Sermon:How to overcome poverty!

Read: Deuteronomy 16:16-17

Divine partnership on the other hand means God and man working together for mutual benefits. The vine produces the branches and the branches produce the fruit. The branches need the vine or else they will be incapable of producing fruits. Although the vine needs the branches, the branches need the vine more because when a branch is severed from the vine, the latter will produce fresh branches. You need God and God needs you. But you need God more than He needs you. If He tells you of His intention to use you but you refuse,

He can use somebody else. If men refrain from praising Him, stones would. If you meet anyone who is successful in any endeavour, you can be sure there is always a story behind the glory. Nothing goes for nothing. Salvation, healing and deliverance are free because somebody paid the price. It is what you have learnt and studied hard for that the Holy Spirit will remind you of (John 14:26).

If you fail to study hard for your exams, the Holy Spirit cannot remind you of what is not there. However, He will comfort you when you fail the exam.

In 1 Kings 17:8-16, God asked the widow to feed His prophet before sustaining her throughout the famine. For several years, many churches in Africa relied heavily on foreign aid. While those sending the money were getting richer, the recipients were getting poorer. Thank God the tide is turning as we have adopted the biblical mindset. When we wanted to hold the Holy Ghost service in London, it was a difficult task. We were financially constrained.

At a stage, I told the brethren not to worry and that I would bring the money from Nigeria. They found it difficult to believe because they thought we were poorer. If you care to look around churches in any country, it is the giving church that is always prospering. Some individuals, families and churches are ever asking and soliciting help from others. They never give. This is one reason they continue to beg.

If you want to move above begging, cultivate the habit of giving as an individual, family or church. Every partner of the Lord must learn to give sacrificially. How is your giving?

To what extent do you practice giving as an individual, family, church or nation?