In our last lesson we began to lay a foundation for the transfer of wealth. I believe this is a word from the Lord for 2010 and beyond. I want to encourage you to open your heart and hide these Scriptures in your heart and I believe that you will begin to see some new things begin to unfold to you. This has made a tremendous difference in the life of our church.

Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” (KJV)

Proverbs 13:22: “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.” (NLT)

Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up.” (AMP)

We can clearly see that God desires to make a deposit into our lives in the financial realm. As we shared previously we have a part to play in this. We have to open our hearts to the Word of God and position ourselves to receive from the Lord in this area. In the last magazine we saw from Genesis 15 that God began to speak into the heart of Abram what was going to take place. He shared with him that his seed would be afflicted in a strange land for 400 years, but that He would bring them out with great substance. So I want us to continue to look at how this transpired in the lives of God’s covenant people.

What we need to understand is that this happened to the nation of Israel, but it is God’s will for it to happen in our lives and that is where we need to place our faith in this and extend our faith to see God work in our lives in this great area. It is by faith that we receive the blessings of God and it’s by faith that we open our hearts to receive new things from the Spirit of the Lord. God has placed things in His Word, but we have to seek them out. The Bible declares that it is the glory of God to conceal a matter; it is the honor of kings to search it out.

God began to minister to our church prophetically in a powerful and greater way in 2006. That is the year that we embraced the word from the prophet that 2006 would be a year of glory.

I was riding my motorcycle in December and God spoke to me by His Spirit, “Listen to the prophets.” So I began to pray over that word and I understood what God was dropping into my heart. Brother Hagin had prophesied that 2006 would be a year of glory. So as I began to pray and reflect upon that the Holy Spirit brought to me a word from the Old Testament.

2 Chronicles 20:13-20: And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

I want you to notice verse 20. Jehoshaphat said, “Believe in the LORD your God and you’ll be established. Believe His prophets and so shall you prosper.” There are many people today that are established in the Bible and of course that’s very important, but many of these people are not prospering. That is because we need not only to embrace the Bible, the Word of God, but our hearts also need to be open to what the Spirit is saying through the prophets in this hour.

God spoke to me in December 2008, “Concerning the finances of America it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” We have all seen that come to pass. I shared that word with our church and I encouraged them not to make major purchases they didn’t need, to stay out of debt, become tithers and get financially established in the Kingdom of God.

As I began in the fall of 2009 praying for the New Year the Lord dropped a word into my heart about financial prosperity. I want to challenge you today to believe God in a more personal and fervent way to see His will come to pass in your life in this area. You need to understand that God is going to prosper you through you, not in spite of you. You have a part to play in your financial prosperity.

This is what I shared with our church family and I want to share with you. If you’re not seeking God, if you’re not tithing, if you’re not giving unto the Lord for His glory then this message is not for you. I’m praying that the eyes of your spirit will be open to the Word of God and you’ll begin to obey it. If you are doing these things then praise God, receive this word. If you’re not, then evaluate your life and make the necessary changes so that you can position yourself to prosper.

I want us to make an application of these truths that I’m going to share with you because these principles are eternal.

Haggai 1:1-7 – “On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’” Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!”

Haggai received a prophetic word from God to share with Zerubbabel the governor of Judah and Jeshua the High Priest. To sum this up, Haggai said the people are saying it’s not time to rebuild the Lord’s house, the temple. Now that’s real convenient and that’s how many people live today. Well, you know it’s not important for me to give to the Lord. It’s not important that I put the Lord first. That is wrong thinking and will keep you in poverty in your financial life.

Notice in verse 3 “Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” Verse 5 is what we need to understand. The Lord Almighty says, “Consider how things are going for you.” I want to encourage you to look at your life. Are things going well with you? Are you being blessed? Are you seeing increase in your life? If not, then you need to take evaluation of your life.

In verse 6 he says you have planted much but you have little harvest. You have something to eat but it’s not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothes to wear but not enough to keep you warm. He said you’re making money but it’s like you’re putting it into pockets with holes. I’ve been there. What about you? Are you doing what the Lord has told you to do?

Verse 7 (NLT) “This is what the Lord God Almighty says, “Consider how things are going for you.”

Verse 7 (KJV) “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, “Consider your ways.”

God was trying to get them to understand that they were thinking wrong and because they were thinking wrong; they were doing wrong and because they were doing wrong; they were not prospering. God says, “Consider your ways. Listen to Me and make a change in your life.”

Haggai 1:8-12 – “Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.” Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord.”

The prophet began to speak, “Hey, get up and get busy taking care of My business rebuilding My house and you will see that I’ll begin to prosper you and bless you. You’re going to see that you will rise up and begin to prosper and go forward.” Verse 12 says then Zerubbabel, the high priest and the whole remnant of God’s people obeyed the message from the Lord and they went about doing what God said.

That is exactly what you and I have to do. We have to hear the Word of the Lord and then obey the Word of the Lord. Then we will see God’s hand move in a great way.

I love verse 13. Then Haggai the Lord’s messenger gave the people this message from the Lord. I am with you says the Lord. Notice when they heard and obeyed, God saw it and spoke again and encouraged them. Then it is something else.

Haggai 1:14 – “So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Praise God! He sparked their enthusiasm and that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit is trying to do through me today. I’m delivering to you the Word of the Lord to tell you, if you want a change then change. Change what you’ve been doing. I want to encourage you so that you will rise up in new enthusiasm. Enthusiasm means “in God.” If you’ve been doing the right thing, then do it more. It’s time to seek the Lord like you never have before. It’s time to consecrate yourself to God in a fresh new way.

As the church of Jesus Christ we really need to get hungry for God. It’s time to increase your giving and service to God with fresh new fire. As they began to do that, good things began to happen in their lives. God was watching, and 49 days later the prophet received another word from the Lord. Now that’s important to note - 49 days later. This is not a get rich quick scheme. This is a way of life.

Galatians 6:7-9 – “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Haggai 2:1-4 – “In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts.” I love this. God called them by name and said, “Take courage, you’re doing good. You’re on the right path.” That encouraged their hearts to obey Him.

I am sharing these words to strike your thinking to spark your enthusiasm. In our next lesson we’ll talk about what happened when they obeyed God.

Remember Proverbs 13:22 - “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” It is God’s will for you to increase financially, but you are going to have move towards God to see great things happen.

This is a portion of a teaching that I delivered here to the church family. To receive this teaching in its entirety then please contact us at PO Box 1220, Sand Springs, OK 74063, (918) 245-0262. You can receive this for a donation of any size.