WALKING IN ABUNDANCE

WALKING IN ABUANDANCE
…. a life changing book

By

Rev. David Aremu

First print February, 2000

All scriptural quotations are from the Authorized
King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise
Stated.


A Publication of:
Christian Publishing International (CPI)
Box 387, Jebba, Kwara State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348036121781, +2348051109976
Email: christianpubint@yahoo.com,
Cpi2009@live.co


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication………………………..
Acknowledgement………………...
Foreword…………………………...
Introduction……………………….

CHAPTER 1: Wealth And Eternal Life

CHAPTER 2: When The Brook Runs Dry

CHAPTER 3: Zarephath Experience

CHAPTER 4: Hope For You To Live In Abundance

CHAPTER 5: Managing God’s Abundant Blessings


Dedication
This book is dedicated to the entire members of the United Missionary Church of Africa, (UMCA) Nigeria, and especially to the UMCA Ibadan City Churches. Through them, the inspiration to write this book came when I was invited for a 5-day Revival programme in December 1998 during which I spoke on the theme: “Walking In Abundance”.


Acknowledgement

I sincerely acknowledge the Spiritual and fatherly guidance of Rev. E. T. Adekeye

Of Jesus Revolution Ministry Ilorin, whose counsel and prayers has met great needs

in my ministerial calling.

The entire members of the UMCA Light of Life Chapel, Jebba are also commended

for their understanding and financial support towards the resuscitation of the UMCA Light

of Life programme with publication work in the year 1996.

Finally, I express my appreciation to you as a buyer / reader of this book.

God bless you.

Rev. David Aremu


Foreword

From my journey of a few days, I have seen that a person can be anointed and yet poor. Of

course, Peter and John, the leading Prophets of Acts Chapter three at the Temple’s Beautiful Gate have confirmed that: Silver and Gold have I none. A dry start later gave way to the same Peter sitting at the head of accumulated treasures and superintending over the distribution of same to the needy saints. To him a vessel carrying all sorts descended much later. That is the will of God. Most believers do not understand this. For this purpose this book is written to open us up.
In the “end of time” struggle to make a point on this issue, a number of ministers and ministries have veered off the narrow way preaching mainly prosperity and nothing seriously more, claiming to have a call just in that area, writing, preaching, singing JUST THAT and nothing more in a kingdom that is so vast. Thousands are moving along this reckless path of wealth. And wealth, any wealth has its own troubles. By the time you go through our rural areas, see poverty and unbelief, sin, idol, whoredom, all mixed among the rural people who constitute 60% of the Nigerian population, you will sit down and wonder what it is all about: An African preacher amassing so much wealth. There is a tilt to the other extreme. Any attempt to teach a balance is seen as either antagonistic or what else would you say since you don’t have money?
For this purpose this book is written to provide us”middle”. I recommend it to your reading. May the Lord bless you as you do so, Amen.
Pastor Isaac Omolehin
Word Commission Assembly, Ilorin, Nigeria



Introduction

T
his is a time when “Prosperity” is a popular theme of sermons on many pulpits. Prosperity refers to a state of flourishing or a successful financial situation. It has to do with easy cash flow into hands, home, business etc. Prosperity ensures a condition that makes living easy and comfortable. The Bible has said it all: “Money is the answer for everything” - Eccl. 10:19 NIV. It is not the writer’s intention to preach earthly prosperity at the expense of the everlasting reward of heaven for “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” – Luke 12:15 NIV. It is the life of a man in Christ that brings him abundant blessing. Wealth without Christ leads to everlasting destruction in hell: the one that lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God. The wealth that comes through Christ, as we keep seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall surely make us walk here on earth in abundance of God’s blessings, and at the same time make us lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6: 19).
This book is to assure us and bring us to the realm of God’s blessing here on earth, and at the same time prepare us for eternal life.




Chapter One
WEALTH AND ETERNAL LIFE
“And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven” – Matt. 19:16, 21-23.
Of all people that came to have dialogue with Jesus, only the rich young man was reported of going back in sorrow “for he had great possessions”. It would have been better to say great possessions had him. A possession that cannot be done away with, even for the sake of the gospel has had a hold on the possessor’s life. It is such a man that Christ calls a rich man who shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
God’s design is for us to have and enjoy all things: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” – 1 Tim. 6:17.
Romans 8:32 also affirms: “He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
God made ready for us, provisions that we met on our getting into this world. He richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Just as God gave us his only son to die for our sins without any condition to be met by us, so also he will not deny us access to all other things, as we require for our comfort. He made a way for us of entering eternal life by believing in Christ’s death and resurrection through faith: “by this also we have access (entrance, introduction) by faith into the grace – state of God’s favour in which we (firmly and safely) stand” – Rom 5:2 (AMP).
God wants us to be blessed in this world and to have eternal life at the end.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”- Mark. 8:36. God placed the soul of a man on one side of a balance, and placed the whole riches of the world on the other side; but behold, the soul of man outweigh the riches of the world. It is the soul of a man that has eternal value and not possessions of that soul. The possessions of men shall pass away but the man “that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” – John 5:17. Even though that man should die out of this world, yet shall he live with Christ in eternity. To love one’s life here and now (i.e. to concentrate on one’s own success) is to loose what matters most - the eternal life.
At the time Peter and Andrew were called by Christ, they were busy fishing. The Bible recorded that as soon as the two of them heard Christ’s request (“follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”), they immediately “left their nets and followed him” – Matt. 4: 19-20. They left their ship and their father, and followed Christ. Therefore he put forth the question: “…behold we have forsake all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” Matt. 19:27. The answer that Christ gave was that, “…no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (…and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life” – Mark. 10:29-30 NIV.
Jesus made it clear that all that a man think he is losing by following him shall be rewarded back to such a man a hundred fold NOW IN THIS PRESENT AGE with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life. Our reward for following Christ and denying ourselves of earthly pleasures is not only to be acceptable in heaven but also to be loved by God here on earth. By following Christ we are given an entrance into living in abundance of God’s blessings here on earth, and (after death) in eternity.
A good man can easily give up his lust for Christ as to secure his job, family, land etc since he must also love them. It is not suffering but its CAUSE that makes a Martyr. The advantages in serving Christ are abundantly enough to balance the discouragement that may come in the way – hundred folds of comforts sufficient to make up all the loses.
Christ added “With persecutions” to the hundred fold blessings we are to receive. Why that? Persecution makes us draw closer to God. There can be no persecution if there is no blessing or success: When the church was growing in the early time of the Apostles, persecution was at its peak, yet the church grew and it is still growing at present in the face of persecution. Promotion brings about persecution: without promotion, there is no enemy. After David’s promotion came Saul who was determined to take his life just because David was assisted by God to win a battle. The blessing of God, according to King David, is to overflow in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5). If God must promote you financially and in all areas of your life, there will arise enemies; but surely the Lord who brought about the blessings will lift up your head above your enemies round about you (Psalm 27:6) Halleluyah!
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” – Matt. 6:33. The one thing that is needful is for you to seek first, the kingdom of God: this is the surer way to obtain the necessities of this life. Take no thought for the life of your body (wealth) but rather the life of your soul – your eternal happiness. We make nothing of our wealth (or religion) if we do not make heaven at the end. Let God that is the first have the first and the very best – your soul – and after which you can have the earthly riches.
Let me close this chapter by reminding you of the destinies of that rich man and Lazarus in Luke 19:19-31. The rich man enjoyed the things of this world to the fullest but he was not rich towards God. He received all good things of this world, including a befitting burial but ended in hell, eternal damnation and second death. He die and died. But the Angels took Lazarus, who could not enjoy this world’s riches, and who was buried just like a dog, to Abraham’s bosom. He obtained eternal life. He died out of this world but lives forever in eternal happiness. The fact Jesus wants us to know in concluding that parable is that, people who could not listen to the scriptures will not be convinced even if someone rises from the death. Those who live in open and blatant defiance of the law of God are not going to change their ways given some special revelation even if that revelation is someone rising from the dead.
The writer of the Proverbs writes: “Two things have I required of thee: deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the LORD? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain” - Prov. 30:7-9.
We are not to seek after prosperity at the detriment of our eternal life. It is better to be poor and get to heaven than to be rich in this world and end up in hell.
God bless you as you prayerfully consider your spiritual position before God presently, before you read further.



Chapter Two
WHEN THE BROOK RUNS DRY

“And Elijah the Tisbite, … said unto Ahab, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the LORD came unto him saying, get thee hence and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there… And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”- 1 kings 17:1-7.
Nobody has all he needs; no one has the resources to meet the need of the hour. Circumstances may change, but God’s aim concerning us will never change. That is, to bring us to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11) of walking in the realm of God’s abundance. Staying where God wants you to be will lead to your enjoying God’s blessing. Elijah went out of the city when famine had just began, to stay by the brook cherith where the ravens brought him food. The first thing is for you to know where God wants you to stay, and then your obeying God’s instruction without querying.
It was into a wilderness God led Elijah. Remember, God sustained the Israelites for 40 years with water, food and protection in the wilderness. This is a proof of God’s provision during man’s worst situation. Lack of rain or dew in Elijah’s time was a sign, or the beginning of famine yea of sorrow. Yet he was to stay outside the city as to enjoy God’s sustenance. He enjoyed staying at the brook while others in the city were starving. As long as the brook kept supplying water, and ravens bringing food, all was well until the brook dried up!
Your flowing brook might have being your place of work, your business, your parents, wife, husband or friends. Any of these (or any other) might have been supplying you with God’s blessings even while some other people are lacking. Just let the month runs to an end or let the business deal be done, you are rest assured that the pressing financial need shall be met. That your flowing brook may run dry one day: retrenchment, business collapse, debt accumulation to the detriment of the business, death of parent, wife, husband or friend, etc. It is the ongoing of the world that makes it sad. If the world stood still at a happy moment there would be no sadness in it. The Sun and Moon that stood still at Aijalon was not a catastrophe for Israel, but a type of paradise. Yet even a stationary heaven and earth would become dull at last. Your source of brook cannot always satisfy.
Why should the brook be allowed to run dry since God originally gave it? If you hang on your brook too much, you may forget God who gave it. The brook can make you forget that you are a stranger in this world. This world is not your home no matter your enjoyment of the brook. You have to keep your confidence in depending on resources outside yourself, and that is on God. Though you may miss your brook, you will not miss God – the source of all blessings. A brook and birds don’t show you as much as a mother and child can do. That means God has a better plan ahead of you by allowing your flowing brook to run dry. There is something better to come your way. You need not to cry over it. The next thing for you to do is to ask God for the next step you are to take; or what next you should do.
“And the word of the LORD came unto him saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” – 1 King17: 8-9.
Elijah received further instruction from God before he stepped out of the brook area. As your brook runs dry, you need to pray and receive directions or idea of what you should do from God. A man of God once said, “Nobody has a money problem: it is always an idea problem”. You are to ask God for an idea, his leading or what to be done in line with prayer requests. You don’t need to pray and sit down. Be sure you receive a direction from God before you step out to act upon the revelation or instruction of God.
“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” – Luke 11:9.
Your asking is praying. Praying for what? I think for an idea or direction or solution to what you are praying about. God gives idea, but he doesn’t give small ones. His big plans for us can start in a small way, but he will not give a stationary small idea. Don’t throw back God’s big idea and plan for your life when you think they are impossible. That brings failure. In fact that is unbelief. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” – James 1:6-8. God is setting you up for the greatest miracle of your life by giving you big ideas. “Make your thinking big enough for God to fit in,” says a preacher. Have a dream that will shape your future. Your dream will decide how far you can go and how big you can become for God and his glory.
Seeking is acting on God’s idea that comes your mind while praying. Always get in tune with God’s spirit and be obedient to God’s leading. Do the actual thing he wants you to do at any time. Do not stay when you are supposed to move or act, and do not act when you are to stay. God guided the Israelites in their wilderness wandering by the cloud, covering the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud settled, the Israelites had to settle, and when it moved even at midnight, they had to take off (Numb. 9:15-23). A minute delay may disorganize God’s plan for your life, and a minute of haste may bring you a set back.
I started to teach in a new secondary school in the year 1992. I was also serving as the Vice Principal of the school. In 1995, God spoke to me to quit the job for “to every thing there is a season.” I had been called into the pastoral ministry by then; and the work of the Master was occupying my mind daily. As soon as I heard God’s instruction, I obeyed by putting forth a month’s resignation notice. Unknown to a group of inspectors on WAEC recognition inspection a week after dropping my letter, they reshuffled the administrative staff posting and dropped me out as an ordinary teacher from the post of a V.P. They tried to console me why the reshuffling must be done. I only told them, I did not get to that school by my own will: my time has already expired, and I had put forth my letter of resignation!
Knocking is your persistency in prayer when the seeking (acting) seems not to yield the desired fruit. God’s special miracle of intervention is needed. A man of God said, “When you think you have exhausted all possibilities remember this: you haven’t! Because you can still pray!” Is there any idea or plan coming into your mind in line with your business, job, and education or marital, etc? Arise and act in line if you know you had really prayed. If your brook has run or is running dry, look unto God from whom comes your help.



Chapter Three
THE ZAREPHATH EXPERIENCE

“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said, Bring me I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after, make for thee and for they son. For thus said the LORD God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Elijah.” – 1 Kings 17:7-16.
A widow woman was prepared by God to sustain the man of God with the little she had – “an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse”. While was Elijah not led to a wealthy man or woman or to the king at such a time of famine? This is to allow trust in God for sustenance rather than trust in man. It is to look on God rather than man as the source of blessing. That faith will not be shifted from God to man or on all other possibilities outside God. Elijah did not doubt God’s ability. His was just to obey. The complaints of the widow of Zarephath were enough to make Elijah pity her and go back to report her situation to God or disbelief God’s leading. In line of God’s leading can be mountains of doubt. Circumstances will present themselves as to make you doubt God – only believe, for all things are possible to him / her who believes (Mark 9:23).
On the other hand, the widow did not doubt the saying of the prophet. She did not allow her complaints to prevail but acted on the word of God spoken by the prophet. Yes she ought to be pitied by God and by the man of God. A widow having a son and without food sincerely deserves God’s mercy. But before she could be helped, her obedience to the word of God was put to test. It was confirmed that obedience to God’s word is the key to God’s abundance. Before you can walk in abundance of God’s bounty, you have to obey God’s word to the letter. It is natural to complain; or let me say the natural man will complain on all God’s instructions but a spiritual man will comply. God would not pity a man / woman who also is not ready to put to practice the instructions in the scriptures:
“Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” - Joshua 1:8.NIV.
Your acting on God’s word will enable you to succeed. Let me explain the King James Version of Joshua 1:8 …to do according to all that is written there in: for then (after you have done it) thou shalt make thy way (by yourself) prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (not only a success but a good one).
Let us consider some other scriptural examples of people that did according to the instruction given and saw the result.
In Luke 5:4-6, Jesus spoke to peter to “launch out into the deep, and let dawn your net for a draught” He complained in verse 5 but concluded: “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Verse 6 gave the verdict: “when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break”- NIV.
Naaman the leper made several complaints to the instruction of God given to him by prophet Elisha. After a while, he humbled himself to obey those instructions. The result was that: “…his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” –I kings 5:14.
It is natural for you to complain about your load of debt, unsettle bills, financial problems, business failure, etc. rather than obeying God’s instructions. Your complaint and your failure to put into practice God’s instruction will not make you walk in the abundance of God’s blessings. Abundant miracle comes when you ACT upon your HEARING (OR READING), and believing the word of God. The acting is obedience that leads to blessings. Remember the instruction given by the mother of Jesus to the servants at the wedding feast: “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” – John 2:5.
What are you instructed to do in the scriptures and which the failing to do them brings, not only failure but also curses? Firstly, your Tithes: Malachi 3: 8-12. Read that passage and examine yourself. Are you faithful? If you are not, then you are already under a curse. Such a person should not think that he would receive any good thing from God because devourers have been poured out to devour the blessing that might come his way. But as soon as you repent and put all the one – tenth of your income / blessings into the church (not that you share it to different places), God promised to rebuke devourers (sickness thieves, etc) because of you. Your tithe is your insurance against losses; but as soon as tithing fails, the wall of your insurance is broken and a snake may bite (Eccl. 10:9). God said you could put him to a test and see whether he “will not open unto you windows of heaven and pour you out blessings that there shall not be room enough to receive it”.
Secondly, your offering: Gal. 7-9; II Corinthians 9:7: I was paying tithe on the whole of income and yet the expected result did not come. I persistently prayed for a breakthrough and God said to me one day: “Be not deceive, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”. You cannot reap more than you have sown. If you want to reap more bountifully, you have to sow bountifully. But our problem is that we always want to revert order: to sow sparingly and reap bountifully. “…God will not allow himself to be sneered at- scorned, disdained or mocked (by mere pretensions or professions or His precepts being set aside). He inevitably deludes himself who attempt to delude God. For whatever a man sows that and that only is what he will reap.” Galatians 6:7 Amp. You know how to give bountifully to a friend who is involved in an occasion so that he would speak well of you? How much do you spend on your child going to school every week? But when it comes to offering, you know what you throw into the offering plate. Offering is a key to blessing, learn to give bountiful offerings not only on harvest Sunday, Christmas or new Year but at all time: “in the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good”- Eccl. 11:6.
Thirdly, Offering for special works of God: Exodus 35:4-5, 20-22; Haggai 1:5-11.
“…. Whosoever is of a willing heart let him bring it, an offering of the Lord”. Special offerings, the type that are usually requested for in what we call “launching”. No launching was done in the scripture. The only place we read about “launch” and not “Launching” is when peter was instructed to “launch into the deep… for a draught”. That is saying you should draw out your money from where you keep it (your deep): “launch out into the deep… for a draught”. Allow your savings to be brought out for the work of God – Church building, Evangelism equipment, Tract printing, and such other that will draw or win men to God not just for the sake of giving. The type of ground into which you sow your seed matters. Sow into good fertile ground – soul saving ground. An unwilling heart will not give this type of offering. In Haggai’s time, the people refused to give this kind of special offering for the work of the LORD; hence the judgement of God on them: “…you have sown much and bring in little… he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes… Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified… ye looked for much, and lo it came 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…”- Haggai 1:5-11. God did not allow them to walk in abundance because they loved their own things more than that of God. They did not take care of God’s work first. As a result, they could not have God’s blessings. Give specially from your store or savings (your deep) for a special work of God, and it would redound unto blessing for you.
I started publishing tracts for free distribution with my tithes in the year 1987. Later, God spoke to me to use my personal resources for the publication work: The Hope of Glory Publications. In the year 1995 God made me realize that I was not doing his business, as I ought to. Immediately I decided to use the cash meant for our family domestic fridge to publish Tracts. My wife agreed, and we did the publishing. Nearly two months latter, God told me to go open a Frozen fish retailing shop in one of the popular market location in Jebba. I normally don’t keep money in the Bank for I believe God to always supply all that I need according to his riches in glory, exactly as I need and at the time of my need. Since God had spoken that I should start off the shop, I held unto him for all that I needed – a Deepfreeze, weigh balance, a shop and cash. I got a shop that has no electrification system and the building was located far away from any source of electricity. “God, you gave this very shop at the very location you fixed in my mind: you are to arise and provide me electricity meter, Deep-freezer etc that I need”, I kept praying. A man who was tired of the use of a Meter agreed to transfer it to me. That solved the electrification problem. A long Deep-freezer was miraculously purchased while the shop owner sold the shop building to me at last. A very big Domestic fridge, which we desired at first and for the sake of God’s work we gave off the idea, was later purchased at a reasonable price and in excellently good condition. Giving our resources for the work of God will surely bring physical and eternal rewards.
Fourthly, caring for God’s Ministers: I Corinthians 9:9-11: Rom15: 27.
“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your canal things? …for if the gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in canal thing”. These are Paul’s summary in the text above. Paul was establishing the fact that the ministers of God are to be cared for by the church members. For their spiritual services, they in turn are to receive physical (canal) rewards from the members. Good deeds to men of God bring abundant blessings to the giver. The woman of Shunem and Sarah were rewarded with male children after their caring for God’s representatives of their time. The Zarephath woman took care of Elijah before she found herself in abundance of God's blessings.
In July 1998, I was invited by one of our churches for a three-day revival programme. During the revival, I took time to correct the Church’s failure to care adequately for the man of God working with them. The pastorium was not put up finely and the man of God was managing a single room apartment. That church was busy spending on Church building while the minister was left to suffer for it. By December of that same year, their minister came to express the gratitude of the church elders to me. The church heeded God’s instruction passed to them: they stopped the church work for the renovation of the pastorium. As soon as the minister’s house was put in good condition, a cash gift of N30, 000.00 come in for the Church from someone visiting the country form abroad. They had to continue the church project. The church was grateful for their eyes opening to what they were supposed to have done. Their simple obedience brought unto them abundance of blessing. Even if you have not received a blessing through the prayer of a man of God, as long as he comes your way, care for him. He is God’s representative. This is a key for you to walk in abundance of God’s blessing. God might have prepared you for meeting the need of the man. Abigail’s care for David and his men saved her husband from David’s brutality and at last brought her blessing in becoming one of David’s wives.
The fifth aspect of Biblical injunction for us to follow, and which shall be discussed lastly is GIVING: “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete without it shall be measured to you again. -Luke 6:38.
Giving is parting with or sharing of what we have with those in need without the expectation of getting it back from the receiver. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days”- Eccl. 11:1. That is, throw out your goods that are very important to you into places (or person) where you least expect to get it back. Let the water carry it away from you. The thought of man is far from that of God. To walk in abundance, God’s instruction bids you to throw off what you think you have. Let it go from you. But man’s understanding of abundance is to keep pilling things up. You have to launch into your deep (your bank account, your business etc and pull out something you will have to throw off) for a catch! “One man gives freely, yet gains even more: another withholds, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes other will himself be refreshed” - Proverbs 11:24-25. NIV. Generosity is a key to prosperity. As you open your hands to give, so shall men (other people that you may not think of) give back to you, good measure of hundred folds of blessings.
As the brook is drying up, ask for your Zarephath: a place of Gods abundance where no dryness is experienced until the day that God will send rain upon the earth (1Kings 17:14). Zarephath is a place where Gods abundance is regularly experienced everyday throughout the year even when there is no rain. When the rain is yet to fall, the blessing will be uninterrupted. With your total obedience, you enjoy staying in your Zarephath to eat the fruit of the land (Isaiah.1: 19).
The scripture records that when the widow woman “did according to the saying of Elijah, she and he, and her house did eat many days”. Not only was the woman, her son and Elijah been fed, but also other members of her household. People living with her in that house which we did not know of initially or let me say her relatives that went to live with her when they heard of her blessings. The widow’s obedience brought her abundant blessing.
The sending down of blessing by God is always depicted as rainfall: “be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
…And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed”- Joel 2:23-26. From Zarephath to rainfall situation. From blessing to abundance of blessing. Heaven opening throughout the year accomplishing God’s promises. Abundant miracle when you Act upon your HEARING or READING, and BELIEVING the word of God.



Chapter Four
HOPE FOR YOU TO LIVE IN GOD’S ABUNDANCE

“Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; thus saith the LORD, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measure of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria”- II Kings 7:1
No time is too short for God to bring about your blessing. Unbelief only brings failure, loss of hope, living without miracles, and even death. “…For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord”. - James 1:6-7.
The children of Israel got into sin, and curses were flowing upon their lives. There was oppression by the enemies. There was famine to the extent of their eating forbidden things – the head of Donkey, an unclean animal. Not only that, there was the killing and eating of their children. “And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat” - Lev. 26:29 (Read also Deut. 28:53,57). The curses of God came to fulfillment. Their enemies distressed them. At this particular time of moral decadence, the word of God came by the mouth of Prophet Elijah who prophesied plentifully for the Israelites. Not a month to come, not days but TOMORROW! No time is too short for God to change your situation. You can begin to walk in abundance of God’s blessing NOW! Your miracle may come tomorrow. Do not give up. God is in control. But your salvation may be too late by tomorrow; therefore do not delay.
Since the word of God must be fulfilled, there was the urgency for the heavenly hosts to act positively in line with the accomplishment of that which God had spoken. A heavenly computer is to take off as to direct the affairs of men in line with what God had spoken: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”Isaiah55: 11.
The heavenly hosts produced a noise to the hearing of the Syrians, the enemies of Israel. “For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host…wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their lives”- II Kings 7:6-7. The enemies believed that the Israelites had hired more warriors, and so they fled for safety. Your enemies shall hear the noise of heavenly hosts and be scattered in Jesus name, Amen. It was this noise of war produced from heaven that opens the channel of blessing. All that brings about a noise – persecution, transfer, retrenchment, unpaid salary, etc – can bring about your blessing. You don’t have to grumble or cry at such circumstances. Believe that “all things work together for good to them that love God”- Rom. 8:28. The dryness of the brook took Elijah to a fresh source of blessing – Zarephath.
God can use anybody to bring about the fulfillment of his promises concerning you: “Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of Kings; …ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves” - Isaiah 60:16, 61:6. God can use the unbelievers to bless you. The rejected people in Israel, the lepers, were used at that time to bring about the accomplishment of that which God had spoken. The spirit of God worked in their hearts to quit the famished city of Samaria and go towards the camp of the enemies believing that if they perish it would be okay. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure” – Phil. 2:13.
God was working in them to bring about His purpose. The lepers became agents of blessing. They satisfied themselves and went to report to the king. Search was made and behold, “…a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD”- II Kings 7:16.
God’s word concerning you, “to give you an expected end” (Jer. 29:11) must come to pass no matter the delay. God will wake up those people to be used for your blessing. Many a times when our faith runs down to zero level, God keep perfecting His will. Sarah could no longer cope in faith and she laughed in disbelief at the promise of God to give her a son within a season. She said, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old?” God’s response was, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
Zechariah also could not believe his having a son at old age despite the angelic proclamation. Ezekiel could not believe the coming alive again of dry bones that “were very dry” when God asked him, “can these bones live?” He simply returned it back to God by saying, “O Lord God, thou knowest”. God told him to prophesy to the dry bones, the word of God. When your faith runs down to zero level, prophesy to the situation. God did not ask Ezekiel to pray now, but to prophesy. To speak forth the word of God (life) into the very dry bones. Prayer and prophecy work together for good; but when your faith can no longer carry you forward, prophesy the word of God to the situation. Open your mouth and pronounce life unto dead situations, unto weak business, unto sick body, etc. Such prophecies shall cause a noise and a shaking to bring about your blessings.
“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and bone came together, bone to his bone” - Ezekiel 37:7. This is not a noise of war but a noise of joy. A life imparting noise, a noise of resurrection from your dead financial situation, your static business and your body etc. And a shaking off of all that brings debts, strangulation, stagnancy, etc. “Bone to his bone”: freshness of blessings coming to you will results in noise of joy and thanksgiving.




Chapter Five
MANAGING GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

Jesus told us of a man who could not manage God’s abundant provision for him. We were told that the man said to himself: “…You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry” – Luke 12:19 NIV. That man was called a fool because he concluded that a man’s possession is an indication of his life. That is, as much as a man has, so also is his life. He was like the other rich ruler that came to Jesus and went back sorrowful when told: “sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” – Luke 18:22. The bible says he went back sorrowful because “he was very rich”. Or as we said earlier, because riches had him: since he cannot give off what he had.
Jesus gave this warning: “Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness – the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more; for a man’s life does not consist and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance, or that which is over and above his needs” – Luke 12:15 Amp.
A man’s life is not justified by what he has, but it is only in the riches of the grace of God through Christ Jesus that a man’s life can be of great value.
Many cannot manage effectively God’s blessings. They see themselves as one that, through knowledge, wisdom or power have accumulated such wealth. And so are uplifted in their minds. This leads to pride. Some, who by special privilege occupies important positions in the society, becomes occupied with thoughts of their high positions to the extent of not associating with people they left in their former lower positions. Wealth can lead to pride if not handled with the fear of God. “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off” – Psalms 138:6. God looks upon the lowly with more favour, but recognises the proud from a great distance for what they are, and so does not let them see his face: He removes his favour from them. That is why it becomes so hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The bible admonishes us to “charge them that rich in this world, that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” – 1 Tim. 6:17.
Effective management of God’s abundant blessing is not to trust in uncertain riches, which God provided. “Uncertain” because it may not be permanent. Nothing is more uncertain than the wealth of this world. Many have had much of it one day and been stripped of all the next. Many have riches, but enjoy them poorly, not having a heart to use them. Put not your trust in God’s provision, but on God who gave it. It can be easy for you to gain the whole world, but find it difficult to enter the kingdom of God. Do not trust in “uncertain riches”.
Managing God’s blessings effectively also involves having a ready mind to give out to the needy as well as for the work of the Gospel. Those are truly rich who are rich in good works, and preparing for eternity by works of charity. The willingness to give away charitably determines to what extent the heart of the owner is attached to the wealth. Remember Jesus said to that man “sell all … and follow me”. That is for the cause of the gospel: caring for the poor and following Christ.
Your joy on God’s provision should not be in your earthly investments but let it be in the heavenly investments you can make. For if you take pleasure in earthly investments, do you know who will manage it when you die? “… A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease” – Eccl. 6:2. It is only what you do for the cause of God’s work that will indicate your effective management of God’s abundant resources.
As a church, how much do we spend on Evangelism and how much is spent on Church renovation and Electronic gadgets? The man of God in charge of the church should know that God would require him to give an account of how His resources were used. Good management of God’s resources is to let it have impact of salvation on the unsaved that abounds within and outside the cities. Getting to the unsaved at all cost and getting them for Christ is the soul of Evangelism. A thousand naira spend on a single soul to conversion, worth more than thousands of naira spent on church renovation and gadgets. It is only the recovering of lost souls that bring joy to heaven not how much that is spent on church renovation and equipments.