Deliverance From Financial Hardship

Winners’ Chapel International - Meru

Holy Anointing Service - Sunday – 25^th March 2012 (1^st Service Teachings)

Prophetic Focus:  “Outstanding Success Is My Birth Right” Matthew 5:13 - 16

COVENANT DAY OF BLESSING

1^ST Service

DELIVERANCE FROM FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

INTRODUCTION

Life without responsibility ends up a liability. Your core belief system determines your actions steps in life.

Gehazi’s destiny was destroyed by greed and covetousness – 2 Kings 5:20-22, 25-27.
Same way many others have chosen to die with the god of gold – Ex.32:26-31.

In overcoming financial corruption in our lives, two things are vital.

1. UNDERSTAND THE PLACE OF MONEY

2. UNDERSTAND FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

1. THE PLACE OF MONEY

A. WHAT IS  MONEY?

Money is a medium of exchange for goods and services.

The bible has this to say about the subject of money.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Ecc 10:19  A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Your attitude to money and wealth determines the kind of financial heritage you ultimately receive and reflect.

Sixteen out of thirty-eight parables of the Lord Jesus are concerned on how to handle money and possessions.

Money is the measure or financial estimation of an object or service.

Genesis 23: 9  That he may give me the cave of Machpelah,.. ; for as much money as it is worth….. 13 …. I will give thee money for the field.

The better you are in the handling, the more money comes your way.

If you don’t manage your money properly what ever you have will never be enough and it will ultimately be taken away from you - Matt 25:-30.

But if you profitably utilize what you have you secure God’s attention permanently. Use it well or you’ll lose it.

B. UNIQUENESS OF MONEY

1. Understand that God is the owner. Phi 4:15-19.

Since His is the owner & provider, He has a money plan. Mat 6:32-34.

2. Understand that Money is not evil.

It is the love of money that is the root of all evil - 1 Tim 6: 10.

Money naturally takes on the character of whoever has it.

If you are a good person your spending pattern will reflect it.  It is likewise for a bad and corrupt person.

It is not the money that is good or bad but what a person is willing do to get it or after getting it - Eccl 7: 12, Eccl 10: 19.

3. Understand the need to live under God’s control.

If you are not handling your finances in line with God’s plan then your whole life is out of joint.

No matter how spiritual you may be in other areas, you will never know the REAL blessings and reign of God in your life, until you bring your money into line with the will of God.

4. Understand that money is your measure of value.

Your money represents the following;

1.             Your time

2.             Your strength – energy – invested.

3.             Your talents and the abilities you possess

4.             Your inheritance – what is given to you.   

When you invest your money, you are investing a major part of yourself.

When you loose your money to debts and careless use, a major part of your life is lost. Exodus 21: 20, Genesis 23: 16.

5. Understand that money creates competition if permitted. 

Your attitude towards money actually reveals your attitude towards God Himself. Matthew 6: 24. 

Mammon is not just money. It is a spiritual power that grips men and enslaves them through the medium of money.

It is the spiritual power that works in people’s lives through money.

You do not need to hate money, but refuse to be subject to the spiritual force that enslaves men and women. Proverbs 13: 7, Proverbs 23: 4.

Do not chase after money; Chase God and money follows - Prov 28:20.

2. FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

The reason many people are not blessed is because they do not understand the concept of financial stewardship.

God has no problem blessing any man, He is only against waste.

What you have is not as important to God as how you manage it.

When you handle your financial affairs as a steward and not the owner; you will never need to pray for financial increase.

Many people waste their resources and end up in scarcity because they lack understanding of the stewardship approach to financial increase. 

As a Christian you need to change your mentality, you must understand that you are a steward over your finances. 

A. WHO IS A STEWARD?

A steward is a caretaker, someone who does not have a sense of ownership, yet is committed to overseeing what has been put in his care.

He sees himself as one who must give account. The truth is, we came into this world with nothing and it is certain that we shall leave this world with nothing (Eccl. 5:15).  

If you want to enjoy increase without sweat, you must loose your sense of ownership and begin to address yourself as a steward.

As a salary earner, when next you collect your salary, don’t call it your own, handle it as a steward.

These are elements of stewardship; things that constitute stewardship?

B. NON-ACHIEVER’S MENTALITY

God uses money to test our faithfulness in several areas of life.

Some day a young man came to Jesus and said, “Master, what must I do to enter into the kingdom of God?” And Jesus replied, “Sell all your goods, give to the poor and come follow me.” The Bible says he went away sorrowful. He preferred to miss the kingdom of God than to lose his earthly possessions (Lk. 18:18-24).

The summary of it all is that a man who cannot give his money to God, will not give Him his life.

You must be ready to lose your achievers’ mentality and give whatever you have to God, He is the owner of everything you have. “Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it” (Ps. 127:1). 

C. FAITHFULNESS

It is required that a steward be found faithful and Jesus said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in least is also unjust in much. If therefore, you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke16:10).

God will not commit true riches to your trust until you have proved yourself faithful in your stewardship.

You must pass the test of faithfulness over little before God can commit millions to you. Consider the parable of talents - Matt 25:14 -21.

After they gave account, the master gave the faithful servants back the money, he did not collect it from them.

God is not after your money, He only wants to ensure that you have developed through stewardship a good capacity for Him to multiply you. He wants to ensure that you can handle the blessing He is bringing.

Accountability: A good steward maintains openness. He is transparent. There is nothing like miscellaneous expenses, it is neither scriptural nor an accounting principle. 

Record Keeping: A faithful steward keeps straight records. Cultivate the habit of keeping records of your income and expenditure.

This will help you to appreciate and appraise your progress per time and to plan ahead for where you want to be because records do not lie.  

Discretion: You need to sit down and plan your finances. A good steward wouldn’t earn Kshs10,000 and buy shoes that costs Kshs3,000.

Be cautious of your clothing, telephone bills and other things that people consider today as a social status. Most of it slavery! 

Trading: A steward does not pray for increase, he trades his way into increase. He is future minded in all his dealings. You can trade your way into increases is by seeking God more than you seek gold - Matt. 6:33.

And secondly, trade your surplus for a better future, make up your mind never to finish spending all your income per time.

There are lots of investments opportunities all around, look out for them and invest for a better tomorrow. 

Integrity: A good steward looks after what is committed to his charge with diligence. Are you an employee and some valuable things have been committed to your charge?

Keep them diligently. Don’t touch what does not belong to you. He that is unfaithful in another man’s who will give him his own? 

D. THE REWARDS OF FAITHFUL FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

1. You abound with blessings (Proverbs 28:20).

2. Secondly, God commits greater resources to your care (Matt. 25:21). He that is “faithful over” will always graduate to become the “ruler over.”

3. And when you become a ruler you don’t struggle for money again it naturally follows you. God bless you.