As I have mentioned previously, prosperity is not a one “stream” event in people’s lives, but rather a merging of at least five resource rivers which can enlarge and financially bless God’s people. Much of prosperity can actually look quite natural and reasonable. For example, you are offered a great job opportunity based on your skills that pays exceptionally well. Perhaps you work exceedingly hard and hit the sales goal which gives you a bonus. These can be (and are) used by God in His Providence to enlarge His people. The same could be said of healing when physicians and health professionals work with you through medicines and therapies. These things most certainly can be used by God to assist His people in establishing a prosperous life. That said, there is a supernatural aspect to prospering (as well as healing) that must not be discounted.
The Bible speaks about “signs and wonders”. There is a place in the economy of God where the unexplainable happens in people’s lives. The most simplistic definition of that phrase might be as follows:
A “sign” is a manifestation of a miraculous moment which indicates the activity of God (or perhaps a supernatural power since there are counterfeit “signs” as well).
A “wonder” is a happening which challenges the normal processes of rationality and logic.
Hence, signs and wonders are miraculous or providential moments that can only be explained by God.
Now allow me to quickly state that as believers we are cautioned about chasing after signs and wonders (see Matthew 12:38-39; Luke 11:29). I very much believe in the present activity of the Holy Spirit and His ability to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, and however He wants; however, because of the gimmickry and hucksterism of so much of the prosperity teaching it is important that we are reminded that our eyes are on Jesus and not solely the “signs and wonders”. I am as excited and encouraged by miraculous moments and testimonies as the next person, but as I rejoice, I keep my eyes on the Lord.
This fifth stream (called “wonder”) can best be described as God’s sovereign mercy as He sees fit.
Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)
For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)
In October of 2019 (pre-pandemic), the Lord impressed upon my wife and me that we should be open about finding a “job”. We weren’t sinking financially, in fact, we had scheduled enough meetings and had enough resources to live our very normal middle-class lifestyle. However, the sense of needing to be open to the possibility of other work simply could not be shaken. What that work would be after 40 years of consecutive ministry and 35 years of it serving as a local church pastor was ambiguous, but nonetheless the impression was unshakable. Within just a few days of that impression, open doors of possibility were presented to both of us. Tracie’s opportunity was a remote customer service position with a financial management group that helped Homeowner Associations across the nation. It was a perfect fit for her skills and experience. My opportunity was a position to get pastors engaged in their cultural calling to influence their civic representatives and pastor, pastors (wow, was that in my wheelhouse or what). Both of these opportunities presented themselves in the most providential of ways.
Gratefully, the doors opened for us both and we were hired to these positions. And while we were thankful, there was still some residue (maybe even confusion) over why God was leading us in this direction.
Until 5 months later (March 2020)…
COVID-19 closes everything down. All the scheduled meetings were collectively cancelled. Resources which we were counting on from people and churches might possibly shrink or be cancelled. Tracie and I looked at each other and said, “Can you imagine what we would be facing had not the Lord impressed us about jobs?” Our minds were spinning…
Gratefully spinning…
It was a “wonder”…
It was at this point the Holy Spirit impressed me again with an important point. It was as if He was saying, “Will you believe and respond to The Word so that you will not just survive, but thrive during this time period?”
Well, He opened the door for this providential job, so why not…
This was the moment an epiphany (revelation some might call it) concerning prosperity ignited in my heart and mind. We started intentionally practicing some things we saw in the Word and were taught through the years related to prospering during lean times. The five “W’s” of prosperity which I have shared started to coalesce in my mind. We got serious about obeying the principles of faith and the Scriptures in this area of prosperity. More than these things (as foundational as they are), Tracie and I had an expectation, an anticipation, or a confidence that God was wanting to show us something vitally important for the season ahead. It wouldn’t fit into our tightly constructed box of reason or logic. It would be a “wonder”.
Our lives have been revolutionized…
If I could tell you the stories, you would “wonder”…
In the midst of a pandemic, when the economy was contracting, God was finding His conduits…
Honestly, I had become somewhat cynical after 40 years of ministry (30+ in Charismatic circles) to the prosperity message. I have seen my fair share of goofiness ascribed to the activity of the Spirit and the leading of the Lord. This time, however, something was different. This had nothing to do with personal net worth, but rather thriving through a pandemic as a testimony of God’s faithfulness and conduiting resources to His Kingdom purposes.
The blog is not finished…
There are some more installments…
But why not join me…
No longer ashamed of prosperity…
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