Reaping in Recession

Recession, inflation, and economic hard times have been with mankind almost since the beginning of time. They are not new problems. The biblical answers to these conditions first appear early in the Book of Genesis.

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham…Genesis 26:1 Famine could be any unanticipated disaster, tragedy, hardship or reversal of fortune that suddenly dries up your personal resources.

A famine could be just about anything: a death in the family, a devastating fire, job loss, a major health crisis, anything that puts a sudden drain on your financial resources. What do you do when famine comes?

God gave Isaac specific instructions to follow in order to prosper during those economic hard times.

Stay faithful to God’s commands. Don’t let circumstances ruin your good, Christian habits. Many believers become inconsistent in times of economic pressure. Fluctuation from your Christian principles will only weaken you further. The Lord blessed Isaac because of obedience (Isaiah 1:19).

Don’t follow the world’s philosophy. Because of the famine, everyone was leaving to go to Egypt, but the Lord had a different program for Isaac:

Go not down into Egypt…. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee . Genesis 26:2, 3

Move to a new city or state only upon God’s command, not because of a rumor that there is prosperity there. Remember that God can bless you in any location.

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Deuteronomy 28:3

Too many people in the world, either give up hope completely or they fall into the “someday syndrome” Someday things will get better; someday I’m going to have money; Someday I’m going to get out of debt. Someday, I’m going to start giving the way I really want to.

I have news for you….someday is TODAY….right now….this is the day. Sow generously during the famine.

Isaac went forth under the Lord’s instructions, and he “…sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). God intended for Isaac to conquer the famine and gave him the prosperity principles to emerge victorious from it. These same biblical principles apply for you today. Begin to use them now in your own life.

Remember: Stay faithful to God’s commands. Don’t follow the world’s philosophy. Sow generously during the famine.

The God-Given Laws of Poverty and Prosperity

God has created spiritual laws that determine who has wealth, and who will remain poor. The laws of poverty and the laws of prosperity were created by the same God who created the law of gravity. All of His laws work every time.

An apple will always fall to the ground. That’s God’s law of gravity.

A person will become rich or poor by following God’s laws.

One law of poverty says if you are lazy, or if you don’t understand your task, your fields will not bring forth abundance. They will grow thorns and nettles. (Nettles are a symbol of the unproductive yield that causes insufficiency.)

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Proverbs 24:30, 31

One law of prosperity says if you are not lazy and can work without supervision, you will receive a bountiful supply.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.Proverbs 6:6-8

You may be saying, “I resent the implication that I’m lazy. I’m not, but I am always without the abundance I need.”Please understand that I have touched on only two factors in a poverty mentality today, laziness and the lack of understanding. There are many other laws. Just continue to study, and you will experience a gradual transformation of your thoughts into a prosperity mentality.

Do as the Bereans did in the first century: they received the gospel readily, and searched the Scripture daily to see if it was true (Acts 17:10, 11)

Things Happened Unto Them

In chapter two you gained the knowledge that God wants you to be debt free. You saw this truth in Deuteronomy 28 where you read that the obedient child of God lends and does not borrow. With this knowledge, you can expect to receive inner strength from God. The reason is that His callings are always accompanied by His enabling. You now know if He wants you to be debt free, God will also give you the power to become debt free. Now hear this powerful verse once again, and remember it.

For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

Luke 1:37, Amplified

This verse tells you that the very Word of God which revealed to you that He wanted you to be debt free, also contains within it sufficient power to accomplish this desire. If God’s Word says He wants you out of debt (Deuteronomy 28), God’s power will come with His Word to get you out of debt (Mark 1:27).

Now, please don’t let my statement about a biblical conclusion throw you. The Word of God clearly states that the saints were to be examples to us.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [examples]….

1 Corinthians 10:11 God assures you that if He cancelled debts for others, He will surely cancel debt for you.

Testimony: We have had two miracles of debt cancellation, one for $8,000. M.B. – El Paso, TX

God Honors Memorial Prayer

Notice that when we mix a proper prayer with generous giving, it becomes, as the Amplified Bible says, “preserved before God [so that He…is about to help you.]” I can hear someone ask, “Brother John, this is the first time I have ever heard of mixing prayer with giving. Are you sure it’s really okay to do it?”

Please know I am not suggesting you make a memorial prayer on the strength of only one mention of it in Scripture. In fact, in many instances in the Word of God, people just like you mixed their giving and praying for the purpose of drawing God’s attention to their desires.

The Book of 1 Samuel tells about a godly woman named Hannah. She mixed her prayer with her gift and saw God’s hand move almost immediately to fulfill her request. Hear her prayer.

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thin handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 1 Samuel 1:11

Hannah’s special prayer is for a child. Hear her heart’s cry as she desperately asks God to remember her. Then observe closely as she adds giving to her prayer. She adds a gift of significant value, for she offers her firstborn son to God. Please notice that she makes this new prayer after years of asking and not receiving. However, when she adds giving to her praying, only a few hours pass before God responds by granting her request.

And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. 1 Samuel 1:19

An Out-of-Debt Flow

Every informed child of God knows that forces flow through the spirit world. The Bible speaks about evil forces that war against the children of God in the heavenly realm.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:12. One of these powers of darkness is the spirit of debt.

Let me be quick to say there are also good forces that flow through the spirit world. These forces give us the upper hand in fighting the powers of darkness.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh {flows} in us. Ephesians 3:20

Let’s take a moment and study one of these good spiritual forces. It is the power that enforces the golden rule. Please notice that no one ever refers to the golden rule as the “golden good-idea,” nor is it ever called “the golden suggestion.” It is, in fact, the golden rule, or better said, it is the golden law.

Everything that truly operates as a law must have a power (force) behind it to enforce it. For instance, the law of gravity functions only when the power of gravity is present to enforce it. If you go beyond the influence of the power of gravity, the law of gravity immediately stops working.

Tithing Opens Heaven

It takes only a brief look at Scripture to realize you must be a tither if you hope to have an open heaven. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven….
Malachi 3:10

Scripture clearly teaches that the tithe belongs totally to God. It is not the property of the person who pays it. It is the property of God. The person who pays it has only been entrusted with it for a short time.…all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree,
is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. Leviticus 27: 30

Notice that the writer of Hebrews does not refer to the act of tithing as giving tithes. He calls it “paying tithes.” …Levi…paid tithes in Abraham. Hebrews 7:9

Also notice he doesn’t say the Levites received the tithe. He says they took the tithe from the people. …the sons of Levi…take tithes of the people…. Hebrews 7:5

Jesus Himself spoke of the tithe as being paid instead of being given. …for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin…these ought ye to have done…. Matthew 23:23

Talk About It

Yes, it’s a fact. People do talk about where they are going. If you notice, people going on vacation talk about the places they will visit. People about to get married will be talking about their wedding. A family about to move to another part of the country will a have much to say about their new city.

If you really want to put another measure of biblical power behind your out-of-debt program, start talking about the debt-free life you are headed toward. Boldly begin to say, “We will soon be debt free.” You should start saying, “We will not take thirty years to pay off our mortgage. Our plan is to have it paid in full in six years.” God right ahead and boldly say, “The automobile we are now driving will be the last one we will ever buy on time payments. Our next car will be a new one, and we will be paying for it with cash.”

When you begin to state your intention of becoming debt free, it will do two definite things for you. You will be establishing a spiritual principle that will put the energy of God’s Word to work in your out-of-debt plan (Mark 11:23). Not only that, but you will also receive the constant, personal fortification that comes from hearing your heart’s desire (being out of debt) spoken out loud.

Please notice carefully that it takes more than just wishful words to operate the biblical principle of positive confession. Just constantly saying “I am going to be debt free” will not being about a debt-free life. The Bible says you must also believe the think you are saying will come to pass.

…whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:23

Disobedient Saints Will Walk in Debt

In verse 15 of this same chapter, the writer makes an abrupt turnaround. He speaks to the disobedient saints, the ones who will not walk in His ways. He tells them they will walk in curses instead of blessings.

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
Deuteronomy 28:15

The list of curses goes on for fifty-three verses. Among them, one thing really stands out. Those who walk contrary to God’s will, walk in debt.
The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high;
and thou shalt come down very low.

He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head,
and thou shalt be the tail.
Deuteronomy 28:43-44

With this information you know God wants you to be debt free. When you have a specific word from God, you also have His assurance that you can fulfill it. He promises that His Word will empower you to accomplish His will.

Five Powerful Concepts

The biblical account of David’s victory over the giant contains special truth that will help you to lay a firm hold of God’s debt-free guarantee. The Word of God tells us when he stepped onto the battle field to face Goliath, David brought something special with him. In his hand he had five smooth stones. He would use them as ammunition against Goliath. Scripture tells us he took these stones out of the brook.

Without having to use much imagination, you can easily see the brook as representing the Word of God.

Please notice something important about the stones David took from the brook. They were smooth stones. Their condition tells us they had been in the brook for a very long time. The continuous flow of the water over them had worn away all the rough edges. This is the way it is with all the truth that comes from the Word of God. Everything you find in the Bible is tried and true and has withstood the test of time.

Illustrations from the Bible have worked as inspiration for others throughout the ages, and this one will start working for you today. I am going to show you how to use five proven concepts from the Bible to win your battle with the Goliath of debt you now face. These truths carry with them a promise of God’s power to help you in your war on debt.

God’s Debt-Free Guarantee

Few people realize how big the reward David received for killing goliath really was. The Word of God tells us that besides winning two other valuable prizes, the king cancelled every single debt David’s father owed or ever would owe.

Just think about it for a moment. By simply allowing God to use him, a little shepherd boy received a debt-free guarantee from the highest authority in his nation. Keep in mind that David was a part of his father’s house in the same way that David’s children would be a part of David’s household. Therefore, when David brought an end to Goliath’s reign of terror, he brought an end to the bondage of debt over not only his father’s life, but his own life as well.

Scripture tells us there would be three rewards for the person who killed the giant. First of all, the king would give the over comer great financial riches. He would also allow him to marry his daughter. These two rewards meant the over comer would live like a king. Beyond that, he would receive a prize that would change everything for his father’s family. The entire family of the giant-slayer would live the rest of their lives totally free from the bondage of debt. This is the part of the promise I would like to focus your attention on in this book. I want to show you, step by step, how to lay hold of God’s debt-free guarantee and put it to work in your life.

God's Debt Free Guarantee by John Avanzini

God is a debt-canceling god.

A. God cancelled a widow’s debt.

(2 King 4:1-7) “…Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and they children of the rest.”

B. God redeemed a borrowed ax head

(2 Kings 6:5-7) “… Alas, master! For it[the ax head] was borrowed. And the man of God said where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee, and he put out his hand, and took it.”


C. God miraculously paid Jesus’ tax bill

(Matthew 17:24-27) “…Doth not your master pay tribute? He [Peter] saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying… go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

God cancels the debts of all those who are committed to sowing and reaping. It’s now time to sow!

D. God is a debt canceling god.

2 Kings 4:1-7
2 Kings 6:5-7
Matthew 17:24-27

[Each one of these verses speak of miracle debt cancellation]

E. God is no respecter of persons.

(Acts 10:34) “…Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”

If he did it for others, he will do it for you.

F. God wants you to be a lender and not a borrower

(Deuteronomy 28:12) “…thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”

G. Debt cancellation is for today.

(Hebrews 13:8) “Jesus Christ, the same today, yesterday and forever.”

If he did it before, he will do it again.

H. God is willing to bless you with a miracle debt cancellations if you give Him your best.

Four Mistakes About Money by John Avanzini

A. Mistake #1 - That God doesn’t want you to prosper. (Psalm 35:27) "...Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."

B. Mistake #2 - That you don’t have the ability to prosper. (Deuteronomy 8:18) ”But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant..."

C. Mistake #3 - That the best things in life are free. (1 Peter 1:18-19) ”...ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Salvation and the Word of God have cost God more than anyone can calculate.

D. Mistake #4 - That the offering is the time God gets money from His children. (Luke 6:38) "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." T E. Offering time is step one for getting money to God’s children.

A. God canceled a widow’s debt. (2 Kings 4:1-7) "...Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest."

B. God redeemed a borrowed ax head.(2 Kings 6:5-7) "...Alas, master! for it [the axhead] was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it."

C. God miraculously paid ]esus’ tax bill. (Matthew 17:24-27) ”...Doth not your master pay tribute? He [Peter] saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying... go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." God cancels the debts of those who are committed to sowing and reaping. It’s now time to sow!

Things You Should Know About Money by John Avanzini

A. Your offering is important to jesus. (Mark 12:41-43) ”And jesus gt gver agaig; the treasury, and gheld hgw the people cast money into the treasury..."

B. Money is not evil but the love of money is. (1 Timothy 6:10) "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." lt' s not wrong to have money, it’ s wrong for money to have you.

C. Improper attitudes about money will draw you away from the Lord. (Matthew 26:14-16) "...]udas Iscariot...said unto them. [priests] What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought gp nigg tg betray him I|@usl.”

D. A proper understanding of money makes offering time a joyous event.

A. Blessed money brings happiness.(Proverbs 10:22) "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

B. `Money is necessary for spreading the gospel.(Romans 10:14-15) "...how shall they preach,except they be sent?..."”sent" - means enabled or funded._,

C. God enjoys it when you prosper._ (Psalm 35:27) "...Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

D. The Apostle ]ohn prayed for your prosperity. (3 john 2) "Beloved, I wish [pray]above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even asthy soul prospereth."

E. A proper understanding of money makes offeringtime a joyous event.

Evangelizing The World by John Avanzini

At this very moment, you are holding in your hand offertory teaching outlines that really get the job done. Like all busy pastors, no doubt you sometimes fmd yourself brushing through your Bible at the last moment to find a verse or two for the offering. Strange as it may seem, this important part of the service often receives only a fleeting thought instead of the depth of explanation your precious people need to enter the good life God has planned for them. If you will quickly thumb through these pages, you willfind that the teaching outlines are short and to the point, aswell as being divided into weekly subjects. And best of all, they are local - church oriented.The importance of systematically teaching about tithes and offerings is easy to see when we realize the great emphasis God places on these subjects. " The tithe . . . is the Lord’s: it is holy unto
the Lord." —- Leviticus 27:30

If the tithe is holy to the Lord, it most surely should be holy to His children.I will not spend any time trying to convince you thatsomething is wrong with the financial condition of God’s people. God’s Word is very clear that God wants His children to be financially blessed. "The blessing ofthe Lord, it maketh rich and he adds no sorrow with it." -— Proverbs 10:22

While it may be God’s desire to bless us, it is obvious that most of His children don’t walk in the financial abun— “ dance He planned for them. The consequence of this shortcoming goes far beyond the impact it has on the personal finances of His children. It goes to the very heart of world evangelism.". . . Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." -- Romans 10:13

While the Word of God states clearly that the price of salvation has been paid in full by our Lord’s death on Calvary, the cost of delivering the gospel to mankind is still dueevery time it is preached.". . . how shall they preach, except they be "sent?. . ." -— Romans 10:15

Someone has to pay this significant expense. The most sobering thought in God’s way of evangelizing the world comes to the pastor, for his name is boldly printed on the bill for delivery costs. The people do the praising, dancing, and shouting, but it’s up to the pastor to gather up the money for their time of feasting. Without a doubt, this is the real reason pastors are so aptly referred to as co-laborers with Jesus. We have the great privilege of sharing in the cost of redemption, and it is one of the most outstanding honors available to pastors. Our special relationship with our Lord explains why God has ordained that the tithe is holy. Just as the sacrifice of our Lord was holy, the money we use to carry " the message to the world is also holy. "The tithe . . . is holy unto the Lord. " -- Leviticus 27:30 1

God’s Laws of Prosperity by John Avanzini

”God's Law of Patience"

A. God is not playing a trick on you when He promises a harvest. (Galatians 6:7) "Be not deceived...whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

B. Patience is needed for your crops to grow into a harvest. ~: (Galatians 6:9) "...let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Hebrews 10:36) "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."

C. Whatever you sow is what you will eventually reap. (Luke 6:38) "Give, and Q shall be given unto you .... "

1. lf you sow love, you reap love.
2. If you sow mercy, you reap mercy.
3. If you sow strife, you reap strife.
4. If you sow finances, you reap finances.

”God's Rules For Reaping"

A. Qod expects you to wgrk. God says if you are able bodied and don't work, you shouldn’t eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) ”...if any would not work, neither should he eat."

B. God expects you to be diligent (have energetic effort).

‘~ 1. Lazy people will have little, if any, harvest. (Proverbs 24:30,31) "l went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understand- ing; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down."

2. If you can work without supervision, you will have more than enough. (Proverbs 6:6-8) ”Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no gp ide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."

C. Diligent, hard-working people will reap. __, (Galatians 6:9) "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

The Laws of the Harvest by John Avanzini

A. Your seed must be planted in good ground. (Matthew 13:8) ”...other (seed) fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfo1d." ”Yopr local church is good gi;ound."

B. You always wait a period of time between planting and harvesting. V (Mark 4:26-27) "...a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up .... " "You must plant today if you want to reap later."

C. You always sow to your harvest size, not from your harvest size. (2 Corinthians 9:6, TLB) ”...remember...if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much."

The Laws of the Harvest Part Three

A. A part of each harvest is for sowing again. (2 Corinthians 9:10, TLB) ”For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant .... "

B. A part of each harvest is for you to keep and enjoy. (1 Corinthians 9:7) "...who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof ?..."

C. Your harvest is a miracle. (1 Corinthians 3:6) ”I have planted, Apollos watered; but Q gave the increase."

D. It's time to generously plant seed into the good ground
of this church for an abundant harvest.

Sunday, AM God’s Laws of Prosperity ”God’s Law of Sowing"

A. You must be a liberal giver to reap an abundant harvest. (2 Corinthians 9:6) "...He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

B. You must not be controlled by circumstances. (Ecclesiastes 11:4) "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not *V reap."

C. You must know that some of the money you have was given to you for sowing. (2 Corinthians 9:10, TLB) ”For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on, good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest."

D. You must now sow your seed.