RECIPE FOR SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY IN THE NEW YEAR

(Message delivered by Pastor at the RELC 10.30 am Service, Dec 28, 03)
Text: Prov. 3:5-10

The title of my sermon this last Lord’s Day of the year is “Recipe for success and prosperity in the New Year. This implies failures in our endeavours in the old year. I have known of a couple who in their own wisdom bought some SIA shares. The next day the SIA shares plunged heavily when its flight out of Taipei crashed into the wrong lane and over 80 passengers were killed. Did this couple ask the Lord first or make the decision in their own understanding? I believe there are others who also have suffered because they have relied on themselves.

What is the recipe I have found for success and prosperity? First is full reliance on Him that will. An example of following God’s directive will is Abraham’s servant taking of orders from his master. Abraham wanted him to go to Mesopotamia his old country to find a girl from his brother’s family for a wife to Isaac his son. He was forbidden to take any local girl from the heathen Canaanites. When he arrived in Mesopotamia and saw the first girl he met he prayed she would be the person. He prayed for her to give water to him to drink and not only that but water for his camels. This was Rebekah who would gladly go to Isaac for she tallied exactly with Abraham’s servant’s prayers. So he said, “I being in the way, the Lord led me” (Gen. 24:27). When we walk exactly in the directive will of the Lord, the Lord will bless us with his cooperative will. We will attain good success.

What Solomon says is the same – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” (Prov 3:5-7)

In every endeavour we make get God’s approval first by prayer and supplication especially in the marriage of our children. Definitely they cannot marry non-Christians.

The next part of our success is prosperity. It is observed that when a man makes more money he gives less to God. But here Solomon says we must keep honouring him and God will honour us – “And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 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 which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deut 8:17-20)

The least we give to God is one-tenth, the tithe, whether in Old Testament or New Testament. Jesus says both in Matt. 23:23 and Lk. 11:42 to the Pharisees, “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. In other words, while Jesus rebukes the
Pharisees for giving tithes of all kinds of vegetables and neglect the judgment and love of God, He still upholds Moses Law on tithing.

A Christian does not stop at tithing. We should give liberally beyond the tithe. II Cor. 9:7-9 says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.” When we give to the poor Proverbs 19:17 says we are
lending to the Lord and that which we hath given will he pay us again.

Now, money is always a matter of contention even between husband and wife. The best is both husband and wife can share in a common fund. From experience, if they cannot it is better to
separate that each one have full liberty in giving to God.

In case the husband has a super gift to offer to God, let it be kept a secret. For example God wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah. He never said a word to Sarah his wife but left with Isaac and two young men early in the morning. When Abraham had built an altar and was on the point of sacrificing Isaac, the angel of the Lord called to Abraham, “Now I know you have not withheld thy son. I will bless thee and multiply thy seed and in thy seed shall all the nations be blessed.”

What lesson have we husbands learned from Abraham? When we have decided to give the Church $10,000 for the Building Fund let us give in secret. Else she may cut it down by half. Please tell this illustration to your wife! As for me I can say my wife leaves me alone with what I would do with my money for God.

In all my fifty three years serving God in Life Church, I have found that I can never out-give God Almighty. His rewards are not physical only, but most importantly spiritual, happiness and joy in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

HOWJESUS TAKETH PUNYMEN IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS

XXVI. A Case Study of the Pharisees’ Rejection of Jesus’Miracles and Those Who Believe and are Healed

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man
with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak  for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said,  Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We  know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou  teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he,  Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” (John 9:1-41)

Commentary

The Disbelieving Pharisees are called children of the Devil and Liars, and the healed and saved His sheep. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.