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In the first tidbit of this series, I focused on ‘one’ aspect of the nature of God: infinite. As a reminder, the word ‘infinite’ means God is without boundaries*; or cannot be restricted. First, God’s nature is multifaceted, yet He is one. To help with this tidbit, I need to remind you of another facet of God’s nature: father**. One definition of father is provider. Because God is a father, He provides, or is the source of supply, for every living thing(Ps145:16). Second, every facet of God’s nature affects every other facet of His nature.*** Therefore, the infinite nature of God and fatherhood nature of God inform us ‘how’ God provides for His own: unlimited or abundant supply. In other words, God exists as an abundant provider! Obviously, if God is an abundant provider for every living thing the question that immediately arises is: Why is man’s past and present so filled with mind-boggling poverty, lack, destitution, and starvation? There is no simple ‘natural’ answer to this complex question. However, what I can unequivocally declare is the answer to life’s difficulties begins with God, not man. In short, man’s opinion does not work because: 1.Mankind was designed to understand how life works through Christ (Jn1:4,9) 2.Mankind’s sin-tainted nature hinders our understanding of both God and reality, so often resulting in deception at worst, or seeing (understanding) through a glass darkly (1Cor13:12) at best. Let’s continue! The earth is full(Ps24:1), which means, and I repeat, God designed the earth to supply the need/desire of every living thing(Ps145:16). But of what is the earth “full”? Simply, the earth is full of everything useful to mankind to help him produce! Therefore, because God’s ‘first’ command to man was “be fruitful” (productive-Gen1:26-28), He intended for man to use the earth for his provision. For example, after man’s fall in Genesis 4, Cain became a tiller of the ground and Abel became a keeper of sheep. Because God had already given them the mandate to take dominion (Gen1:28) over the earth—they had to ‘work’ in these areas to provide for themselves and family. Therefore, to be productive requires God’s gift of the earth as well as His mandate to work to make the earth produce. Another example is Deuteronomy 28, which reveals God’s blessing and curse of which both are contingent upon the action of obedience to God’s word. For example, Deuteronomy 28:1-3 declares obedience to God’s word is rewarded with “blessing” in the city and field. The word “blessing” does not mean a person’s obedience inspires God to drop “blessings” from heaven on mankind like an apple drops from a tree. On the contrary, “God’s blessing” requires man to work using spirit, soul, and body---the consequence is productivity, also known as increase. This is the definition of prosperity! Furthermore, Deuteronomy 28:4 declares obedience results in the blessing of God on the fruit of your body; fruit of your ground; fruit of your cattle; fruit of your herds; fruit of your flocks of sheep. First, notice everything mentioned in verse 4 is either an animal or originates in the earth. Second, notice these things are natural, which means the “blessing” is upon natural things. Third, and most importantly, the word “blessing” (barak) describes “HOW” God affects, or increases, or prospers those natural things!!! In other words, the context of Deuteronomy 28:4 describes the increase, i.e.prosperity of the word “barak” on natural things!! I repeat, when the Hebrew word “barak” (blessing) is applied to earthly things like animals, or plants, or crops, etc., those natural things increase or prosper! I repeat, this is PROSPERITY!!! Therefore, God created in His creation the ‘potential to multiply’ which is why one planted corn seed does not yield one piece of corn!!! On the contrary, one seed planted can multiply into a harvest of abundance!!! But…but…but…why is this true? Who made a seed to multiply, not only into a harvest but into a harvest that is filled with seeds…and within each seed the potential to multiply into further harvests...also filled with seeds? Genesis 1:11 & 8:22 offer the answer: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” Gen1:11 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease -Gen8:22 These simple truths affirm that the Creator God created the ‘potential to multiply’… in His creation! Therefore, as mankind uses the creation to produce, that productivity has inherent potential to multiply without limit!! The ‘potential to multiply’ inherent to God’s creation is ‘THE’ foundation for prosperity! *2Chron2:6 **Lu11:2; Eph1:3 ***Because God is infinite, His nature must also be eternal, i.e.without a beginning or end. Eternality cannot exist without the infinite, and vice versa. This is true of every facet of God’s nature. Quotebit History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Derrick JacksonPastor, Author Archives
November 2024
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