ESTABLISHED AND PROSPEROUS (Part Two)

ESTABLISHED AND PROSPEROUS (Part Two) 

     The beloved disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ John said, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2, KJV).  John prayed to God about three things here concerning the well beloved Gaius: 
1.) He prayed that he prosper; 2.) He prayed that he would be in good sound health; and 3.) He prayed that his soul would prosper.  John was concerned about the whole man: spirit, soul and body.  He wished that each part of those who believed in Yeshua would prosper.  We will expound on the word 'prosper' later in this teaching. 

     So, let’s settle this issue or matter concerning prosperity.  The Father desires for His children or people to prosper in the context of what this word really means in the Bible.  It is His will and good pleasure that we do so.  Just agree with this statement of truth! But before He prospers us, He wants to establish us first.  So, let God establish you!

     The apostle Paul said to the believers in the Church at Rome, “For I long to see you: that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift: to the end you may be established” (Romans 1:11, KJV). Paul earnestly desired to “impart . . . some spiritual gift".  He would 'impart', and they would be 'established'.  Their mutual relationship would comfort preacher and people. Paul expressed in a delicate and gracious way how he needed them.  Both would be benefactors and both would be beneficiaries.  Both would be strengthened and encouraged together in the Lord.  The apostle Paul understood the importance of being established. Again, he said, “to the end you may be established by the spiritual gift I will impart to you". 

     The word 'impart' means “to give over, share, to impart; to make known, tell, or to grant a part.”  The word 'spiritual' means “non­carnal, (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, belonging or relating to the human spirit.”  The word 'gift' means “a (divine) gratuity, a (spiritual) endowment, a favour with which one receives without any merit of his or her own; the gift of divine grace, the economy of divine grace."  The word 'established' means “to set fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm; to make stable, place firmly, to render constant.” 

     Therefore, the apostle Paul was desiring to come to the believers in the Church at Rome “to make and give unto them out of the supernatural grace he had received from God; and to share with them a spiritual endowment or deposit that would cause them to be resolutely set in the right direction, firmly set, stable, and properly placed in Christ."  It would be a place where nothing or no one could move them. It was to this end that Paul eagerly desired to visit the Church at Rome.  This was his goal.  So, let the men and women of God that He has connected you to, or assigned to be His voice in your life, be used by Him that you may be established in the end.  He still uses godly men too.

     Like the apostle Paul, this is the end or goal I so earnestly desire for the people of God today.  I want to see them established in the faith, rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus, and mature and complete in everything that is the will of God.  This is a part of the calling and assignment of God for me.  I long to impart in whatever way and by whatever means I can honestly and truthfully share that which God has endowed within me. 

     There are other Scriptures in the Bible that speak about being established; and how it is the will of God. 

1. Psalm 40:2 – “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”  The Psalmist understood that this was all the LORD’S doing.  He said, “Yahweh brought me up.” “Yahweh brought me out of the miry clay.” “Yahweh set my feet upon a rock, and He established my goings.”  It was all Yahweh’s doing; His work of love and grace.  The word 'established' here means “to erect; to set up or upright, to be firmly established or stable; to be secure, prepared, or ready.”  Yahweh has done the same things for us that He did for the Psalmist.  So, let Him daily establish our steps in the way He would have us to go.  Remember Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him; and He will direct your path.” Yeshua [Jesus Christ] is our Rock upon which our feet have been set.  He is an anchor for our souls. 
2. Psalm 112:3 – “His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.”  You see, fear cannot torment the mind of the believer who has allowed their heart to be established by the LORD.  He has not given us the spirit of fear; nor does he want our minds to be troubled, agitated, or afraid.  This is another reason we should allow Him to establish our hearts. 
3. Acts 16:5 – “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”  Notice what the churches (not just one single church) were established in:  THE FAITH.  Increase came after they were first established.  The word 'establish' here means “to solidify, i.e. confirm, receive strength, make strong, to make solid.”  The apostles revisited the churches where they had preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  They wanted to make sure that they were being established in the faith.  We must not take this lightly.  God desire that His people be established in the faith.  Are you being established?  Increase in number to the churches only came after they had been established in the faith first.  It is not good to get an increase in number without being established first.  God does want to give increase in number and daily add to His Church (the local churches).  The word 'increase' here means “to super­abound (in quantity or quality), to be in excess, be superfluous; to cause to excel; to exceed a fixed number of measure or set number. Yes!  The Father desires to see his people, His Church, to super exceed and abound abundantly in growth, quantity, and quality (spiritually and naturally).
4. Hebrews 13:9b – “. . . For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.” Instead of seeking to establish the hearts with the non­essentials to salvation, such as meat, drink, holy days, etc., the heart of the believer needs to be established with grace.  We need to show others the same kind of unmerited favor God has shown us. We should never allow the non­essentials to salvation cause us to judge our brothers and sisters in Christ; or, to cause even a greater divide or separation within the body of Christ.  Unity or oneness should be more important than clinging to our legal rights. 
5. 2 Peter 1:12 – “. . . And be established in the present truth.”  The apostle Peter was saying here that as long as he was in the body, he would remind the saints of “present truth.”  Why?  Because he desired to see all of the saints of God established in it.  He strongly and earnestly desired to see each of them be set fast, be confirmed, or be turned resolutely in a certain direction:  the direction and way of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He wanted each of them to be strengthened with the strength of the Lord, stable in their minds and walk with God, firmly placed in their set place in Christ, and always being steadfast, unmovable, and abounding in their labor and work in the Lord. 

ESTABLISHED AND PROSPEROUS (Part One)

ESTABLISHED AND PROSPEROUS

(Part One)

         I believe it is the Father’s will to “establish” and “prosper” His redeemed blood bought people in the earth. I truly believe that it is His good pleasure to do so. I believe this has been His intention from the beginning. The command to mankind, His son Adam, was to “be fruitful and to multiply upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-31.

         I also believe we must teach this with some balance, and we must not go to the extreme in making applicable the teachings on establishment and prosperity. We must not allow covetousness to drive us for gain and an abundance of substance at the expense of the prosperity of our souls and walk with God.

         From the beginning God blessed mankind and pronounced the benediction over his life. He “blessed” man. That is, He empowered him with everything he needed to be productive, fruitful, and successful. He gave him the power and His blessing to succeed successfully in his assignment, life, and reign on earth over all the things He had created or made. Man was created to rule, reign, succeed, worship, praise, and maintain constant and unbroken fellowship with His Creator, etc. But before he prospers in every area of life God desires for him to prosper, God desires to establish him first. First, be established! Then let God give you the power or ability to prosper and increase in wealth (naturally and spiritually).

         In this teaching session I want to deal with being established first. I believe we need to be really “established” and “rooted” in Christ and His love before “prosperity” comes. You can be very prosperous with much substance and many carnal and material things. Yet you may not be established in the faith and have come to spiritual maturity in Christ. Now I truly believe that it is our Father and God in heaven’s will to bless and prosper His children in more ways than one. I do. But I also believe that His will is that we are established in the faith first, and experiencing the deeper depths of Yeshua [Jesus]. Then we will learn like the apostle Paul to “be content in whatever state we are in”; and find all of our sufficiency in God and our Shepherd Jesus. Read – 2 Corinthians 3:5; Psalm 23:1.

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how

to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned

the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance

and suffering need. I can do all things through HIM who strengthens

me.” (Philippians 4:12-13, NASB)

         True prosperity is learning how to trust God at all times and in every circumstance. He is our Father, and He is the SOURCE of everything we need or stand in the need of. YAHWEH is the One from whom all of our help comes from. He is the origin or beginning of who and what we need. There is no lack in Him, no want when the Lord is our Shepherd. God has already given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, as well as everything we need to succeed and be prosperous in this present life and world. But the Psalmist did warn us when he said, “. . . If riches increase, set not your heart to them.” Make sure your heart is established with Christ in God first. Then expect increase and prosperity to come to you and your children (Psalm 115:12-15).

         When King Jehoshaphat of Judah prayed to the God of heaven and earth concerning the kings and nations that we coming to make war against Judah, he prayed and sought the LORD (“The Source”). He was afraid. But he also knew he could trust and count on YAHWEH. They fasted and prayed. Then the LORD spoke through the prophet Jahaziel and gave him the battle strategy for this battle that they would not have to fight. The next day King Jehoshaphat said to the army and people of Judah, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NASB).

         The King James Version says, “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe in His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” God wanted both for His covenant people. He wanted them to be established first, then prosperous. As we trust God and put our confidence in Him, He establishes us. Then as we hear or listen to His chosen prophets or designated mouthpieces, He causes us to prosper or succeed in every endeavor He ordains or purpose of His for our success. Read – Romans 8:28.

      The Hebrew word for “establish” is aman, aw-man’. It properly means “to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; to confirm, support, uphold, reliable, stand firm, to be certain, to trust.”

         It is the will of YAHWEH that His people not fear anything or anyone. He had rather we put our confidence or total trust in Him, even in the midst of great odds, difficult circumstances, violent threats, material or physical needs or necessities. God himself takes the initiative to build up His people and be their support. God himself will take the responsibility to bear and hold you up with and in His strength. He will personally sustain you so that you can withstand and endure the pressure, strain, stress, or weight of whatever it is you are facing without giving up or fainting.

         Now increase and prosperity will come. But allow God to establish you first. When God establishes you, you are established. You are placed and positioned in a firm and permanent place in Christ where nothing has to move you. Your house will be built on the foundation of God’s Word with Him as your support. He has vowed to hold His own with the right hand of His righteousness.
#H.I.E.