BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

God answers that question all through the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, for instance, He says: "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 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: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.)." That’s what I call the profile of a prosperous believer! It’s your heavenly Father’s financial plan for you. His plan is to provide for you so generously that not only are your own needs and wants met, you can be a “(joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver [whose heart is in his giving].” His plan is to make “(every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]” (verses 7-8, "Amplified Bible, Classic Edition"). It’s not the will of God for you to be in financial bondage to anyone! He doesn’t want you dependent on the government or your employer. The LORD Jesus Christ wants you to be dependent only on Him—and I have a little secret for you, He’ll pay you more than anyone else thinks you’re worth! Psalm 112 confirms this. Providing us with yet another picture of the prosperous believer, it says: “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever…. He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (verses 1-4). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: 1 God is able to make you so prosperous you have plenty to enjoy and plenty to give. 2 Cor. 9:7-8 2 His plan is for you to be both righteous AND rich. Ps. 112:1, 3 3 All through the Bible, God's BLESSING and prosperity go together. Prov. 10:22 4 When Jesus went to the cross, He became as poor as we are so that we could become as rich as He is. 2 Cor. 8:9 5 Now as our High Priest, Jesus is continually ministering to us His abundant provision. 2 Cor. 9:10-11 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Some people think it’s impossible to be wealthy and righteous at the same time, but these verses are talking about a man who has a nice house filled with wealth and riches and whose righteousness is intact. They describe a man who’s not only right with God and on his way to heaven, he has plenty of earthly resources to enjoy and to give to others. He’s a “good man,” the Psalm says, who “showeth favour, and lendeth” and who “will guide his affairs with discretion.... He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever” (verses 5, 7-9). The key to this man’s success is in verse 1. He delights greatly in The WORD of God. He spends time in The WORD, and he’s established his heart on it, so he’s not a fearful man. He’s a man of faith, and God made him rich. The Wealthiest Family There Is “But Brother Copeland, that Psalm is just talking about the Jews.” No, it’s talking about a much broader group than that. The word Jew (which is short for Judah), refers to only one of Israel’s 12 tribes. Psalm 112 is written about the seed of Abraham. This doesn’t mean it was just written to Hebrews, who were God’s Old Covenant people. According to Galatians 3, the seed of Abraham also refers to us as God’s New Covenant people. For “to Abraham and his seed were the promises made…. Not…to seeds, as of many; but as of one…which is Christ…. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (verses 16, 29). In other words, as a believer, everything Psalm 112 says is for you! “But you don’t understand my situation. I’ve been poor all my life. I was born on the wrong side of the tracks to an extremely poor family.” Do you belong to Jesus? Are you in Christ, and is He Abraham’s Seed? 6 : B V O V

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