February 1, 2014 - Saturday

Start Time: 7:16 A.M.

End Time: 7:50 A.M

Title: Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:1 – 19  

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Command:

→ When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes^[a] and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors,  if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God of restoration!  Hallelujah!  God promises prosperity after turning to the Lord.  When we take His words to heart, He promises to restore us and all our fortunes and His compassion that He hold for so long will be poured out and He will gather us back again to Him.  Wherever we may be, no matter how far we have been driven away, He will find us and bring us back to the land He has promised us and we will take possession of that promises.  Our decision to return back to God will gives so much pleasure to the Lord that He will make us more prosperous and numerous than we used to be.  He promised to purify our hearts and the great thing about it is that He promises to purify not only our hearts but also our descendants, even those who are not yet around so that we may love Him with all of us.  What an amazing God!  When we decide to return back to God, His restoration includes the cleansing and purification of our hearts.  For what purpose?  For the purpose that we will love Him with all our heart, soul and lives.  This is our Lord!  He gives us the heart to love Him and this is part of His restoration!  Thank You Lord!  And all the curses that were once placed on us, will all be transferred to our enemies who inflicted in us pain and sufferings.  With God’s restoration and purification of our hearts, comes our willingness to obey the Lord and follow His commands.  So as we obey, God’s abundant prosperity will flow upon us and everything we do or whatever our hands touch will be blessed.  What an exciting time!  God promises abundant prosperity for those who obey and for those who have fallen and disobeyed - curses awaits them.  However for those who disobeyed and decided to turn back to God, restoration is what God offers.  And restoration comes purification of hearts that we may love Him with all of us, then God’s overflowing prosperity will be poured out and the promise of becoming more prosperous than ever!  Praise God!  What a great God we serve!

→Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.  It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

NOTES:

Ø God’s words are achievable!  God’s standard is high yet man can achieve it!  Why?  Because He gives us the Holy Spirit that we may be capable of achieving or obeying His words and commandments!  When God gives us a task, He gives us the ability to fulfill it!  So we should not worry or concern nor should we look at our own ability because when God gives us a task, He takes care of everything we need to do it!

→See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

NOTES:

Ø God presents us with all our choices, but He clearly tells us to choose life and prosperity!  God lays before us the choice between life and prosperity or death and destruction.  It is us who chooses our fate but before we make the choice, God commands us to choose life and prosperity!  Where can you find a God who commands His people to choose life and prosperity?  Yes, God presents all the choices, the last word is still ours yet HE keeps on insisting that we choose life and prosperity.  He made sure we choose it that’s why He commanded us to do so!  Yet if we disobey, we choose the path of destruction and death.  But God doesn’t want that and that’s why He commanded us, as our Lord, our Master, our Father, to obey and choose the right path.  What a great God!  He does not only tells us the good and bad things of each choice we have, HE tells us what to choose so we will have good lives yet He allows us to make that choice on our own.  Still, He ensures that we don’t choose the wrong choice, that’s why HE made it a command to choose life and prosperity.  So as His people and children, we are to obey what He says.  Only when we decide to rebel and disobey Him that we will make the wrong choice and lead ourselves to ruin.  God is saying today… choose life, choose prosperity!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, amazing Lord, wonderful Savior, Prince of Peace!  Almighty Father, the great I Am, Might conqueror!  Thank You for Your Commands.  Thank You because Your words, even at times, we don’t understand why, are always for our good.  Thank You Lord because not only did You lay the choices we have, You commanded us to choose life and prosperity to ensure that we do not choose the wrong fate and end up destroyed and in death.  Thank You because You restores us and when we choose life and prosperity, Your restoration includes cleansing and renewing of our minds and hearts so we will Love You with all that we are.  Thank You because Your commands to us are achievable and You give us the ability to do Your will when we choose to obey.  Thank You because You want what’s good for us and to ensure that we experience and choose what’s good for us, You commanded it so we have no reason to choose death and destruction.  Holy Spirit, help me to choose the right fate.  Help me to choose life and prosperity and avoid the way to death and destruction.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!