Day 21 – Get on the Road to Wisdom!

So don’t let anyone or anything stop us from living in the principles of God. We have God’s promise: More and more increase is ours for the taking, for both us and our children. But first, we have to decide we’re going to live the way of abundance He has planned for us in His Word. We must decide to put the Lord first in our time, our attention, and our money. We must become a good steward of our own finances. We must operate in the law of sowing and reaping and be diligent to engage in honest work.

Finally, we must live by faith so we can please God!  The Word says that God is pleased when we trust Him enough to obey His Word. And He delights to see the produce in our lives as we help others and seek His Kingdom! He is glorified when we bear much fruit indicating we are his disciples (John 15:8). By helping others we are fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Please mark these verses in your Bible.

JOB 8:7 - Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end should GREATLY INCREASE.

DEUTERONOMY 6:3 - Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that you may INCREASE MIGHTILY, as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

PSALM 115:12-16 - The Lord has been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 The Lord shall INCREASE YOU MORE AND MORE, you and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth he has given to the children of men.

PSALM 71:21 – You shall INCREASE MY WEALTH, And comfort me on every side.

Day 20 - A Word of Warning!

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ — 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Let me give you a word of warning: Keep Christ as the center of your life. Seek his kingdom fervently. Live full on and fierce for His righteousness. You will be persecuted as you begin to be fruitful for the glory of God. That’s just a fact of life for all who take up the cross to follow Christ and His fresh principles. We need to understand all who live godly will suffer persecution. You see, the devil wants to do everything he can to keep you discouraged. Therefore, when we start to do things God’s way, he’ll try to cause people to become offended by your new life.

Don’t Mind the Hypocrites

For example, people may say about you and your family, “I don’t think they ought to have such a nice car.” People who say things like that are judging you. Mark it down in your mind — they are hypocrites. When you put the Lord first, maintain good stewardship, sow seed into God’s Kingdom, work hard, and live by faith, you walk down avenues that inevitably lead to an increase in God’s blessings. And when you experience that increase, it is no one else’s business what kind of car you drive or what kind of house you live in. The people who are criticizing you have extra possessions they could give away, but they point the finger at you. If they have three cans of beans, why don’t they give two to missions?

People who like to criticize don’t want to think about what they could do for others; they want to judge you. They are not living according to the standards they place on you. That’s a great example of hypocrisy.

One of the Greatest Hypocrites of All

Let me take you to the book of John to show you whom these people act like.

JOHN 12:3-6 - Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

The cost of the perfume that this woman named Mary poured on the body of Jesus was about the pay of the average annual salary. That was a bunch of money to spend at one time! So Judas said, “Woman, what are you doing? We could use that money for the poor.” Did Judas criticize Mary like that because he cared for the poor? No! He was a two-faced thief who carried the money bag and often used the funds for his own selfish purposes.

Can you see that these types of hypocrites basically think alike? Despite the beam in their own eye, they are consumed with taking the speck out of others’ eyes (Luke 6:41,42).

Keep your eyes on Jesus and let people talk. It is none of your business what they say about you.

Day 19 – Having the right Equipment makes the difference.

Where no oxen are the crib is clean; But much INCREASE comes by the strength of an ox – Proverbs 14:4.

If you are a farmer tilling land for planting seeds, growing and harvesting crops you shouldn’t use just a shovel. You should get a plow and an ox. Better yet, if that is your source of revenue you should get a combine. When you get the right tools things might go much more smoothly.

Having the right tools can make all the difference in the world. Let me explain. One day I was cutting a couple trees on my grandmother’s property. It was a relatively easy chore. The only problem was my tools. I had an old, rickety ladder and some rusty, dull snips. What should have taken less than an hour took me hours? And I almost broke my neck falling off the weak, pathetic ladder that was standing unstable between the fence and the house. We don’t even want to talk about the frustration that came with the project.  I could have been way more productive, efficient and effective with the right tools.  

Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Wow! Wisdom is the principle thing!

Have you ever tried to clean fish with a dull knife? I bet in just a few moments you were getting frustrated. I have and I can tell you it’s not fun. It’s a mess. What we should do is look around and find a sharper knife or go buy one. If we listen to wisdom, it might save us an injury, time, and peace of mind.

I’m reminded of some advice the Lord gave me: “Son, one of the most important things in your day is having the right tools. It will make all the difference in the world.”

And it’s so true. You can’t run a business with a 10 year old computer. You can’t do graphic design on the wrong program. You can’t haul dirt without a truck. You can’t learn to play guitar with a useless guitar. You can’t screw in a screw with a hammer. You can’t put in a window with only a sledge hammer.

The key to successful farming could be a combine. The key to trimming trees is having the right tools. The key to cleaning fish is having a good knife. Time and again, a task that would take days to accomplish with the wrong tools might only take hours to accomplish with the right tools.

Hear the sound of heaven; “Much INCREASE comes by the strength of an ox” – Proverbs 14:4.

DAY 17 - Faith Takes God at His Word

Faith Takes God at His Word

Faith is taking God at His Word. This is a simple truth to understand. For instance, what if I asked you, ”How can you prove what day of the month it is?” You’d probably answer, “By looking at a calendar.”

Now, think about it. We often put more faith in a calendar than we do in God’s Word? We have an easier time trusting the dates on the calendar than we do the promises in the Bible. I know I do but we need to renew our minds and adopt His thoughts (Isaiah 55:7-9).

We should pray and plan our life around the Word as easily as we plan our schedule according to the calendar. We should believe that God’s promises are true as readily as we believe the calendar.

God’s Word in Your Heart And in Your Mouth

Fourth, the Word of God must be in our heart and in our mouth in order for it to work. Our answer cannot just be our mental agreement; it must in the heart and spoken forth.

Also, we can’t just say a lot of “faith” words that we don’t really mean and expect to receive our answer. If we don’t really believe in our heart what we’re saying, the words we speak will not have any substance or power to them.

Faith that receives the promises of God will work by believing and saying. If we truly believe in our heart what the Word of God says we can affirm it without a struggle, and see improvements. Look how Jesus put it: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

The Importance of Words

The words we speak are more important than most of us realize. If we walk down certain avenues from God’s Word but still speak negatively, we might get a bad attitude, become cynical, judgmental, and critical in our perspective and this might forfeit the contest for improvement.

We may put the Lord first in his life, maintain good stewardship, operate in the law of sowing and reaping, and work diligently at his job. But if we speaks words of doubt and unbelief all the time, we will not help but hinder the other scriptural principles. For example, if we says, “Well, I guess sowing and reaping won’t work this year because the economy is bad and inflation is sky high,” we could be neglecting our trust in  God and evading the principle of faith. Then, sometimes worry and skepticism multiply and we become discouraged.

So don’t talk doubt and unbelief. As you put the other principles of increase into action, exercise your faith as well, taking care that you always protect your heart and guard

your words.

Let’s start believing in our heart and saying with our mouth that we believe to receive change based on His promises. As we speak words of blessing and life from a pure heart, we can eventually experience more optimism, energy, motivation, and inspiration. The journey of receiving the promises is as important as the results.

We want have more and do more for the glory of God. We can increase and keep on increasing because the Scriptures say that the Lord will increase me more and more, both me and my children (Ps. 115:14).

The Holy Spirit is working in our behalf. Not only that, but our angels are on assignment and working to bring us opportunity. Lord is dealing with people to give to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The Lord is working on our behalf. Let’s affirm His promises from the heart.

Day 16 - FAITH

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. — Hebrews 11:6

Faith is one of the most fundamental avenues of increase that God has provided for us. In the book of Mark, Jesus explained to His disciples how to operate in faith:

MARK 11:23, 24 - I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

It is not enough for us to believe that our pastor receives from God. It is not enough for us to believe that our brother or sister in Christ receives from God. Jesus says that we must believe in our heart and say with our mouth that we receive the answer to our prayer; then we will have it. So see yourself with the answer. See yourself possessing the promises of God. Assume that you have already received the desire of your heart that is based on the Word.

Faith Is a Spiritual Law - In order to live by faith, you first have to understand that faith is actually a spiritual law. A law works the same for everyone. For example, if a person jumps off a two-story building, the law of gravity will immediately go into effect, causing that person to fall to the ground regardless of his or her color, age, gender, or social class. On the other hand, if the law of lift is applied correctly, it can supersede the law of gravity and lift a five-ton airplane off the ground.

Similarly, the law of sin and death will keep people trapped in the pit of condemnation, failure, and defeat. But faith receives forgiveness and up roots bitterness If the avenue of

faith is walked out, it will lift those same people out of the pit and up into victory! Regardless of how hard life is or how bad our situation is, we can choose to believe our father loves us. We choose to believe that He lifts the poor out of the pit and raises the needy out of the dunghill (Psalm 113:7).

Faith Acts On God’s Word - Second, faith is acting on what God said in His Word. Here’s something to think about in relation to the subject of faith: Most jobs do not pay you the wages you have earned until after you have worked at least one full work week. You wouldn’t be at all ashamed to tell a friend that you work at a job all week but don’t get paid until Friday.

But how can you say that you get paid on Friday when you haven’t seen the money yet? You might answer, “Well, my boss told me he would pay me on Friday.” You don’t really know if your employer has enough money to pay you, but you have faith in his word.

Well, do we have more faith in what our boss says than we do in God’s Word? Why don’t we give God equal respect by having faith in His promises before we ever see the manifestation?

Remember, faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).

Day 15 - Praise

Let the people praise You, O God; Let all the people praise You. Then the earth shall yeild her INCREASE; and God, our own God, shall bless us.  - Psalms 67:5-6.

An old farmer had been begging God to heal him for 20 years. He had hundreds of people praying for him. He believed that if more people would pray then God would heal him. He had dozens of the best ministers on the planet pray for him. Yet he still never received any evidence of improvement. Finally the doctors gave up on him and told him that he was going to die.

            One day on his death bed he mustard up enough strength and energy to walk a couple hundred yards down to a patch of trees and grass on his property. He said, “One of two things is going to happen: either I will walk down there and praise the Lord and die. Or I will walk down there and praise the Lord and live.” After he walked down to the patch of trees and grass he collapsed in complete exhaustion. He determined to lie there until he had enough strength to praise the Lord. After quite some time of resting, he gained enough strength to lift his voice and whisper praises unto to God. He kept on and on and on. In two hours he was standing, shouting, and praising God. So much so that the neighbors who lived over a quarter of a mile away came running to see what was wrong. They thought the old farmer had finally died. But when they got to him he told them the story about how he came to live or die but praising the Lord increased his strength. God healed him through praise. He lived 20 more years.

Remember the strategy the Lord gave Joshua? Walk around Jericho for seven days and on the seventh day seven times. Then, “Shout unto God with a voice of triumph.” What happened? The walls came tumbling down. Plus, enormous wealth came into the House of the Lord as a result of praise.

            Remember Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail? At midnight the prayed and sang praise unto God. The prisoners heard them. The prison doors were opened. The guard and his family got saved. Plus, a church was planted all as a result of praising the Lord.

            Remember Jehoshaphat was surrounded by Moab, Ammon, and Mt. Seir. There was no possible way out. God gave him a secret weapon. “Start praising the Lord; for the battle is not yours but the Lord’s.” The enemy armies turned against one another and fought each other in confusion. Not one single soldier of the enemy armies lived. Then the Lord gave the people of God all the spoils of war. The treasures were so large it took three days to gather all the loot.

            This verse is clear and exemplified. When God’s people praise Him, there will be INCREASE.

DAY 15

Day 14 - Not Working Is Not Equal To ‘Living by Faith’

     I once met a man who listened to very, very little teaching on faith principles and therefore had no solid foundation in the Word. At the time, he had told dozens of people that he was believing God for a brand-new, fully loaded, red Porsche 911 with cream leather interior. He said he was making faith confessions for the sports car. But even if the Lord had sent someone to this man’s house with the title and the keys to a Porsche 911, the man wouldn’t have been able to pay for the gas to drive it! That doesn’t even take into consideration the extremely high cost of insurance, tags, taxes, tires, and maintenance for such an

expensive car. The silly thing about this situation was that this man hadn’t had a job in two years! He claimed that God was doing a new thing by providing him with a Porsche 911 while he just “lived by faith.”

     But the man’s assertion that God was doing a “new thing” was actually just an excuse for pure laziness. God believes in diligent work.

PROVERBS 10:4 - Lazy hands make a man poor: but diligent hands bring wealth.

PROVERBS 13:4 - The sluggard craves and gets: but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

     If you sit on your couch day after day refusing to go to work, I guarantee you that you won’t end up driving an expensive car. That would be a breach in the ethic of work, a divine avenue of increase. Everyone needs to not only work in some capacity, but to be diligent at it.

Gather the Manna

     Even if God rained manna out of the sky for us, He would still expect us to work to collect it, mold it into cakes, and bake it.

     When God provided manna from Heaven for the children of Israel, they didn’t even know it was a God-sent blessing at first. Moses had to tell the people of God to go to work gathering the manna (Exod. 16:15,16)!

     Well, just like the children of Israel, many people today are sometimes unaware of a divine blessing because it involves work. They think that God doesn’t ever require work as a means to receive His blessings.

Let Down the Nets

     Even if God gives a net breaking, ship sinking, boat load of fish it requires work. I want to remind you of Peter’s financial miracle in Luke 5:1-8. Jesus filled his boat and his partner’s boat. Taking the boat out takes work. Putting the nets out takes work. Gathering the fish takes work. Pulling the fish to shore takes work. Cleaning the fish takes work. Marketing the fish takes work. Selling the fish takes work. It takes work to turn fish into payroll or rent money.

     God planned for work to be means of resources from the very beginning. No one is excused from that principle; everyone has a responsibility to work, whether it’s performing necessary chores at home or laboring in the workplace.

     Work not only nurtures the health of your soul; it also brings increase to many other areas of life. The hand of the diligent makes rich — so whatever work you find to do, do it with all your might!

DAY 13 - Work

Wealth gained by vanity shall be diminished: but he who gathers by labor shall INCREASE.— Proverbs 13:11

Work is an obvious avenue of increase that originated as God’s idea. Notice His perspective on this subject in the following verse:

PROVERBS 14:23 - In all labor there is gain [literally increase]: but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

The Bible shows us that consistent labor is an important virtue. Work is an extremely significant principle that leads to increase.

In First and Second Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encourages Christians three times to get to work (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:10,12). According to these verses, everyone should work. (I’m speaking particularly to men who are the heads of their families, but every member of the family has responsibilities that require his or her labor to fulfill.)

The Bible even says that if a person doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat (2 Thess. 3:10). First Timothy 5:8 also says that a person who doesn’t work denies the faith and is worse than an infidel. A person is to work to provide for his own, especially those in his own family.

The Blessing of Labor

Work is a blessing from God. Many people don’t realize it, but honest labor has been God’s idea from the beginning. For example, God gave Adam work to do before He gave him a wife (Gen. 2:19,20).

Work blesses man’s soul in every area. The children of a man who has been on unemployment for two years will testify that the family is happier when Dad has a job. The man’s wife will testify to the deteriorating changes in her husband’s sense of self-value, self-worth, and self-esteem — changes

that adversely affect the entire family.  A man is happy (which is an emotion of the soul) when he enjoys the fruit of his labor. Psalm 128:2 says, “You will eat the fruit of your labor: Blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

It is not well with a person when he is depressed and getting out of shape because of lack of work. The truth is, labor helps keep a man fit and happy. It gives him dignity, honor, and self-respect so he can enjoy life with a healthy soul and a healthy body.

So if you don’t have a job, make every effort to get one. Obtaining a good job can solve many problems in your home.

DAY 12 - Live by the Golden Rule

     No one, including pastors and ministers, is exempt from the Golden Rule found in Matthew chapter 7:

MATTHEW 7:12 - Therefore, whatsoever you want men to do to you,

do also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

How can we ever fulfill the Law and the Prophets under the New Covenant? Jesus tells us in this scripture: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We should invest into the lives of others whatever we want out of life for ourselves. If we want people to do good to us, we should do good to others. If we want people to forgive us for our offenses, we should forgive others for theirs. If we want people to help us, we should sow seeds of helping others. If we want people to give to us, we should give to others as the Lord leads.

I remember a day when I and a friend of mine had to deliberately choose to live by the Golden Rule. I had just picked up a Portuguese pastor and some friends at the Los Angeles International Airport. While we were in the process of obtaining their luggage, one of the ladies in the party accidentally bumped into a stranger. The person who was bumped promptly began to throw a ridiculous tantrum over this minor incident. I looked at my friend and said, “This is a great time for us to sow mercy and kindness.” And that’s exactly what we did! Because we planted mercy instead of judgment, we left the

airport excited over our seed. We knew that meant we would reap a harvest of mercy and kindness in our own lives from others.

On the other hand, I have seen people in McDonald’s acting like two-year-olds, screaming and yelling over a cold french fry! During those times, I felt so sorry for the poor little cashiers who had to bear the brunt of this immaturity. I was embarrassed to admit that I was associated with this type of person. Too often children of God just don’t realize how much bad seed they are sowing out in the world when they treat others rudely.

If we want people to give us favor, we should plant favor. If we want people to treat us politely, we should be polite to others. If we want to be treated kindly, we should treat others kindly. In whatever way we want people to treat us, that is how we should treat them because there is always a like harvest to be reaped after planting seed.

Man didn’t create this avenue of increase; our Heavenly Father did — and He did it for the benefit of His children. God believes what the Word says about sowing and reaping in the following scriptures:

ECCLESIASTES 11:1 - Cast your bread upon the waters: for you will find it

after many days.

     A major portion of our increase comes through the law of seedtime and harvest. First, we must scatter, plant, or sow seed in order to reap a harvest. If we sow nothing, we will not reap large acreage of produce. Next, we reap what we sow. Whether we sow mercy and forgiveness or judgment and condemnation, we will receive a harvest of the same. Therefore, whatever we want out of life, that is what we should invest into the lives of others.

Finally, according to Jesus, walking down the avenue of sowing and reaping actually fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, we should always remember not to “…be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

DAY 11 - You Reap What You Sow

Galatians 6:7 shows us another aspect of sowing and reaping: A farmer will reap what he sows. If he sows oats, he can’t cry and say, “I wanted corn! Why do I keep reaping oats?” If he wants corn, he has to start planting corn, because the seed he sows is the kind of harvest he will reap.

If some Christ followers could look at their deposits in Heaven, They would find out that their account balance reads zero. These followers haven’t been sowing into the Kingdom; therefore, no harvest has been accumulating to their heavenly account.

You see, if you have given nothing to God, He will multiply that nothing and give it back to you. That means you reap a harvest of nothing because zero times any number, no matter how big, still equals zero.

Selfishness Stops Sowing

The main attribute that prevents people from sowing is selfishness. No one is helped by that carnal quality. Suppose a man decides to save his left arm from wearing out by just using his right arm. He thinks, When my right arm gets tired, I can just switch over and use the left one. But what would happen to this man’s left arm if he did that? It would lose its ability to function, wouldn’t it? Such reasoning may sound foolish and ridiculous. But the truth is, it’s the same reasoning a person uses who has one hundred thousand dollars stashed away because he’s afraid that one of these days he won’t have enough money left for the lifestyle he wants to live. It is right to save but not in fear and at the neglect of sharing our resources.

When a person lives in selfishness, the root is deep-seated in fear. It’s gross to care more for one’s own welfare than for helping others in need. Selfishness leads to an impoverished spirit, an empty soul, and a wasted body.

Day 10 - Sowing and Reaping

There is one who scatters, and yet INCREASES; and there is One who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich: and he who waters will be watered himself.— Proverbs 11: 24,25

The divine law of sowing and reaping is an unavoidable avenue that must be traveled to obtain a life of continual

increase. The book of Second Corinthians explains this law:

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The Living Bible puts it this way: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 (TLB)

But remember this — 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. To Reap, You Must Sow.

I like what Professor Keith Moore taught me while I was attending Bible college in 1992. He said, “When you see ‘sowing’ in the Scripture, you will see ‘reaping’ immediately after. When the Bible talks about seedtime, harvest is mentioned soon after. And when it discusses giving, receiving is soon to follow.”

You see, sowing and reaping, seedtime and harvest, and giving and receiving all describe the same principle. We have to

plant something first in order to receive a harvest. This principle is true in every area of life. For instance, look at the following passage:

LUKE 6:35-38 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High: For He is kind unto the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged: Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall 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 shall be measured back to you.

If you want to be judged or condemned, just make a practice of judging and condemning others. On the other hand, if

you want to receive mercy and forgiveness, you should sow mercy and forgiveness. Give because you love people, and

people will love you.

A tiny tomato seed has power to produce stocks with fruit way larger than itself. With the right cultivation, time, germination, and generation it can multiply a harvest that is big enough to produce a ketchup factory.

Think about a farmer who sows in the natural. If he wants a harvest of corn, he better sow some seed. Suppose the

farmer sits in his house and says, “I’m going to have a gigantic crop and a great increase in my harvest this year.”

You ask him, “Brother, how much seed did you plant this year?” He responds, “I don’t believe in that sowing business —

but I’m waiting on God” If that farmer waits all day long, every day of the year, but never sows any kernels of corn as seed, he won’t reap a harvest of corn. The principle is clearly scriptural: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). In order to reap a harvest, a farmer must plant seed.