Dear Partner,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Whose we are and Whom we serve.
These are exciting times, not just in Nigeria but all over the world. “Exciting?” Do I hear you ask incredulously? “Pastor Nkechi, what can be exciting about economic hardship in so many countries with everything seemingly going topsy turvy in all the major (and thus other) economies of the world?” Well, what I find exciting in this visible economic mess is that I can decide to respond in fear or in faith. That choice is never going to be taken away from me.
You know, I have found out that one area where fear gets a hold on a lot of Christians is in the area of finances. Have you thought about how many hours in the day you actually meditate on how to meet your financial needs or financial challenges? Worry is actually negative meditation and it is a manifestation of fear.
Our Big Brother, Jesus, had something to say about it:
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?
Matthew 6:30-31 [NKJV]
30 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers–most of which are never even seen–don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 31 What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax,to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.
Matthew 6:30-31 [TMSG]
Wow! I love The Message translation! Isn’t it funny to see that as far back as 2000 years ago people still needed to be told to relax where their finances are concerned? In fact, as Pastor Charles, my Pastor, would put it, “If you want to get Pentecostals quiet (and tensed up) then talk about money!” Well, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and He says the same words to you today, Relax! The things going on in the world do not have to affect you.
Being preoccupied with getting on basically with financial needs is a manifestation of financial fear. In other words, worry is an expression of lack of faith. A lack of faith in any area of your life is actually an insult to God, for by it you tell God that you have discovered one area of your life that He forgot to take care of at Calvary! That is of course not true, for the Blood of Jesus purchased all that we would ever need and more! It is so sad to see believers make destiny decisions out of this preoccupation and fear of not having. Believers marry unbelievers for financial security, believers relocate from their place of purpose in search of financial security, believers going to certain “churches” that promise instant financial miracles etc. Friend, financial security is only found in the grace of God and the ways of God.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 2 NKJV
God has done all He would ever do by grace to provide for you. The access to that grace is by faith, not by being preoccupied with worry or fear. Of course what you are preoccupied with is what you will speak and act. When you speak and act according to worry, you choose death not life in your finances. When financial needs seem to overwhelm you is when you grumble, complain, become stingy, divert your tithes to your needs…such things will not give you access to the abundant grace of provision that has been prepared for you before the foundation of the world. What will? There’s only one way in God:
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
Proverbs 11:24 NKJV
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38 NKJV
Again, I say wow! The best way is God’s way and that’s the way of faith. Faith to give when your bank account screams, “Don’t try it!”, faith to give, when your kitchen says, “Are you mad?”, faith to give when your wardrobe yells, “What did I do to you?”, faith to give when your family looks you eyeball to eyeball and says with a lot of emotion, “Give us more, we need more, God can wait”, faith to give when your senses counter the Spirit of God and advice you instead to “Do it later, not now!”
What is the best way to walk in this kind of faith? Simple.
Start getting preoccupied with the Word of God instead. Give the Word your full attention. Maybe the news channels and the newspapers have too much of your attention. That needs to change.
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV
When your needs are screaming, don’t waste a precious moment of your life meditating on them, rather, meditate on the Word of God – the power you have to meet those needs. Why meditate on a toothless bulldog when you can wield the two edged sword instead?
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
Leslie, the more you meditate on what God has to say, the less of fear you will manifest and the more of faith you will walk in. You will then speak and act what your mind is full of and you will find your needs are being supernaturally taken care of.
My walk with God to experiencing financial freedom gets better with each passing year. God provides for my needs even before I ask. I just have to think of it and He does exceeding abundantly above. Is it because I am a Pastor? How I wish it were that simple! Open your eyes and you will see hungry Pastors all around you whose needs are never met. No! It’s because, like Jesus, my goal in life is to do and teach – not just to teach only. For example, I remove 40% of all my income as tithes and offerings upfront. In addition to that often over 50% of the remaining 60% end up as offerings and love gifts to people as a regular monthly offering, and to others randomly as the Spirit leads me. Guess what? The same Spirit sees to it that men continually give to my bosom and supply more than my needs. Hallelujah!
My prayer for you is that you too will discover how exhilarating and liberating it is to be free from financial fear. If you are already on that journey, then I pray that just like me, it gets better and better with each passing year.
Remember: the best way to walk in great faith is to use your faith. So, now is the time to start getting preoccupied with God’s Word on finances and not on your lack and needs! Just when you think you have reached the limit in giving, the Holy Spirit will nudge you further to push the envelope and get to an even better place of financial freedom than you are in now.
Leslie, as always I love you with the love of God and I pray for you also. I am so glad we are doing this work together. You may not be a preacher but each time Freshdew is aired, all our partners preach with us.
I pray that the attached gift mp3: “Abundant Resources On Every Side – Part 3” would usher you into a new level in God. Please click this link to enjoy it.
Remember to tell others about Freshdew. Please continue to engage and explore our new website www.freshdew.tv. Send in testimonies! We need them to hear what the BIG God is doing in you and through you! If you haven’t logged in to the new site and registered your current details as a partner, please do so.
Great talking to you again,
Love unfeigned,
