A Nugget from New Life Network
(partially reprinted from Dr. Larry Ollison, The Cutting Edge)
Scripture for the Day (September 2, 2015)
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NLT)
Your problem is not your problem. Your problem is not having a solution to your problem. The solution to your problem will render your problem powerless. Looking at your problem, complaining about your problem, and worrying about your problem does not solve your problem. Worry does not remove your problem, but in reality causes it to expand into other areas of your life.
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, He saw that darkness was on the face of the deep. He did not fear the darkness, nor did He worry about how to deal with the darkness. Instead, He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He did not speak to the darkness, nor did He rebuke it. The presence of the light caused the darkness to leave. Where there’s light, darkness cannot exist!
Ephesians 5:1 tells us that we are to imitate God. However, when it comes to darkness and trouble in our lives, we tend to deal with it quite differently than God dealt with darkness. While it is true that we, as New Covenant believers, have been given authority over all the power of the enemy, the enemy (or the darkness) is not really our problem. The problem is a lack of light!
Most people who have a financial problem feel that money is the solution to their problem. While it is true that money can solve an immediate problem (darkness), the true solution is prosperity (light) that removes the problem once and for all. Rebuking the spirit of darkness is a good thing, but it is only profitable if the house that has been vacated is filled with the spirit of light. Otherwise, according to the Bible, the evil spirit returns and finding his house swept clean, he brings more spirits with him and the second condition is worse than the first (Matthew 12:43-45).
So while we have authority to rebuke the storms of life, they must be replaced with the light. Otherwise, the storms come back and continue with greater intensity. So what is the point in all this? To rebuke the spirit of debt, poverty, and lack is a good thing, but we must call forth the spirit of prosperity, abundance, and overflow.
During the early years of my ministry, an elder minister discussed with me how a Christian should not be in poverty. I remember him telling me that Christians should walk in the blessing. But later in the conversation, he made it very clear to me that he did not believe in the so-called prosperity message of the gospel. This illustrates the unbalanced teaching that most Christians have received. While they pray for deliverance from their financial woes, they have the underlying concept taught by many leaders that it’s wrong to be rich, when in reality, the prosperity and overflow of God’s abundance would automatically remove all of their lack and shortage in life, while at the same time giving them an abundant overflow so they could meet the needs of others. (2 Corinthians 8:9.)
As Jesus traveled on a circuit going from town to town and village to village throughout the Galilee, the Bible clearly tells us that He taught the Good News to the poor. What is the Good News to the poor? Well, it was no different back then than it is today. Good news to a person in poverty is simply this. The blessing of God will take you out of poverty and you will be prosperous in everything you put your hand to. That’s good news! To tell people that God wants them to continue to be poor is not good news. In fact, it is very depressing.
God wants to pour overflow into His people so that His people will be a blessing to the world. God has never had a problem getting money to people. Getting money through people, however, has been an issue. As a Christian, you are called to be a conduit where God pours into you with abundance and blessings flow from you abundantly. Those who are of faith are the seed of Abraham and heirs to the promise (Galatians 3:29). God told Abraham that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
You can spend your life fighting the darkness, or you can call forth the light, the blessing, and the abundance of God and separate the darkness forever (Matthew 5:16).
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20)
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)
