Please note my opinions, positions, perspectives and beliefs on the following topics of interest. These are topics about which I blog, journal, pen articles on, and write complete books about. The interpretations of Biblical and Kingdom perspectives noted below, although subjective, best matches my thoughts, viewpoints and values.

My focus is to present a balanced perspective on all topics, from being diligent, working hard, being productive, as well as learning to save, invest wisely, giving appropriately and becoming stewards of everything including time, talents, bodies, giftings, money, possessions, skills, communication, etc.

A Kingdom Perspective of Abundance

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 RSV

To have abundance in our world is to have grace, reason for thanksgiving, asset, benefit, bounty, endorsement, gifts, fortune, help, kindness, miracle, profit, windfall, convenience, expediency, gain, influence, preference, prestige, permission, protection, recognition, resources, return, support, to invoke divine favor upon, treasure, and value.

Within the context of my personal beliefs, the word “abundance” means “to experience the grace of God’s influence, protection, resources and assistance.”

God wants to provide good things to His children. He wants for you to prosper and be successful in your God given gifts and callings. But God is no vending machine, nor does His promises come without conditions. Sometimes we don’t realize how blessed we are.

A Kingdom Perspective of Blessing

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Genesis 12:2 RSV

To be blessed in the human sense is to be happy, blissful, contented, fortunate, joyful, redeemed, saved, welcomed, to be privileged, to possess.

Within the context of my personal beliefs, the word “blessed” means “to not be in lack or need or want, to be favored”. From my perspective, it also means “to enjoy and experience the influence of God in every area of your personal life.”

The call of God upon Abraham can be the model for God’s call to us. Just as God promised to bless Abraham, He also will bless us. Why does God desire to bless His people? So that we might become a blessing to others.

Here’s why God allows many to become prosperous: You are blessed or will be blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. God does not prosper you for the purpose of raising your standard of living; He prospers you so that you can raise your standard of giving.

Biblical stewardship is not about giving a lot of money just so the church can function in its community role. Yes, the church does need financing for its operational needs and vision mandate. But your role in receiving the supernatural provision of God is about keeping only a needed portion of God’s blessing and returning a great portion of the blessing so that others can be blessed as well. We become resourceful and efficient stewards of all the possessions God has sent our way.

A Kingdom Perspective of Prosperity & Wealth

God wants for His people of purpose to be prosperous. But prosperity and wealth are not just about money and possessions. While I certainly believe in abundance, prosperity and blessing, in no way do I believe that only describes money and possessions. I personally know very poor people in China, India and other countries, who by North American standards would be considered the “poorest of the poor”, but whom I believe are wealthy, prosperous and live in abundance and blessing.

Within the context of my personal beliefs, the words “prosperity” and “wealth” mean “having one penny more than enough”.

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Joshua 1:8-9 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 2 NKJV

Honor the Lord with your wealth.
Proverbs 3:9

In America and many other nations all around the world, this generation has access to untold quantities of wealth. Yet even though our wealth and blessing have increased, the world-wide needs of the poor and the hungry have never been greater. Untold millions are needed to reach the world with the Gospel. According to the above verses, the true pathway to prosperity is to read, know and obey the Word of God. As the Lord fills our treasuries with both natural and spiritual increase, we will then be able to extend these blessings to the world around us.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21 NKJV

God is not in the business of bringing supernatural provision to our lives so that we can heap luxury and desires upon ourselves for personal gratification. When you treasure Him more than earthly treasures, here is the result: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8–9). Observe the multiple use of the word all. It certainly does away with any limitations of God’s favor upon your life.

Becoming prosperous and successful is a direct result of obedience. In this Scripture, God challenges us to meditate upon the Word. The emphasis placed here is not upon education, knowledge, or experience. It is upon obedience. It is one thing to understand and quite another to walk in obedience.

A Kingdom Perspective of Provision

Provision is Not Just About Money & Possessions!

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)

Provision in the dictionary is the “act of providing or making previous preparation…a stock of necessary supplies.” Using a thesaurus, the following descriptions apply: “allotment, allowance, apportionment, appropriation, equipping, fitting out , foundation, furnishing, keep, livelihood, living, maintenance, prearrangement, preparation, procurement, providing, reserve, supplying, subsistence, sustenance, and upkeep.” Within the context of my personal beliefs, the word “provision” means “the supernatural appropriation of God’s divine supply.”

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.
Matthew 6:33 KJV

“So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.”
I Kings 17:15-16 NKJV

“But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
I Timothy 6:8-9 NIV

“God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others.”
II Corinthians 9:8-9 TLB

Supernatural provision happens when the natural is not enough. If we can make it happen on our own, there is no need for faith. No need for trusting God. And it follows that if we do not have faith and have no need for God, He will not step into areas that we have reserved for our own self-control. The principle of supernatural provision is that He is strong when flesh cannot be.

“They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:18-20 NIV

The Scripture is full of instructions about sacrificing, bringing offerings and giving to the Lord. Jesus was not a fundraiser, but He talked about stewardship a great deal. Jesus dealt with money matters, because money matters! Both God and Satan know that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. That’s why both are very interested in what we do with our money. Our attitude toward money is a spiritual matter! If our attitude is right, we will give as needed and, by doing so, an unending supply of provision will come our way.

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Proverbs 28:27

A Kingdom Perspective of Success

God wants you to be successful in your purpose and design in life. God wants for you to be successful as a son or daughter, as a mom or dad, as children and parents. God wants you to be successful in your career, your vocation, your ministry, and in every way.

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5 New Living Translation

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 NKJV

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalms 20:4 NIV

Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
Deuteronomy 29:9 NKJV

A Kingdom Perspective of Your Potential

God is on your side! He wants you to reach forward into your future and secure the destiny He has for your life.

You hem me in– behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Psalms 139:5-6 NIV

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 KJV

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16 NIV

Psalms 139 says that God knew about you even before you were born. In verse 14 it states that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. In others words, you were created with “purpose”. And according to verse 16, all of your days were ordained for you and written in God’s book even before you took your first breath.

Romans 8:28 is one of the best-loved passages in the Bible. It says this. “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

God has a good and great purpose in mind for you. You CAN trust Him with your life. Christianity deals in potential, and what a person can become, not what he/she had been in the past or even what they are in the present. This is the very heart of the Gospel.

A Kingdom Perspective of God’s Desire for You

God wants to bless you more than even you want to be blessed. He wants to give to you the very desires and longings of your heart. This is why I know that to be true.

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 NKJV

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalms 20:4 NIV

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, (never give up on hearing from the Lord) the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to make you into a mighty nation.” “Your part of the agreement,” God told Abraham, “is to obey the terms of the covenant.
Genesis 17:1-2 NLT

The Hebrew word that was translated into the English word “God Almighty” is “El Shaddai’”.

And this same God (“El Shaddai’”.) who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NLT

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God (“El Shaddai’”).
2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT

Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

In the above Scriptures, the qualifier is “Shaddai”. The word “El” comes from a root word meaning “might, strength, & power”. “El Shaddai” means “The All Sufficient God”. From the dictionary “sufficient” means: adequate for the purpose; enough; having enough as needed; having what is needed without being in excess; comfortable, have plenty.

Together the words are ““El Shaddai’”; the mighty, powerful & strong God is All Sufficient and Who gives to us more than enough! God desires to bless man and provide in abundance all of man’s needs. His name is indicative of a God who is powerful enough to do just that.

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