Supernatural Abundance: A Journey To The Father's House (9 page)

In order to get to Rome, his destination, Paul endured hardship, suffering, and fear. After the trauma of shipwreck (remember God told him no one would suffer loss), being thrown onto an island as a castaway, and being bit by a viper, Paul was witness to the supernatural power of God. That which appeared to be disaster, God used for His glory when a revival exploded and many were saved and healed.

Paul made it to Rome and had a prosperous journey. But I can guarantee it was not comfortable or luxurious. It was prosperous because he accomplished the purpose of God!

I have received many insights on abundance. From studying scripture, abundance to me means having all that’s needed, plus something to spare, or left over to share with others. Walking in abundance lifts you out of your own needs and puts you in the cycle where you receive from your Father, and generously turn and meet someone else’s need.

What is the Spirit of Poverty?

Poverty is not living in a ghetto, or growing up in the most rundown part of town. Being poor does not come as a result of high unemployment or the lack of qualifying skills. These are the “fruits” of poverty, not the “roots” of poverty.

Being broke is a temporary condition. I believe that poverty is a “spirit” right out of the pit of hell. I’m sure there have been times when you had a shortage of money. That does not necessarily mean you have a spirit of poverty.

Poverty is a destructive spirit that robs people of their dreams, goals, motivations, and desires. I'm sure you have heard the phrase “poverty stricken.” This alludes to the concept that poverty is something that comes upon a person, a family, a community, or a nation.

Poverty is usually connected with unrighteousness. In scripture it was the “unrighteousness” of an individual, or nation as a whole, that brought poverty upon the people of God.

The widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8–16 is a prime example of living in poverty as a result of God's judgment upon the rule of Ahab.

“Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’
 
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.’
 
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’

So she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’

And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
 
The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Elijah.”

While it is unfortunate that the widow got caught up in the midst of the king's disobedience (and God will take care of her through the miracle that she is about to see), nevertheless spiritual bankruptcy led to physical judgment.

There seems to be one question that must be asked, and it is this: why haven't all the social programs eradicated poverty? Why is it that America, for example, has spent billions and billions of dollars all over the world in aid to help eliminate poverty, but some of those same countries are poorer today than ever before? No one can dispute the fact that poverty is rampant all over the world. I believe the problem goes beyond environment. There is a spirit involved! If the spirit of poverty is ever exposed, then the liberating power of the gospel can penetrate and bring hope, healing, and prosperity.

The spirit of poverty is a chain around the neck of many individuals, families, and Churches.

Identifying the Links of the Chain of Poverty

Let's look at the chain, and let me expose seven links that are major signs of poverty.

1.
 
Refusing Instruction

“Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”
(Proverbs 13:18)

God has given certain instructions to help people break the chain of poverty. People have trouble breaking free because they don't read God's instruction manual, the Bible.

God's people act like the proverbial parent who buys toys for their children on Christmas and tries to put together those toys without reading the instructions. The truth of the matter is, it's always best to read the instruction manual if you want to do the job right.

“Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes, which He commanded you. And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever.

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.”
(Deuteronomy 28:45-48)

Many people make the mistake of judging themselves by their intentions and other people by their actions. In doing this, they forget that the road to poverty, divorce, and death are paved with good intentions. One must realize that a good intention is actually the voice of Holy Spirit communicating to our spirit the will of God in a certain situation. Our spirit then communicates with our intellect. Our intellect agrees the instruction it has received from the Spirit is the right way to act in order to illuminate God's character to a world that is seeking workable truth.

In the book of James he declared in Chapter 1:22, when we fail to follow through with corresponding actions to God’s instructions, we deceive ourselves. We do not, however, deceive those who we are trying to convince the way of God is a better way of life than anything the world can offer.

Instruction or knowledge can only benefit us when we are willing to act upon it. I have met many so-called “wise men” that are poor and wretched. In their own mind they truly believe that they are legendary. Yet, they have very little or no fruit within their lives to back up their so called wisdom.

Unless the believer acts in faith on the word of God, he cannot justly hold back the thieves of abundance. Please understand curses don't come to teach you a lesson. Curses come because people refuse to listen to the word of God and obey the instructions of the book! The law of traffic control says there is a way to drive that is very safe. Stop at the red light and drive on through the green light. If you choose to do it another way, it's not the fault of the city if you get a ticket for breaking the law.

Curses are very real and can affect our lives. Curses come for a reason as stated in Proverbs 26:2:

“Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.”

Just as a bird alights on its appointed place because it has a right to be there, so a curse alights upon us for a cause. If a curse comes, there is a reason for it.

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”
(Deuteronomy 28:15)

Be careful not to place your faith in the world system, and doubt the Word of God. You will end up doubting your beliefs, and believing your doubts.
 
Lack of knowledge causes failure:
 

“My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
(Hosea: 4:6)

The open door that allows curses to come is disobedience. Blessings come through listening to the word of God, and then doing the word of God. To walk in fullness is to obey, to live under a curse is to disobey.

There are a total of 53 verses that discuss curses. Some of the curses mentioned are:

•
Mental and emotional curses

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Physical curses
 

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Relational curses

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Oppression

•
Failure

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Lack

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Defeat

But God has a way out of poverty. God states His will this way:
 

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
 
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
(Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

Take time to read Deuteronomy 28. Its true, all of the many blessings God outlines in this Scripture are for you and for anyone who will obey His word. Meditate on them and rejoice:

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Exaltation

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Health

•
Fruitfulness

•
Victory

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God's favor

Who would not want to receive the blessings of God's abundant provision? Not only are they listed in the word of God for the nation of Israel, but also for us today.

2.
Following after Failures

“He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.”
(Proverbs 28:19)

There is an old leadership principle that says, “If you're going to carry someone's briefcase, make sure it's someone who is going somewhere.” We must be careful to whom we attach ourselves, we may end up in a ditch. If we surround ourselves with people who are always doubting and critical, guess what we will become? We will become a person who is always doubting and criticizing.

If we hang out with people who have lousy attitudes, guess what we will have? We will have a lousy attitude! More than one parent has told a child, “Tell me who you hang out with, and I will tell you who you are.” We are who we associate with. So if I want to become an Eagle Christian, I need to hang out with other Eagle Christians.

A wise person once said, “Your friends will stretch your vision, or choke your dreams.”

People who are open for the chain of poverty are:

•
Very critical of people who are doing something in the Kingdom.

•
Constantly looking for flaws in the lives of those who are prosperous.

•
Always complaining about how others get the good things of life.

•
Always blaming someone else for their failures.

3.
Withholding More Than You Need

“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
(Proverbs 11:24)

In the world system you are told that in order to get more you must invest more. To do that requires that you give up a sum of money in order to get a greater sum, right? There is a principle that every farmer knows called, “do not eat your best seed.” It's exciting to walk into a blessing, but we must always be careful to invest back into the Kingdom to perpetuate the blessing.

Giving is a part of God's system. Everything He created was created to give. The greatest Bible verse ever given is one that most learn during childhood:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)

The emphasis is on “God gave!” God wanted sons, so what did He do? He gave His very best, His only son in order to gain many sons for the Kingdom of God. You are a product of God's free gift. He did not withhold His best seed.

A person under the oppression of the spirit of poverty is always looking for a way to hold on to what they have. They live under the fear of “not having enough.” When someone says, “When I get some extra I'll give,” is spoken out of doubt and fear, not faith. God does not reward doubt, only faith. Faith breaks the cycle of fear, and eliminates the excuses for withholding.

Malachi Chapter 1 illustrates how God feels about getting the leftovers of our life. God chastised the people for giving Him their moulded bread, blind goats, lame sheep, and sick cows. In the process of giving God the scraps they:

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Doubted God's Love – verse 2

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Despised God's Name – verse 6

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Defiled God's Altar – verses 7 – 10

God demands our best because He gave His best for us! When faith goes to work, something happens in the spirit world that may not be seen right away. But it's happening, just like putting seed into the ground, or a woman during pregnancy.
 

“I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.”
(Malachi 3:11)

4.
Get Rich Quick Motivation

A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 28:20)

God is not opposed to you walking in riches. But if that is your motivation, it will lead to poverty. People who have a “get rich quick” motivation will not maintain what they have for very long.
 
There are some who say we should never “give” in order to “get.”
 
That’s not the problem. The problem comes when we view God as someone who can be bribed. God is not some kind of slot machine in the sky that if you put in enough money you will get a big payoff one day.

I know you have read or heard horror stories of people who won the lottery, who ended up broke at best and dead at worst. Many articles have been written about what people do with sudden riches. Many times they just couldn’t handle it because there wasn’t a foundation of integrity and honesty before God. The very thing they thought they wanted ended up destroying them.