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Articles on Bible Matters:

Are You Destined for Wealth

We believe the answer to that question is a resounding, "Yes". You may not realize it but God's plan for our lives is success, prosperity and yes, even wealth. Many people aren't aware of this and unfortunately they struggle financially and often suffer lack. But the truth is, God has promised prosperity to those who seek His kingdom, which just means those who seek God's way of doing things. In other words, those who seek God's Success Formula. The Bible states that God has given us the power to get wealth... that He teaches us to profit... that He's commanded the Blessing upon us, and that the Blessing has the power to make us rich without sorrow.
If all of this is true, then why isn't everyone rich and prosperous? Well, first of all, you can't actually take possession of what you don't even know you have. Lets suppose Nelson Rockefeller left you 10 million dollars in his will but you didn't know about it. Even though you're actually a millionaire, you would still be confined to only living the lifestyle that you can afford based on your paycheck.
Now if you already earn a million dollars per year you probably have enough to support your family well and even help others in need. But if your annual income is less than $50,000 and you live in the United States, you're probably feeling a bit of a pinch just trying to meet your own family's needs, much less help meet the needs of anyone else. In either scenario, you are not tapping into the vast reservoir of resources that you have inherited. You simply don't know what's been promised to you, so you never take the proper steps to obtain your inheritance.
The second reason not everyone is experiencing the financial wealth God has promised is, they just don't believe it's true. The Bible calls it "lack of faith" and also provides us with two important clues to why so many people never actually get the wealth God has promised. In one place in the Bible it says "All things are possible to him that believes". But just think about it, if someone tells you that a rich person you don't even know, out of the goodness of his or her heart, has left you millions of dollars... do you think you are going to just "believe it"... just like that? Or is your response more likely to be "Yeah, right..."
It's going to take some serious effort to really believe a statement like that, isn't it? You're going to need real proof, aren't you? You'll need to see some official documentation before you can buy into something so far fetched. And you'll want to thoroughly examine that bequeath until you fully understand every clause and condition.
My guess is, you'd probably review that document again and again until you're satisfied that it's authentic. And only then would you begin to think to yourself 'Maybe I really have inherited some wealth.' Only then are you beginning to believe. You see, believing is the first step to gaining access to the wealth that God has promised.
Just imagine how many people would simply dismiss this entire notion... that would never even investigate or go through the process I've described above... and as a result, they'd never arrive at the starting point... the point of believing. You see, believing, is the very first ingredient in God's Success Formula.
In our next article we'll discuss how to go from that starting point-- believing God has promised you wealth-- to actually experiencing tangible increase.

By Sterling and Marti Winterhalter
San Francisco, California
U.S.A.
16 Nov 2006
-- Are authors of a number of insightful books on prosperity, faith and successful living including their popular electronic and paperback books, "Supernatural Wealth" and "Living The Breakthrough Life". The Winterhalters are also founders of Breakthrough Faith Ministries in San Francisco, CA. http://www.breakthroughfaith.org

The Lord's Voice

This will give you the chills........GOOD chills.

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice.

The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn Down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.

At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will". He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count
for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here."

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep.

"What is it?"

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you." The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk."

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.

He knew that God still answers prayers.

This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world).

If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."

Contributed By,
Calvin Yeo
Singapore
12 Dec 2006