When you allow God to infuse you with His power, you will also become a mighty force for God. The question is, will you determine to take the power and the love of God into every place He leads you to go so others can hear the Good News?
Did you know that it’s God’s will for you to increase in every area of life?
We know that we are redeemed from the curse of the law, and that we are called to be a blessing. The word blessed in Hebrew means “empowered to prosper and increase.”
Do you know the full extent of that promise? The Bible says that God sends forth His Word to accomplish His will, and it will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). God expects us to continually access His Blessing–His Spirit of Increase in everything that we do.
Psalm 115:14, KJV, says “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.” It’s God’s will that you and your descendants increase in every area of life.
Are you experiencing Kingdom increase and fullness in every area of life? If not, here are three things that will help you get on the path to increase.
The Lord created mankind to expand. Genesis 1:28, KJV, says, “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” God’s original intent for mankind was to increase and have dominion. His will has not changed.
3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (KJV). God wants you prosperous! God wants you healthy! God wants you wise! It is His express will that you live in a perpetual state of increase–taking dominion and living a life of success.
The word blessing means “increase and abundance,” whereas the closest definition of curse is “decrease and loss” according to the Jewish commentator Ibn Ezra. Think about that.
Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, KJV).
God’s will is for you to live a more abundant life–exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think, according to Ephesians 3:20, (KJV)! And Galatians 3:13-14, KJV, says that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law–that curse of decrease and loss–so that THE BLESSING of Abraham–increase and abundance–could come upon us.
That’s great news!
That sounds so simple and obvious, but are you doing it?
Mark 4:24-25, KJV, says, “And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”
It may seem unfair to take away from those that have not and give to those who have, but listen to what the Lord is saying here. Our level of increase is directly related to the amount of faith we have in the Word of God. Jesus is basically saying that we decide how much increase we will experience. If you hear the Word and believe it–mixing it with faith–you will increase. If you hear the Word and mix it with doubt and unbelief, you will decrease.
God wants us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8), and believe what we hear (Hebrews 11:6). When you meditate on God’s Word, giving heed to what you hear and mixing it with faith, it will result in increase. An increase of faith. An increase of blessing. An increase of wisdom.
However, you can’t look at the Word once, and walk away expecting a miracle. James 1:23-24 talks about the man who walks away after hearing the Word and forgets it. You must diligently seek the Lord and study His Word to experience great increase in your life.
Remember the parable of the sower in Matthew 13? Those that bring forth fruit–30, 60 and one hundredfold are those who hear the Word and receive it. Something more happens to these people than just hearing the Word–they mix it with faith, and it brings forth fruit!
Change your thinking from worldly unbelief and begin thinking faith thoughts. Believe that it truly is God’s will to prosper and increase you. Do not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2)–that negative and hopeless way that the world thinks. But be transformed–changed into the image of Christ–by the renewing of your mind.
That means that you should stop looking at what the world says about you and start believing what the Word says about you. That’s the way you prove what God’s will is! You get to prove that God’s Word is right! You don’t have to take somebody else’s word for it–you can prove what the Word says!
God calls those things that are not as though they already exist, according to Romans 4:17–and you should too. You have been created in His image to do the same things that He does. When your finances look bleak, speak to them. When your body looks sick, speak to it. When your faith is weak and you feel afraid, speak! Speak to your mountain!
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says” (Mark 11:23, KJV; also see Matthew 21:21, 17:20; Luke 17:6).
If you believe that the things you say will come to pass, they will! You shall have whatsoever you say! That’s an amazing promise. Speak to your body. Speak to your finances. Speak to your children’s lives. They were created to expand and carry on a legacy. Every single part of your life was meant to expand and increase. You were created in the image of God and the Word says that His kingdom is ever expanding.
So no longer be subject to your circumstances. Rise up and understand that you were created for increase!
© 1997 – 2019 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
Fact: Lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within three to five years than the average American.
Fact: After only two years of retirement, 78% of NFL players are either broke or struggling financially.
Fact: Within five years of retirement, 60% of NBA players are broke.
The lesson? Financial success means a lot more than just having money. Gloria Copeland says, “One thing about wealth—it can come quickly, and it can go quickly.”
These once-rich people lost everything because they didn’t know how to handle wealth. And there’s only one right way to manage financial abundance—God’s way.
God has created a process of empowerment called THE BLESSING, and it is designed to make us prosper in all things and to make us rich. Despite what some Christians say, rich is not a curse word—it’s a BLESSING word. Poverty is under the curse, and we’ve been redeemed from the curse.
God’s will for you is prosperity in every area of your life—and that includes wealth. But knowing the great dangers of money without godly stewardship, He doesn’t give it to anyone and everyone. You have to be a candidate for increase.
Can God trust you with wealth? Here are seven traits He’s looking for.
Most Christians sound something like this:
“It’s my money. I worked for it.”
They receive their paychecks and feel entitled—they earned them, after all. The problem with this way of thinking is that it doesn’t recognize the true Giver of wealth. Everything we have that enables us to gain wealth comes from God—our talents, abilities, opportunities and favor. When God blesses you with money—any amount of money—He is entrusting it to you, but it still belongs to Him.
The first step to becoming a candidate for increase—someone God can trust with wealth—is to see yourself as a steward, not an owner of the money you have. As you acknowledge that the Lord is the One who gives you the power to become rich, you keep yourself in a posture of humility and allow God to direct your decisions. It keeps you free from toiling, free from worry and free from temptations. It will keep you prospering!
The first step to becoming a candidate for increase—someone God can trust with wealth—is to see yourself as a steward, not an owner of the money you have. As you acknowledge that the Lord is the One who gives you the power to become rich, you keep yourself in a posture of humility and allow God to direct your decisions. It keeps you free from toiling, free from worry and free from temptations. It will keep you prospering!
Watch Kenneth Copeland and learn how the anointing will make you rich!
Once you see yourself as a steward, you’ll need to be one who behaves in a godly way when it comes to wealth. There is a worldly way to be rich and a godly way to be rich. Do you know the difference?
Isaiah 32:7-8 defines the character traits of each.
The Worldly Rich vs. The Godly Rich
The Bible is clear—whether wealth is good or bad depends on who has the money. If not handled in a godly manner, money is dangerous. But there is nothing wrong with having enough money to live debt free, live blessed, support your church, spread the gospel and minister to the poor. That’s THE BLESSING!
Above all, Gloria Copeland shares the real difference: “There is a one-word difference between the godly rich and the worldly rich—peace.”
If you see yourself as a steward and behave as a godly wealthy individual, tithing is a no-brainer for you. In fact, you don’t see tithing as giving away your money, you know you protect your wealth through tithing, and wouldn’t dream of withholding it.
Tithing is chock full of spiritual blessing, but when it comes to being someone God can trust with money, it accomplishes several things:
Discover your 3 Tithers’ Rights HERE.
This heart attitude is essential because, as Gloria Copeland says, “If you’re too tight to tithe, you’re too tight to let THE BLESSING in.”
Think about the aperture of a camera. Adjusted by the lens, it opens and closes to different degrees to determine how much light can reach the film or image sensor. If a photographer doesn’t open the aperture enough, the light can’t get in to take the picture. Simply put—little opening, little light, big opening, big light.
Tithing is the lens into our financial blessing. It opens the flow for blessing to come back to you. Proverbs 11:24 says it this way: “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor” (CSB).
You may have noticed that those who hang onto money the tightest seem to be the ones who always need it the most. On the other hand, learning to give freely to the Lord is the gem of tithing and a great enlightenment of mercy. It gets you out of poverty and over into God’s system of blessing.
Christian financial advisor Dave Ramsey says, “The wallet is a great window into the soul.” In other words, the way we use our money is a good indicator of the condition of our hearts toward God. When you’re known for your generosity, you have a critical trait God is looking for in those He can trust with wealth.
God can trust a generous heart with wealth. He knows those who freely give can have money without money having them. But a hoarder will not receive a blessing because there is no seed to bless—no crop to reap.
If you’re not one who gives generously, it’s not too late! As the steward of God’s money, ask Him regularly, “God, what do You want me to do with Your money?” Then, let Him lead you.
Be generous with people who work for you. Be generous in your giving to your church, ministries or charities. Be a generous tipper! Christians should be the biggest tippers out there. Bless people. Don’t hold so tightly to your money. Be one whom God can trust to give more and more wealth.
David Green, founder and CEO of retail giant Hobby Lobby, tells a story in his book, Giving It All Away…And Getting It Back Again, about the power of living generously.
There’s a phrase common in some Christian circles that goes, “You can’t out-give God.” I tossed that phrase around myself more than once. Then…God seemed to say to me, “Well, you haven’t really tried, have you?”
David Green decided to increase his giving dramatically. His company significantly increased right after that. That pattern continued over and over until he reached a point that he was giving far beyond anything he could ever imagine. The more the company has grown, the more they’ve given, and then they keep increasing. “We truly cannot seem to get ahead of Him,” David says.
God can trust those who have generous hearts with great wealth. Can He trust you?
People with deep needs will often pursue God fervently; but oftentimes when Christians grow in wealth, their hearts grow cold and they forget God. They’ll pass the poverty test, but fail the prosperity test.
That happens when people fail to keep God’s Word first place in their lives. To be a person God can trust with wealth, you will be a person who puts God first place, even in abundance.
Watch Gloria Copeland and George Pearsons teach you how staying steady on the Word will open the door to supernatural wealth.
If you’re believing God for wealth, or already have it, Gloria Copeland has some advice for you: “When all your needs are met, remember where you got it. Remember that it was God who gave you the power to get wealth. One thing about wealth—it can come quickly, and it can go quickly.”
If you’re believing God for wealth, or already have it, Gloria Copeland has some advice for you: “When all your needs are met, remember where you got it. Remember that it was God who gave you the power to get wealth. One thing about wealth—it can come quickly, and it can go quickly.”
When you put God first, you’re also putting your trust in Him. When you’re trusting God, you don’t put your trust in your wealth. You don’t worry about how you’ll pay your bills or if you’ll have enough to pay for your child’s college tuition. You don’t feel pressure to claw your way to the top at your workplace, and you certainly don’t save twisty ties in a big jar “just in case.”
Matthew 19:24 says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (ESV). Notice this verse says it is difficult, but not impossible. In response to the disciples’ concern over this, Jesus assures them, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (verse 26, ESV).
Why is it impossible with man alone?
One reason is that it is so tempting to trust in money. It seems to have the answer to everything we need and want. Yet, some of the most unhappy people on earth are the wealthiest. True happiness, peace, joy and love come from God alone.
Abundance is the cherry on top, not the foundation of real security.
When you’re following God—obeying Him in all your ways, seeking Him with all your heart, and trusting Him with your life—money will just be an added bonus, but you’ll hold it loosely.
When you trust in riches, you’ll be up all night wondering what you’re going to do about one financial situation or another. You’ll be worried about paying bills. When you trust in God, Gloria Copeland sums it up well when she says, “Faith sleeps at night.”
Are you really making God your Source? Find out HERE.
As much as trusting in riches is a threat to your spiritual well-being and financial security, pride is an even greater threat. And…you don’t have to be rolling in money for pride about it to set in. You can be proud of a small purchase, a house, a car or a gift you’ve given.
Pride in any area of life is a BIG DANGER to your spiritual health. It not only blocks healing and puts you in a position to experience a fall, it keeps you from being a candidate for wealth or even from keeping the wealth you have.
With wealth comes the temptation to think you are superior to others. When pride creeps in, those with wealth can use their money to control others. There have even been wealthy church congregants who have tried to control a pastor’s decision with their money! That’s pride, and it’s not God’s system.
If you are one God can trust with wealth, you are not even the slightest bit prideful about your wealth. You walk in humility—setting yourself aside to meet the needs of others.
When money comes into a person’s life, if they don’t maintain a place of humility, then that money will start to control them, and they will not be led by the Spirit.
Can God trust you with wealth? These seven traits He’s looking for will help you know. If you’re not quite there, don’t be discouraged! Not one person on the earth does not have to work continually at each of these. You can become a candidate for increase. YOU can be the one God can trust with wealth!
Can God trust you with wealth? These seven traits He’s looking for will help you know. If you’re not quite there, don’t be discouraged! Not one person on the earth does not have to work continually at each of these. You can become a candidate for increase. YOU can be the one God can trust with wealth!
[i] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/25/heres-why-lottery-winners-go-broke.html
[ii] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-athletes-go-broke-and_b_6812864
© 1997 – 2019 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved