Tell what was your understanding of been prosperous  before you became Christian.

God’s will is that his kingdom come and his will be done. It’s not that we run after prosperity and richness. Our main goal must be : To know him and to make him known is this earth.

We don’t belong to this world, our kingdom is a heavenly kingdom. We need to learn to walk as the bible teaches us.

There are a very strong unbiblical teaching going on for centuries. It says: if you don’t have money your not blessed by God. You are not saved but this is not true.

We need to open our mind. Listen Poverty is more then lack of money and prosperity is much more than be rich and full of money.

God rescued us from slavery, from sin and he has given us freedom and abundant life, blessings.

What way of life are you living?

Are you still in slavery, poverty?

Or are  you  living an abundant life? A prosperous lifestyle.

Do you give up easily or do you fight for what you want?

What is your mind set?

Let’s see what the bible says about Poverty and Prosperity.

Let’s look these bible verses about Poverty. In the Hebrew language all these words are about been poor, but not all  them are  about lacking money.

Poverty

• 1-חסר  (haw-sare’) in need of, lacking of wisdom , in want of ( Pv 6: 32 , Pv10:13  )

“But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.”

Prov. 6:32

• 2-מסכּנת (Misckenuth) poverty, scarcity, need, ( Det 8:9, Ec 4:13)

“a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.”

Deut. 8:9 NIVUK

When a land is scarce it means that they have no food to harvest.

• 3-עני  (Anee’)  affliction, poverty, misery ( Dt 16:3 , 2 Sm 22: 28, Ps 86:1, Pv 31:5)

“Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.” Psalm 86:1 NIVUK

Poor soul, no victories, need Good because is in affliction

• 4-אביון (‘ebyown) in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person, subject to oppression and abuse,  general reference to lowest class ( Dt 15:4, 1Sm 2:8; Is 32:7, Jr 20:13)

“Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor and needy from the hands of evildoers.” Jeremiah 20:13 AMPC

• 5-דּל (dal) –  low, poor, weak, thin, one who is low ( Lv 19:15, Sl 41:1 , Pv 19:17, Pv 22:16)

“Every time you give to the poor you make a loan to the Lord. Don’t worry—you’ll be repaid in full for all the good you’ve done.”

Proverbs 19:17 TPT “One person may beat poor people down in order to get rich. Another person may give gifts to rich people. Both of them will become poor.”

Proverbs 22:16 NIRV

When we held the helpless we are lending to the Lord.

Our Testimony: we had no car when we got married. When Marcio got his second job they given him a car to work. It wasn’t ours but we could use it during weekends to go to church. We decided that we are going to give a lift to those who had no car and help them to go to church. It was a (dal) family.  We did it for few years. Then he changed to another company but he had to give the car back. Again we had no car. But our God is faithful and after a month his boss lent some money to him to buy a car and later he said to him “you don’t need to pay me back. The car is yours.” What do you think? Who did give the car to us?

It was God.

Now let’s look to what the bible teach us about prosperity.

Prosperity

• 1-שׁלםשׁלום (Shalowm)  completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, safety, soundness (in body), health, prosperity,  tranquillity, contentment, friendship (Ps 122:6,7;  Dn 4.1)

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]! May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces!”

Psalm 122:6-7 AMP

As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we are blessed.

• 2-שׂכלשׂכ ( Sekel )  prudence, insight, understanding, good sense, wisdom (1 Cr 22:12,13, Psl 111:10, Pv 19:11)

“Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding as you are put in charge of Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to keep and fulfil the statutes and ordinances with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.”

1 Chronicles 22:12-13 AMPC

When we are wise to do what we have to do, then we will be prosperous. We see that King Solomon asked for wisdom and God blessed  him with richness. Actually he was the richest man  at his time; but he didn’t ask for money. It was just the consequence.

• 3-צלחצלח ( Tsalach) to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable to show or experience prosperity( Gn 39:2 , Ne 2:20; Is 48:15, Ps 1:3; Pv 28:13)

“But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”

Genesis 39:2 AMPC

“He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13 AMPC

Joseph was prosperous in Egypt, since he started living there but he had no money. At the end God blessed him with a good job at Pharaoh’ palace.

As we confess our sins and leave them we make progress, we prosper.

• 4-עשׁיר (ashiyr) rich, wealthy ( this word appears most of the time in negative way) ( Job 27:19, Prov 28:11, Ecc 10:20, Mt 19:24)

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 19:24 AMPC

Those who hold on they’re wealthy can not enter the kingdom of God. The eye of a needle in Jesus time was a very small and narrow passageways in the wall of a town and if you want go thorough it you need to carry few things. That why if are cling to the riches of this world you can not enter in the kingdom of God

• 5-חיל (Chayil)  strength, might, efficiency, wealth, ability, force, virtue * ( Ex 18:21, Dt 8:18, Pv 31:10, Is 60:11)

“If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 MSG

Virtuous wife “Who could ever find a wife like this one— she is a woman of strength and mighty valour! She’s full of wealth and wisdom. The price paid for her was greater than many jewels.”

Proverbs 31:10 TPT

We are prosperous because God bless us. Our character has more value than money.

Virtue – is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.

I hope you understood what mean Poverty and prosperity in biblical point of view. Now I want talk about money before we finish.

True prosperity: Mathew 6: 24-26 /Mal 3. 8-12

“”No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and Money at the same time. “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? “Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?”

Matthew 6:24-26 NIRV

“Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. “You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ “The tithe and the offering—that’s how! And now you’re under a curse—the whole lot of you—because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers.” The Message of GOD -of-the-Angel-Armies.”

Malachi 3:8-11 MSG

Our heart need to be one with God and his kingdom. If you love money you are serving other god. You are being an idolater. Seek his kingdom first and all that you need you will receive.

Use your strength to bless other, to serve God. Be faithful to God. Give your tithes and offering and you see the floodgates of heaven  opening.

I want to challenge you to renew your covenant with God. Decide that you are going for now on be faithful every week. Prosperity comes as you sown in he’s kingdom. He’s kingdom is the church, is the family of God, is those around you.

Jesus is not a way to be rich and prosperous. He is our saviour. He rescue you from your sins. He is blessing you today so you can go and rescue others. As you do his job he will take care of you. Don’t love his blessings. Love the one who have been blessed you.