Current Partner Letter

DECEMBER 2023 PARTNER LETTER
Ongoing Prosperity

Dear Partners,

My sincerest prayer and desire for you, is that you would walk in God’s ongoing blessing. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to speak God’s Word into your life. I want to see you (and teach you how to) experience the abundant and blessed life that was paid for by Jesus’ sacrifice.

In (John 10:10 KJV) Jesus says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Many people often ask, why is it that some Christians seem to be blessed more than others? But I want to share with you from the word of God, the kind of person God blesses with ongoing prosperity.

Psalm 112:1-9 (KJV) gives us the answer by describing the type of person that God blesses:

Praise ye the Lord. 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 forever. Unto the upright ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely, he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 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 sees his desires upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.

This passage reveals the type of person that God will bless with wealth and riches. Wealth means the state of being rich and affluent, having a plentiful supply, the quality of profuse abundance, and extreme well-being. Riches means an abundance of possessions and resources. So, let’s look at the qualities of the person that God blesses with wealth and riches (ongoing prosperity).

The first quality is, “the man that fears the Lord…” This doesn’t mean you and I should be afraid of the Lord. The Amplified Bible says, “blessed is the one that reveres and worships the Lord”. To revere is to love unquestioningly or to excess; to regard with feelings of respect; to consider hallowed. God gives ongoing prosperity to those who have made seeking Him their purpose.

The second is, “they that delights greatly in his commandments.” They love the Word of God. They treat it like a pearl of great price, treasured and privileged to have found it. The dictionary defines delight as a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction. It provides joy and happiness that cannot be valued. Nothing thrills this person more than spending quality time in God’s Word and having the Holy Spirit import revelation knowledge into him or her.

The third quality is “shows favor and lends”. God blesses very generous and cheerful givers with ongoing prosperity.

The fourth quality is “ too never be shaken; do not be afraid of evil tidings (reports). A heart that is steadfast and trust the Lord, will not be affected by bad news, adversity, test, or trials, because God’s Word is the final authority in their life.

Finally verse 9 declares again that a giving heart is what God looks for – “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor”. God blesses those whose generosity goes on and on. A generous person has learned, it’s more blessed to give than receive.

Now, if we look very closely, the one quality that is mentioned more than anything else is, the person that God blesses with ongoing prosperity is a giver. Ongoing prosperity will always be in the house of the giver. If giving isn’t a major characteristic or virtue in your life, then it’s not likely you’ll ever have ongoing prosperity.

Many Christians mistakenly think “when I have more, I’ll start to give”. According to the Word of God it doesn’t work that way. Giving is what produces more! Proverbs 11:24 (NIV) says “one person gives freely, yet gains even more: another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty”. Marcia and I have seen this truth in our own lives. We learned God’s principles of sowing and reaping. We trust God and obey His word! We give at the leadership of the Holy Spirit without doubt or reservation.

I want to encourage you to refuse to live beneath the privileges and blessings that Jesus paid for on Calvary. Position yourself to be the type of person that God blesses with ongoing prosperity.

Marcia and I are praying for your success and prosperity.

Blessings,   

Pastor Howard