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again
He touches heart of men to bless you. He positions you in the right place so that the favour that you need will come to you. Don"t a.s.sume you are in a place of comfort that no man can bless you. He can use the unlikely, he used raven to feed Elijah, he used a fish to vomit Jonah.
Many times people are hopelessly unfaithful. A lot of people are covetous despite the fact that they are being fed by the word of G.o.d. They don"t t.i.the their money, yet they claim to be a faithful Christian. They are covetous and love money, therefore, they hold to it as if it is their life. This comes from a culture of wrong believing that If I give out, it will decrease wondering who can give to them. This is doubt and unbelief, G.o.d is calling us to sit down. Don"t join the Pharisees who are too far to see, hypocrites and religious leaders of the day who had garments of honour yet their hearts were far away from G.o.d
Luke 16:15
15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but G.o.d knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of G.o.d.
They lay claim to be preachers of the word; yet they are covetous in their habit. Many times we honour people who don"t honour G.o.d, we often estimate people based on things we see around them. G.o.d weighs our hearts and our motives. If G.o.d becomes your source he will bypa.s.s a million to bless you. There is no one on earth that G.o.d cannot bless. He can do all things.
1 Samuel 2:2-3
There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our G.o.d. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a G.o.d of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
G.o.d weighs your motive more than what you are doing. Get your heart prepared and the blessing will come. Many believers are not as wise as the unG.o.dly. The sinners know they are not going to heaven, therefore they make good use of this earth by all means. Yet we have a G.o.d that is ready to help us yet saints don"t take advantage of him. Many today are not wise, the unbelievers establish their future. A rich man in the world prepares his funeral before he dies, he doesn"t want his children to go ahead and be looking for money to bury him. Many are in mortuary today that n.o.body is claiming their bodies; the family is poor. They don"t even pay the hospital bill talk less of paying for funeral.
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children"s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
G.o.d wants us to leave things behind for our children not to be a liability. May we work in the blessing of G.o.d. Wise up! Do the will of G.o.d for your life. G.o.d is interested in you making it, but you must make G.o.d your source.
2 Kings 2:18-21
And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit of Elijah. The men of Jericho sought for intervention concerning the barren land of Jericho. Elisha went to the spring of the water, he went to the source. Many times we treat effect not the source, but G.o.d deals with the source.
A woman was pregnant after many years of believing G.o.d for the fruit of the womb. At about 6 months of the pregnancy, she was seeing blood. She was put on bed rest, but later she went to the man of G.o.d that prophesied to her about the fruit of the womb. The pastor told her to go home and keep confessing that it is blood I see not the baby. Some when they sneezed, they say they have cold, but you should say " I sneeze but I don"t have cold; cold I resist you."
When people come back from the dead, they sneeze so I sneeze, I"m not dead. You can"t deny your sneezing but you can deny the cold.
Mark 11:12-14 12
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it.
Jesus answered the fig tree. You don"t answer unless somebody spoke to you; I am sure the devil must have spoken to him. Answer thoughts with words not thought with thoughts. Learn to hold captive negative thoughts.
Don"t look at the effect, when Jesus spoke, the tree dried up from the root. If the snake"s head is cut, the body may still be wringling, it is a matter of time the body will eventually die. Learn to trust G.o.d with your life.
1 Kings 18:40-42
And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
Elijah should not have run from Jezebel. The day he brought down fire from heaven, the people were so compelled by the miracle he did, that they could do anything in the name of G.o.d. Baal has a reputation for bringing fire from the second heaven where demons are packed like sardine. But the day that Elijah stepped out because of G.o.d"s command, every demonic power stopped operating. Your presence makes the enemy afraid and they couldn"t operate. Elijah made mockery of them that Baal has travelled, they should cut themselves more, he did the unusual. He poured water on the sacrifice. Water and fire are enemies, he commanded them to pour the water again and prayed. The fire of G.o.d came down; it didn"t consume the sacrifice alone, it licked the water and consumed the wood and the stone. With my geological knowledge as a researcher, a stone will not melt unless at high degree of temperature from Bowen reaction series. So G.o.d brought a furnace from heaven and melted the stone yet n.o.body died. So when they saw the miracle; he commanded them to kill all the Baal worshiper, and they killed them.
But who is the head of the Baal worshipers? It was Jezebel and she stayed back at home. They killed them in the presence of Ahab and Ahab could not do anything. Once the people joined him to fight wickedness, Elijah would have led all the people in a mob action and helped to cleanse his house. They could have killed Jezebel, the mother of witchcraft and then married afresh for him. He would have solved the problem but he did the effect and left the root. And the root, the mother of witchcraft sent for him that she would revenge the killing.
G.o.d told us to meditate on the word of G.o.d day and night because the root cause of life is by the word. If you give time for it, everything will be set in place. I don"t promise it will happen 24 hours but it will happen eventually. G.o.d cannot lie.
Proverbs 4:20
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
It is my prayer you will attend to G.o.d"s word in your life. Beloved G.o.d deals with the source of the problem.