God Wants Us to Prosper In Every Way, So Therefore ...

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. "(3 John 2)

The catch-all for God's physical and fiscal prosperity to manifest in ourselves is that we have soul prosperity.

We cannot claim to have soul prosperity, however, if we do not walk in the truth of the Gospel. If our flesh reigns in our lives, rather than allowing God's twin gifts of righteousness and grace to flow in our lives (Romans 5:17), then what is the point of financial and physical prosperity?

The next two verses in Third John outline the basis for soul prosperity:

"3For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." ( 3 John 3-4).

When John writes about the truth, He is writing about the grace of God in our lives:

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

"Grace and truth" are one manifestation before all of us. They are inseparable. In the original Greek, when John writes "came", it's in the singular not plural.

Truth is all about the grace of God, that our sins are forgiven fully because of Christ Jesus' death on the Cross, and that His resurrection declares our full justification from all sin in Him!

Now, what has played out for me in regards to soul prosperity?

For the last three weeks, I have learned how important it is to prosper through reading and hearing God's Word. There is so much that was upset and wrong within my mind. I would get angry really easily. There was a need to fight old battles, to revisit bad ideas and the hurtful things which people had said to me.

It is essential to grow our faith as we hear and keep hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Faith has been growing considerably for me.

There is a subtle temptation in so many of us to keep proving ourselves right. I had wanted to fight and revisit many past hurts. I found that my mind would drift and I would waste time on useless pursuits, playing games rather than focusing on worthy events and activities in my life.

For the first time in a long time, I feel much more focused. The tasks at hand are receiving the attention they need.

Another problem that I have faced on an off. I would not do fun things or engage in challenging yet worthwhile activities because I was so concerned about my health or my wealth. Now, I am starting to look at Jesus completely and not worry about the problems, fears, challenges, and concerns all around me:

"1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Paul exhorts us to keep our eyes and hearts rested in Jesus rather than looking at ourselves:

"1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

It's gotten easier to stop looking at how things may be going wrong, and now it's much easier to focus on Jesus and know that He is taking care of everything in my life.

Pastor Joseph Prince has a number of sermons which I enjoy hearing and rehearing because their messages are so important to me. One sermon "Why Does God Allow Delay?" has been a frequent sermon which I listen to. In that sermon, he draws out examples from the Bible which focus on how God permitted delays so that God's saints would receive a greater revelation of Jesus, of God's love for them. Abraham learned that God was his "shield and exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15: 1).

It's one thing to have our prayers answered: but it's so much more important to know Him who is answering our prayers. The woman with the 12-year blood flow received the miracle for her body. But Jesus wanted her to be whole!

"46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." (Luke 8:46-48)

God doesn't want to solve our immediate issues, but He also wants us to be healed wholly, fully. The health problem which had afflicted this woman was a grave disorder. She had pursued every option available to staunch the blood flow, but nothing worked. She had relied so much on her own efforts. Then she heard about Jesus and sought His blessing.

Would the healing have lasted if she thought that she had taken it by stealth or had inadvertently rendered Him unclean? She needed to know that she was fully cared for. Jesus didn't see this woman as just anybody. He called her "daughter", bringing her into His family--as He has done for all of us!

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)

and

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

How Tithing Frees Us, No Longer to Fear Not Having Enough

I used to resist tithing.

I just never knew if I would have enough money, and I couldn't trust God to provide everything.

Learning how to understand God's leading was very difficult for me. Because of the rigorous indoctrination that I had to put up with from my mother and her cult-like attachment to Alcoholics Anonymous, I had gotten to a place where I was constantly looking to her and taking her word for everything.

It has gotten really crazy. There were times where I would tithe, and then she would correct me for doing that, or tell me that it was not OK to do so.

Constantly I was looking to her or to other people to tell me what to think, what to do, how to assess difficult situations in my life.

Tithing was not easy because of that bad sense of training. There was also a period in my life when I was faithfully tithing at my local church, but it didn't seem that my life was getting better.

I have also learned with the greater revelation of God's grace that He loves me because of His Son Jesus. It does not matter whether I tithed or not. However, I want that growing revelation of God's love and resources in my life.

Because I realize more of what he has been able to accomplish in my life, I want to see His favor and resources flowing. I had such a small revelation of God. I simply did not realize that He is constantly at work in my life.

God invites us to enter into His rest. No longer are we striving and writhing in our self-effort to make things happen, as though God is light-years away and uninterested in what we are doing.

I also remember at one point in my life, when I was drawing from unemployment less and less, then I was switching to giving more and sharing more. I found that I had plenty of money, and I even had enough to spend on others. At one job, I was an after-school tutor of sorts. I had my own classes and provided different types of lessons. When we had reached the end of the year, I purchased food for all the students.

It felt good to be able to give something. It just was nice to know that I had money--and that money did not have me!

Last week, I was struggling with a strange point of discussion. Would I be able to tithe?

The pastor was preaching on Malachi, the passage about robbing God and not holding back.

Of course, it's important to read every passage in the Old Testament in light of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ. We no longer have to worry about the curse our the devourer in our lives. Yet still we have the opportunity to "test" God, or at least allow Him to prove His generosity towards us.

When I tithed again this past Sunday, a sense of hope and relief swept over me.

I refused to be in bondage to a certain set of dollars in my wallet, pockets, or elsewhere. It's essential that we realize how money is the least of God's concerns, but rather that He wants us to prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper.