Feeding the Multitude

Table of Contents

About the Author
Disclaimer
Dedication
Preface
Introduction

Chapter Outline

Chapter 1 - Poverty and Lack
Chapter 2 - God is No Respecter of Persons
Chapter 3 - The Lord Hears The Cry of the Poor
Chapter 4 - Jesus Christ and the Poor
Chapter 5 - Love in Action
Chapter 6 - Feeding the Multitude
Chapter 7 - Kingdom Prosperity

About the Author

Diane Jurino is a Spirit-filled Christian who resides in Erie, Pennsylvania. She is the mother of three grown children, and four grandchildren. Her professional background is in Copywriting, Sales, Advertising, and Marketing. She has developed and conducted custom training courses in Human Relations, Communications, Personal and Professional Development.

Disclaimer:

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this volume are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Dedication:

Isaiah 29:19 "The meek also shall increase [their] joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

To those who minister to the poor, God bless you and richly reward you for your love.

Preface

Psalm 12:5 "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set [him] in safety [from him that] puffeth at him."

The Lord is truly saddened because so many of His people suffer lack at a time when others enjoy prosperity and even great wealth. His greatest desire is to supply all of our needs in abundance - both temporal and spiritual. Poverty is appalling to God; He wants us to have more than enough, so that we are always able to help supply the needs of others.

The contrast between the "have and have not nations" is striking and shocking. We cannot even imagine how desperate some people in this world are. But in this, the richest country in the world, we see a socio-economic class all its own emerging - the poorest of the poor. This is comprised of individuals and families that live at below-poverty level. It is growing at an exorbitant rate, and it shows no promise for improvement.

Some may have never had enough to meet their needs; they are born into poverty and cannot seem to overcome it. Others have been cheated out of their hard earned wages and property, and were exploited and oppressed. Many have been bankrupted due to loss of jobs or broken relationships, through no fault of their own. Still others may have experienced health problems and are unable to work either temporarily or permanently.

Whatever the case, many are under a curse of poverty that is difficult, but not impossible to break. They need help to meet their immediate needs, and wisdom to rise above their circumstances. They require strong advocacy and encouragement to overcome their poverty for all time. God will intervene on their behalf and show Himself strong for their cause.

Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Many strive to serve God rather than wealth, but they often succumb to temptation. Once they experience a little success in their lives, they forget God's way of doing things and they pursue materialism. Before very long, they grow greedy and desire the things of this world more than spiritual gifts. Some end up consuming others in their desire to acquire even more money and material possessions.

There has been great injustice done to the poor and impoverished of this world by people with misplaced values. Their needs are overlooked and disregarded by the overly ambitious; they have been used and abused by the powerful and the greedy. They are often exploited and oppressed by individuals who simply have no morals. They are victims of a worldwide, corrupt economic system that puts money first, and God and His people last.

This disparity between the poor and the rich is centuries old, but will surely come to an end. Jesus Christ is getting ready to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth, and very soon, there will be no poor among us. He will level all playing fields, and exercise righteous judgment of all men. The poor will prosper and enjoy abundance, while those who took advantage of others will be excluded and punished for all eternity.

Isaiah 11:4 "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."

Many who are first, will be last, as the Lord judges both great and small, on the basis of how much they showed love for others. He will advocate for the restoration of the poor, and bring swift judgment on those who oppress them. He will encourage the rest of us, so that we help alleviate the suffering of others through any means that we have available.

The poor have been oppressed for far too long, and the Lord has seen it all. He is convicting just men and women everywhere to minister to their needs. Will we be found lacking in love for those who are poor and needy, or will we rise to the occasion and begin to help those less fortunate than ourselves? We must decide to feed the multitude as Christ Himself did, and demonstrate our love for others by our very example.

Introduction

Deuteronomy 15:11 "For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land."

The middle class in this country is quickly disappearing. People that used to have moderate incomes and a decent standard of living, now find themselves without work for extended periods in time, and even lose their homes as a result. Entire families are being destroyed for lack of financial resources to support them. Economic recession and depression are impacting even the most industrious and thrifty among us, and there seems to be no relief in sight.

Social service agencies cannot keep up with the ever-increasing demand for services. Drastically understaffed and under-funded, they are disappearing at a time when they are needed the most. The government cannot sustain the demand for financial relief to the poor; the problem is too overwhelming and broad in its scope. Our Social Security and Welfare systems are failing, and a spirit of poverty looms powerful and strong over us.

We must fight against poverty any way that we can through spiritual warfare and acts of charity. And while it is true that there will always be poor among us, we are commanded of the Lord to alleviate suffering with any and all resources that He provides us. We should be loving and generous to all who are in need and make every effort to compensate them in their loss. We should advocate for their rights and encourage them to rise above their circumstances.

Deuteronomy 15:7 "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:"

The church remains the only avenue of hope for the poor at this time, and we must rally to their cause. There are many believers in our midst, who suffer abject poverty, yet we overlook their plight and carry on as usual in our churches. While we may pity them in their plight, we do little if anything to fulfill their needs. We have become like the Laodicean church of the Book of Revelation and lost our first love. This is a grievous sin against the law of love that the Lord cannot overlook.

So too, there are many unbelievers that have significant needs and we close our eyes and hearts to them, as well. We fail to be a godly example to the world - living testimonies to the love and generosity of God Himself. We must rectify this situation and serve as catalysts for change. The Lord is adamant that we supply relief to those in need through any means we have available. There should be no poverty amongst us; there is sufficient wealth available for all to share.

Isaiah 58:6-7 " Is this not the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

The law of love requires that we put our faith into action. We cannot close our eyes and our hearts to the poor around us; we must at least attempt to minister to their needs. We cannot remain silent when we see their oppression; we have to advocate for their cause. We should also teach them Kingdom principles for prosperity that will enable them improve their individual circumstances in a permanent and significant way.

The Lord will equip us to do every good work that He assigns us, and we ought to be ready and willing to embrace this challenge. He is speaking to all of us right now, preparing us to be generous and to show our love for those in need. He wants us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the poor. He wants all captives of poverty set free to enjoy life in abundance as He has promised us.

Deuteronomy 15:4 "Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it:"

It's time for the church to rise up and feed the multitude as Jesus did. While it is true that we should be giving them the "Bread of Life" in the Word of God through preaching the gospel, we also have to meet their temporal needs any way that we can. We should never send them away empty handed, with just our prayers and sympathy. That will not impact their lives permanently and completely, nor does it satisfy the requirements of the law of love.

We should assess the needs of those who are suffering and come up with some creative strategies for dealing with poverty at the grass roots level. We can start soup kitchens, food banks and clothing distribution centers. We could also conduct fund-raisers that benefit the poor, and be shining examples to our communities at large. We must begin to offer day care and after school programs, provide transportation services, and help the families who want to work better themselves.

The church can pool its resources of talent and offer financial budgeting classes and career counseling for the undereducated. We could provide assistance in locating safe, decent affordable housing and offer home improvements for those who need them. Time, energy and experience are all that are necessary to provide instruction in practical life skills such as menu planning, gardening, cooking, sewing and knitting.

We each have something that we can give or teach another who is less fortunate than ourselves. We can encourage them to rise above their circumstances and help them learn to take a powerful stand against demonic spirits of poverty and lack that hold them in bondage. We can teach them principles of Kingdom prosperity, even before the Kingdom itself is formally established, and watch them flourish in God's way of doing things.

This is the land the Lord has given us and we have the responsibility to see that it is fruitful and prosperous. We are God's people, His very own hands and feet on the earth. We have to take back dominion over the earth and eradicate poverty for all time. There should be none among us who suffer from lack. We all have something to share with those in need - money, time, talent, prayer and encouragement. We must alleviate the suffering of the poor through any available means and spread the good news of the coming of the Kingdom of God by our very example.

Chapter 1 - Poverty and Lack

Proverbs 30:14 "[There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men."

Greed and oppression run rampant in a world darkened with deceit and sin, as innocent people are bound up in a curse of poverty and lack through no fault of their own. The rich and powerful treat them as chattel, and show no compassion or regard for their needs. They are casualties of corrupt political systems that keep them in permanent bondage, with death as their only escape.

It staggers the imagination to realize how severely impoverished many nations of the world really are. There are millions of people who own nothing; they have no external resources to meet their needs. Their leaders may be greedy dictators, who are involved with all sorts of graft, corruption and power struggles. While they themselves may be prosperous, their people suffer miserably and there is no one to champion their cause.

These countries may have experienced the ravages of war and genocide; many of their inhabitants are refugees without permanent homes of their own. They live in squalid conditions unfit for human beings. They are ridden with disease, deformity, and severely malnourished. Helpless and hopeless, their daily challenge is to find enough safe drinking water, food to eat or a place to sleep. Survival is their only goal, and God is their only hope.

Isaiah 49:26 "And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob."

Their governments are oblivious to the suffering of the people. Medical services and education may be non-existent. They wait day by day for things to change, but their circumstances never improve. Poverty is a curse to them that extends from generation to generation. They desperately need relief from the terrible degradation that has been inflicted on them, and they need freedom from their greedy despotic leaders.

The poor and afflicted need the hope and confidence that only almighty God can bring to their lives. Very soon, He will judge the nations of the world to determine if they have been righteous and loving towards their people. He will take vengeance on all those who are corrupt and evil and determined to devour the poor off the face of the earth. Jesus Christ is returning to destroy the ungodly and their evil, oppressive practices off the face of the earth.

Poverty Threatens Us at Home

Even the poorest person in the United States of America is wealthy, in comparison to those who live in third world countries all over the earth. But this country - once the most affluent in the world - is quickly becoming dichotomized between the very rich and the very poor, as well. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground any longer, as the socio-economic classes that we once knew have blurred together and all but disappeared.

There is a vast disparity between the resources of the upper socio-economic class and the middle class and the poor. We are evolving into a nation of "haves" and "have nots." The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. There is no in-between, moderate standard of living anymore. Some enjoy opulence and wealth, while others cannot even put food on their tables. Some live in mansions, while others live in temporary shelters with their entire families.

Ecclesiastes 5:8 "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for [he that is] higher than the highest regardeth; and [there be] higher than they."

The standard of living for most Americans is dropping at an alarming rate. And no one person or economic program can combat this insidious problem quickly and effectively to prevent the upcoming economic disaster that hangs over all of us. Recession and depression are not just nebulous possibilities, but very real threats to our people.

No economic stimulus will be the panacea; no governmental bailout will provide for us. There is no viable solution that exists in the world financial system. We desperately need divine intervention to correct this horrible imbalance, and restore peace and prosperity to all mankind. We must rely on almighty God to set matters straight in our own country and all around the world.

Oppression of the Poor

Ezekiel 22:29 "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully."

Widespread oppression of the middle class and the poor is on the rise. Exploitation has become a way of life for many greedy individuals who devour those less fortunate than themselves. They have no God in their lives, and their morals are non-existent. Their goal is to accumulate more wealth with little or no regard to the human suffering that they cause. They hoard their material possessions while others do without their basic needs being met.

We have an influx of immigrants from other countries that have come here in search of the American dream - freedom and prosperity for all men. Yet they are often disappointed in the reactions that they encounter in their struggle to assimilate within our society. They are rejected because they are different, and our prejudice keeps them bound in as much poverty and lack as they experienced before they came here.

Isaiah 3:15 "What mean ye [that] ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts."

All sorts of scams and moneymaking schemes have surfaced, that attempt to bilk others out of their resources. They appear too good to be true, yet many are still deceived. Con artists of all types are devouring the naïve and innocent among us. Men everywhere are covetous and ungrateful, and opportunism with no regard to the consequences is on the rise. Very few are able to keep their sense of perspective with what is happening all around us.

It is extremely rare to find someone who is comfortable and financially secure at this juncture. The middle class is a thing of the past, and there is an emergence of the very poor among us, who live at standards well below poverty level. These are the "poorest of the poor," and their plight is desperate. However, there is a curse of poverty that threatens to oppress all of us, and we need to fight back individually and collectively as a people.

The Lord has seen it all, and is sorely grieved that His people are experiencing poverty and lack, with exploitation only adding to their problems. It is not His will that any man should suffer from poverty and lack, oppression or exploitation. He can and will intervene in our affairs if we will only cry out for His help. He has an answer for every perplexity that we face.

There is no need for us to become despondent or desperate. The Creator of the universe will come to our aid. He will not continue to blink the eye at what is happening all around us. He is ever willing and able to generously supply all of our needs in abundance. He has the wealth of the universe at His disposal, and works through His people to minister to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged among us.

Exploitation in the Workplace

Leviticus 25:17 "Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I [am] the LORD your God."

The "living wage" is dwindling as moderately good paying jobs are eliminated due to labor outsourcing, company down sizing or total dissolution. Many of our large manufacturing companies are closing their plants altogether and relocating in other countries. They may want to remain American owned and operated, but they must find ways to cut down on expenses and stay soluble.

They often look for cheap labor rates as a solution to their lack of profitability, and these can be most easily found on foreign soil. Instead of oppressing our people, they oppress those in the countries where they relocate. They continue to pay low wages with no benefits to their workers. It's a never-ending vicious circle of greed and exploitation of the poor, and the Lord will not bless their efforts, nor prosper their businesses.

The job market itself has changed and many find themselves under-educated for the new technical positions that are emerging. They lack vocational training and education, so they are on the outside looking in. Many of these jobs eliminate manual labor altogether, in favor of robotic methodologies. Man is made to feel worthless and obsolete as improved technology overrides human importance in the interest of a higher bottom line.

Hosea 12:7 "[He is] a merchant, the balances of deceit [are] in his hand: he loveth to oppress."

Employers are no longer paternalistic as they struggle to keep their companies in operation. They have relinquished their values in favor of profitability. They overwork their employees, and show little regard for their human needs. They drastically cut their workforces, and compromise the quality of the goods and services they produce. When things don't improve regardless of their cost-cutting practices, they often close their doors altogether with no notice to their staffs.

Far too many of our people are laid off, out of work or drastically underemployed. Some are working two and three low paying part-time jobs just to survive. They are burnt out and frustrated, depressed and discouraged, and their plight only worsens regardless of how they strategize. They simply cannot make ends meet, no matter how hard they try. They have reached a point of no return and they are eager for relief of any kind. Survival has become an end in and of itself.

The average gross income has drastically dropped, together with our standard of living. Our disposable incomes after taxes are meager and insufficient to meet our needs. Unemployment is at a record high, and job opportunities are scarce. People are becoming desperate and they compromise their principles; they often become lawless and the crime rate is increasing. Fear and greed run rampant, as people lose their sense of values and their compassion for one another's needs. They are looking for a quick fix that simply doesn't exist.

Deuteronomy 24:14 "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant [that is] poor and needy, [whether he be] of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that [are] in thy land within thy gates:"

Wealthy business men are consuming their less fortunate employees by paying sub-standard wages and offering no benefits. They bully their workforce into submission, and destroy the unions that used to protect them. They threaten company closing or re-location if their employees object to their non-paternalistic management methods. The average wages have not been able to keep up with inflation, while the company owners enjoy all the profits.

Labor unions are being abolished because they challenge the unethical practices of big businesses. This leaves the workers totally unprotected from exploitation and injustice in the workplace. We have a surplus of American workers that have no employee health or retirement benefits whatsoever. They are virtually unprotected from personal calamity. So too, many are injured on the job, and the company finds a way to terminate them altogether, rather than compensate them for their loss.

The Lord will champion the cause of the exploited among us. Jesus Christ Himself will destroy all evil in the wrath of His coming. He is adamant to destroy the ungodly and all of their ungodliness, the Bible tells us. He will eradicate all attempts of the enemy to impoverish and oppress His people. There will be no exploitation or lack in the Kingdom of God. All who dwell there will enjoy blessings and prosperity, while all those who practice evil will be banished for all eternity.

Afflictions of the Poor

Psalm 22:24 "For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard."

We now have a glut of single parents who must rely on government funding and services for the low-income in order to support their children. If they work at all, they make subsistence wages and cannot keep up with the demands of the workplace for more highly skilled labor. They are often willing to work, but unable to afford much needed childcare, education or transportation costs. Working is simply not profitable for them, and they have little or no hope for the future.

Many seniors suffer from the effects of malnutrition, disease, old age, and lack of affordable medical care. They may have government Medicare insurance, but they also have heavy medical bills and insufficient resources to meet their coinsurance requirements. They must often choose between eating and seeking medical services. Many cannot afford their prescription drugs, and suffer from maladies of all sorts that remain untreated.

They may be relegated to losing their homes in an effort just to make ends meet, yet there is insufficient senior housing available to absorb the growing need. They are left with few options, if they do not have friend or relatives willing to shelter them. They succumb to the evils of old age and often end up in sub-standard nursing homes as wards of the state.

People are losing their homes due to foreclosure, and families are breaking up housekeeping, with nowhere to go. There are many homeless in this country that must take temporary refuge in community shelters or with friends and relatives. Some live in their vehicles, in tents or under viaducts, almost as if they were refugees in their own land. They break into vacant houses and are forced to squat on property that is not theirs, just to put a roof over their heads. They are disenfranchised and disillusioned, with no hope in sight for the future.

Proverbs 22:22 "Rob not the poor, because he [is] poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:"

Much needed medical and dental services are cost prohibitive to the very people that need them the most. The poor often suffer from the effects of stress and malnutrition and have medical and dental problems as a result. Low-cost clinics are quickly disappearing due to lack of funding, so they are left without these necessary treatments.

The poor may be deprived of their legal rights in one way or another, with no advocacy available to them. Attorneys are simply raising their rates to the point that they have become unaffordable to the average person. Many are cheated and oppressed with no one to advise them what is legally due them. They become angry and frustrated and often take the law in their own hands, which only compounds their problems.

2Samuel 22:28 "And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes [are] upon the haughty, [that] thou mayest bring [them] down."

Essential products and services such as food, housing, clothing and public utilities, are so outrageously priced that the average individual is forced to either drastically cut back on them or do without altogether. We all are experiencing lack in one way or another, and an unusually high number of individuals and entire families are taking refuge with friends and relatives to pool their resources just to survive.

Motor vehicles are expensive to purchase and operate and costly to insure, relegating many to public transportation that runs only in limited geographic areas. Even so, mass transportation is becoming cost-prohibitive to the poor, and they end up walking the streets in pursuit of their needs, or hitchhiking rides from those who do have vehicles.

Higher education is quickly becoming a thing of the past as sources for student loans, grants and scholarships are dwindling. On-the-job-training is cost prohibitive in many instances. Displaced workers who require education to be re-employed simply cannot afford it. The job market is highly competitive and only the strong seem to survive.

We have a great many young people dropping out of high school because they are disillusioned with their prospects for the future. Their employment possibilities are extremely limited without high school diplomas. But all too often their families rely on the meager wages that their undereducated teenaged children earn at minimum wage jobs, just to make ends meet for the entire family.

The Lord see this inequity and He will not continue to disregard what is being done to the poor among us. He has a plan in mind that will lead us out of our despondency and despair for all time. He will wreak vengeance on the enemies of His people and level all playing fields so that the poor among us are exalted, while the wicked are punished in their iniquity for all eternity.

The Rich Get Richer

Proverbs 22:7 "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender."

Lenders are having a field day as they issue credit with little or no scrutiny regarding the borrower's ability to repay the debt. They aren't looking for credit-worthy risks. They target young people, in particular, who are easy prey to bad spending habits. With interest rates at an average of 20% to 30% or more on credit cards, people are financing everything from food and gasoline, to their mortgage payments and utilities.

Unscrupulous lending companies issue housing mortgages that appear to be affordable, but have outrageous balloon payments that eventually become due. The low cost government housing programs, which were designed to help the poor acquire safe, decent and affordable housing, have ended up consuming them and their homes, and further sabotaging our national economy.

Many have little or no knowledge of the overwhelming effect of compound interest rates, and they are being destroyed by their borrowing practices. Their standard of living never improves, because they are charged exorbitant rates of interest, yet they never get caught up on their principal payments. And the products and services they purchase, if not immediately consumed, only depreciate with the using. The average person is using credit unwisely and being entangled in its web.

Millions of Americans spend more than they make and are over-extended in their indebtedness. We have become a country that lives off of credit debt in order to subsist. It's not so much that people want a higher standard of living to which they may be entitled. Credit spending is often simply a matter of survival; it offers them a short-term means to get the necessary goods and services to sustain life. These are victims of the credit industry's oppression, but it will stop. The Lord Himself will restore "just weights and balances," fairness and equality on the earth.

Psalm 62:10 "Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart [upon them]."

The rich do not even seem to notice; they are intent on their own agendas. They may be making their fortunes in big business or the sports and entertainment industries. They could be medical or legal professionals who charge excessive hourly rates for their much-needed services. Some may even run mega-churches and operate huge television ministries and intimidate men into thinking that God wants and needs their money.

Whatever the case, the wealthy man's major focus is to gather even more wealth. Their affluence is never sufficient to meet the needs of their egos, and they devour one another in their efforts to see who will be the richest and most powerful among us. They are not concerned with the methods they employ for making money, nor the human suffering they cause in their efforts to increase their net worth.

They are so caught up in themselves and their greed that they fail to realize that there is a just God who will wreak vengeance on their evil ways. The Lord will not only punish oppression of all types, but the Bible says that He will ultimately redistribute the wealth of the wicked to the poor among us. He is a just and fair God and His Kingdom will level all playing fields when it is ushered in to the earth.

Power and Greed

Psalm 37:14 "The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay such as be of upright conversation."

There is no doubt about it. We live in an acquisitive society, where materialism is glorified instead of God. Power and greed always corrupt a people. We have become a nation of thieves and robbers. We think nothing of treading others under our feet, as we selfishly climb the corporate ladders of success. We have little or no regard for those less fortunate than ourselves, and selfishly think only of our own needs.

We oppress the poor and devour the young with glitzy advertising that tempts people to over-spend and go into debt. We deify sports figures and entertainers who have disproportionate incomes to our very own. We glorify casino spending and home shopping channels on television. We make it seem as though we need the very latest electronic gadget and name brand article of clothing just to survive. We live for the hope of winning the lottery and glorify the decadent world system rather than rely on God to meet our needs.

Psalm 10:2 "The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined."

The wicked contrive to exploit those less fortunate, but they will be caught in their own trap. Their scams and schemes will follow them into eternity. The Lord hates persecution of all types and He will defend the cause of the unfortunate regardless of how it appears right now in the natural. There is hope for the oppressed; the Lord has heard their cry. He will intervene in a dramatic way to correct this situation.

We live in a day when greed and selfishness are the norm. This phenomenon is worldwide and evidence that the hearts of men everywhere have grown cold as was predicted. Love and generosity are so rare that the Lord Himself must intercede and mobilize His people in the church, before an entire segment of the world's population is eradicated. We will become a clearinghouse for the distribution of goods and services in the days to come. Our love for those who suffer among us will be a beacon of light in a dark and troubled world.

No Permanent Solutions in the World

Psalm 119:122 "Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me."

We abolish employee benefit programs and force an aging workforce to retire before they are financially able to sustain their life styles. We charge such huge mark-ups on necessary goods and services that we are making them inaccessible to all but the very wealthy. Food and fuel prices surge, and these basic commodities are out of reach for many individuals who are among the poorest of the poor.

The poor are disadvantaged, disenchanted and disenfranchised. Many live in houses that are awaiting sheriff sale or foreclosure, with no utilities even hooked up. In many instances, entire families are living under bridges, in tents or their motor vehicles if they are fortunate to have them. There are multitudes of children that would not eat except for school lunch programs. It is unseemly that this should occur in a country as wealthy as ours, and surely our God sees it all.

The federal government is quickly bankrupting in an effort to fund the military and the rapidly depleting Social Security and Welfare programs. Our politicians vote themselves huge pay raises, yet fail to legislate minimum wages that keep pace with inflation. Our government has the funds necessary to bail out our large corporations and financial institutions, but the average taxpayer goes without and suffers alone in his plight.

There are always campaign promises of tax cuts for the middle-class and the poor, but everything from food to shelter is taxed upon tax in many states. Federal income tax rates for the middle-income individuals only seem to escalate, while big businesses have tax shelters. Economic stimulus checks such as those issued during the last presidential administration are but a band-aid approach to the threat of poverty that overshadows the average American today. We desperately need a drastic change or we will all be bankrupted.

Zephaniah 3:12 "I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD."

Privately funded social service agencies cannot keep up with the demand for relief to the poor, as they are under-staffed and drastically lacking in funds. They rely on contributions from a rapidly disappearing middle-class workforce that has generously sustained them in the past. However, with income cuts so prevalent, charitable funds to aid the poor and disadvantaged are also reduced.

Charities such as the United Way and American Red Cross are compromised in their ability to minister much-needed relief to the poor. Charitable fund-raisers, once so well received and successful in generating funds for worthy causes, are now falling by the wayside.

With the dissolution of the middle class, the poverty level in this country is dropping to a new low. Where we used to have a class of "nouveau rich" that experienced sudden wealth and were able to raise their standards of living accordingly, we now have the "nouveau poor" who have seemingly lost everything almost overnight.

The poor are becoming too numerous to count, and they are in drastic straits. So too, the poorest of the poor - the homeless and destitute - are ever increasing, as well. Their needs are seemingly endless and oppressive. They require everything from food and clothing to shelter. It's a never-ending, downward economic spiral that has reached crisis proportion, with no relief in sight. And ours is supposedly the richest country in the world...

2Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

It's time that we turn back to God as a nation. We have all but eliminated His presence in our daily lives, and without Him we are victims of horrendous demonic attack. Spirits of poverty and oppression threaten to overtake us. We must turn to Him in sincere repentance, cry out for forgiveness and mend our evil ways. We have to be walking in love for Him and for one another, or we face the very real possibility of financial annihilation and personal extinction.

We need to get back to basics in all of our lives. We must repent of our pride and arrogance, our stubborn independence and reliance on the world system for doing things. It has miserably failed and is consuming all in its path. We should cry out to God to intervene in the affairs of men and restore peace and order to our world through any available means, and as soon as possible before we are engulfed in more disaster.

We must rely on God and Him alone to direct our paths and lead us into prosperity and abundance. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has simply waited for us to wear ourselves out in all our struggling to be independent of Him and His way of doing things. He will supply all of our needs for the short-term and the long range. He has the answer to every perplexity, and promises us that our lives will improve as we approach the coming of His Kingdom to the earth.

Topics for Discussion

1. Describe the Life of the Poor in Third-World Countries.
2. Discuss the Erosion of the Middle Class.
3. What is Happening to the Poverty Level in This Country?
4. Contrast the Attitude of the Rich With the Poor.
5. Power and Greed
6. Solutions to Poverty
7. What is God's Plan for Our Future?

Chapter 2 - God is No Respecter of Persons

Acts 10:34-5 "Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

The Lord is not prejudiced - He is no respecter of persons. We are all equally important in His sight. He loves men, women and children, rich and poor in every nation of the world. There are righteous individuals from all socio-economic classes, every tongue and race, who walk in love and peace with their fellows. They are kind and generous, giving and forgiving. These are they who please the Lord and do His will; they will enter into His Kingdom as their eternal reward.

And there are those who are selfish or even contrive to use and abuse others, rich and poor alike. Perhaps they manipulate and control, oppress and coerce their fellow man. They may exploit everyone, irrespective of their status in life. These are the ones that Jesus Christ will punish in His coming wrath. He will not tolerate those who ignore His law of love concerning others; He will not close His eyes to the blatancy of their sin.

Regardless of our position in life, we can opt to walk in love for the Lord and for one another as He has directed us. We all have unique needs that require satisfaction. While the poor may need material help, the more affluent are often lonely and lack companionship. They may need spiritual guidance and the gospel to be preached to them. We can care and share with all men as God leads us, with no regard for their net worth.

Creator of All Men

1Samuel 2:7-8 "The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them."

The Lord has created each of us for a specific destiny. Some He exalts; others are debased, but He is able to reverse our circumstances in a heartbeat. In a short while, all playing fields will be leveled, as Jesus Christ Himself renders fair and equitable judgment and decides who is qualified for entering into the all consuming prosperity of the Kingdom of God on the earth. The first will be last and the last will be first.

Christ alone is the righteous judge of all men - both great and small. He sees the inner heart of a man and judges us by how much we love others and interact with them in our daily lives. Good intentions will mean nothing; only those who actually do the will of the Father will enter in to the Kingdom. Many who are prosperous and exalted now, will be brought low, and many who are poor and suffering now, will be exalted.

Many blessings await the righteous, and the Lord will see to it that all our needs are met. There will be no poverty and lack in the Kingdom of God. There will be no oppression or exploitation of any kind. There will be love and peace, prosperity and joy for all Kingdom residents. There is a just retribution coming for all men that will endure for all eternity. The wicked will be punished and the righteous will be blessed.

Proverbs 22:2 "The rich and poor meet together: the LORD [is] the maker of them all."

There will be no superficial divisions among us in the Kingdom of God. The Lord loves all men equally. Both the rich and the poor will enter in, as long as they have purged themselves of all iniquity. However, nothing and no one that defiles will be allowed to exist in the Kingdom. All evil will be excluded and punished, as the righteous receive their due rewards and blessings for all eternity. Christ Himself will make certain that justice is not compromised in any way.

There will be safety and security for all in the Kingdom. There will be no jealousy or envy, no greed or covetousness of any kind. There will be no oppression or exploitation of one person over another. All men will dwell in peace and unity, fairness and equality. Poverty and lack will be abolished for all time. Prosperity and blessings will be available to all who dwell in the Kingdom of God.

Men will put on glorious, resurrection bodies that are no longer ravaged by death and disease. We will build habitations and dwell together in love and joy for all eternity. We will enjoy our families and be able to meet their needs generously, so that none suffer lack. Our children and our children's children will all experience abundance and hope for the future. We will have glory and honor instead of our former sorrow and shame.

The Lord Himself will come and take up residence with us to ensure that our needs are totally satisfied. He will anticipate all that we require even before we ask Him. He is a loving and generous God and He has the wealth of the universe stored up for distribution to His people. There is no good thing that we will lack in the presence of almighty God.

It's Not About the Money

Proverbs 13:7 "There is that maketh himself rich, yet [hath] nothing: [there is] that maketh himself poor, yet [hath] great riches."

A man's worth is not determined by what he has, but rather, by what he is in his heart. There are many rich people that have nothing in life with eternal value because of their greed, corruption and selfishness. They lack brotherly love and righteousness; they are often alone and lonely. They will reap eternal judgment to include the loss of their material wealth, if they refuse to change their ways.

So too, there are many who lack the world's goods, yet have the "true riches" because they love God and others and share all that they do have. They are loving and generous and always willing to give of their material means, their time and talent. They are kind and sociable; they surround themselves with people, and never mistreat others. They are deemed righteous before God because of their love for all men.

The Bible tells us to seek first the principles of the Kingdom of God, and all our needs will be met, both in the present and for all eternity. We should strive for spiritual gifts rather than material things that only disappear and decay with the using. We ought to walk in love and seek the fellowship and friendship of others. We have to develop our relationship with God Himself so that we are never alone and lonely.

The Kingdom of God represents righteousness, peace and joy for all men. It will be total fairness and equality for all who enter into it. It is characterized by unselfish love for God and for others. It will not include selfishness, oppression or exploitation of any kind. Choosing the Kingdom way of life ensures that we will dwell in peace and prosperity now in this world, as well as for all time.

Revelation 3:17-19 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

Complacency is a dangerous thing. There are those who glory in their wealth, yet are poor by God's standards. They store up their money for selfish purposes, never caring or sharing with others. They live and die to self, interested only in accumulating more and more wealth. They have a surplus of material possessions that they must ultimately leave to others. They are blind to the truth and spiritually bankrupt. They are wretched, miserable and poor in the Lord's eyes.

There are others who have less wealth but may be financially comfortable and secure. They pride themselves in needing no one or anything. They are self-sufficient instead of God-sufficient. If they fail to help others who are in need, they too will fail the test of the Lord's required love and generosity. Their lukewarm, selfish attitudes will be their downfall. Without love for the Lord and others in their lives, they too will be miserable.

These are the truly poor of this world. They will never know the eternal riches of the Kingdom of God, because they will be disqualified from entering in to it. The Lord is rebuking some of us; He chastens those whom He loves. None of us lives or dies without impacting the lives of others. It is His desire that we cleanse ourselves of all unselfishness and share what we have with those who are in need. This is the true measure for determining if we walk in uncompromised love for Him and for our fellow man.

Kingdom Standards

Luke 12:15 "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

The Kingdom of God is built on righteousness - right thinking and right acting. Everything we do must line up with the Word of God as final authority. The Word says that we are to love, and it also stipulates that we should act on that love. Love demands that we share what we have with others, regardless of who they are. We are to put their needs on an even plane with our own, knowing that by the grace of God we have ourselves been spared a similar plight.

We must not be greedy and covetous of material things that only rot away with the using. None of these will determine our eternal worth. In light of eternity, they mean nothing. We should be quick to share all that we have. Empathy and compassion demand that we help to supply others' basic needs when they are lacking. Righteousness requires that we treat others with fairness and equality, as we ourselves would like to be treated.

Proverbs 28:6 "Better [is] the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than [he that is] perverse [in his] ways, though he [be] rich."

God will not stand for continued oppression of the poor, nor will he put up with those who ignore their plight. That makes us equally guilty for their lack. He is sending His Son, Jesus Christ back to the earth to destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness, and render just and righteous judgment - to rich and poor alike, both believers and unbelievers.

There must be no more greedy exploitation of the disadvantaged, nor should there be a righteous man or woman who fails to stand in the gap. We must take a strong stand for the plight of the poor and suffering among us. We can each do something to alleviate this problem. Even the smallest act of charity will make a difference and impact lives. And it will serve as an example to the unrighteous, as we help to alleviate suffering in our midst.

James 2:1-8 "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"

The church is to judge all men with right judgment, and welcome all into the fellowship of believers. We must spread the gospel to whomever will receive it, regardless of their material wealth. We are to show no partiality towards others in our fellowship, whether they be rich or poor. Christians are not to be prejudiced with regard to people's backgrounds or their socio-economic status. We should be concerned with their spirits, not their net worth.

Regardless of our position in life, the Lord judges each of us by how much we love Him, and how well we walk in love with one another. He is not overly concerned, as many would think, about our ability to tithe and make offerings. Nor does He care what we wear when we come to worship Him. He is concerned about the inner man of the heart. He blesses the poor in spirit, whether they are rich or poor in the natural realm.

There will be no preferential treatment in the Kingdom, as the Lord loves each of us totally and impartially. All of our needs will be satisfied on an even plane with our brothers' needs, and we will be assured of fairness and equality. The only ones who will be excluded from the Lord's providence and His presence will be the unloving and the greedy. No defilement of this sort will be tolerated in the Kingdom of God. On the contrary, it will be punished for all eternity.

Love Levels All Playing Fields

Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. "

We will all have the same opportunity to enter in to the Kingdom of God. Jesus died for each of us, and His righteousness extends to all who believe in Him and walk in faith. Whether rich or poor in the world's goods, we each have to make the all-important decision of laying all that we have aside to follow in Christ's footsteps, and do the will of his Father.

While it is important that we love one another in spirit, it is equally important to love in the flesh. Our love walk requires that we share with those who have temporal or spiritual needs. Walking in love demands no less of us, than that we lay down our lives for one another. That means sharing all that we have as a demonstration of our love for our neighbor.

Regardless of how much or how little material wealth we have, Jesus Christ will judge each of us by the same fair and equitable standards. If we have loved others as we love ourselves, we will be found suitable to enter the Kingdom of God on this earth. If we have failed to do the Lord's will and have been selfish, greedy or oppressive in our treatment of others, we will be eternally punished and excluded from His Kingdom.

There will be no artificial barriers of any type that separate us in the Kingdom of God. There will be no socio-economic classes that segregate and divide us from one another. The Lord Himself will dwell with men and anticipate all our needs even before we ask Him. The wealth of the universe will be freely supplied to all of us for our equal use and enjoyment. We will experience peace and prosperity, and the freedom to enjoy abundance forever.

Topics for Discussion

1. God is No Respecter of Persons.
2. Who Are the Truly Rich?
3. Who Are the Truly Poor?
4. Kingdom Standards for Righteousness
5. Love Levels All Playing Fields.
6. Fairness and Equality in the Kingdom

Chapter 3 - The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor

Psalm 40:17 "But I [am] poor and needy; [yet] the Lord thinketh upon me: thou [art] my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God."

Many are so poor and distraught that all they can do is cry out to God. They may have tried everything in the natural to solve their problems, yet nothing works. No matter what they do, or how hard they try, they simply cannot get a financial breakthrough. They may be under a true curse of poverty and lack. While it may be painful and uncomfortable for a season, that is actually a wonderful place to be - it's called the "God space."

The Lord waits for us to wear ourselves out, so that He can show Himself strong on our behalf.

He wants to put an end to all our worry and anxiety. We are not to be overly concerned about the cares of this world. When God is all that we have, God is all that we need. He intervenes on our behalf according to His will, and slowly, but surely, He lifts us up out of the misery of poverty and lack to a safe place of abundance in Him.

The Bible tells us that the Lord supplies all our needs. That includes all spiritual and temporal requirements. No need is too great, nor any situation too urgent. If we will seek first the Kingdom of God, there is a solution to all our perplexity and lack. The Bible says that all good things will be added to us. God has an ample supply of all that we require to sustain life readily available. And His hand is not shortened in getting it to us just when we need it the most.

Psalm 34:6 "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard [him], and saved him out of all his troubles."

The Lord delights in our total dependence on Him. He is ever ready to pour out both comfort and material blessings to those who call on Him. He will lift our spirits and encourage us to have faith in Him. He will teach us to rise up and stand our ground against every effort to oppress us. He will never turn us away or permit us to leave Him empty handed. God supplies all that we lack and He furnishes our needs in abundance.

Whether we have spiritual or material needs is irrelevant; the Lord supplies them all. He wants us to prosper in every area of our lives. He will meet our needs totally and completely. While He may not respond when and how we think that He should, He will supernaturally deliver all that we require and prevent us from experiencing utter disaster. He's a God that never sleeps or slumbers, and He is on time, every time.

We Cry Out to God

Psalm 44:24 "Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?"

Sometimes it seems that the Lord has hidden His face from us. We mistakenly think that He is bringing judgment on us, or is impervious to our pain. It appears the heavens have turned to brass and that our prayers are not being heard. Our circumstances suggest that things have not changed, and will probably get worse, but nothing could be further from the truth.

God loves us with an everlasting love and will supply all our needs in abundance. We must only cry out to Him in our desperation to see Him rally to our cause; He will not fail us. He may have a reason for delaying His response to our needs. It may well be that He has an even better solution in mind than the one that we have prayed for Him to supply. We can become so focused on our problems that we forget that the Lord has all the solutions to every perplexity that we face.

We often feel alone and isolated in our need, and mistakenly think that our situation and circumstances are the only ones that matter. At times like this, we should take a long look at those around us, to see that others have things even worse than we do. We can be eminently grateful for what little we do have, and rely on the Lord to supply what we lack. He will always do so in abundance.

Our God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the Bible tells us. All the wealth of the universe is at His disposal, and He is ever merciful and gracious to supply our needs. We must cry out to Him in fervent prayer, believe that He hears us, and wait expectantly for Him to intervene in our affairs. He can and will punish all those who oppress us, and relieve His people's suffering in dramatic ways.

The Lord has an inexhaustible supply of all good things stored up in readiness for distribution to His people. He will always meet our needs if we will be patient and positive in our outlook. He delights in partnering with man in every endeavor. He expects us to visualize prosperity in our lives and help speak it into existence with positive decrees. He can and will reverse our fortunes in a minute, if we will wait on His providence.

Deuteronomy 26:7 "And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:"

There is a day coming when all the ungodly and their ungodliness will be judged and punished. The Lord will take vengeance on all the enemies of His people. Jesus Christ is not returning as a meek and mild Lamb this time. He will overturn all the unrighteous schemes that oppress and exploit the poor among us, and punish the wicked in their evil ways. He Himself will restore prosperity to His people and they will never again know want or lack.

Thank God that He has heard the cry of all the poor and afflicted. He will intervene and advocate for His people. He will not allow this imbalance of greed and corruption to continue much longer. Christ is coming back to banish all evil from the face of the earth and to rule and reign in His Kingdom. He will make certain that there is safety and security for all who trust in Him.

The Lord will soon provide all our needs abundantly, according to His promises, and He will restore all that the enemy has stolen from us. We will never experience the anguish of poverty and lack ever again. God will anticipate our every need and be quick to supply it for our pleasure and prosperity. We will experience life to the fullest in the Kingdom of God on the earth.

The Lord is a Righteous Judge

Psalm 35:10 "All my bones shall say, LORD, who [is] like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?"

The Lord abhors oppression of the poor. His eyes are not closed to their suffering. He disdains any form of wickedness that would enslave others and keep them in bondage. This is an egregious offense in His eyes. He brings down the proud and haughty who injure others; He destroys greed and injustice of all types. And He intervenes from heaven to set the captives free and put them on a straight path of blessing.

People who use and abuse others to make their fortunes do not impress the Lord. He regards this as oppression, and He will judge these individuals most stringently according to His law of love. He will deliver the poor from all who would exploit them and render righteous punishments for all iniquity of this type. He will ultimately seize the wealth and material goods of the greedy and redistribute them to the poor, so that there are no poor among us.

Psalm 72:4 "He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor."

The Lord Himself will judge and defend the cause of the needy. He will deliver the poor from those who exploit him, and keep him bound in poverty and squalor. Jesus Christ will utter destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness from the face of the earth at His return. He will judge the oppressors and they will endure eternal punishment. He will provide for the needs of the righteous for all eternity, as we usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth.

God is able to reverse our fortunes right before our very eyes. He takes delight in making a strong and dramatic point. The first will be last and the last will be first. There are those who currently enjoy all that life has to offer, yet remain greedy and covetous in their dealings with others. They will soon be on the outside looking in, as the poor and disadvantaged take their place in God's Kingdom for all eternity.

Restore!

Isaiah 42:22 "But this [is] a people robbed and spoiled; [they are] all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore."

The Lord is not pleased with deceptive economic practices. It's a matter of unjust weights and measures with Him. It is profligate robbery of His people and He will not tolerate it any longer. He's heard the cries of the poor and needy. He pities them, because they are prey to the enemy. He loves us unconditionally and will generously supply all our needs according to His riches in glory, the Bible tells us.

At this point in time, He is appealing to His church to rise up and advocate for the cause of the impoverished and take a stand for their restoration. We can intercede in prayer and do spiritual warfare on their behalf. We can break off their yokes of poverty and restore them to wholeness in the Lord. We can comfort and encourage them, teach them Kingdom principles of prosperity, and lead them out of their misery by our godly example.

Christians can make our voices heard as a strong special interest group and governmental lobby. We can advocate for emergency relief services. We can vote in legislators who are willing to meet the grass roots needs of the poorest people by developing programs that help them help themselves. And we can take a strong stand for cuts in tax rates for the middle income taxpayers who are barely making ends meet as it is.

We can employ those less fortunate if we own or manage a business. We can pay them living wages with incentives for growth and advancement. We can invest in their re-training and higher education. We can help the poor find safe, decent and affordable housing. We can minister to their physical needs for food and clothing as best we can, and we can help return to them what the enemy has taken from them over the years. We can treat them fairly and generously as we ourselves would be treated. But we must do something, as it's become a matter of life and death for many.

The Lord Delivers the Poor

Psalm 72:12 "For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and [him] that hath no helper."

There is no need to ever feel desperate or despondent. We are not alone in our struggles. The Creator of the universe will not let us down. He will intervene in our affairs if we ask Him.

The Lord hears our cries; we have an ever loving and merciful God that fights on our behalf. He is the source of all good things, and He makes a way for His people in any dilemma. The Lord often works behind the scenes to accomplish great feats on our behalf.

He can miraculously supply our need, or give us spiritual insight and revelation so that we can discover solutions to our problems for ourselves. He may arrange our contacts so that godly people relieve our suffering. The most important thing to remember is to call out to God in our desperate need. That should always be our first step. He is ever ready to hear our sorrowful complaints, and merciful and kind to attend to all our needs.

So too, we must be ready and willing to respond and obey His direction for our lives. If He tells us to give up certain spending habits, then He has a reason and a purpose for that. Perhaps He will encourage us to pursue higher education as part of His provision for us. Maybe we need to be more effective stewards of what He has already given us. It may be that He wants us to give something away to receive in return.

Whatever the case, the Lord will never lead us in paths that tend to destruction; He is always ready to guide us into the fullness of Him and His blessings. His commandments are never burdensome, but are intended for our benefit. It is important that we be willing to follow His direction for our lives if we would be prosperous and successful. He wants to bless us in every area and that requires us to be loving and obedient.

Psalm 9:18 "For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall [not] perish for ever."

The Lord will never leave us or forsake us in our suffering, no matter how it may appear in the natural. He is loving and merciful to those in need. The only thing we must do is call out to Him, and have the patience and faith that He will manifest Himself to us. We should also thank Him in advance for supplying all that we require to live happy, prosperous lives. It is His heart-felt desire to bless us with every good thing.

God often moves sovereignly on behalf of those in need. He delights in showing Himself strong on behalf of the oppressed. He may supernaturally supply wealth and material resources for our needs. Other times He may send someone to assist us, or arrange circumstances that provide us with an opportunity to solve our own problems. He delights in partnering with man, and is ever ready to lend His assistance.

The Lord even dispatches angels to meet our needs. They comfort and minister to us in our darkest hour. They lead and guide us to a safe place in Him. So too, they come against all spirits of poverty and oppression that would enslave us. We should assist them in their efforts by learning to do spiritual warfare of our own. We must bind every effort of Satan that would rob us of our blessings, and loose abundance and prosperity in our lives.

Job 5:15 "But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty."

Job brought disaster on himself with his own negative thoughts and words. He gave the enemy an open door and legal right of entry into his life, through what he believed in his heart and spoke out of his mouth. His worst fears ended up almost consuming him, because he gave voice to them and increased their power to destroy. Evil attacked him and caused unnecessary suffering as a result. He was ultimately restored, but suffered a great deal due to his own negativity.

Guard Your Thoughts and Words

We must be cautious what we speak over our own lives, and careful what we hear spoken about us. We should not permit word curses to come on us; we should never buy into negativity of any kind. We have to be aware of the fact that we sometimes give the enemy legal right of entry into our lives with our own negative thoughts and words. We should never obsess about our problems or discuss them in great detail. They are temporary circumstances that can and will be changed according the Lord's plans and provision for us.

The Bible tells us that we will have what we speak, and it is critical that everything we say about our situations and circumstances lines up with what the Word of God says about our lives. The Word says that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. That includes every good thing that we might require to be prosperous in all our ways. If we have faith and speak it forth, our circumstances will change for the better.

2Corinthians 4:13 "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;"

God's people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge. The Lord will save us from doing damage to our own lives, if we will line up our thoughts and words with the Word of God. We must be diligent to study God's Word and ready to make any necessary changes that it encourages. We must believe what He tells us, meditate on His promises, and speak only what He says, to see positive results manifest in our lives.

We know that what we see and speak will materialize, as long as it lines up with His will for our lives. It is always God's will that we prosper, and have an abundance to do every good work that He assigns us. We should be very careful what we think and speak over our situation and circumstances. We must visualize positive outcomes, and speak words of life over ourselves to see them manifest in the natural realm. Our words hold the very same creative power that God's own Word does.

Positive Decrees and Visualization

Job 22:28 "Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways."

With words God created the entire universe. We are created in His very own image and likeness. There is both creative and destructive power available to us through our own words. We should never speak poverty and lack on ourselves. We must not say that we are "broke," that we cannot afford something, or focus on the fact that we are in debt. We should never refer to ourselves as "homeless" or "jobless", as that implies personal ownership of a temporary condition that is causing us to suffer.

We should not dwell on or speak about the problems that we face, no matter how tempted we might be to succumb to that bad habit. That gives them more power over us. We must, rather, speak the solution. The Bible tells us to call those things, which be not, as though they were already here. (See Romans 4:17) We can speak what we want to see come about in our lives, certain that what we decree and declare will come to pass. The Lord Himself will back up our positive decrees that line up with His Word and His will.

Matthew 12:36-37 "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words, thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Our words will either justify us or condemn us. We will be held accountable for everything that we speak. We ought to declare blessings over our lives even before they show up. We must say that we are prospered and in health, and that all of our needs are met. We have to decree every bill paid, every debt cancelled and every need met. We know that all of heaven backs up our words, because they line up with the Lord's will for our lives.

So too, we can help our situations to turn in our favor by visualizing positive outcomes even before they manifest in the natural realm. Entertainers and athletes use this power of visualization continuously. They actually see the expected outcome in their mind's eye. We can also put good things, favorable images, in our minds and hearts and expectantly await their manifestation.

Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"

We can use the visual powers of the Holy Spirit and generate an abundance of good for our lives.

For example, if it's transportation we lack, we can envision ourselves driving a nice car or truck.

If we need food or clothing, we can see ourselves eating a decent meal or wearing nice clothes. If we require housing, we ought to visualize a safe, decent and affordable home. If we need and want a good job, we should see ourselves actually performing it.

The possibilities are endless, and limited only by our imagination. God is able to deliver more than we could ever ask or think. But we must cooperate with Him to see blessings manifest. We must speak what He says and see what He sees. Combining positive verbal decrees with positive mental imaging will give us astounding results in our lives. It will produce hope and confidence for the future, and help to minimize our wait for good things to actually materialize in the natural realm.

Praise God for His Goodness

Psalm 74:21 "O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name."

Praise is commanded of us, and vital to our spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. Praise and thanksgiving build us up in our spirit man, boost our morale, and keep us positively focused on good things for our lives. They keep our minds and bodies healthy as they stimulate our hormones and immune systems to function normally. Praise elevates us to the supernatural realm and produces real joy and expectancy in our lives.

We should always praise and thank God, even before we see the manifestations of His kindness and mercy to us. He knows our needs even before we ask, and He has a great plan for each of our lives. His will is to prosper us, and He will not let those who trust in Him become disappointed. Maintaining an attitude of praise and thanksgiving will help generate many blessings for us, and help to minimize our waiting time until we see our breakthrough.

While it may be difficult to praise God in the midst of suffering, poverty and lack, that is the very time to begin praising Him. The Bible tells us that we must often make a "sacrifice of praise." It is impossible to praise the Lord and be sad and depressed at the same time. Praise waters the ground for our prayers to be heard and stimulates joy in us. If we have positives attitudes, we are more likely to attract positive outcomes for our situations and circumstances.

Confidence in the Lord's Provision

Psalm 140:12 "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, [and] the right of the poor."

The Lord sent His very own Son, Jesus Christ, so that all men might have life in abundance to the overflow. The Bible tells us that we have been removed from the curse, because Jesus was made a curse for us. He took on all of our affliction - to include poverty and oppression - so that we might be made free. His victory over sin, death and the grave restored us to right relationship with God, and He has made us joint-heirs with Him to better promises than we ever had before.

God will provide all our needs and comfort us in all of our present suffering. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to be with us until the end of the world as we know it. We can have hope for the present and confidence for the future, as He brings heaven to the earth, with all of its blessings. He promises vengeance on all our enemies and restoration of all that has been taken from us. We will know only peace and prosperity in His presence for all eternity.

Topics for Discussion

1. Contrast God-Dependence With Independence
2. How Does the Lord Judge The Cause of the Poor?
3. What is God's Definition of Righteousness?
4. How Can Our Thoughts and Words Hinder Prosperity?
5. Decrees, Visualization and Praise
6. Confidence in the Lord

Chapter 4 - Jesus Christ and the Poor

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"

Jesus Christ was God made man. He knew who He was and His eternal purpose. But He came into this world and laid down His deity, choosing rather to operate as a mere man. He was intimately acquainted with all the aspects of the human condition, and He took pity on all those who suffered in any way, particularly the poor and disenfranchised.

The Lord walked in love and compassion for everyone around Him. He set captives free from enemy oppression of all types. Poverty is a demonic spirit that attacks mercilessly and causes fear, anxiety and depression to set in. It is all out thievery at best, and it is not the Lord's will that anyone suffer from poverty. He can and will set the captives free with our help.

We are Christ's hands and feet on the earth; He wants us to take His place in the lives of the poor and contend with the enemy for their release from poverty to abundance. We can and should bind all spirits of poverty and oppression and pray blessings into the lives of those who struggle with lack. So too, we can share what material things we have to provide them with temporary relief from their suffering. Together with Christ, we will change lives forever.

We should preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to all men, especially the helpless poor among us. They are desperate for hope and the Kingdom of God is good news to them. It will set them free from oppression and exploitation of all types. They will receive the blessings of prosperity, with no sorrow added for all eternity. They will experience peace in their present circumstances and have confidence for the future.

2Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Jesus took a strong stand on behalf of the poor. He knew that they were in bondage and broken-hearted. He knew that they had experienced only disappointment and lack, and that they needed comfort and hope for the future. He told them the good news of the Kingdom - the poor will not always suffer. They will have all of their needs met in abundance when the Kingdom comes. The Lord Himself will take vengeance on all their enemies.

Christ's victory over sin death and the grave is our assurance that we will have life in abundance as He has promised us. All the wealth of the universe is at His disposal, and it is the Lord's desire to give men all good things that they require to lead happy, fulfilling lives even today. So too, He promises total restitution in the Kingdom of God. He will turn our captivity, and we will experience joy and prosperity, safety and security for all eternity.

Luke 6:20 "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed [be ye] poor: for yours is the kingdom of God."

Christ said that He came so that we might have life in abundance, to the overflow. We need only receive these promises with gratitude, and begin to act on them, to see them start manifesting in our lives today. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His promises are good for all men in all times. We need only believe and appropriate them for our lives to see miraculous manifestations of His power and glory result.

We must remember that Jesus operated under the anointing power of the Holy Spirit and went about doing good to all. His very anointing eliminated all of their burdens and destroyed the yokes of bondage off their lives. He should be our role model for righteousness in dealing with all those less fortunate than ourselves. We are to help set the captives of poverty and lack free from enemy oppression, just as Christ did.

We are to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the poor, take authority over the spirit of poverty in their lives and ease their temporal suffering any way that we are able. The very anointing of Christ, operating in us and through us, will help to destroy the yoke of poverty off men's lives today. We are to be His hands on the earth, distribution channels of His blessings. The poor will have a renewed hope for the future, as poverty and oppression become things of the past in their lives.

The Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus did not prefer one man over another. He treated all men fairly and equitably. He knew that there are righteous men and sinners among the rich and poor alike. The only thing He encouraged is that we would be "poor in spirit," humble and teachable, and ever ready to share our worldly goods and distribute to another's needs. He wanted us to seek first His Kingdom, so that all material things could be added to us, as well.

The Lord wants His followers today to forsake all that they have in favor of following Him into the Kingdom of God. He wants us to crucify our flesh and perfect our love walk. He wants us to treat others fairly and equitably. He wants us to lay down the plans and purposes of our souls, forego all earthly pleasures, and become meek and contrite of heart. We are to be kind and generous to everyone we meet, never failing to be charitable.

Christ Himself will judge and reward us based on how well we measure up to the law of love that He taught us to follow. He wants us walking in unselfish love and righteousness at all times. We must learn to do the will of the Father in every area of our lives. We should seek His guidance and direction in dealing with the poor. This is the only way that we can be assured that we will enter the Kingdom of God as it is ushered in on the earth.

Jesus' Law of Love

Mark 12:30-1 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

Christ did not come to abolish the Old Testament law, but rather, to fulfill it. He summed up the Ten Commandments in just two simple commands. We are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. All of the original Ten Commandments can be summed up in these two laws. And when we obediently follow them, we are deemed righteous in the Lord's sight.

These are not options or suggestions; they are requirements. We will be judged and rewarded according to how well we actually live them out in our daily lives. We have no excuse for not walking in the love and the light that Christ provides for us. These are basic Christian principles, and not open for dispute or discussion. They are mandatory and compelling; they define who we are and distinguish us as the very sons and daughters of God.

John 15:9-13 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus loves us with an everlasting love. He came to share the good news of the Kingdom of God with us. He took on all our infirmities and carried our diseases so that we would enjoy good health and long life. He died so that we would have eternal life - spiritually and temporally. We will enjoy incorruptible, resurrection bodies in His Kingdom that are not subject to death and disease; we will live forever in the presence of the Lord Himself.

He delivered us from the curse of the law, which included not only sin and iniquity, but poverty and lack, pain and sorrow of all types. He suffered in the flesh and was crucified in an ignominious death, so that we would enjoy life in abundance, and be made righteous again. He restored our relationship with God and made us joint-heirs with Him to all the promises of His Kingdom.

Christ reminds us that to abide in His love, we must walk in love with others. That is His commandment to us. While we may never be called to give up our physical lives to demonstrate our love for others, we should continually lay down or personal goals and agendas to meet the needs of our fellows. If another suffers lack, we should be quick to alleviate their suffering. Our joy will be full as we walk in love, and we will bring joy to God, as well.

That may require some sacrifice on our parts. We may have to do without a few material things ourselves, to see to it that others have their basic needs met. We may have to share, when we feel like coveting our possessions. We should be selfless in our dealings with others, and treat them as we ourselves would hope to be treated. We will be amply rewarded for our generosity, as we demonstrate the very love of God to all with whom we come in contact.

Giving to the Poor

Mark 10:21 "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."

The rich man that Jesus spoke to here was very sad when he heard what Jesus said, because he had tremendous wealth. He did not realize that it is the Lord who makes us wealthy. And what the Lord has done once for us, He can make happen again. But first, we must be obedient. We must forsake all material wealth to gain spiritual riches. We have to give all to get all.

Jesus was compassionate to rich and poor alike. He knew that it was difficult for the rich to relinquish their worldly goods, in order to follow Him. They often make idols out of their material possessions, and find it difficult to part with them. He wants us to use things and love people - not love things and use people.

The affluent mistakenly think that their money and their riches will buy them favor and righteousness with God. They think that they can add significance to their lives by having more money and more material things. They feel that their station in life requires opulence and indiscriminate spending. But this is not the case. If we would follow Jesus, we must rid ourselves of all material things that would distract us, and walk obediently in love with one another.

We are specifically instructed here to meet the needs of the poor, even if it requires that we sell all our earthly possessions to do so. Our material means signify nothing of any real importance. In light of eternity, they have no intrinsic value. We are to take on the burdens of others as if they were our very own, and distribute according to their needs. Then, and only then, will we reap eternal treasures and find favor with God and men.

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

Matthew 14:15 "And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to [his] disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."

Jesus was concerned about even the most basic of human needs. He had compassion on the multitude that He had preached to all day. He made certain that they were fed the Word of God and food for their bodies. He would not let His disciples send the people away empty handed and hungry. He was loving and merciful, practical and generous in His dealings with all men.

He insisted that the people be fed with whatever was available for distribution among them. A young boy unselfishly gave up all that he had - a few loaves of bread and fishes - so that others might share in his meal. His surplus provided their subsistence. Christ prayed to the Father and blessed the food, and there was more than enough to meet their needs plus plenty of leftovers.

Christ is a role model for how we should meet the needs of one another on the human level. We can minister to another's spiritual needs, but we cannot neglect their temporal requirements either. We should not be so spiritually minded that we are of no earthly use. We must never turn them away with their basic human needs unmet. This is the fundamental standard of love required of us. And it is up to us to make certain that we follow the Lord's example at all times.

We must be practical and help to alleviate the temporal requirements of those in need. We should share of both our surplus and our substance. We all have more than enough for ourselves. We walk in heaven's blessing right here on the earth and do not even realize it. We should share our money and material possessions willingly and obediently. We have time and talent that will also benefit others.

It is interesting to note that Jesus worked only with the resources that were available to Him. He blessed what He had available to give to others, yet it was multiplied tremendously in the distribution. Not only was there sufficient supply for everyone's needs, but there was also more left over than what He started with originally. God was at work in the midst of His charity and made certain that there were abundant resources available to meet the needs of His people.

So too, the Lord will bless us abundantly in our giving, if we will take the initiative and start to sow into His Kingdom purposes. We reap what we sow, and it is important to note that the Lord will give us an inexhaustible supply of all good things so that we might supply others in their need. We must take the first step, and be willing and obedient to give to others, so that we might always have abundance for future giving.

Lend and Don't Borrow

Luke 6:35 "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil."

Jesus knew that the poor would need money and have to borrow. He instructed His followers to lend, without expecting repayment. This may seem hard and impractical, but it is the Lord who rewards and repays us in many instances. We cannot serve the Lord and money; we must put His will before the balance in our checkbooks. He is our recompense, and we will never know permanent loss in giving to others. He will amply repay us for our generosity.

Although there is a strong sense of entitlement in some poor people, and they may often seem to be unthankful for what they receive, we are still obligated to provide assistance where we can. Their response should not determine our level of charity. We should give as the Lord directs us, because it is He who repays the debt. This sacrificial giving is what singles us out as the very children of God who emulate His kindness and mercy towards all.

While it is always right for us to minister to the needy, we can also teach them Kingdom principles so that they can meet their own needs. We can teach them to be loving and obedient. We can tell them about personal discipline and the benefits of sowing and reaping. We can be examples of good stewardship. We can encourage gratitude and thankfulness. This is a significant role that the church can assume in the days to come, and it will prepare all of us for Kingdom living.

As economic hardship only increases for all of us, the actual needs of the poor may become so comprehensive, that we are unable to keep up with them. But we can always teach them how to live according to the Word and will of God. Armed with that knowledge, they will be able to assume some of the responsibility for meeting their own needs, according to Kingdom principles for prosperity that never fail for any of us.

Jesus' Kingdom Stand on Taking Care of the Poor

Matthew 25:34-46 "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

The Lord has granted the righteous judgment of all men to His Son. Jesus was most specific on His stand in dealing with the disadvantaged of this world in this parable. He's told us that not all will enter the Kingdom of God, but only those who do the will of His Father.

It is His will and the Father's will that we have a sincere love for others in need. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick and visit the imprisoned - just as if we were doing these things for Jesus Himself. He will judge us by that strict set of standards.

These are not just charitable options we have. The law of love commands them of us. Loving others and giving to their needs, is the Lord's definition of righteousness in dealing with others. We are accountable for the knowledge and the privileges that we have. We are obligated to share all that we have with others. We should not be guilty of sins of omission.

Jesus says that there are eternal rewards stored up for those who do good to the disadvantaged, and eternal damnation for those who do not. Only those who show love and generosity will be rewarded, and actually enter the Kingdom of God on this earth. It may not be easy for us to walk in love, but it is that basic and simple if we hope to reap eternal rewards for righteousness.

Topics for Discussion

1. The Anointing on Jesus For Dealing With the Poor
2. Describe what it means to be "Poor in Spirit."
3. Jesus' Law of Love
4. The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes
5. Christ's Stand on Dealing With the Poor
6. Who will enter the Kingdom of God?
7. How does Christ want us to fulfill the law of love?

Chapter 5 - Love in Action

Proverbs 28:27 "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse."

The universal law of sowing and reaping always works. If we sow generously, we will reap generously. If we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly as well. The Lord even takes this law a step further. He says that if we give to the poor, we will never know lack ourselves. But if we do not minister at all to the poor, we will have many curses.

This tells us that as individuals and as a church, we face the possibility of curses for our disobedience in responding to the needs of the poor. While we are not told what form these curses will take, we can assume that they will not be pleasant, and may include poverty and lack for ourselves. If we continue to remain disobedient and ungenerous, we will face a fearsome judgment for our lack of love for all eternity.

We should be most careful that we are obedient to the Lord and generous to those in need. We must respond willingly and ungrudgingly to their lack of material things, and share generously of our time and our talents. We should champion their cause and defend their rights and privileges to all that oppress and exploit them in their suffering.

The people of God are rapidly approaching our finest hour - or our worst nightmare - depending upon how we respond to the Lord's call in dealing with poverty and lack. We should always walk in unselfish, generous love with others. We will be judged by our works in the flesh that evidence our faith, and our rewards will be great as we in enter into the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Delivering the Poor

Psalm 82:3-4 "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid [them] out of the hand of the wicked."

We enjoy radical blessings as God's people; we have Kingdom prosperity even now, despite the economics conditions of the world around us. We dwell in the blessings of almighty God Himself. There ought to be no poor among us; there is more than sufficient wealth in the world for all to freely share. We should be distribution centers for that wealth in our daily walk. We all have something that we should be ready and willing to share.

Most of us have all that we need and more that we can share with others. Our surplus can serve a valuable purpose in another's life. We can also contribute from our very own substance - money, food, clothing, shelter, transportation - no matter how limited it may be. The Lord will see to it that it will multiply exponentially in our very giving. He will supernaturally supply all the resources we require to minister aid to those in need, and bless us richly in return for our generosity towards others.

We must advocate for those less fortunate in our midst. We should deliver them from oppression wherever possible. They may be unaware of their rights and privileges, both in the natural realm and spiritually speaking. We should help them find low-cost legal help and credit counseling. We can locate community services that provide housing assistance and back-to-work incentives. We can make them aware of government programs that provide relief for their food requirements and medical needs.

They will also require spiritual warfare done on their behalf, and must learn to circumvent the attacks of the enemy on their own. They must be taught how to bind poverty and lack and loose blessings in their lives. They need to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom and learn its principles for prosperity. We should be ready and willing to teach them how to survive and thrive in all their circumstances.

The Lord expects great things of us in the days to come. He has begun His righteous judgment with the very household of God. We will be found suitable or lacking based on the stance we take with those less fortunate than ourselves. We can have a passionate, generous love for the downtrodden among us, or be found unrighteous and uncaring. The choice is ours, but the ramifications are eternal in scope for all concerned.

Jesus Christ will soon return to overthrow all demonic and earthly kingdoms by establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth. He will destroy all poverty and lack in His wrath. He will reverse the economic trends that have oppressed and destroyed His people. He will punish all those who have exploited others. There will be peace and prosperity for all who enter the Kingdom of God. They will enjoy safety and security for all eternity.

Pleading The Cause of the Poor

Proverb 31:9 "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

As Christians, we can be a strong and effective lobby for the poor, if we will only choose to get involved with their cause. We should share their burdens as if they were our very own. We could take a more active role in politics at every level of government. We can be in touch with our legislators and insist that there be emergency programs established to aid the homeless and the unemployed regardless of their costs or level of legislative priority. The needs of the poor are comprehensive and urgent.

Our local, state and federal governments must address the all-consuming needs of the poorest of the poor, and allocate funds to administer relief to them as soon as possible. We should fight for the continuance of the Social Security and State Welfare programs. We should encourage back-to-work incentives of all types. We cannot permit this problem of poverty to be ignored. We can't allow bureaucratic bungling and frivolous government spending to interfere.

We have to oppose outsourcing of labor overseas, and encourage the purchase of American made goods and services. We should champion the cause of the under-employed, and fight to get the minimum wage increased. We must advocate for the availability of quality healthcare and education for all our citizens, regardless of their income. The lack of safe, decent and affordable housing for the poor needs to be addressed quickly, since so many are homeless.

The church must be prepared to take on the all important role of providing interim relief until funds are allocated for sufficient governmental disbursement to the poor. It is our God given role and our moral responsibility to minister to others. It is the very least that we should do for the increasing number of poor among us.

If we fail to respond immediately and appropriately, the Lord will be forced to find a more obedient people elsewhere. His presence can and will fade in our lives if we are deliberately disobedient to His guidance and direction in dealing with poverty and lack as social issues of critical importance. He will not tolerate our lack of love and charity when there is even one poor person in our midst.

Faith With Works

James 2:14-17 "What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

While it is always important to pray for and encourage those less fortunate among us, that is not sufficient to meet all their needs. The example of Christ in feeding the multitude teaches us that we should never send them away empty handed. We must make every effort to minister to their spiritual and temporal requirements through any means that we have available.

If they are hungry, we ought to feed them; if they require clothing, we should cover them. If they need housing or money or transportation, we must do all that we can to provide them with homes, cash and rides. If they require prayer and encouragement, we should be ready and willing to minister to their spiritual needs, as well. We should teach them how to overcome demonic curses of poverty and set them free from enemy oppression.

The scriptures are clear that faith without works is no faith at all. We serve a great and glorious God. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the Bible tells us. All the wealth of the universe is at His disposal. And, He is not stingy in distributing to our needs. There is no reason that there should be any needy among us, particularly if we live by Kingdom principles of unlimited prosperity.

We ought to be distribution channels for the Lord's wealth in our individual lives and in all our churches. It is the Lord Himself who causes us to prosper, and we have a serious responsibility to share our prosperity with others. It is the only way we can be assured of continued success in every area of our lives ourselves, as well.

2Thessalonians 1:3 "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;"

The early church walked in total love and unity with one another. They shared all things in common and there were no disadvantaged among them. As a result, the Lord was able to bless them richly in His anointing power for performing miraculous works. They preached with astounding results and the church flourished, with new believers added to their numbers daily.

We are to walk in faith and love as a church today. We know by faith that the Lord supplies all our needs in abundance, so that we can share the overflow with others. Giving to others is a living demonstration of our faith and our love of God. It marks us as genuine, loving Christians and exemplifies who we are to the world. We become living testimonies of the Kingdom of God for all men to see and imitate.

So too, we need never fear lack in our own lives if we share with others. No good deed goes unnoticed. We can afford to be extravagantly generous. The more we give, the more we receive in return from the Lord. He will supply all of our needs and more, so that we always have sufficient supply for all good works. We are His hands and feet on the earth, and He is able to provide for the poor through our generous intervention on their behalf.

Get Involved

Isaiah 58:6-8 "[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward."

The Lord is most specific about what He considers righteousness in us. It is certainly different from religion. He is not impressed with pretended piety. He does not desire our prayer and sacrificial fasting for the poor among us; God insists on action that backs up our faith with love. He does not want us to simply pity the poor; He wants us to actually dig in and get our hands dirty in an effort to help them. He wants us to help meet the basic human needs of the disadvantaged, no matter what they are.

We are not to just sit back and commiserate with the poor, or worse yet, assume that they have brought misfortune on themselves. We are to be actively involved in alleviating suffering of all types. Faith without corresponding works is a dead faith; we are to be proactive and unselfishly reach out to others in their need. We are to take on their burdens as if they were our very own, because, in reality, they could very well end up being our plight in the days to come.

The Lord expects us to get involved with the poor, and to help break their yoke of poverty off of them once and for all. We are to be merciful and kind, and make every effort to alleviate their suffering. We are to share money, food, clothing, jobs and housing wherever possible. We can aid them with transportation and childcare. We can teach them practical life skills and encourage and uplift them to rise above their present circumstances.

We can advocate for their rights and restore their dignity to them. We can resist oppression and exploitation of all types. We can do spiritual warfare on their behalf, and teach them to combat the enemy themselves. We can pray for them, and teach them how to pray so that all their needs are met. We must encourage them to trust in God for the solutions to all their problems.

We should also educate them in Kingdom principles for prosperity. We can explain the law of sowing and reaping, encourage them to be prudent stewards of what the Lord gives them, and exhort them to have attitudes of gratitude for everything they receive from God. We must exhort them to be loving and obedient to the Lord. We must also tell them the good news of the coming Kingdom, and offer them hope and confidence for the future.

Getting Back to Basics

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:"

It's time to reduce the problem of poverty to its least common denominator. We must assess the needs of the poorest of the poor in our very own communities. If each family would reach out to another family in need, we could make tremendous strides in fighting abject poverty at a grass roots level. We could demonstrate the very love of God to our children so that they would also learn to walk in generosity towards others.

Besides befriending another family and encouraging them, we can help meet their material needs as well. We could help feed and clothe our adopted family or help them look for safe, decent and affordable housing. We could offer transportation for their important needs such as medical appointments, job interviews or church services. We might provide much needed childcare to help the parents return to work.

2Corinthians 8:14 "But by an equality, [that] now at this time your abundance [may be a supply] for their want, that their abundance also may be [a supply] for your want: that there may be equality:"

Our churches can become clearinghouses for suitable used clothing and furniture that is donated by those with abundance, to minister to the needs of those less fortunate in our areas. We can canvas area food stores for surplus food. We can set up food banks and distribution centers to offer meals and/or groceries for the poor. We can pool our resources and help repair sub-standard housing to make it more livable for poor families.

We can help break the generational curse of poverty through education of our young. We all have church fellowship halls and Sunday school areas that can serve double duty to house nursery, day care and after school programs for those poor who want to work, yet cannot afford suitable childcare. We can teach these youngsters Kingdom prosperity principles and help impact poverty for them at a young age.

2Corinthians 9:8 "And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:"

We must learn to care for those who suffer from poverty and lack. We can set up instruction programs for individuals who are budget challenged and financially over-extended. We can implement career counseling and provide job applicant services, such as resume writing and role-play for job interviewing. We can teach people basic life skills - how to talk, what to wear and how to behave in the workplace - so that they can better themselves, and increase in self-confidence and personal effectiveness.

The list goes on and on for what we could be doing... We can offer training in gardening, economical grocery shopping and meal preparation. We can teach others how to cook, knit and sew and do home improvements. None of these things cost a lot of money to implement. We have seniors and stay-at-home Moms in our churches that are all too willing to volunteer their time to help others.

The rest of us can take a few hours a week to donate our time based on our own individual talents and experience, and teach basic life skills and personal development. It simply becomes a matter of our willingness to obey and serve the Lord in ministering to the needs of the poor. There is some way that we can all be involved in this effort, and we all will be amply blessed for it.

Spiritual Needs for the Poor

And while we as a church body are attending to the temporal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in our community, our pastoral leaders can be ministering to their spiritual needs for prayer and intercession. We could schedule regular prayer watch services that are dedicated to comforting and encouraging those who suffer among us. We can lay hands on them and do spiritual warfare on their behalf. We can teach and empower them to defend themselves against all spiritual oppression.

We should also be addressing their basic needs for emotional rehabilitation; many have been devastated in their losses and feel afraid, alone and depressed. They may be angry and frustrated. They require comfort and encouragement to give them a sense of hope and confidence for the future. We can provide direct counseling services or refer them to community agencies that specialize in their needs.

While all the temporal needs of the disadvantaged are being met, they will still have ongoing spiritual requirements. We ought to invite them into our churches and offer them membership in our groups. We can offer a variety of bible studies and Sunday sermons to prepare all of us for Kingdom prosperity. We should arrange seminars and guest speakers that will address the special needs and circumstances of those in our congregations.

All of these things are good and valid for our ministry to the poor, but we must also remember to teach them love and fellowship with the Lord and with one another. They may be wary and afraid that others will take advantage of them. We will need to be extra patient and encouraging, so that they benefit from our friendship and imitate our positive attitudes and simple life styles.

Unlimited Resources

Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

The church has a clear-cut mission to minister to the poor. We are to love, not only in thoughts and words, but in action as well. We should share the good news of the Gospel with them so that they learn to believe in God and rely on Him as their source for all spiritual and material needs. The Kingdom of God will prosper them, both spiritually and temporally.

The Lord Himself will supply the resources, and we are to be good stewards of what He gives us. We should distribute to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves in thought, word and deed. We must be generous to offer our time, talent and resources to alleviate all their suffering, and set them free to walk in prosperity instead of lack.

We should always be prepared to pray for and encourage the poor among us. We ought to show deference and respect for them in their needs. We must teach them how to prosper by Kingdom standards, and we have to welcome them into our hearts, our homes and our churches as equal brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Lord will confer a powerful anointing on our efforts to minister to the suffering poor among us. He will generously supply all the capital and energy that we require to get the job done. He has all the wealth of the universe available to meet our needs and is ever loving and merciful in its distribution. We should feel highly privileged to serve our Creator in ministering to the poor.

The Wealth of the Wicked

Proverbs 13:22 "... and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just."

There's a major economic shakeup coming; the wealth of the wicked is being stored up for release to the righteous. In the days to come, the Lord will supernaturally effect a transfer in material wealth to His people. He will funnel millions of dollars through our fingers for distribution among us, as the Kingdom of God is ushered in on the earth. But we have to prove ourselves self-disciplined and prepared for what He is about to do.

We should examine our motives and realign our priorities. Will we use that money to acquire more material things and seek pleasure? Will we use it to build bigger and fancier churches and training centers as monuments to men? Or will we meet the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves, demonstrating the love of God in a real and meaningful way by providing tangible goods and services that they require?

The choice is up to us. We will be found righteous if we deal mercifully with the needs of the poor and disadvantaged. If we close our eyes to their plight, then we are no better than those who use and exploit them in the world system. The law of love requires that we regard others' needs as important as our own. It is a commandment to obey, not an option to consider. We are obligated to relieve suffering wherever and whenever we observe it.

Power Over Poverty

Job 20:10 "His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods."

Whenever any of us suffer, we all suffer. Our neighbor's lack could some day be our very own. We cannot afford to close our eyes to the needs of the poor among us any longer. We must be willing and obedient to meet all their needs for restoration of what the enemy has stolen. This should be our goal and our mission both as individuals and as a church in the days ahead.

The Lord uses us in the restoration process for the disadvantaged. He works in us and through us to meet the needs of His children. We are His hands on the earth, and we ought to be reaching out to others in love, generosity and fairness. Without our proactive involvement, the Lord may be limited in what He can accomplish.

The heavens are His, but the earth He has given to man. We have total dominion on the earth; it is up to us to restore those who have been oppressed by the evil and unbalanced world system. We have divine power and authority over the spirits of poverty and lack. We are to bind them, cast them out of the earth and release divine blessings instead.

It is vital that we all get involved, and hear from the Lord clearly as we minister to the needs of His people. We must take a stand in faith, and make it our goal to erase poverty from the face of the earth for all time. We each have a contribution to make, and together we can and will supply the needs of the suffering among us.

Walk in the Light

Proverbs 29:7 "The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: [but] the wicked regardeth not to know [it]."

The righteous will shine with the light of Christ in the days to come as they minister to the needs of the suffering. The church must rise up and say, "No more!" We have to take a stand for those who cannot defend themselves because they are so overwhelmed with what's happening in their lives. We have to help rescue the disadvantaged from a myriad of problems that plague them, and threaten their very existence.

We cannot avoid confrontation with those who exploit and destroy people in any way. We must speak up and cry out for the plight of all the suffering among us. We must defend their cause without let-up, just as the Lord Himself would contend for them. Nor can we turn our backs on the poorest of the poor, who are emerging as a socio-economic class all their own.

They require everything from food, clothing, and shelter to medical care and legal advocacy. They need transportation and job training in order to be self-sustaining. They desperately need encouragement and motivation to overcome all adversity in their lives, and they will look to us as godly role models and living testimonies of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

We must be in earnest prayer and supplication on their behalf. We should teach them how to do spiritual warfare and help them break generational curses of poverty off their own lives. We should instruct them in Kingdom principles of prosperity and teach them to be loving and obedient, how to sow and reap, be good stewards of what the Lord gives them, and be grateful for everything that they receive.

We must help to re-build their self-esteem and human dignity, and combat their tendency to self-pity and depression. We should help them overcome their anger and frustration, hopelessness and despair. They need our time and our friendship, our godly example and our strength. This is the very least that we should do to show them our Christian love.

The Lord Himself will supply the resources that we need to get the job done in its entirety, so that there is no suffering in our midst. He will supernaturally increase our ability to give so that we are supplying others' needs in abundance. We will be living testimonies to His power and glory on the earth, and He will generously reward us for our love and obedience to His plans and purposes.

Love in Action

Romans 12:10 "[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"

We should treat others as we ourselves want to be treated. Their needs ought to be as important to us as our very own. We should be teaching practical Kingdom principles of prosperity to all the poor and needy. We should be casting out demons in their lives and getting them released from spirits of poverty and iniquity of all types. We should teach them how to defend themselves and rise above all their circumstances.

However, poverty is not the only source of suffering in the world today. We are required to comfort all the afflicted among us if we are to walk as Christ walked on the earth. We must be laying hands on the sick and getting them healed. We ought to be visiting hospitals and nursing homes and ministering life to the dying. We must witness to those who are imprisoned as Jesus encouraged us to do.

All of these acts demonstrate our love in a real and significant way to others. They represent faith in action. We have the privilege to walk as Jesus Christ walked. And we have a responsibility to display our love by our good deeds to others whatever their needs might be - temporal or spiritual. God's very own anointing power will fall on each of us, if we walk in unselfish love and obedience, and feed the multitude as Jesus Christ did.

The Lord Himself will be our empowerment and our sure supply of all the resources that we need to minister to others. We need never fear that we will run out of time, money or material possessions to share. We will be supernaturally endowed with all good things, so that we have an abundance to distribute in the Lord's Name.

Topics for Discussion

1. Faith and Works
2. Delivering and Defending the Poor
3. Basic Ideas to Help the Poor
4. Unlimited Resources
5. The Wealth of the Wicked
6. Power Over Poverty
7. Love in Action

Chapter 6 - Feeding the Multitude

1John 4:7-21 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We Love Him, Because He First Loved Us

1John 4:20-21 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

Everyone that loves is born of God and is in close relationship with Him. God is love, and He insists that we love one another because He first loved us. Whoever confesses that Jesus is Lord and Savior has God in him and deliberately and purposefully walks in love with others, until he reaches full spiritual maturity in the Lord. There is no fear or torment in love, because we know that we will have a good reward for all our efforts.

The scriptures are loaded with references to brotherly love. Love is not an option; it is a command from the Lord. We are to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps and do the things that He did when He walked the earth. Not only did He feed men the Bread of Life in the Gospel of the Kingdom, but He also ministered to their temporal needs.

Jesus Christ was love in action. He dwelt in God and God dwelt in Him. Jesus fed the multitude; He healed the sick; He set the captives free and He advocated constantly for the needs of the poor. We are to do likewise, if we would love as He did and continually dwell in His presence. We are to show love and charity to our brothers and sisters however and wherever we can.

We should not withhold anything good from those in need. We can minister to their spiritual and temporal requirements just as Jesus did when He walked the earth. The Lord Himself will empower us to do good to others and provide all the resources that we require to be both loving and generous in meeting their needs.

Charity From a Pure Heart

1Timothy 1:5 "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:"

The purpose of the law of love is that we would have pure and generous hearts - hearts after God's very own. We should never love others grudgingly or simply out of obligation, but rather as a spontaneous outpouring of our love for God Himself. We must be caring and merciful towards them, just as He is merciful to us in our time of need. It is a privilege and a responsibility to serve God and others. It shows our love and our personal integrity to obey His Word.

We should not ever minister to others so that we look good, appear important or feel superior to them. We must not have proud and haughty spirits that look down on others less fortunate than ourselves. We should remember that their plight could be our own. It is only by the grace of God that we have been spared poverty and affliction.

The Lord is not mocked; He knows if our charity comes from the heart or if it is done to impress others. He hates hypocrisy; He is not impressed with pious attitudes and pretentious charity. He desires pure and ungenerous giving, not theatrical showmanship. He desires truth in our inward parts, and always wants us to be genuine and sincere.

We cannot fool our God or His people. They know when we are engaged in acts of charity for show, or out of pure and loving hearts. So too, we must never have condescending attitudes towards the poor. Our gifts are warmly and thankfully received if we have sincere motives to love and serve others. We become living examples of the Lord's very own love and generosity when we have the right attitude and motive in our giving.

1Peter 4:8 "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

The early church members shared everything in common, so that there were no needy among them. This love and unity prompted the Lord to bestow great favor on them. Their numbers were increased dramatically. There was a powerful anointing on them for performing miraculous healings, signs and wonders for the benefit of all the people. The actual power and glory of God demonstrated itself through their unfeigned love and unity.

Christians today are supposed to be known by their unpretentious love for one another, as well. It earmarks as the very sons and daughters of almighty God. While this is true, we should also be known for our love of the poor and disadvantaged in the world. Whether they are believers or unbelievers is irrelevant. We are obligated to be impartial in our love and concern for others, and minister to their needs generously.

Love is the greatest commandment, and obedience to it will cause the Lord to overlook a great deal of our flaws. We should love others on purpose from pure hearts, not simply because we are told to do so. We must demonstrate the very love and mercy that God has shown us, to all those around us. Love provides a sin covering; our sin-guilt is erased in our generous giving to those in need.

The Lord looks on the man of the heart, not outward appearances. He inherently knows whether or not we have love for our fellow man. He will be kind and merciful to us in our needs if we show love and compassion to others. He will reciprocate with generosity towards us, if we will endeavor to meet the needs of the afflicted among us.

Prosperity With a Purpose

1Thessalonians 3:12 "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you:"

We should pray for the Lord to prosper us, not for the sake of gaining wealth to use for our own selfish needs, but so that we can be a blessing to others. He has promised us abundance so that we would have sufficiency for all good works. However, the more we have, the more is expected of us. We are expected to be a clearinghouse for the Lord's wealth, distribution channels for others' needs. We are not to hoard what He gives us; we are supposed to share our blessings.

While we may not have a great deal ourselves, there is still something that each of us can give to another in need - our time and our attention. We should pray for and encourage one another. We must visit the sick and the poor in their affliction, and lay hands on them, so that the Lord can provide them with healing. We can set captives free of enemy oppression. We should bear one another's burdens and share each other's joys as we have been taught to do in God's Word.

So too, material wealth should be shared among us, so that all might prosper. Our needs will always be met in abundance as we give to those less fortunate than ourselves. We can never out give God. He has the wealth of the universe at His disposal. He will shower us with bountiful blessings of all types, if we are willing and generous to give to those in need.

As we pour out our money, time and talents for others, the Lord will provide us with a never-ending supply of all good things in our own lives. He is able to do "exceeding abundantly" more than we could ever ask or think, the Bible tells us. And He has sufficient supply of all good things stored up for this very purpose.

We should prepare ourselves for Kingdom living even before the Kingdom of God comes to the earth. There will be no socio-economic classes that divide us, no greed or oppression, no hoarding or exploitation in the Kingdom. We will all enjoy wealth and prosperity, as the Lord supplies all our needs in abundance. Every person's requirements will be met fairly and equitably, with more than enough to satisfy all of us.

1John 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

The Lord loves us and sent His very own Son so that we might have life and enjoy it abundantly, to the overflow. Jesus Christ laid down His life to redeem us from the curse, and so that all of our needs would be met. As a result of His sacrifice, we have everything we require to lead happy, prosperous lives. We can share all that He has given us with others in their need.

Our surplus becomes their substance in many cases; our giving supplies their lack. Loving and sharing with others ensures that the Lord will supply all that we need in our own lives. It's wise for us to learn to share with others now, because we will be living by Kingdom standards for all eternity. All men will be treated fairly and equitably. We will all enjoy peace and prosperity in the Kingdom of God. None of us will be given preferential treatment.

Loving others is an expression of our love for God Himself. It is faith in action, and it greatly pleases God. Love increases exponentially as well. We set a positive example for others when we give generously and willingly of ourselves. That motivates them to follow our lead, so that all men's needs are met in abundance. We all receive freely and we should give freely, as well.

We are to literally give our lives for each other by sharing our time, talents and worldly goods. The more we sow into others' lives, the more we will reap in return for future giving. Feeding the multitude assures us that our needs will always be met, both spiritually and temporally. The Lord is obligated to make good on His promises to us if we walk in continuous love and righteousness.

So too, the law of love becomes automatic for us, as we continue to practice it on a regular basis by sharing with others in their need. We will have a huge reward for our generosity for all eternity. We will dwell in the very presence of our God who will supply all our needs. He will shower us with His very own honor and glory and boast of us to all creation.

Love for One Another

Romans 13:8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

We should live modest lives, content with what we have. The Lord would have us lend to others and not borrow. He knows the dangers we face in credit spending, and He wants to spare us this difficulty. We should always strive to be debt-free; that will eliminate fear, anxiety and oppression in our lives. That is a Kingdom principle. We are to owe no man anything, except to love him.

While it is no sin to be wealthy, it becomes more difficult to serve the Lord if material things get in the way. Covetousness is a form of idolatry and it interferes with our relationship with God and with others. We cannot enjoy what possessions we have in good conscience, if our neighbor suffers lack in any area of his life.

It is far better to share than to suffer guilt and recrimination in hoarding our material goods. None of them matter in the light of eternity anyway. In fact, selfishness and materialism are sins against the Lord's law of love. We should repent and choose to walk in love and generosity for others by sharing all that we have with them - time, talent and material resources.

We should be teaching the poor the Kingdom principles of prosperity and meeting their physical needs as best we can. We owe it to each other to see that nothing is missing or broken in any of our lives. Love in action fulfills the law's requirements, and keeps us in right standing with the Lord and in strong fellowship with our neighbors.

Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

If we are mature Christians that walk in love, we will want to minister to others' spiritual needs, as we would have them do to us. We should lay down our own personal agendas in favor of the Lord's plan and purpose for our lives. He desires that we walk in love after the lead of the Holy Spirit. That signifies that we are mature and striving for holiness and perfection.

The fruit of the Spirit are gifts to us, which we receive from the Lord for our benefit and that of others. They are meant to be acquired, developed and shared in our Christian walk, just as our material possessions are given to us to be shared for the common good. When we walk in the Spirit, the spiritual fruit manifest themselves in our dealings with others.

For example, we ought to show love, patience and gentleness in dealing with the poor; many are emotionally broken and spiritually wounded. They could be angry and bitter at what's been done to them or resentful for what has been taken from them. They may even appear ungrateful at times, regardless of how generous we are to them. All of these emotions are normal and can be expected when a person suffers from loss.

We will need to exercise faith, longsuffering and goodness in our interactions with those who suffer. We should overlook offense of any kind, and minister to their spiritual needs with prayer and encouragement. We have to remind them that the promises of God include prosperity for all men, even as their souls - their minds, wills and emotions - prosper.

We should encourage the suffering poor to seek the Lord for revelation regarding how they can change their circumstances permanently. He has the solution to every problem that they face. We should encourage them in the faith, preach the gospel if they are unbelievers, and see that they are baptized. We should encourage them to adopt Kingdom principles for prosperity in their lives, and be living examples of what we preach and teach.

Feeding the Multitude

We've discussed several suggestions for how individuals, families and churches can "feed the multitude" in their various needs. Many of these are both practical and easily implemented on a grass roots level. If we focus our thoughts and energy, combine our talents and pool our resources, we can come up with a myriad of solutions to the problems of poverty among us.

We should begin with our own families and neighborhoods in dealing with the poor. Then if resources and time permit us, we can broaden our bases and reach out to those in other areas and the entire country at large. Charity is a great witnessing tool and earmarks us as the very children of God. It will attract many to the gospel message of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, and help us to usher in the end-time harvest of souls.

Who else is included in this "multitude" that we should reach?

The Kingdom of God will not be reserved for just those in our close circles, but rather, will include the faithful from all over the earth. Every man, woman and child on the face of this planet that has a need is our brother and sister. While we cannot minister to everyone's needs personally, we can support our church mission projects that appeal to us to meet the needs of the poor worldwide.

Since love knows no boundaries or limits, we should reach out to those in need until we envelop the entire earth with the love of the Lord. We can and must pray that poverty is eradicated off the face of the planet. We ought to do spiritual warfare against the spirits of poverty, oppression and exploitation that go hand in hand. We should loose blessings of prosperity and abundance for all men. Good always overcomes evil, and we will succeed!

Exceedingly Abundantly

Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"

We are able to make a significant difference in the lives of others. We can give freely and generously of our material means. We are able to destroy all strongholds of poverty that exist in this world. Through our prayer and spiritual warfare, the captives of poverty and oppression will be set free. The Lord would have us share the Gospel of the Kingdom with the poor, and help give them hope and confidence for the future as Jesus did.

God empowers us to do all good things, just as He empowered Jesus Christ to do good. He will equip us to do all His work and supply us with unlimited resources to meet the needs of others. The anointing power of God Himself will be on us to minister to those in need. All we need to do is be willing and obedient; we are the church of the first born, Jesus Christ, on the earth and we can do all things through Him.

We can impact the entire earth with our love and generosity; we can help usher in the Kingdom of God in all its power and glory by simply loving others as we love ourselves. It doesn't take much for us to be sympathetic and compassionate towards others. It will come naturally to us if we walk in love, and we will show ourselves to be children of the living God, worthy of blessings and rewards for all eternity.

Judgment is Coming

Psalm 112:9 "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour."

We are entering into a period of judgment for the household of God. This can be our finest hour or our worst nightmare, depending upon our love and obedience. Our rewards and sanctions await us. The Lord is not particularly pleased with all our tureen dinners, rummage sales, car washes and bingo games. He is not necessarily present in our building expansion plans.

While these activities may seem harmless in and of themselves, they are less than what He expects from our time and talents. Unless they are fund-raisers for the benefit of others, they do not serve a valid Kingdom purpose. They do not impact lives or eternal destinies. We should be good stewards of our time and energy, as well as our material wealth, and share generously with others through any mean that we have available.

The Lord is not fooled by our so-called self-righteousness. He hates hypocritical, religious activities that serve no practical purpose. He is not content that we simply think of the poor and pray for them, nor is He impressed by our occasional contribution to a missions project as evidence that we consider the plight of the poor. He expects some unified action on their behalf, as evidence of the law of love in practice.

To those whom much is given, much is expected. We have awesome privileges and serious responsibilities to others. The church shares in all the Lord's bountiful treasures and is expected to distribute to the needs of all those who require help, whether they are believers or unbelievers. We are not to bask in our good intentions; they serve no valid purpose. Our charitable actions are what count, and they have eternal ramifications for our lives and those of others.

A Line in the Sand

1Thessalonians 4:12 "That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and [that] ye may have lack of nothing."

We all face the very real eventuality of eternal judgment. We will be judged righteously with all fairness and equity, but not only by our faith. We will be rewarded or punished according to our works in the flesh, as well. The time has come for God's people to stand up for what they believe in their hearts. It's time for us to put our faith into action. The Lord has drawn a line in the sand that no man can cross without eternal repercussions.

We should examine our consciences and question our motives. We must be certain that we have been obedient to provide for those who are in need. Our eternal destinies are dependent upon our actions towards others. We should be confident that we have been fair and generous in our dealings with the poor, and have not failed to withhold any good thing from them.

Will we be found qualified to enter into the Kingdom of God on this earth, or will we be forever banished because we failed to do the will of God, as it concerns the suffering poor and disadvantaged? The choice is up to us. We have had sufficient warning to know where the Lord stands on this critical issue. The day of reckoning is rapidly approaching, and we are being scrutinized as never before.

Topics for Discussion

1. John 4:7-21
2. Charity From a Pure Heart
3. Prosperity With a Purpose
4. Feeding the Multitude
5. Ideas for Ministering to the Poor
6. Exceeding Abundantly
7. Judgment for Righteousness

Chapter 7 - Kingdom Prosperity

Ecclesiastes 5:19 "Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God."

It is not the Lord's desire that any of us should suffer lack and want for any good thing in life. The Lord has given us the power to get wealth and enjoy the works of our hands. It is His express will that His children walk in abundance, enjoying every good gift now, even before His Kingdom is established on the earth. That is His promise to us, and it is readily available to all who seek His face and call on His name.

The Lord has unlimited wealth and resources at His disposal, and it is His desire to shower us with blessings of all types. However, we are to be spiritually wealthy as well as temporally wealthy. We are to have our souls - our minds, wills and emotions - prosper and be in health, even as financial prosperity is released to us. We must be walking in righteousness and striving for spiritual maturity, holiness and perfection.

We must lay down our souls' ambitions and our personal agendas, and realign our lives with the Word of God. We ought to purge ourselves of all selfishness and walk in love and generosity with our brothers and sisters. We should have life styles that reflect temperance, discipline and self-control. We should be content with what we have and grateful for all our blessings.

Prosperity is God's gift to us, and He delights in seeing us enjoy what He has provided. The only thing He asks of us in return is that we share what we have with others in need. We have discussed the basic principles of the law of love and we know that we are required to give of our surplus as well as our substance to others in need. This sharing ensures continued prosperity in our own lives, and will make us eligible to enter the Kingdom of God for all eternity.

Blessings for Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:2 "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

The Lord not only wants our temporal needs met in the Kingdom of God, but He will address every situation and circumstance right here and now, if we will permit Him access to our lives. While He cautions us not to be overly concerned about the cares of the world, He wants every one of us to abound in wealth, so that we have sufficiency to share with others in their need. He wants to give us blessings to the overflow, so that there are no poor among us.

In order to do this, He must be certain that we can be entrusted with great wealth. There are certain obligations that come with prosperity, and the Lord wants us prepared for them. If we were given all the wealth of the universe before we are ready for it, we could damage ourselves and others through our pride and selfishness or waste it away in frivolous spending. The Lord prefers that we be dependent on Him for everything in our lives, to include material blessings.

There is no doubt that the Lord wants all His children wealthy beyond measure. He wants us to enjoy life under all circumstances. He wants us to rely on Him for every good thing in our lives, and acknowledge Him as our source. There are conditions to our achieving prosperity and maintaining it, however. We must be obedient to the Lord's direction and purpose for our lives; we must seek His voice above all others.

Kingdom Principles for Prosperity

There are certain Kingdom principles we should all follow if we would have our basic needs met, acquire wealth and prosper to the point that we can share with others. These are practical rules and guidelines and they must be adhered to if we would be continuous distribution centers of wealth. The Lord is most adamant that we willingly obey His lead in all our affairs. He cannot prosper us and give us more wealth if we are not responsible for what He has already ministered to us. Let's examine the following guidelines and try to adopt them as our very own.

1. We must be loving and obedient.
2. We reap what we sow.
3. We must be good stewards.
4. We should not borrow.
5. We should be thankful.

Love and Obedience

Philemon 1:21 "Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say."

We must obey the Lord's law of love if we would enjoy prosperity in our own lives. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. We are to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Christ Himself gave us this commandment of love; it is not open to discussion or subject to a vote. We either love God and others or we will be punished for all eternity.

The Lord insists that we walk in love with all men at all times, sharing whatever resources we have available with others. Whether it is money and material goods or time and talent is irrelevant. Charity is not an option; it is a command straight from the Lord. Whenever we see a brother or sister in lack, we are obligated to respond in helping them. We should do even more than what is required of us, with willing and glad hearts. The Lord expects great things from us. We have received generously from Him, and He wants us to distribute that wealth to others.

If others need material possessions, we are urged to supply these. Whether it's food, clothing or shelter, we should help provide what they require from what resources we may have available. If they need money, jobs or transportation, we should do our best to address these needs. We should give money without expecting payment in return. We can help prepare them for the workplace and refer them to employers that are fair and just. We can offer them rides or bus fare to meet all their appointment obligations.

If they have spiritual needs, we should do our best to minister to them. If they require prayer or encouragement, we must be quick and ready to alleviate their need. If healing is an issue, we have to lay hands on them and restore their health. We ought to do spiritual warfare on their behalf and cast demons of poverty, lack and oppression out of their lives. We can set all the captives of poverty and lack free by proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom to them so that they have hope now and confidence in the future.

Sowing and Reaping

2Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully, will also reap bountifully."

Every harvest starts with the planting of a single seed. If we hope to harvest wealth and unlimited blessings in our own lives then we must be generous in planting seeds of value with others. No matter how little we have to start with, we can share our material means, our time and our talents. As we do so, we lay up an abundance of future rewards for ourselves. We can never out give God, who will freely supply all that we need in direct proportion to our generosity in giving.

We can always take the time and energy to encourage and lift each other up. Others benefit from our kindness and compassion to their needs. We can pray and intercede for all those who suffer from poverty and lack until they get their financial breakthroughs. We can spread our love and material wealth in abundance, knowing that it will bring us a bumper crop of prosperity in return. The more we sow in righteousness, the more we reap now and in the Kingdom of God.

Good Stewardship

Genesis 44:1 "And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks [with] food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth."

We are to be good stewards of whatever the Lord gives us. Material wealth is to be shared with one another. Whether it is money or goods and services that we provide, we should give freely and generously. So too, we cannot expect to receive more ourselves, when we do not take care of that which is already provided to us. We need to become responsible for every good gift that we receive from God.

We should be diligent to look after our material possessions and preserve what we are given. Our homes and vehicles require care and upkeep. Our clothing needs to be washed and mended. Meals need to be prepared that are both delicious and nutritious. Nothing should be wasted or cast aside; there is always someone who would benefit from our surplus.

If we are given monetary resources, then we ought to be prudent in spending and in saving or investing our wealth. We are always to be generous in sharing it with others. We must meet all of our financial obligations on a timely basis, and never spend more than we have. This makes us good and righteous stewards of the Lord's provision.

Lend and Not Borrow

Deuteronomy 15:6 "For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee."

We are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. God's people are to lend to others, but are to refrain from borrowing themselves. Credit spending gets us into a number of problems that are easily preventable. It subjects us to domination and oppression by others. The Lord wants to spare us this from this never-ending cycle. He wants us in control of our spending habits, so that we need never borrow to meet our needs. We are to live within our means and be modest in our requirements.

We should be quick to share the money we have and be content with what God gives us. He supplies all our needs, not our greed. He is under no obligation to shower us with luxury, though He often does bless us beyond our expectations. He has given to each of us according to His plan, so that we might be distribution channels to the lives of others. We must be prudent in overseeing the wealth that He gives us, so that we will always have more than enough to supply the needs of others.

Attitude of Gratitude

Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name."

We should always be grateful for what the Lord provides in our lives, and express that gratitude to Him enthusiastically and frequently. The Lord loves to bless us, and He deserves all our thanks and praise. He will continue to provide all that we require, as long as we remain loving, grateful and obedient to Him.

Praise and thanksgiving are a natural outpouring of our love and gratitude to our generous, loving Father. So too, we should be grateful for what others do for us; people are motivated to share generously when we show our appreciation to them. We should always take the time to say, "thank you," irrespective of what they actually do for us. Their intentions are to bless us and we should bless them in return.

Attitudes of gratitude are necessary in all God's children, regardless of the resources we have available. We should praise the Lord in our lack as well as in our substance. We ought to praise Him even before our material needs show up in our lives. The Lord will never abandon us when we praise Him and give Him all the glory in our lives. He will amply reward us by showering us with His blessings, now and in His coming Kingdom.

The Good News of the Kingdom

We should pray the Lord's Prayer as Christ taught us in the Gospels. "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (See Luke 11) The Kingdom of God is coming to the earth and we ought to be in earnest prayer and supplication for its arrival on the scene quickly. It will solve all the problems of poverty and lack, greed and exploitation for all time. It will be a spiritual and temporal paradise for all who enter into it.

The Lord has promised us that He would personally meet all our needs in His Kingdom. We should remind Him of His promise, and wait patiently for it to manifest. No matter how urgent our situations become, we have hope and confidence for the future. We should thank God and continuously praise Him for His mercy, love and generosity. We will dwell with Him and with one another in righteousness, peace, and joy for all eternity.

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that potentially exists in every believer, who walks in its principles now. It is characterized by righteousness, peace and joy. One day very soon, it will be a temporal kingdom as well. Heaven itself will come to the earth realm; the Lord Himself will take up residence with His people.

God's Kingdom will swallow up all earthly and demonic kingdoms and it will be a way of life on the earth where godly principles and practices are in force for all eternity. All who dwell there will be richly blessed. Jesus Christ Himself will return to rule and reign and make certain that Kingdom principles of love and unity are enforced.

Only those who obey the Lord and do His will are permitted to enter into the Kingdom of God. There will be no poverty or oppression of any kind; all men will be treated fairly and equitably.

All who dwell there will enjoy peace and prosperity, safety and security, while those who have been disobedient, will be excluded and punished.

Who Will Enter the Kingdom?

Luke 13:29 "And they shall come from the east, and [from] the west, and from the north, and [from] the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

The Kingdom of God will include people from all nations, races, colors and religions - rich and poor alike. No single group will have exclusive membership. All who put off the corrupt works of the flesh, walk in love and righteousness, and do the will of the Father will enter in. Christ has promised us that, and we can rely on Him to keep His word.

No evil will be present in the Kingdom of God. All those who have oppressed and exploited others will be excluded. The unloving, the power-hungry and the greedy will all endure eternal punishment. God's people will be joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to all the abundance that has been stored up for them in the universe. We will all enjoy peace and prosperity as never before.

Blessings in the Kingdom

Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

The Lord will provide us with all the blessings that the universe has to offer when we enter into the Kingdom of God on this earth. He is not stingy in supplying the needs of His people. We will have all our needs amply met in the Kingdom for all eternity. There will be only blessings and no curses. The Lord Himself will anticipate our needs and wants even before we ask Him. We will rejoice in His presence, and praise and thank Him for His love to us.

There will be no downside to Kingdom prosperity - no hooks or gimmicks to ensnare us. No one will rob us of our substance any longer. There will be no more inequity or exploitation of the poor. We will all enjoy the work of our hands and be able to generously supply the needs of our families. Jesus Christ will make certain that there is justice and equality for all residents, as He rules and reigns as a righteous King for all eternity.

Restoration in the Kingdom

Psalm 104:24 "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."

All creation will be restored to its original beauty and balance as the Kingdom of God is ushered in. The earth will be lush and healthy once again, and it will yield all good things for us to eat and enjoy. The animal kingdom will be tamed and all living creatures will dwell together in peace and harmony. Nature will be subdued and regulated so that there are no natural disasters any longer.

Life in the Kingdom will be as it was in the Garden of Eden before Adam's fall, only bigger and better. The entire planet will be a paradise. Men will be struck with awesome joy and wonder at all the riches that the earth has to offer us in the Kingdom of God. We will enjoy the beauty and bounty that it produces for us for all eternity.

The entire universe will rejoice as the Lord takes up residence in His Kingdom with His people. We will join with angels and men in giving Him praise and glory, and He will respond by intimately sharing all that He has - and all that He is - with us. Generation upon generation will enjoy life in the Kingdom and sing God's praises forever.

Prosperity in the Kingdom

1Samuel 25:6 "And thus shall ye say to him that liveth [in prosperity], Peace [be] both to thee, and peace [be] to thine house, and peace [be] unto all that thou hast."

Nothing evil or defiling will be present in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ Himself will rule and reign there to ensure that. There will be no partiality shown to anyone. Envy and strife will not be present in our lives. There will be no more poverty, oppression or exploitation. All will enjoy the true riches of Kingdom prosperity, and share equally in its blessings.

Our families will never go hungry or be in want for anything again. We will labor to build our own homes that no can take from us, and enjoy what we have for all eternity. No one and nothing will steal our joy and our blessings from us ever again. We will all dwell in peace and unity and every man will love his neighbor as he loves himself.

We will have all our spiritual and temporal needs met in the Kingdom of God. We will know the Lord intimately and share in His wisdom. We will not have to struggle to earn a bare subsistence living. We will have material things and property that no one steals from us. All our needs will be met in abundance. We will have safety and security for all time.

Job 36:11 "If they obey and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures."

If we are willing and obedient to walk in love and share what we have with others now, we will enjoy eternal rewards in the Kingdom of God. Only those who are righteous and do the will of the Father will dwell there. Nothing corrupt or defiling will be present; all evil will be excluded and punished. Only the righteous will dwell in God's Kingdom and enjoy its blessings.

Poverty will be a thing of the past. There will be no more oppression from a group of people that have dominance over others. No one will be greedy or power-hungry. None will exploit or take from us ever again. All who dwell with the Lord in His Kingdom will be on an even footing, and enjoy eternal rewards of prosperity and abundant living. The Lord Himself will supply all our needs even before we ask.

There will be no suffering among us as we enter the Kingdom of God. The Lord has promised us that He will blot away every tear, and take away all our pain and sorrow. He will even purge our memories of poverty and lack from us. We will seek the Lord's pleasure and our own. He will make certain that we spend our days in joy, peace and prosperity as He dwells in our very presence. His Son, Jesus Christ, will rule and reign to ensure that there is justice and equity for all Kingdom residents for all eternity.

Joint-Heirs With Christ

Romans 8:17 "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."

We are sons and daughters of the living God, the Creator of the universe. As such we are also joint-heirs with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places. Since Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, we are seated right up there with Him. We have immediate access to the throne of grace, so that we can pray and make our petitions known at any time. And we know in confidence, that what we ask, we will receive.

And while it may not yet appear that we have inherited much of anything in our lives, we will be amply rewarded for our present discomfort and lack. We must know our rights and privileges as heirs with Christ. We are entitled to have all of our needs met in abundance; His victory over sin, death and the grave ensured us that. We must take back what the enemy has stolen from us, and demand full restitution from him.

We should earnestly pray for our needs and those of others to be met. We can be assured that everything that we ask according to the will of God will be granted to us. Justice requires payback and the Lord will see that we are compensated for all our pain and sorrow. He is ever generous and willing to supply of our needs, and the only thing that He asks in return, is that we be ready to share of our substance with others.

Colossians 3:24 "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

As long as we have made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, been baptized in His Name, sanctified ourselves and repented of all known sin, we can expect our eternal inheritance for righteousness. If we have love for God and for one another, there is nothing to prevent us from having all of our needs met according to His promises to us. We need only ask, to see all of heaven respond on our behalf. The Lord always meets the needs of the righteous.

If we serve Jesus Christ, and walk as He did on the earth, all of our needs will be met now and for all eternity. We should be quick to share the Gospel of the Kingdom and set all captives of poverty and suffering free from enemy oppression. We will be deemed good and faithful stewards of the Lord's very own anointing power and divine authority, as we minister to the poor and suffering in our midst. Our reward will be great now and in the Kingdom of God.

The Consummation of All Things

Revelation 21:6-7 "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

The Lord expects us to overcome the spirit of poverty that threatens all of us. He has given us dominion over the earth and everything in it. We have divine power and authority to defend ourselves against all demonic attacks. He wants us to run the enemy out of the arena, and eradicate the spirits of poverty and oppression off the face of the entire earth. We should loose peace, order and prosperity for all men.

God has given us freely of all His riches, so that we would have all of our needs met even before the Kingdom of God is ushered in. We are joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ, to all the wealth of the universe. All good things belong to us; they are our spiritual birthright. He delights in blessing us so that we can, in turn, be a blessing to others. Righteousness has its rewards and its responsibilities. We are to walk in the light and overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.

The law of love obligates us to share what we have, and care for others as we would have them do to us. We are to be willing and obedient to meet all of their spiritual and temporal needs. The Lord Himself will supply the resources. But we must be sincere and unfailing in our love and generosity towards others. We can and should feed the multitude just as Jesus Christ did, if we would inherit the Kingdom of God for all eternity.

Matthew 25:34 "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"

Topics for Discussion

1. God's Views On Prosperity
2. Kingdom Principles For Prosperity
3. Sowing And Reaping
4. Attitudes Of Gratitude
5. Describe Life In The Kingdom Of God
6. Prosperity In The Kingdom
7. Joint Heirs With Christ

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