Servants and Slaves in God's Kingdom

Today I want to explain the difference between being great in the kingdom of God and being the foremost. 

Jesus said: "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mat 20:26-28)

If you want to become great, you must be a servant of others, and if you want to be first or foremost, you must be their slave. Consider the difference between being a servant and being a slave. 

The word servant in the passage above comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant.

The word slave in the same passage comes from the Greek word doulos (δοῦλος), meaning a slave (literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): - bond (-man), bondservant. Some of the people in Scripture who identified themselves as the Lord's slaves (doulos), included Peter (2 Pe 1:1), Paul (Rom 1:1; Tit 1:1), John (Rev 1:1), Timothy (Php 1:1), Mary (Luk 1:38,48), Simeon, (Luk 2:29), Epaphras (Col 4:12), James (Jas 1:1),  and Jude (Jud 1:1).

Some versions of the Bible (such as the ASV) translate the word doulos as servant, but that is not the appropriate translation of doulos, since doulos does not bear the connotation of a free person serving someone. 

The Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich (BAG) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature notes that using the word “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical translations and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BAG p. 205). 

Therefore, the word doulos must be correctly translated as either a slave or bondservant. Most people today probably don't know the difference between a servant and bondservant, especially since the word bondservant has become rather archaic. A servant has a measure of freedom and is paid for his service. However, a bondservant indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another, one who is subjected to the authority of another, or whose person and liberty are restrained. It is a person bound in service without wages. This is essentially synonymous with a slave.

Now as we go back to the passage in Matthew, we can better understand what the Lord meant when He said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave." 

He did not indicate that there is any problem with aspiring to greatness, as long as you go about it God's way. If you aspire to be great, then you must be a servant, and if you want to be first or chief of all, then you must be their slave, which means you are bound in service to them without wages. 

May the Lord help us to walk in His steps, as He modeled for us what it means to be a slave. For we are not above our Master (Mt 10:24), who took upon Himself the form of a slave (Php 2:7), and came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. It is enough for us to become like our Master (Mt 10:25). Then as we walk as He did, we will join the ranks of those in Scripture who  -- as slaves - were the greatest of all. 

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: God's Way to Greatness, Having a Servant's Heart, Following in His Steps, Paradoxes of the Kingdom of God, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?

If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

What Do You Mean By "Luck"?

I often hear people -- even Christians -- say to me, "Good luck with that!" Or else they simply say, "Good luck!" What do they mean by wishing me luck? Luck is for bunnies! I don't need it. It's a worldly myth or superstitious belief that the chances of good fortune or misfortune are increased by certain objects, words, actions, and events apart from God. People who don't know God attach superstitious significance to certain things like four-leaf clovers, rabbits' feet, horse shoes, and crossing their fingers. They wish each other good luck, and even ask others to wish them good luck. However, as the children of God, we rely on the grace, favor and blessing of Yehova, the one, true, and living God, who is sovereign over all the events that take place in the universe. For more on this, please see my article God's Sovereign Plans and Purposes.

We acknowledge His over-ruling power and providence, the effects of which may seem to our mortal minds to be casual, and we might call them "chance" or "coincidence," but actually they are according to God's predetermined counsel and foreknowledge. All your days were written in His book before one of them came to pass (Ps 139:16), and He ordained all your days before you were even born. Before a word is on your tongue, He knows it fully. See my article Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.

Men's best efforts are broken, and their hopes are shattered by his sovereign providence. He teaches them that man's course is not merely up to them to decide, but it is subject to His divine will. As the proverb says, "In a man's heart he plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Pr 16:9). And another proverb says, "A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" (Pr 20:24). Jesus taught us, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." (Joh 15:5b). We must employ our efforts and use the means He has placed at our disposal in life, but we must not trust in them; if we succeed, we must give all the praise to God alone (Ps 44:3; Zech 4:6). As the psalmist said, "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Ps 115:1). All things are from Him, and through Him, and to Him. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Ro 11:36).

It was not because of luck that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary (Lk 1:28), or that she conceived Jesus the son of God in her womb while she remained a virgin (Lk 1:35; Mt 1:18,25), or that the star of Bethlehem guided the Magi from the east to the newborn King of the Jews (Mt 2:1-11), or that they were warned in a dream not to return to the evil king Herod (Mt 2:12), or that Herod was unable to kill the baby Jesus when Joseph escaped to Egypt with the child and his mother (Mt 2:13-14). It was not on account of luck that Simeon just happened to be there at the temple to see the baby Jesus when His parents presented Him to the Lord (Lk 2;22-35), or that Jesus' parents found Him in the temple at age twelve after he went missing during their return from Jerusalem (Lk 2:41-50), or that the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove when He was baptized in the river Jordan (Lk 3:21-22), or that the Father's voice spoke from heaven to Him saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22).

It was not on account of luck that the ten lepers were healed (Lk 17:11-19), or that the man born blind received his sight (Joh 9:6-7), or that Peter's mother-in-law was instantly healed of her fever (Matthew 8:14–15, Mark 1:29–31, Luke 4:38–41), or that the deaf mute in Decapolis could suddenly hear and speak (Mark 7:31-37), or that the paralytic man was healed at the pool of Bethesda (Joh 5:8-9), or that the blind beggar Bartimaeus could see (Mark 10:46-52), or that the centurion's servant was healed (Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10), or that the woman who had been bent over for eighteen years was suddenly cured (Lk 13:10-17), or that the man's withered hand was restored (Mt 12:9-13), or that the hemorrhaging woman suddenly stopped bleeding when she touched the edge of Jesus' garment (Mt 9:20), or that the Gerasene demoniac was delivered from a legion of demons and restored to his right mind (Mark 5:1-20).

It was not because of good luck that Noah and his family survived the flood that destroyed everyone else on earth (Gen 8:15-18), or that Lot escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah right before it was destroyed by burning sulfur (Gen 19:23-24), or that Rahab the prostitute was spared, with her family and all who belonged to her (Josh 6:25), or that David was anointed king by Samuel (1 Sam 16:12-13), or that he defeated Goliath the giant (1 Sam 17:41-52), or that Daniel was able to tell the king his dream and its interpretation (Dan 2:26-47), or that he was promoted as ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men (Dan 2:48), or that he shut the mouths of the lions (Dan 6:21-22), or that the three Hebrew young men quenched the flames of the furnace (Dan 3:26-27), or that Lazarus was raised from the dead (Joh 11:1–44), or that the widow's only son sat up in his coffin and began to speak (Lk 7:11-17), or that the daughter of Jairus was raised from the dead (Mk 5:35-43), or that the water was turned to wine at the wedding (Joh 2:1-11), or that Peter found a coin in the fish's mouth to pay for his and Jesus' taxes (Mt 17:24-27), or that the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as on dry land (Ex 14), or that the lame man at the Gate Beautiful could suddenly walk (Ac 3:1-25). It was not because of luck that an angel appeared to Cornelius and told him to send for Peter in the home of Simon the tanner at Joppa (Ac 10:1-6), or that Peter just happened to receive a vision and hear the Lord's voice telling him to go downstairs and meet the three men sent from Cornelius just as they were knocking at the gate (Ac 10:9-20).

It was not because of bad luck that the homosexuals wanting to rape the angels that came to rescue Lot were struck with blindness (Gen 19:1-11), or that Lot's wife became a pillar of salt (Gen 19:26), or that Esau lost his birthright (Gen 25:29-34), or that pharaoh and the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea (Ex 14), or that Joseph was thrown into an empty cistern by his brothers (Gen 37:23-24), or that he was sold by them into Egypt (Gen 37:12-36), or that he was unjustly thrown into prison (Gen 39:20), or that Jeremiah the prophet was lowered into a muddy cistern (Jer 38), or that the three Hebrew youth were thrown into the blazing furnace (Dan 3:19-23), or that Daniel was thrown into the lions' den (Dan 6:16), or that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded (Mk 6:14-19), or that James was put to the sword (Ac 12:1-2), or that Stephen was stoned to death (Ac 7:54-60), or that Ananias and Saphira dropped dead in front of the apostle Peter (Ac 5:1-10), or that fire devoured the 250 men who rebelled against Moses (Nu 16), or that the ground opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram alive (Num 16), or that Elymas the sorcerer was suddenly struck blind (Ac 13:1-12), or that Paul and Silas were thrown into prison (Ac 16), or that Peter was imprisoned (Ac 12:3-11), or that King Herod was struck down by an angel of the Lord, eaten by worms, and died while giving an important public address (Ac 12:21-23), or that the ship Paul was sailing on was wrecked on the island Malta (Ac 27:41), or that John was banished to the Isle of Patmos (Rev 1:9). It was not because of bad luck that one of Jesus' twelve disciples was a devil who betrayed Him, or that Jesus was arrested, flogged, beaten, and crucified on the cross (Joh 18-19).

It was not due to good luck that Jesus rose from the dead after three days (Mt 28; Mk 16; Lk 24; Joh 20), or that Paul and all the others sailing with him survived the shipwreck (Ac 27:44), or that the Philippian jail was shaken by an earthquake and the doors swung open while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight (Ac 16:25-28), or that Peter's shackles fell off and the prison doors opened for him while the guards all remained asleep (Ac 12:3-11). It was not on account of luck that people were suddenly healed as Peter's shadow fell on them when he walked by (Ac 5:15), or that people were healed when they touched an apron or handkerchief that had touched Paul's body (Ac 19:12).

You won't find luck in the Bible. It's not in the Law or the Prophets, nor is it in the Psalms or Proverbs. It's not in the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, or the Apocalypse. Neither Jesus nor His apostles ever wished anyone good luck or taught that we need it at all. Nobody will ever enter the kingdom of heaven by their good luck (Joh 3:3; Eph 2:8; Rev 7:9-17; 21:26), nor will anyone ever be thrown into hell because of bad luck (Mt 10:28; Lk 12:5; Ro 6:23; Heb 12:14; Rev 20:11-15).

From a Christian perspective according to Scripture, there is no such thing as luck, since God is in control of everything. If something good happens, it is God's gift and blessing, according to His grace. For every good and perfect gift comes from above, flowing down from the Father of the lights, who changes not like shifting shadows (Jas 1:17). There is a time for everything. In fact, there is a proper time and procedure for every matter (Ecc 8:6). God answers believing prayer, and no matter what happens, He is in control, not Satan. Jesus Christ disarmed the devil and his minions at the cross, triumphed over them, and made a spectacle of them (Col. 2:15). He has given us authority over them. If we put on the full armor of God, use our faith in God, call upon the name of Jesus, stand upon His promises, and proclaim the truth, then we can overcome the enemy in the battle against darkness every time. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith (1 Joh 5:4).

Even if Christians mean well when they say, "Good luck," they are using a worldly cliché that has no Scriptural basis and is not based on truth. The Bible says we should not conform to the world (Rom 12:2), and Jesus said that we would have to give an account on judgment day for every idle word we speak (Mt 12:36). So let's get the word "luck" out of our vocabulary, and replace it with truth. If you want to wish someone well, then why not say, "God bless you!", or "The Lord be with you!", or "I'll be praying for you that it goes well." Better yet, since Jesus promised that our Father in heaven would do for us whatever two of us on earth agree to ask for in prayer (Mt 18:19), then why not stop and pray for the person right at that moment before you part? For we trust in the name of the Lord our God!

Grace, mercy and peace abundantly to you all who are in Christ..

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. Images may be subject to copyright, and are used here for commentary and educational purposes only, according to the Fair Use Act.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also read Grace, Mercy, and Peace, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, God's Sovereign Plans and Purposes, The Authority of the Believer, A Time for Everything, The Sudden Nature of God's Kingdom, God's Amazing Plan for Your Life, The Lord Will Rescue You, Speak to the Storm, God's Supernatural Provision Using People, Is the the Self-Help and Actualization Movement a Sham?, From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord, The Kingdom of God as Revealed to James Agboola, Overcoming the World, Personal Proclamations of Faith, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Remember Lot's Wife, and Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins, You may access the Main Directory for The Kingdom of God is Like This, and you may also my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission.

The Authority of the Believer

If we as believers realized the authority that we have in Christ, we would not allow the devil and his demons to do the things they do to us and to others, but would exercise that authority to the fullest extent. So what authority do we have according to God's Word?

Made in God's Image
In the beginning man was made in God's image. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Gen 1:26-27). This is our fundamental starting point, because God's original design was for man to be in His own image.

Being made in God's image has many aspects to it, including things like the ability to love, to know God, to worship, to reason, to think independently, and to understand. It also includes the aspects of our physical features, as well as our spirit man. It also means that once we are born, we exist forever, since the human soul cannot be destroyed and even after the death of the body the soul continues on its existence in either heaven or hell. But the aspect of being made in God's image that I want to discuss today is that man was given authority on earth. What does that entail?

Authority to Subdue the Earth
First it involves authority to subdue the earth. "God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" (Gen 1:28). The word "subdue" here comes from the Hebrew word "kabash", which means to tread down, conquer, subjugate, bring into subjection, or subdue. God gave man authority to subdue the earth, which includes everything in it such as the ground, the trees, the plants, and the wildlife. But let's not forget that the wildlife includes the serpent, which represents the devil. This means that God originally gave man authority to subdue the devil and all of his demons.

Authority to Rule Over the Earth
The second aspect that is involved in man receiving from God authority on earth is the express authority to rule over it. God said to them, "...and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" (Gen 1:28). God gave man authority to rule over every living thing on earth. The Hebrew word for "rule" here and in verse 26 means to have dominion, prevail against, reign, or rule. Once again, this not only applies to every living thing that is seen but every living thing that is unseen as well, including the devil and his demons.

Perhaps you may question whether God originally gave man authority over the devil and his fallen angels before the fall, so that he might subdue them and rule over them. But there are some very good, biblical reasons why I believe Adam and Eve's authority extended even to the unseen spiritual realm of satan and his demons. Let me enumerate them.

1. To be made in the image of God, as the first Adam was, means he was a type of Christ, who is the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45). Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that he had the same level of authority on earth, before his fall, that Christ the second Adam had on earth, which included authority over all demons.

2. The term "image" of God comes from the Hebrew word "tselem" meaning "resemblance or representative figure." It can also mean "idol or physical image," similar to what we would call a statue, except that a statue is an inanimate object and Adam was a living human being. The Greek word used for "image" in the Septuagint is "eikon," meaning "likeness, representation, statue, or image." From this Greek word we get the modern English word "icon." This is the same Greek word the apostle Paul used in reference to Christ in his epistle to the Colossians, in which he wrote, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Col 1:15).

The apostle says in Hebrews that Christ is the "exact representation" of God's nature (Heb 1:3), which is what you would expect an icon to be. If you hold a mirror in front of you, you expect to see an exact representation of yourself reflected in it, and so it is with Christ's representation of God. Likewise, since Adam was also made in the image (eikon) of God, we should expect that he accurately represented God in all respects, except for His actual divinity. The Lord is God and God alone, but as one made in his image on earth, Adam possessed that same God-given authority that the Lord walked in. We would not expect anyone who is a representation of God on earth to lack authority over the devil and his demons, because we know God most definitely does have authority over all of them.

3. Adam was "the son of God," according to the genealogy of Christ in Luke 3:38. This doesn't mean he was the son of God in the same sense that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, because Adam was not divine, as I have already stated. Although Jesus was fully God and fully man, Adam was fully man and not God at all. But the term "son of God" with reference to Adam does mean that he was a direct creation of God, and not an offspring of someone else that God created. The term also implies by parallelism or analogy that he walked in the same authority over the devil and his angels.

4. The Lord would not have put man on the earth to subdue it and rule over it, knowing that the serpent was here to tempt man, subdue him, and rule over him as the god of this world. That would have been setting Adam and Eve up to fail, if the authority God had given them to subdue the earth and rule over it had not included authority over the serpent. In fact, the Scripture explicitly names the serpent as one of the wild beasts (Gen 3:1), so there can be no doubt that the serpent was included among "every living thing that moves on the earth," over which God had given man authority.

Therefore, according to Scripture, God gave man authority to rule and reign and to have dominion over the devil and his demons, and every other living thing on earth. His plan was for man to rule over the earth (Gen 1:26), which was the original state of man made in the image of God before the fall.

Image of God Marred
However, the image of God was marred by the fall of man into sin. Up until that time everything that God made was good. He created it and He saw that it was good. That pattern is repeated all throughout the six days of creation (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). In fact, when He finished, "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." (Gen 1:31).

After that the only thing that was not good was for man to be alone. Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (Gen 2:18). So God put Adam into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs out and closed up his side, then made a woman out of it and Adam called her Eve. They became one flesh together as husband and wife. "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (Gen 2:25). So obviously that was good, too! It was all good.

They also had something holy, which was the seventh day that God rested on, which God blessed and sanctified (Gen 2:2-3). And they had a command from God, too. The command was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Aside from the positive commands to be fruitful and multiple, to subdue the earth and rule over it, this was the only negative command God gave them for something they were not allowed to do. They were allowed to eat from any other tree in the garden except for that one.

Then entered satan into the scene. "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'" (Gen 3:1). The serpent subtly tricked the woman through deception to eat of that one tree that God had commanded her and Adam not to eat from. Once she ate from it and tasted its fruit, she also gave some to her husband and he ate it. This implies that Adam was right there with her when the devil deceived her and she ate it, and it explicitly states that he also ate of the fruit after that when she gave it to him. This is how man fell into sin and the image of God he was made in became marred.

In order to understand the magnitude of what happened at that moment, we have to remember that Adam and Eve were made in God's image and given authority to subdue and rule over the earth. Eve was supposed to have dominion over the serpent, subdue it, and rule over it, but instead she allowed it to subdue her, deceive her, and get the upper hand over her. By allowing him to do that, she sinned against God, and she relinquished her authority to the serpent. Once she did that, then he was able to rule over her as one of his agents to get Adam to do his bidding also. Once Adam ate of the fruit, and committed his first sin, he too allowed satan to subdue him and rule over him. Now the tables were turned and God's original design was twisted. The image of God in man was now marred.

At that point we see Adam and Eve ashamed, covering themselves and hiding from God. This is the point at which they become separated from God, which is one of the terrible consequences of sin. God comes looking for them, questions them, and then pronounces a curse on the serpent and consigns him to crawling on his belly, licking the dust beneath Adam's feet all the days of his life. He says the serpent will still be able to do damage by striking and bruising man's heel, but that man will bruise him on his head. This is also a prophetic allusion to the work of Christ on the cross, bruising the serpent's head. And God said there would be enmity between the serpent's seed and the woman's seed. This, too, was another prophetic word about Christ the woman's seed being at enmity with the devil's seed. There was destined to be warfare between Christ and the devil, as well as between all who are Christ's and all who are the devil's.

God then pronounces a judgment over the woman for listening to the serpent, being deceived by it, and eating the forbidden fruit. He also sentences the man to punishment for listening to his wife. God then makes coverings for them out of animal skins, so they can cover their shameful nakedness, which is a type of Christ. It typifies Christ giving His life just like those animals did whose skin Adam and Eve were covered with, so that He could take away our sin and enable us to cover our shame before God.

But at that point the image of God they were made in was marred. They had to be removed from the Garden of Eden, so that they would not eat of the tree of life any more and live forever in that condition. That was how mankind fell into sin and his authority was first abdicated to the devil.

Now since all men have sinned, the image of God that man was originally made in at the beginning has become disfigured by sin. It's like when you look at yourself in one of those concave or convex mirrors at the amusement park, and you see yourself looking either too fat or too skinny. You no longer look the way you are supposed to look, but you appear very strangely. That's what sin has done to the image of God in fallen man. Now man has a caricature of God's image that is distorted and no longer accurately represents God on the earth. This is satan's plan, since it brings pain to God's heart and goes against His will.

Image of God Restored
When a person repents of his sin and puts his faith in Jesus Christ, because of His finished work at the cross paying the price of sin for us, and rising from the dead, then his sins are forgiven. Then God begins to restore His image in that person. The apostle Paul said, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2Co 3:18). It's a kind of metamorphosis like a caterpillar goes through when it becomes a butterfly. We go from being lowly worms, crawling on our bellies like the caterpillar and the serpent, into beautiful butterflies that float and fly effortlessly through the air far above the serpent and the ground. We who know Christ are being transformed from glory to glory into the same image as Christ.

That means the image of God in us is being restored to it's original condition. That means we also begin to exercise the authority originally given by God to man to subdue the earth and rule over it and every living thing in it, including satan and his minions.

Authority can only be given, it must never be usurped. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ. "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'" (Mat 28:18)

He has given authority to His disciples over the devil and all disease. "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:17-18).

As you read through the book of Acts, you can see the acts of the Holy Spirit performed at the hands of the apostles. "The Lord...confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders." (Ac 14:3, NIV). And the Lord continues to do the same thing today through his disciples around the world.

Jesus gave us power and authority over all the demons, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. And He sent us out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. (Mat 10:1; Luk 9:1-2). We  have received of the fullness of Christ (Jn 1:19).  We have the authority to do the same works that Jesus did, by doing them in His name (Jn 14:12)

Now we can say with the apostle Paul, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (2Ti 4:18) Now we can say as T.L. Osborne did, "The Man at God’s right hand, Jesus Christ, who loved me and died for me now lives in me." (Gal 2:2). The devil and his demons are eternally defeated, since Christ has triumphed over them through the cross (Col 2:15).  We as believers have overcome them, because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 Jn 4:4). Jesus has given us authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing will injure us, when we exercise it (Lk 10:19). In all our difficulties, we have complete victory through Him who loved us (Rom 8:37).

Through faith in Christ, all things are possible to us (Mk 9:23). Because we have faith in God, we say to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea." We do not doubt in our heart, but believe that what we say is going to happen. It will be granted us. All things for which we pray and ask, believing that we have received them, they will be granted us. (Mar 11:22-24). Once you begin to get a hold of this, understand the authority you have in Christ, and begin to obediently exercise it, then I can truly say with the apostle Paul that the God of peace will soon crush satan underneath your feet (Rom 16:20).

Illustrations
There are many examples that I could give to illustrate what it means to have dominion, and I will not attempt to give them all. But a couple will suffice.

One evening when I was in Bible school, I had gone out for a prayer walk in the neighborhood adjacent to our campus all by myself. When I returned and was coming up the walkway to my dormitory, a vicious dog charged at me unexpectedly from in front of me off to my right. I cannot recall what kind of dog, but seem to remember that it was a German shepherd. I had never seen this dog before and it was unknown to me. In an instant he was standing right in front of me barking ferociously, looking up at me with his jaws located right between my legs. I steeled myself from showing any fear that my natural man was inclined to feel at that frightening moment. I said to him in a loud, commanding voice, "I bind you in Jesus' name!" I may have also said, "Go!" but I am not certain about that. At that point, he immediately stopped barking and ran away. That is an example of taking dominion over the wild beasts, and I've done the same thing with other threatening creatures like wasps, whereby I command them in Jesus' name to go.

The other examples would be related to healing, miracles, and casting out demons, which I have experienced firsthand over the past 30 years. One time when I traveled to Bulgaria, I preached at a gypsy church in Kalekovits, Bulgaria.  Fourteen people wanted healing, and the Lord healed many of them. One young lady manifested a demon that made her mute, and received deliverance after about 45 minutes. She was able to speak again! As the demon was coming out, she began coughing and spitting up blood. She later told us that as we were casting it out, she could feel something like a heavy, metal ball in her stomach that began coming up through her throat.

At another church here in the States in New Hampshire, my wife and I ministered to the sick one evening. One lady had suffered from scoliosis since age fourteen. After having her sit down with her legs out in front of her, I checked them and found that her left was longer by one-quarter to one-half inch. I spoke to her right leg and commanded it to grow out, which it did right before our eyes, until the two legs were perfectly even. She was then able to walk around without pain. She later said she felt a gentleness and had a vision of grapes when I prayed for her healing. My wife was led to minister inner healing while laying hands on her chest. She later said she felt a lump come up in her chest as my wife prayed.

All the glory goes to God for what He did for these people. They were healed and delivered by faith in Jesus' name according to Scripture. Without Him we can do nothing. My purpose in sharing these examples is to illustrate what I am teaching, and to emphasize the fact that this is not something that man taught me, but it is something I have experienced firsthand in my life.

Putting it All Together
To summarize, man was originally made in God's image with authority to subdue the earth and rule over it. However, that image became marred by man's fall into sin. That problem remained until Christ came and died for us on the cross, paying the price for sin, and rising from the dead, so that we could have peace with God and be restored to our original state before the fall. That restoration includes all respects of the image of God that Adam was made in.

By putting your faith in Christ, you receive a full restoration to the original condition that God intended for man when he was created in the beginning. That means you are put back into right standing with God and fellowship with Him like they had in the Garden of Eden, when God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. It also means you are transformed from glory to glory into the same image as Christ. Therefore, the same authority that Christ walked in on earth, we also have in His powerful name.

The reason that some disciples are not experiencing that dominion on earth is that they deny the power of God in their lives through doubt and unbelief. But we are not among those who do so. Rather we are those who believe the full gospel and have experienced His power first-hand in our lives personally. We have seen the wonderful results of taking the dominion God has given to us in Christ and exercising it, and it is glorious. That same dominion is available for every true disciple of Christ, and it begins with receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation. Other Scriptures from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, where noted.  Kingdom Authority image may be subject to copyright, courtesy First Baptist Church Loveland, used per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like other articles on the Home page of this blog. I recommend reading Supernatural Power for All Disciples, Baptized with the Spirit, The Laying on of Hands, The Power of God to Heal, Healing is in the Atonement, Against Entropy, Delivered from Voices and Dizziness, Pastor Raised from the Dead, Healed from a Breathing Obstruction, The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music, Sin, Satan, and the Submerged Sphere, The Kingdom of Darkness, Holy Fire Baptism, Changing the Atmosphere, The Link Between Two Realms, Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom, Personal Proclamations of Faith, Walking by Faith, Against Entropy, Demonology 101, and The Role of Demons. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Multiplying Your Talents

The Lord compared the kingdom of God to a man giving talents to each of his slaves. Let's take a closer look at that passage in Matthew 25, and discover the implications for our lives. He said:

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mat 25:14-30)

The Meaning of the Parable
As in all parables, the parts of the parable each represent something in real life. The Lord had told the parable of the Ten Virgins just prior to this parable, which is recorded in Matthew 25:1-13, in order to describe what the kingdom of God is like. And He followed that with this parable of the talents, which is recorded in Matthew 25:14-30, in order to continue with His description of the kingdom of God. He began with the words, “For it is just like..." (v. 14). The pronoun "it" in this opening phrase of verse 14 refers back to its antecedent, which is the kingdom of heaven that he referred to initially in verse 1.

Master
The master in this parable represents the Lord. He is introduced in verse 14 as "a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them." It's important to note that the master entrusted his possessions to his servants. This illustrates that in the kingdom of heaven, the Lord, represented by the master in this parable, has entrusted His possessions to His servants.

Talents

In order to understand this passage, it is necessary to know what the talents are that the master gave to his slaves. A talent is a certain sum of money, such as a bag of gold weighing 200 pounds (91 kg) or a bag of silver weighing 100 pounds (45 kg). The true value of the talent cannot be known, and it varied in different nations, but it was a specific weight or quantity of money. Someone has speculated that a talent today would be worth 1.25 million dollars. It should be noted that in this parable, the talents, or possessions of the master, are also referred to as the master's money in verse 18, so it was literally money in this story.

The master gave different amounts of talents to each of his servants, based on their individual abilities, since they did not all have the same level of ability. "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey" (v. 15).

While the talents in the parable were literally money, they represent whatever gifts, skills, abilities, or talents the Lord has given to each of His servants who follow Him. It's interesting that the modern day word "talent" has come to mean those special abilities or faculties one has that are non-monetary. According to Webster's dictionary, a talent is: "Faculty; natural gift or endowment; a metaphorical application of the word, said to be borrowed from the Scriptural parable of the talents. Mat 25." Webster also defines a talent as one's eminent abilities.

Examples of Abilities

The following is a list of examples of abilities, skills, and talents that you may possess, which you may not have thought of or realized you had:

Biblical knowledge and understanding

Scripture memorization

Singing

Song writing

Scientific understanding

An aptitude for learning

Organizational skills

Administrative skills
Public speaking
Speaking a second language

Reading

Writing

Poetry

Drawing artistically

Calligraphy

Helping others, including the poor, the weak, and those in need

Feeding people
Loving people
Being a good listener

Driving a motor vehicle

Bicycling

Running

Using the computer

Technical skills

Mechanical skills
Carpentry

Playing musical instruments, such as the keyboard, guitar, etc.

Discipline

Photography
Graphic design
Website development

Cleaning

Cooking and baking

Food preparation

Knitting and sewing

Ironing clothes
Hospitality

Faith and healing

Shopping and purchasing (including online)

Frugality (saving money)

Teaching

Parenting

Encouraging others

Hair cutting

Typing (keying)

Proof reading and grammatical advice

Operating a cash register

Leadership

Of course, many more could be added to this list. Perhaps you have taken these things for granted, but I intentionally included common things in my list to show that these are all abilities in some way, even if they seem ordinary and not very glamorous. But not everyone can walk, run, ride a bicycle, drive a motor vehicle, such as a car or truck, and not everyone can operate a computer, fix things, build things out of wood, save money shopping, read, write, sing, play an instrument, compose songs and poems, create artwork, do cleaning, or iron clothes. Don't take anything for granted that you are able to do. It is all given to you by the Lord and was originally His possession. Don't underestimate or bury any of your talents.

Use of One's Talents

It's important to observe in the parable what each of the servants did with the talents they were given:

"Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more." (v. 16-17). 

It was good that these two servants immediately put their talents to use. They went out and traded with their talents, putting their talents to work, in order to gain more talents than what they were originally given. This showed that they valued their master's possessions and wanted to be able to give him a return on his investment whenever he returned. These servants represent those who put to good use the abilities they have received from the Lord and gain more with them for the glory of God.

Unfortunately for the servant who was given one talent, he did not have the same attitude toward his master. Instead of going out and putting the talent to work to gain more with it, he dug a hole and buried it in the ground. This was based on his twisted view of the master and his inappropriate fear of the master as a hard man (v. 24-25). He did not gain any more with it, but only had the original talent to show the master upon his return. He represents those who serve the Lord that don't put their talent to use, perhaps because they view themselves as not being very talented or not having much in terms of abilities.

Journey

The journey that the master went on in verses 14 and 15 represents the Lord going back to heaven after He rose from the dead. We read this in the book of Acts where His ascension is recorded:

"And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'" (Act 1:9-11)

Return of the Master

The master's return from his journey represents the return of the Lord Jesus Christ or His second coming. It says, "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them" (v. 19). So we see that just as the master's return occurs a long time after he goes away on his journey, so the Lord's return happens a long time after He goes away to heaven. This is depicted the same way in the previous parable, in which the bridegroom's coming is delayed (v. 5). The Lord's return is also represented in the parable of the sheep and the goats that immediately follows the parable of the talents, in which the Son of Man comes back as King of all the nations (v. 31).

Settling of Accounts

The master returned specifically to settle accounts with his slaves, which represents the Lord returning to hold all of His servants accountable and render to each person according to what he has done with the Lord's possessions that were given to him. This refers to the coming judgment, which is also represented in the parable of the sheep and the goats. In that parable, he states,"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne" (v. 31). The Lord is depicted as sitting on His glorious throne with all the nations gathered before Him (v. 32).

There is coming a day soon when we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to settle accounts with Him. As the apostle Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:10-11).

It's important to observe the the master in the parable of the talents held each of his servants accountable for what they did with his possessions that he gave to them. Likewise, when the Lord returns, He will hold each of us accountable for what we did with what He gave us.

Outcomes 

The outcomes were different for the ones who put their talents to use than for the one who did not, and who buried his talent.

To the one who was given five talents and who gained five more, "His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’" (v. 21). Likewise, the one who was given the two talents and gained two more was told the same thing. The master was pleased with them and told them that they did well, and that they were good and faithful servants. That's what I want to hear the Lord say one day to me. Don't you? They were told to enter into the joy of their master where they would be put in charge of many things, since they had been faithful with a few things. This represents the eternal reward of the faithful who put to good use what the Lord has given them. Those who are faithful with a little will be entrusted with much. They are depicted as the righteous sheep in the parable of the sheep and the goats, in which the king says, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (v. 34).

However, the one who buried his talent received a very different response from his master. “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’" (v. 26-28).

Sadly that servant's one talent was taken away from him and given to the one who had ten. He lost everything because of his inaction. His master did not view him as a good and faithful servant, but as a wicked and lazy servant, because he did not have any return on investment to show his master. 

The master said, “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (v. 29-30).

Not only was his talent taken away from him, not only did he fail to hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," but he was called a worthless slave and was thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That should put the fear of the Lord into all of us, lest we end up like him. May it never be that any of us be found wicked, lazy, or worthless to the Lord due to neglect of the talents He's given to us, or failure to put them to good use for His glory.

This same warning is given in the parable of the sheep and goats, in which the king says to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels... These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (v. 41, 46).

The righteous and wicked will be judged based on what they did and didn't do. The righteous are the ones who use their talents, money, gifts, and abilities to do good to others like feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, visiting the sick and those in prison, and clothing the naked. The wicked are those who fail to do these things, and to the extent that they fail to do so to the least of these, they fail to do it to Jesus.

Ways to Multiply Your Talents
The final thing in the parable that I would like to explain, as the title of this article implies, is the manner in which each of the good and faithful servants gained more with the talents they were given by their master. In our lives, here are some ways we can do that. You should use your talents to glorify God. If you can sing, then sing for the Lord. Do it around the house, and also in church. Do it to bless others, to encourage the saints, and to lead people to Christ. If you can use a computer, then do it for the glory of God. If you can drive a car, then use that for the glory of God. The same goes for writing. You can write articles that glorify God and post them on the internet. You can write poetry, too, if that is your particular ability. On and on the list goes, and the possibilities are unlimited. So get to work immediately and take stock of the talents the Lord has given to you, make a list of them, and then put those talents to good use for the kingdom of God.

You can also gain more talents or abilities by increasing and enhancing your existing ones through constant use and practice. Practice makes perfect, so as you use what you already have, you will become more proficient at it, and that will also constitute an increase of your talent.

Another way you can gain more talents, abilities, or skills is by acquiring new ones. You can take lessons, obtain training, apply yourself to learn new ones using the abilities you already have. Perhaps you can use your money to pay for guitar lessons or voice lessons. Or perhaps you can give someone help with learning to use the computer or you can repair their computer in exchange for keyboard lessons. Or you can use your reading ability to read a book and take a course on how to cook, so that you can use that new cooking ability for the glory of God. Then you can cook meals for those in need and bless them in the name of Jesus.

As I said, put whatever gifts, talents, skills, and abilities you have to good use loving and helping others. Teach others in the area of your ability, and thus multiply your talents in others for the Lord's glory. Learn from others in their area of ability. Help others to find and use their talents for God's glory. Be faithful with the abilities, skills, talents, and money the Lord has given to you.

Let's not forget that any money you have is obviously one of the talents the Lord has given to you, since the talents in the parable were literally money. Be sure to be a good steward with those resources by spending it wisely and putting it to use for the glory of God. That can include looking for ways to save money, being frugal, blessing others, giving to the poor and needy, giving financially to ministries that are advancing the kingdom of God, and investing in people to make a difference in this world for God.

Putting it All Together
The master gave each one a certain number of talents each according to his own ability. Each went and traded with them, and gained more talents. They were faithful with a few things, therefore, the master considered them good and faithful servants. He invited them to share in His happiness and put them in charge of many things.

He who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. His master considered him a wicked and lazy servant. The master took away the talent from him, and give it to the one who had the ten talents. The master threw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Whether the master's servants enter into eternal reward or eternal punishment depends on what they do with the talents he has given to them. The extent to which the master increased their responsibilities depended on their faithfulness to put to use and multiply the talents he gave them initially.

Therefore, it behooves each of us as servants of the Master to be faithful to put to good use the talents that He has given to us, so that we may one day hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave." It serves as a warning to us not to make the same fatal error as the wicked, lazy servant, by being like him and burying any talent the Master has given to us.

Attribution notice: Scripture taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation. Image may be subject to copyright. The "Bags of Gold" image is from Ballyfermot Community Church, and is used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes. The image of the bag of gold from First Presbyterian Church of Edwardsville.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend reading my articles Faithful in the Little Things, The Day of Small Things, God Chooses the Weak Things, What is That in Your Hand?, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Kingdom of God is Like This, Multiplication, Multiplication Illustrations, Better a Little, God's Amazing Plan for Your Life, and Success in God's Eyes. I also recommend reading two poems by my daughter adapted from Matthew 25 called Use Your Talents and The Sheep and the Goats. For more articles on this blog, please see the Home Page. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Faithful in the Little Things

In my recent article, God's Way to Greatness, I highlighted the lives of seven Hebrews whom God exalted to high positions. I emphasized that when He does that, it depends more on Him than on any striving for greatness on the part of the individual whom He is elevating. In fact, it is just the opposite. As I said in Paradoxes of the Kingdom of God, you must humble yourself beneath the Lord's mighty hand, and He will lift you up in due time.

The Bible teaches us not to despise the day of small things, but rather be faithful in the little things in the place where we now find ourselves. The Lord said, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." (Lk 16:10). This is true regardless of what the Lord has called you to be, whether it is a king, a president, a prime minister, a preacher, a teacher of the Word, or a lowly servant.

Consider the examples I gave in God's Way to Greatness, and what would have happened if they had not been faithful in the little things. If any of these people had not been faithful, things would have turned out differently.

Joseph
If Joseph had become bitter toward God or toward his brothers for being thrown into a pit, sold into Egypt, or ending up in prison for doing the right thing, then things would have been quite different. The same is true if he had given in to the seductive demands of Potiphar's wife and compromised with her by sleeping with her. The same is true if he had held a grudge against his brothers, or if he had given up his faith in God during those long years in prison. He would not have been elevated to second in rank to Pharaoh, nor would he have been used to save the nations of Egypt and Israel during the seven-year period of famine. But he was faithful in the little things.

Daniel
If Daniel had not refused to eat the king's food and drink his wine, things would have turned out differently. If he had not been a man of prayer, who continued to pray to God daily even when it was illegal, things would have turned out differently. What if he had feared being thrown into the lion's den and to save his own life had stopped praying to God? What if he had succumbed to fear rather than trust in God when they did throw him into the lion's den? What if he had not given the accurate interpretations to the king's dreams for fear that the king would put him to death? The Lord would not have exalted him to the third highest ruler in the kingdom. But he was faithful in the little things.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Likewise, if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not been faithful in the little things, their lives would have turned out differently. They too, refused to partake of the royal food and wine, but lived on vegetables and water instead. But things would have been different, if they had bowed down to the idol for fear of being thrown into the blazing furnace, rather than trust in God. They would not have been promoted to administrators in the province of Babylon. But they were faithful in the little things.

Esther
The same could be said of Esther, too. If she had been a coward and feared for her life, refusing to go before the king on behalf of the Jews, they would have been annihilated, and even she and her family would have been killed. If she had not humbled herself with fasting, before she sought an audience with the king, things would have been different, just as they would have also been different if she had not first prayed for three days. Things would have been different if she had not given Mordecai the credit for exposing the assassination plot against the king. They would have turned out differently if she had not followed the advice of Mordecai and not kept secret her national identity during the king's selection process when he was in search of a wife. They would have been different, if she had not followed the advice of the chief eunuch assigned to the king's harem during the period of preparation before she appeared before the king, and if she had not taken with her only what he recommended she take. But she was faithful in the little things.

Mordecai 
Likewise, if Mordecai had not reported to Esther the assassination plot against the king, things would have turned out differently. Perhaps the royal officers would have succeeded at assassinating King Xerxes and made Haman king in his place. If Mordecai had bowed down to Haman like all the royal officials at the king's gate did, things would have turned out differently. If he had not raised his orphan cousin like a daughter, things would not have turned out the same for him. If he had not humbled himself with fasting and had not prayed to God when he discovered Haman's evil plot to destroy all the Jews, things would have turned out quite differently. But he was faithful in the little things.

Putting it All Together
Thank the Lord that each of these seven people were indeed faithful in the little things, and the Lord did exalt them to positions of greatness, in which he used them to save many lives. The same holds true for God's Amazing Plan for Your Life, too. Let this be an encouragement to each of us not to seek positions of power, not to seek greatness, but to bloom where we are planted and be faithful in the little things right where we are now.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Image may be subject to copyright. I would like to thank my wife Jennifer Lacroix for her contribution to this article.

Author's note: The Day of Small Things, God Chooses the Weak Things, What is That in Your Hand?, Multiplying Your Talents, The Ebb and Flow of Ministry for the Lord, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Servant of the Lord, The Kingdom of God is Like This, Multiplication, Multiplication Illustrations, Better a Little, The Beauty of Brokenness, One thing, The Secret Kingdom, and Success in God's Eyes. For more articles on this blog, please see the Home Page. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

A Biblical View of the Poor

A prosperity preacher once told me that poverty is a curse. He said, "Deuteronomy 28:1-68 reveals that poverty is a curse of the Law of Sin and Death.  Galatians 3:13, 14 and 29 reveals (as you know) that Christ has redeemed us from every curse of the Law, having been made a curse for us.  He did this that the blessings of Abraham might come upon believers in Christ in abundance.  Abraham did not suffer in poverty.  Rather, he was a wealthy man whom God made even more wealthy because of his obedience to God. (Genesis chapters 12-17)." This preacher went on to say, "Poverty is to be resisted by the believer and never accepted.  It is the thief who came to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly and poverty is not abundance of life.  (John 10:10). Poverty is a hot-house where fear, anger and frustration grows."

That all sounds very logical, it does contain some valuable truths, and there are numerous Scriptures given to support that doctrine, but let's examine the Scriptures ourselves and see if all these statements are really true.

Is Poverty a Curse?
According to the Law of Moses, prosperity is a blessing for those who obey the Lord's commandments. He said, "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God..." (Deu 28:2). Then the Lord goes on to declare the wonderful blessings of prosperity for His obedient children. He says you will be blessed in the city and in the country (28:3), blessed in your basket, blessed in your kneading bowl (28:5), blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out (28:6). He says, "The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways." (Deu 28:8-9). He goes on to say He will make you abound in prosperity (28:11), and make you the head and not the tail (28:13). Therefore, He is very clear that prosperity is a blessing for His holy and obedient people.

Then the Lord describes the curses that will come upon His children if they do not obey His commandments. The curses are just the opposite of the blessings. He says you will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country (28:16), cursed in your basket and cursed in your kneading bowl (28:17), cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out (28:19). He says you will borrow from the alien, and he will be the head while you will be the tale. He promises sickness and disease. destruction and defeat, as well as rebuke and retreat. He says, "If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed." (Deu 28:58-61). Therefore, He is very clear that poverty is a curse for disobedient people, who do not obey everything written in the book of the Law. Poverty is the ruin of the poor (Prov 10:15)

Delivered from the Curse
According to the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians, Christ has redeemed us from every curse of the Law, having been made a curse for us. He said, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, 'CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE' — in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal 3:13-14).

The reason why the blessing of Abraham has come to the Gentiles in Christ is so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, not so we could be wealthy Christians.

As it is written in the book of Acts, Paul also taught through Christ and His forgiveness of our sins when we repent and put our faith in Him, we are freed from all the things that you could not be free from under the Law. He said, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses." (Act 13:38-39)

Praise the Lord that we are free from all that! Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (Joh 8:32). He also said, "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (Joh 8:36). That's good news, people.

Abundant Life

It is not God who comes to steal and destroy, it is the devil. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (Joh 10:10). The Lord still promises abundant life for those who truly follow and obey Him. So if anything is being stolen from you or destroyed, that comes from the devil. It is possible that somehow he has gained permission to do so in your life.

In Job's trials, we know it was the devil who was killing and destroying, but God was permitting him to do it (Job 1:11; 2:5). Yet Job said, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21b). He acknowledged that it was the Lord who had given and the Lord who had taken away, and He praised God for it. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever (Rom 11:36). The Scripture is also very clear that Job was a blameless and upright man, who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:8), and it says that in all this he did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 1:22). His great losses were not due to some sin in his life as his counselors may have implied.

Therefore, if you are not experiencing wealthiness right now as a believer in Christ, don't let anyone make you feel badly for it. Jesus said that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luk 12:15). He did not say that abundant life or "life to the full" necessarily includes being rich in the earthly sense like Abraham.

We Are Abraham's Descendants

As followers of Jesus, we are Abraham's descendants. Paul said, "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal 3:29). God truly did prosper Abraham greatly, and he became wealthy. For those who obediently follow Jesus, the Word certainly does promise that my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).

Treasures in Heaven
If you follow Jesus obediently, however, He does not promise that you will be wealthy on earth. There is no place in Scripture where Jesus said, "Come follow Me and I will give you earthly riches." But you will store up treasures in heaven and receive an eternal reward that far outweighs all your sufferings for Christ.

I think the proper focus needs to be on the eternal rewards and not on becoming wealthy here on earth. We fix our eyes on what is unseen, not on what is seen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but he unseen things are eternal (2 Cor 4:18).

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mat 6:19-21)

Should We Resist Poverty?

The prosperity preachers teach that we must always resist poverty. I do not necessarily agree with that teaching, especially since there is not one verse in the Bible that says to do so. Let me explain what I mean.

If you are poor, you should seek to understand the reason for it. You should also ask the Lord to search your heart and ensure that there is nothing in your life that would open a door for these things. It is possible that you are bringing it upon yourself. The analogy I could give you to help you understand what I mean is this: If you are committing fornication and you develop a sexually transmitted disease, don't blame it on the devil. He is the one that brought it, but you opened the door up for him by your own disobedience. Therefore, what you should do is repent of the sin that brought the disease.

But what if you are born again, following Jesus, living in obedience to the Lord to the best of your knowledge and ability, keeping a good conscience, and you are still experiencing lack in your life? Does that mean you are cursed? I don't think so. I think you should keep praying the Lord would deliver you and provide for you and your family, just as you should keep praying the Lord would heal you if you are sick. Then expect Him to do it. He is faithful and keeps all His promises.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Php 4:6-7)

Giving Thanks in All Things

Can you rejoice and give thanks in the midst of poverty and afflictions? Yes, you definitely can! Paul said, "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Th 5:16-18). Rejoicing is not only for the good times, but for the bad times, too. And you should not only give thanks when everything is going well, but even when it's not. If you are experiencing trials, afflictions, and even the test of poverty, you can be thankful for them all. Thankfulness is evidence of a Spirit-filled life, and there is no law against it (Gal 5:23), so nobody can tell you not to thank the Lord for your poverty nor stop you from thanking Him in the midst of it.

Let me be clear that this does not mean you like your hardships or difficulties, but that you are thankful to God for them. You should rejoice and be thankful, because He has always been faithful to care for and provide for His obedient children. You should thank Him for all the ways He has blessed you in the past and all the ways He is still blessing you, even in the midst of your trials. You can thank the Lord, because you know that He will use these things for good. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28). You can thank the Lord, because He can and will cause everything in your life to work together for good, if you love God and are called according to His purpose. 

You can be sure that He will mold you and shape you to make you more like Jesus in the midst of your trials, regardless of what they are. We cannot say that God won't perfect you in the midst of any particular trials. He can do all things, and we can give thanks in all things. As James said, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (Jas 1:2-4) The end result is that you will be lacking nothing.

You will be able to say with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." (Ps 23:1-2). You will not have want of anything or lack anything. You shall have everything you need. As David said, "I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread." (Psa 37:25)

David's Poverty

While it is true that David never saw the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread, he did experience poverty in his own life personally. Prior to marrying Saul's daughter Michal, David said that he was a poor man and lightly esteemed (1Sa 18:23). In his psalms, David said, "But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay." (Ps 40:17).

"This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." (Ps 34:6)

Also "For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me." (Ps 109:42)

And "But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; LORD, do not delay." (Ps 70:5)

There is no reference in Scripture to David's poverty being due to any curse. In fact, the Bible says he was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). We know that he cried out to the Lord in his poverty for the Lord to help and deliver him, and that's what we should do.

Poverty in the New Testament
I also see poverty throughout the New Testament, and it is not called a curse. The story was told of the poor widow and she was not spoken of as accursed, but as one very dear to the heart of God who gave more than all the others who put in great sums of money.

"For they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." (Mar 12:44; cf., Luk 21:4). This woman's story has been told throughout the world over the last two thousand years, and shows that you can still bring glory to God even though you are poor. Don't let anyone tell you, as that prosperity preacher said to me, that if you are poor you are not a very good poster child for Jesus. Moreover, the passage about that woman's act of generosity also shows us that it is not the amount you give, but how much it is in comparison to what you have left. God loves a cheerful giver. And those who are poor should practice giving also.

However, when the Lord encountered the poor, He did not tell them that poverty is a curse or tell them they were under a curse. That does not mean they weren't, but if they were, He never mentioned it. And He didn't tell them that if they gave Him their money that they would become rich.

When He met the blind beggar by the roadside on the way to Jericho, He did not lecture him about his need to "resist the curse of poverty." Rather He healed his blindness, so that he could see. "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God." (Lk 18:43, NIV). The people did not praise God because the blind man became wealthy when he followed Jesus. Rather, they praised God because he was miraculously healed of blindness.

Jesus Himself was poor. Though He was rich He became poor, so that through His poverty, you might become rich (2 Cor 8:9). First, this does not mean, as some prosperity preachers may say, that you are going to become a rich person on earth if you become a Christian. Rather, we are supposed to follow in His steps (1 Pe 2:21). As that hymn says, "How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light." Remember how Jesus taught us that a servant is not greater than his master (Joh 15:20). Secondly, His becoming poor was not a curse, it was part of His humiliation for our sake. The reason He became a curse, as Paul said in Galatians 3:13, was that He was hanged on a tree, which was the cross. 

Joseph and Mary were poor, and look at how the Lord used them. We know they were poor, because when their days of purification were completed and they presented baby Jesus in the temple, they gave the alternate offering for Mary's cleansing that was designated in the Law. Those who were too poor to afford a Lamb could bring either two doves or two young pigeons, and that is what they offered in place of a Lamb (Luke 2:22-24; Lev 12:8).

The Macedonians were extremely poor and Paul did not label them as accursed or say their poverty was a curse, but commended them for their giving. He said, "That in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality." (2Co 8:2). Paul did not try to propose a plan for them to become prosperous, but rejoiced in their generosity despite their poverty.

The Twelve apostles left all they had to follow Jesus (Luke 18:28). Peter said to the lame beggar at the Gate Beautiful, "Silver and gold have I none..." (Ac 3:6a, KJV). Even the apostle Paul himself knew what it was to experience poverty. He said, "To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;" (1Co 4:11). He said, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Phil 4:12). He had experienced hunger, homelessness, thirst, and want, as well as times of plenty and being well fed. Yet nothing is mentioned of him being under a curse during his times of want. The focus was on how he had learned the secret of contentment. That's what I am talking about: we need to be content in whatever our circumstances and still thank the Lord in the midst of all things.

In the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, the apostle tells of those who were destitute in their walk of faith. He says, "And others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." (Heb 11:36-40). Please note that they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Does that sound to you like they were wealthy? No, but they gained God's approval for their faith.

The Lord also spoke to the church of Smyrna with regard to their poverty and never said a word about their being accursed or being under a curse of poverty. Rather He said they were rich in God's sight. "I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." (Rev 2:9).

On the other hand when He spoke to the Laodicean church, which was wealthy, He rebuked them.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent." (Rev 3:14-19)

The Lord called upon the wealthy Laodicean church to repent. They did not realize that in God's sight they were wretched and poor. They were wealthy in the natural, but poor in God's sight. He counseled them to buy from Him gold refined in the fire, so they might become rich. This is the same message for the wealthy church today in the Laodicean age that we live in. If you don't believe me, then listen to the testimony of Howard Pittman in my article, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies.

I think that the key is learning to be content when we are in need and hungry, just as we would be if we were well fed and living in plenty. Our faith is tested during times of poverty, but prosperity can be an even greater test. In plenty, people often crave for more and are never satisfied. They can also forget God. The Scriptures warn against the very real danger of forgetting God in the midst of your abundance (Deut 8:11-17).

Agur the son of Jakeh wrote, "Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God." (Pro 30:7-9)

A dear friend of mine, who made a good income for fifty years and always gave generously to others, is now living in poverty as an elderly man and his wife is struggling to support them by supplementing his Social Security with her job. I don't consider him to be under any curse. I don't understand it, but I don't tell him he is under a curse. He put others ahead of himself and took care of them without regard for his own future on earth. He had faith and trusted the Lord to take care of him. He is a blessed man who has stored up great riches in heaven and is now very close to the time when he will go to his eternal reward.

Blessed Are the Poor 
Let's remember that one of the beatitudes is the blessedness of being poor. The Lord said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 5:3). This beatitude of poor-spiritedness has more than one application for our lives, including humility, brokenness, and contriteness of spirit. But yet another application is that of being contentedly poor. In order to best explain this, let me quote the words of a seventeenth century preacher and Bible commentator named Matthew Henry. He is perhaps my favorite commentator, and perhaps was the favorite of John Wesley, judging by the way he quoted his works. After I had already published this article, I decided to read Henry's view on being poor in spirit, and found that his comments confirmed what I believe and have already written in this article. Henry wrote the following regarding the first beatitude:

"The poor in spirit are happy, Mat 5:3. There is a poor-spiritedness that is so far from making men blessed that it is a sin and a snare - cowardice and base fear, and a willing subjection to the lusts of men. But this poverty of spirit is a gracious disposition of soul, by which we are emptied of self, in order to [have] our being filled with Jesus Christ. To be poor in spirit is, 1. To be contentedly poor, willing to be emptied of worldly wealth, if God orders that to be our lot; to bring our mind to our condition, when it is a low condition. Many are poor in the world, but high in spirit, poor and proud, murmuring and complaining, and blaming their lot, but we must accommodate ourselves to our poverty, must know how to be abased, Php_4:12. Acknowledging the wisdom of God in appointing us to poverty, we must be easy in it, patiently bear the inconveniences of it, be thankful for what we have, and make the best of that which is. It is to sit loose to all worldly wealth, and not set our hearts upon it, but cheerfully to bear losses and disappointments which may befall us in the most prosperous state. It is not, in pride or pretence, to make ourselves poor, by throwing away what God has given us, especially as those in the church of Rome, who vow poverty, and yet engross the wealth of the nations; but if we be rich in the world we must be poor in spirit, that is, we must condescend to the poor and sympathize with them, as being touched with the feeling of their infirmities; we must expect and prepare for poverty; must not inordinately fear or shun it, but must bid it welcome, especially when it comes upon us for keeping a good conscience, Heb_10:34. Job was poor in spirit, when he blessed God in taking away, as well as giving."

This is Henry's first definition of being poor in spirit, although he did give others, such as humility, brokenness, and contrition, as I have already mentioned.

For those who prefer to interpret this beatitude in a figurative sense, let me remind you that in Luke's gospel, it says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Lk 6:20, NIV). Here in this instance the Lord clearly said that the poor are blessed, and He meant it for those who are literally poor. He did not say, "Cursed are the poor," but rather said they are blessed, and taught that the kingdom of God belongs to the poor. In this same context, He also said, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied." (Lk 6:21a, NIV). We know that He meant those who are literally hungry, which is often a part of being poor. Afterward, He pronounced woes upon those who are rich and well-fed now in this life (Lk 6:24-25). This passage gives us a clear picture of God's view of the poor. True teaching such as this about the poor and the rich is missing from the pulpits today, amidst all the talk about prosperity.

The False Gospel of Prosperity
I also believe that the modern, so-called "prosperity gospel" is a false gospel and has done a great deal of harm around the world. It fuels greed, feeds pride, and works against the formation of godly character. The souls of those who have spread that message are in danger, if they don't repent and amend their ways. If they want to teach about something that must be resisted, they should teach God's people to resist the devil (Jas 4:7) and to resist the temptation to sin (Mat 6:13; Lk 22:40; 1 Cor 6:18), such as covetousness, pride, worldlinesss, and ungodliness (Lk 12:15; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:16; Tit 2:12; Jas 1:27; 4:10; 1 Joh 2:15-16). For more on this topic, please read my articles, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers, and The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness.

I see many warnings about the dangers of riches in Scripture, but not as many warnings about the curse of poverty. The warnings about poverty seem to be warning us about the things that can lead to poverty, such as disobedience to God's commandments, stinginess, robbing God by withholding tithes and offerings, drunkenness, gluttony, loving pleasure, chasing fantasies, laziness, idleness, refusing to work, drowsiness, loving sleep, lack of diligence, lack of discipline, and lack of judgment. One form of lacking judgment that leads to poverty is to live above your means. I think most people know that poverty is no fun, and they are not consciously seeking to be poor. It is more likely that if they become poor, it will probably not be because they intentionally sought for it. While we have the passage in Deuteronomy about the curse of poverty, the emphasis in Scripture is not that we must resist poverty. Rather the emphasis is on making sure you are not living your life in such a way that is displeasing to God, since you could unknowingly be bringing poverty on yourself by those things, such as I mentioned above.

Certainly God does want you to be a success in everything you put your hand to, but let's be sure that we understand the meaning of success in God's eyes. It does not mean being rich. For more on that topic, please see my article, Success in God's Eyes.

The Poor Are Dear to God's Heart

Quite contrary to the way that prosperity teachers emphasize the cursed nature of poverty, and the blessedness of riches, we find that the poor are very dear to the heart of God. Let's look at some of those passages.

Jesus said He came to preach the gospel to the poor. He said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." (Luk 4:18-19)

In fact, preaching the good news to the poor was one of the signs that Jesus was the expected Messiah. "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.'" (Mat 11:4-5)

Notice that the evidence that Jesus was the Messiah did not include preaching to the rich. Although He did preach to them, too. Part of the Lord's message to the rich is not to love money and to give to the poor! Jesus said to the rich man, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Mat 19:21; cf. Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22). Jesus taught not only the rich but all of us to give to the poor, and said it is an act of righteousness before God (Mat 6:2-4).

When Zacchaeus the tax collector became a follower of Jesus, he gave half his possessions to the poor (Lk 19:8). This and the other fruits of repentance that he demonstrated were proof to the Lord Jesus that salvation had come to his house and that he had become a child of Abraham (Lk 19:9).

The Lord taught us to invite the poor into our homes. "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luk 14:13-14). The emphasis was on being repaid at the resurrection, not in this life.

The Lord told the true story of a rich man in hell and a poor beggar in Abraham's bosom. On earth, the rich man had lived in luxury every day while Lazarus the poor man had sat at his gate begging. "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom." (Luk 16:22-23)

Notice that it was the poor man who went to his reward with Abraham and the rich man who went to hell. If the poor man was under a curse, it was certainly not the point the Lord chose to emphasize.

The apostle Paul said that the apostles and elders in Jerusalem asked him to remember the poor, which is what he himself was eager to do. "They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do." (Gal 2:10). Job also rescued the poor who cried for help (Job 29:12), and his soul grieved for them (Job 30:25). 

Yet human nature is to show favoritism to the rich, because of evil motives, and to look down upon the poor. James warned about this when he wrote, "For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' and you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,' have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?" (Jas 2:2-6)

James emphasized that God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him. So why do the prosperity preachers emphasize the evil nature of poverty and the blessedness of wealth? Because they think that godliness is a means to financial gain (1 Tim 6:5).

The Bible says we will always have the poor with us. "For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'" (Deu 15:11) And Jesus also said this. "For you always have the poor with you..."(Mat 26:11)

The poor are hated by their neighbors (Prov 14:20), shunned by their relatives, and avoided by their friends (Prov 19:7), but God cares for the poor and raises them out of poverty. "He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them." (1Sa 2:8; cf. Ps 113:7). Though everyone else forsakes the poor, God will not forsake them (Is 41:17).

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight;" (Psa 72:13-14)

God takes it personally when the poor are mistreated or shown kindness. "Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." (Prov 14:31; cf., 17:5, NIV). Scripture says, "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." (Prov 19:17, NIV).

Jesus also said that whatever you do for the least of these His brethren, you have done it unto Him. 

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" (Mat 25:31-40)

That means that how you treat a person who is poor, hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or in prison, is how you treat Jesus. You are doing it to Him, because He identifies with them, just as it is written all throughout the Scriptures.

One time during a worship meeting, my youngest daughter, who was nine years old at the time, testified that the Lord had spoken to her during her quiet time that morning.  She said, "While I was in prayer, I asked the Lord to speak to me.  So I waited and I heard, 'Go out and minister.' I asked, 'How, Lord?'  He said, 'Psalm 82.' When we looked up that psalm, we found that it was about ministering to the poor.

For example it says, "Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." (Psa 82:3-4). This once again shows God's love and compassion for the poor and needy.

Indeed the righteous care about justice for the poor (Prov 29:7). And "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." (Prov 22:9, NIV)

Yet the solemn warning still remains for the rich who ignore the poor:

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you." (Jas 5:1-6)

The Bible says, "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." (Prov 28:27, NIV).

Therefore, seeing how dear the poor are to the heart of God, is it better to be rich or poor? It depends. Solomon said, "Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich." (Pro 28:6), and "better to be poor than a liar." (Pro 19:22). You see, sometimes it is better to be poor. What good does it do you to be rich, if you are a crooked liar and lose your own soul? As Jesus said, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Mk 8:36, NIV)

Jesus Appears to a Homeless Man
Just to help you see God's heart for the poor, let me share with you a very interesting video about how Jesus appeared to a homeless man and told the man He is coming very, very, very, very, very, very very soon.  This testimony was told to me in October 2007, while I was on a missions trip to Bulgaria, by sister Marina Dimitrova, who is a friend of mine and the Director of Operation Reach All (ORA International) in Bulgaria. Please see Jesus is Coming Very Soon Part I and Jesus is Coming Very Soon Part II.

Putting it All Together

As you can see, there is definite biblical support for much of what the prosperity preacher said to me, which I mentioned in the opening of this article. Poverty is one of the curses of the Law for the disobedient. All who are in Christ are delivered from the curse of the Law. We are Abraham's descendants, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In Him we are forgiven, and we are freed from all the things we could not be freed from under the Law of Moses, including every curse. We now have abundant life in Christ. We have the promise that He will supply all our needs. 

However, in the midst of poverty, we can still give thanks, because we should give thanks in all things. As the old hymn says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done." Then trust God and obey Him, and He will see you through. If the Lord is your Shepherd, you shall lack nothing. You will have treasures in heaven, but He didn't promise you would be wealthy in the world's eyes. Those who lay up riches for themselves on earth and ignore the poor are in danger of perishing like the rich man in hell. We should be eager to remember the poor and give to them. 

God loves the poor and cares for them. Their blood is precious in His sight. He sees when they are oppressed, hears their cry, and comes to their rescue. He takes it personally when others mistreat them. Whatever we have done for one of the least of these, we have done it unto Jesus. God blesses those who help the needy.

Jesus, whose steps we are supposed to walk in, was poor and needy. And so were David, Joseph and Mary, and the widow who gave her last penny. Lazarus the beggar was poor. So were Paul and the Twelve apostles, and the church in Smyrna, whom the Lord encouraged by telling them they were rich. The focus in Scripture is always on the eternal, heavenly reward that awaits us, not on temporal, earthly wealth.

We must be poor in spirit, emptied of self and filled with Jesus Christ. We must be contentedly poor, willing to be emptied of worldly wealth, if God orders that for our lives. We must accommodate ourselves to our poverty, must know how to be abased, acknowledging the wisdom of God in appointing us to poverty; we must be at ease in it. We must not set our hearts upon worldly wealth, but cheerfully endure losses and disappointments. We must anticipate and prepare for poverty. That does not mean we fear or shun it, but welcome it, especially when it comes upon us for doing God's will.

If you are following Jesus Christ obediently as your Lord and Savior, and you are poor and needy, He says that you are blessed and the kingdom of God belongs to you. Please know that you are in good company. You are among the ranks of many other saints in ages past who have gone down the same road, as well as countless believers throughout the world who are presently undergoing the same kind of sufferings. But know that you are storing up riches in heaven where neither rust nor moth corrupt. The Lord cares for you and says, "You are rich." His eye is on the sparrow, and you can be sure He watches over you. You are worth more than many sparrows (Mat 10:29-30). Continue to cry out to Him and He will deliver you. Remember the parable of the persistent widow. Jesus said, "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:7-8, NIV)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible -- NIV.  Photos are subject to copyright, used according to the Fair Use Act that allows copyrighted images to be used for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: I also recommend reading God's Supernatural Provision Using People, The Lord Will Rescue You, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers and Prosperity Teachers, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Is Tithing Required for Christians?, House of Idleness, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Nine Divine Revelations, Better a Little, Success in God's Eyes, The Afflictions of the Righteous, Hidden Treasures, God Chooses the Weak Things, The Cost of Discipleship, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, What is That in Your Hand?, The Kingdom of God is Like This, Multiplication, Multiplication Illustrations, ans The Beauty of Brokenness. More of my articles about the Kingdom of God may be found on the Home page of this blog. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.