BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Divine prosperity, on the other hand, is limitless! It includes everything good. It not only increases you financially, it brings you peace, joy, health and long life. God’s kind of prosperity blesses you in every area and leaves you with nothing missing and nothing broken. When you prosper in God as your soul prospers, you have an absolutely lovely life! Rich Relatives and Lottery Tickets Not Required Another wonderful thing about God’s kind of prosperity is this: Anyone can have it! You don’t need to have rich relatives. You don’t need to be a financial genius or possess some great natural talent. You don’t have to win the lottery. You just have to open your Bible, read it, believe it and act on it. You just have to find out from God’s Word what the truth is and then walk in that truth. “But I don’t know anything about the Bible!” someone might say. That’s OK. I didn’t either when I first was born again. As a child, I rarely attended church and my parents didn’t know enough about God to teach me anything. Although I did see Oral Roberts on TV at my grandmother’s house, she told me that when he prayed for the sick he paid people to say they were healed. I was just a little girl, so I believed it. 'I wonder what he pays them,' I thought, '$5 maybe?' That’s the kind of spiritual enlightenment we had at our house! But I’m living proof that just because you start out ignorant of the Bible doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. After I married Ken and his mother’s prayers went to work on me, I started to change. I not only got born again, I was also filled with the Holy Spirit. That was a major milestone in my life. I never really grew very much in the Lord until after I received the Holy Spirit. Neither does any other believer. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the teacher of the Church. He’s the One sent by God to train and correct us. He’s the One who enlightens us and reveals to us God’s truth. He is our Teacher. Normally, however, He doesn’t do it while we’re sleeping or watching sitcoms on television. He does it when we’re seeking God through His Word. As we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit causes the words on the pages to jump up and speak to us. He makes them come alive to us so that we say, “Oh, I see that! I see how I need to change my behavior. I see how I need to change what I believe and what I say so that I’m walking in line with God’s Word!” -----continues on next page---- ---------------------------------------- Victorious Christian Living by Keith Moore Don’t Shoot! In Psalm 64:3, David compared words to arrows. The wicked, he said, “sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows” (New International Version). I was reminded of this comparison some years ago when I was given a compound bow and a set of razor-tipped arrows. Because of its power and the sharpness of the arrows, this bow is a lethal weapon. Consequently, I have to be careful how I use it. As long as I have the bowstring in my hand, I’m in control of the arrow. But the moment I release the string, it’s no longer in my control. The arrow will simply go where it was pointed. I cannot get it back or slow it down. Once I’ve loosed it, it’s on its way to a target. And that’s exactly how words are. As long as words are in your mind and in your heart, as long as you haven’t spoken them, you’ve got your hand on the bowstring. You’re still in control. You can let the bow back down and not shoot at all. But if you let go of the string—speak the words—the arrow flies. There’s no way you can recall words once they’re spoken. And if your words are “deadly arrows,” they may do unintended harm. Suppose I carry my bow to work some morning when I’m angry and just start shooting arrows in every direction. What happens? When I cool off and look, I see people lying all around with arrows sticking out of them. Of course, I can run over to the nearest victim and apologize. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. I was upset about something. I didn’t mean to shoot you. I wasn’t even thinking about you. I wasn’t aiming for you. I was just shooting. I’m sorry!” But the trouble is—you’re still shot! I can pull the arrow out and pour oil and wine on the wound, but no matter how much I apologize, I can’t unsay the words that wounded you. You’re still shot, and I have some idle words to give account of to God (Matthew 12:36). We can avoid disasters like this by following the principles in God’s Word. Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” And James 1:19 tells us to be “slow to speak.” So, the next time you’re tempted to “shoot off your mouth,” stop and consider whether your words may become “deadly arrows.” Study the effect of your words before you speak, and then you won’t have to apologize for them later. V ABOUT: Keith Moore is founder and president of Moore Life Ministries and Faith Life Church in both Branson, Mo. and Sarasota, Fla. For more information or ministry materials write to Moore Life Ministries, P.O. Box 1010, Branson, MO 65615; call 1-417-334-9233; or visit moorelife.org. APRIL '14 : BVOV : 29

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