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The 5 Biblical Hindrances to Prosperity, Pt. 4
[The Pastor's Heart]
06/16/2010
By Admin, Admin
Dear Freedom Family and Friends,
Thanks for joining us again as we look at the 5 Biblical Hindrances to Prosperity.
In the book of Haggai the first chapter, we see God asking the people to consider their ways and priorities:
"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands."
I don't know about you, but when I read God's scathing rebuke of the Israelites and witholding of their prosperity in the land because of their neglect for God and His House, I make the connection that sometimes, prosperity is not flowing because we've got our priorities all wrong. This take us to Hindrance #4.
Hindrance #4 - Neglecting the House (things) of God
It's simple really. Why would God continue to prosper someone who forgets about him? Yes, there is grace and thank God for it. But we see a situation here where their grace had an expiration date. Kind of like our credit card system. There is a period of grace where we can make the late payment without penalties. But when that grace period is over, there are consequences and additional charges. I believe the Almighty is making a statement here. He is reminding them of Who blessed them.
In Deuteronomy the 8th Chapter, we find the same warning from the beginning of their exodus out of Egypt. The Lord in that passage tells them that they should not forget the Lord who brought them out of Egypt and into the promised land where they would be given the power to get wealth. For in that day they forget about Him there would be serious consequences.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ taught the same principle to always put the things of God first and the prosperity would follow.
"But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33
When we remember the Lord our God and acknowledge Him first, then He will direct our path and guide us into the prosperity He has for us. The reverse is also true that when we forget the Lord our God, then the prosperity we're enjoying begins to be subtracted from us.
Is the world economic crisis, a wake-up call by God Almighty because we're forgetting about Him? Only God can answer that.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord so that His blessings continue to cover our lives every moment.
Won't you consider your ways and seek Him first? You won't regret it. He has great blessings waiting for all who come to Him.
Church 2.0 missionaries,
Pastor Hoa, Leslie, & Zoe Tong
Freedom Worship Center
Live. Love. Lead In Christ.
www.freedomwc.org
