OPENING PRAYERS
Shekinah Greetings Word of Life. Welcome to the Kingdom Bible study. It is a great day. I believe you had a blessed night.
Jesus is Lord this morning. We give him the Praise and the Glory and the Honour and the Adoration because he deserves it. And we worship Him.
Just lift your voice where you are and tell God how ready you are to receive the Word of today. Thank him for protecting you, for watching over you, for taking care of you. Blessed be his holy name.
Jesus, we worship you. Jesus, we adore you. You are God all by yourself. We give you the praise, we give you the glory, we give you the honour and the adoration. Thank you Jesus. Blessed be your name in Jesus precious name we have prayed and we all say amen. Glory be to God.
CHAPTER 1 | INTRODUCTION
Well.
Second Peter chapter number one verse three, “… God has redeemed us for glory and for virtue” not for shame and reproach. That is the plan of God. That is our birthright in Christ.
We have been redeemed to be envied after the order of Isaac, not to be pitied after the order of Lazarus who was at the the door of the rich man and was expecting the bread falling from his table.
We are called to be envied, not to be pitied. And remember, only those who are in the pit that can be pitied. And we are not on the in the pit. We have been redeemed.
Praise be the living God.
And God promises in Isaiah chapter sixty one and verse seven, “For your shame you will have double and for confusion you shall rejoice in your portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess the double everlasting joy shall be to them”.
Where there is shame, there is confusion. Where there is shame, there is no joy. Where there is shame, there is no possession.
So, the will of God for you is that for every area where you have ever suffered shame, he will give you back double. You will recover from that eh area of shame in Jesus precious name.
CHAPTER 2 | THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND SHAME
There is something I just wanted to highlight in the session of today related to shame and reproach.
If I read with you Isaiah sixty one verse seven from the GW Version, the Bible says, “You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame”.
According to Scripture, there is a connection between shame and poverty. I want to pray for you today in the name of Jesus you will not suffer financial embarrassment. You will not suffer financial disgrace in the name of Jesus.
That is why God says, “For you to not suffer that financial disgrace, you will receive a double measure of wealth”.
In Joel 2:26-27, God says, “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and you will praise the name of the Lord your God that has dealt wondrously with you and my people shall never be ashamed again”.
You see again the connection between poverty and shame?
In Verse 27, God says, “and you shall know that I am in the middle of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none else and my people shall never be ashamed again”.
My friend, let me tell you something. If there is something in the life of human beings on the earth that brings shame, it is poverty, lack, want.
During the week, I gave you some examples because I told you friends that we have to be real with ourselves. Our faith must be real.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17, “God gives us all things to enjoy”.
So, we cannot pretend and say, Well. All is well. God is on his throne, when our children are chased from school.
Don't pretend. Let us be real. How will you feel if you are not able to pay the fees of your children? How will you feel? How will I feel? Will not my faith be shattered?
How will our children feel when all the other children are in school and are learning, while your children are outside the school because they cannot afford to pay school fees?
How will you feel? Will it not kill their esteem?
I cannot pretend. I suffered those things in my life. I was chased away from a house back in two thousand and seven because I was not able to pay the house rent worth of one hundred and fifty dollars.
I was not able to pay that house. I was working yes, but there was a moment where the payment was held, they could not pay me.
I have to be real. It was very much embarrassing. All my stuff were outside. Is it glorious? Not at all.
If God is really your God, why is he not providing for you? If God is really your God, why is he not giving to you?
So there is a kind of reproach which is related to the finances and we can't pretend.
And God makes it very clear in scriptures. In Proverbs 13:18, we read, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuses instruction but he that regards reproof shall be honoured”.
Have you seen the connection between poverty and shame?
The bible says poverty and shame. They are put together.
But there is a striking scripture in Ezekiel 36:30.
God says, listen to this very carefully, “I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heaten”
Have you seen that? God is talking about the reproach of famine. I underline in my Bible the reproach of famine.
In other versions, when you read for example
- The amplified version talks about the disgrace of famine.
- The BSB version talks about the reproach among the nations on account of famine.
- The Contemporary English Version says, you will never again feel ashamed for not having enough food.
- The CSB says, you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.
- The ERV says, you will never again feel the shame of being hungry in a foreign country.
- the ESV talks about the disgrace of famine.
CHAPTER 3 | Poverty is a disgrace.
I stand on the Word of God. God says, No more reproach of famine. No more reproach of poverty. No more reproach of lack and want. That is what the Bible says.
The unbelievers around us will not mock you for not being able to meet our financial needs.
Can you just lift your hand where you are and say, Lord no more reproach of famine in my life. No more reproach of financial dryness in my life. No more reproach of financial embarrassment in my life. No more reproach of financial disgrace in my life. In the name of Jesus.
Not having food, being poor, being broke, being unable to meet your needs, it is a reproach for a Son and for a Daughter of Abraham. Are you hearing me?
God is our Father. Jesus said in Matthew 7:11 (paraphrased), “If you, as wicked as you are, you provide for your children. How far more our God who is in heaven will he not provide for you and I?”.
Where there is a reproach
- You become a laughing stock
- You are ridiculed
- You are mocked
- You become the scoffing of onlookers
Believe me. When someone is poor or broke, when somebody can't meet his needs, you will be ridiculed.
Let's be real, I am using the electricity in this place.
Case 1 | Electricity
When the electricity agents come and I have not paid electricity, no matter who I am, no matter how I look, they will cut the electricity, go and leave me in darkness. All the neighbors have electricity, but I don't have. Is it glorious?
Case 2 | Rent
When the owner of the house comes and locks the house, because you have not paid his house, how will you feel?
How will you feel if he summons you to get out of his house and close it? Is it not embarrassing? Is it not disgracing?
Open your hand where you are and we declare and we decree in the name of Jesus Christ, we will not suffer the disgrace of poverty, the disgrace of lack of wants as per Ezekiel 36:30 in the Name Of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 3 | IS GOD CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FINANCES?
I have a question. I know that the topic of money, the topic of topic of finances, is a topic that makes people talk and think a lot.
My question is this … Is God concerned about your finances? About my finances ? About our finances? Is really God concerned?
The answer is YES and I will show to you from Scriptures.
Let me give you a couple of facts that will help you.
Fact number one | The will of God for his people has never been for them to be in poverty rather to prosper, to be prosperous, to be wealthy that is the original plan and will of God.
In Deuteronomy fifteen verse four, it is written,
“There shall be no poor among you, for the Lord shall greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it. The Lord shall bless you as he promises you you shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow”.
That is the perfect will of God to show to you God is concerned about your finances.
Well. For those who are watching and following the devotions this week is the week of recovery and I believe and I want to encourage you to follow through all the devotions that we are providing for you. It is for your good.
And then, Next Sunday is the double for Shame Sunday Service. As the Lord liveth, every area of your life where you have suffered shame, it is your birthright to claim before the Lord and to apply Isaiah sixty-one verse seven.
It is your right to claim minimum double of every area where you have suffered shame.
Fact number two | The perfect will of God for his people is to prosper them to spread the kingdom.
He is concerned to prosper you for the Kingdom.
In Zechariah 1:17, we read, “Thus said the Lord God of hosts my city through prosperity, shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem”.
Is concerned about your finances. Yes. Why? For you to spread the gospel to spread the Kingdom.
I will tell you for a fact, there is no way we could reach out to you where you are if we did not have enough finances to have all the equipment we have.
Let us talk fact. That is a fact. And you know that we are using Wi-Fi in this place. The Wi-Fi is not used by speaking in tongues. We pay for it.
The camera that is in front of me, we pay for it. Every single thing that we have in the studio is paid. The office where we are, we pay for it.
Is God concerned about our finances? Yes he is.
Fact number three | God wants you to serve him with your finances.
Exodus ten eh twenty six, “So our cattle will go with us. Not one will be kept back for they are needed for the worship of the Lord our God”.
Have you heard what Moses said? Our finances are needed for our worship. For our offering. For our tithes. For whatever is needed. That is where Moses stood for the money/the finances to be released.
Now if you think that God is not concerned about our finances. The question is this one. Why is the devil so much concerned about finances. Why? For the purpose of worship.
Look at what he did with Jesus. He stood before the Lord and said, “You know what? Worship me. I will give you all those things”. You see? He knows that there is a relationship between our finances and the worship that is needed.
Is God concerned about our finances? Yes he is. So the devil is a liar and the devil wants not to mention it because the purpose of it is to worship the Lord. Not to worship people.
That is why you will know some people because of poverty. What do they do? They start bowing before men. Why? Because of their need. Am I right? Yes.
Somebody will tell you, “You know? You want to get a job? Okay well sleep with me. If you don't sleep with me, you won't have any job”.
And there are many women/men who are sleeping with others because they they need a job. They desperately need a job.
Others will say, “You know? You want to enter this company, you have to belong to our fraternity”.
Which fraternity is it? Those are cult powers. And then you become member of that cult organization because you are desperate for job. Right? Yes.
So, is God concerned about our finances? Yes he is.
Fact number four | We see financial transfers happening in the Bible and orchestrated by God himself.
Look at what happened in Exodus chapter number twelve.
All the wealth of Israel that the Pharaoh/ the Egyptians kept from Israel, the bible says that they transferred it.
God gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians who handed over whatever they had.
If God was not concerned, why that transfer for? When you look even at the story of Jacob and Laban.
We read very clearly in Genesis thirty-one verse seven, “Your father has deceived me and changed my wage these ten times. God suffered him not to hurt me”.
Verse nine, “God has taken away the cattle of your father and given it to me”.
Verse thirteen, “I am the God of Bethel where you where you anointed the pillar and where you vowest a vow unto me. Now arise get thee out from this land and return unto the land of thy kindred”.
Verse six sixteen, “All the riches which God had taken from our father, it is ours and our children's Now do whatever God need to do”.
Verse forty-two, “Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou has sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labour of my hands and rebuked thee yesterday night”.
Wow. God has seen the labour of my hands. God is concerned about our furnaces.
Fact number four | Jesus himself mentioned that our Father knows that we need.
He says it himself Mathew chapter six.
Fact number five | God promises that his people will never suffer shame again.
Is God concerned about our finances? Yes. He is concerned about our finances. That is why he says in Isaiah 61:7, “You will never again suffer the shame/reproach of famine”.
That's another fact to show to you he is concerned about your finances.
Fact number six | God is happy to prosper his servants
God is happy when his children prosper. In Psalm thirty five verse twenty-seven, we read, “Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause. Let them say continually the Lord be magnified which had pleasure in the prosperity of his servant”.
Are you hearing me? God takes pleasure to prosper his servant. That's a fact.
Can I ask a question to you who are parents like me. Why are you sending your children to school? Who is that parent who sends his children to school and has in mind that after they complete, they will be the poorest of all the poor?
Who is that parent in his right mind who think poverty over his children?
Fact number seven | God empowers for wealth.
From Deuteronomy 8:18, we learn that “God gives power to get wealth”
Why will he give you power? To get wealth. Yes he's concerned.
Fact number eight | Finances give voice in this world.
In Ecclesiastes chapter number nine verse sixteen, God says very clearly, “Wisdom is better than strength, the poor man's wisdom is despised. His words are not heard”.
If you are poor, no one will listen to you in this world. Nobody. God is concerned about your finances to give you a voice.
Finances give voice in this world. It is obvious my friend. From all the countries over the world, which poor country has a voice?
Is God concerned about our finances? Yes he is.
That is my message for you and I today. That is why God says, “My people will not suffer the shame of poverty anymore”.
CHAPTER 4 | WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BREAK FREE FROM THE REPROACH OF POVERTY?
God will restore. God will give you double for your shame. But the question I'm asking and and I'm closing there, what to do to break free from that reproach of poverty?
NUMBER ONE | REFUSE TO BEG.
Refuse to beg. Begging is shameful (Luke 16:3). Begging is shameful. Get rid of begging. In another word, get rid of having your eyes on people.
If you are a beggar, you will be given contemptuous names. Refuse to beg.
In Psalm thirty-seven twenty five, David says, “I was young now I'm old I've never seen the righteous forsaken not his posterity begging for bread.
May you be free from having your eyes on others pocket. Be free from it. That is the beginning.
NUMBER TWO | REFUSE TO BE A BURDEN TO OTHERS.
When you read the Bible, you will see very clearly that those who came out of the reproach of famine and poverty and lack and want made up their mind to never be a burden.
In Second Corinthians 12 fourteen, Paul says, “I'm ready to visit you for the third time I will not be a burden to you”
That is what Paul says.
The same Paul says again in first Thessalonians chapter two verse nine, “We remember brethren that our labour and travail …because we will not be a burden unto any of you”.
Refuse to be a burden.
The same Paul in Second Thessalonians chapter three verse eight says, “We might not be chargeable to any of you”.
He refused to be a burden. If you want to experience that double for shame as God has promised, refuse to be a burden to people.
You know? Sometime you can be in a place where you are invited for a cup of tea somewhere. Don’t depend on them and don’t expect them to pay for all. That is a mentality you need to destroy. That's a mentality of poverty.
You need to say, “No. You will not pay for all. Let me contribute”.
It is crazy how people struggle to give. I say be free from being a burden to others.
This coming Sunday, we are coming, we are telling God, “You know what God? You promised be double for shame. Lord, I pray that I will be the one providing for others.
CHAPTER 5 | PATHWAY OF FREEDOM FROM THE REPROACH OF FAMINE/POVERTY
NUMBER ONE BE DILIGENT AND NOT LAZY.
In First Thessalonians chapter number three verse eight, Paul says, “We did not eat any one’s bread for nought, but with labour and and travail, we worked night and day that we might not be chargeable”.
NUMBER TWO BE A GIVER.
In Psalm 37:25, David says, “I was young, now I am old, I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his posterity begging for bread”.
Be a giver. It is a covenant platform for you to never suffer the reproach of famine in your life.
Give your tithe. Give your offerings. Give to the poor and the needy. Give to your friends. Give to the people around you. Be a giver.
NUMBER THREE STOP HAVING DELIGHT IN FREE LUNCH IN LIFE.
In Second Thessalonian chapter three verse eight, Paul says, “neither did we eat any man's bread for nought”.
Paul was not a man who was enjoying to eat for free.
CHAPTER 6 | CLOSING PRAYERS
l Can you pray this morning that God will give you the grace to change your mindset.
l Poverty is in the mind. Mindset of poverty. Poverty is not in the wallet. Not the state of your wallet. It is the state of your mind.
l Can you pray and tell God, “Lord, in the name of Jesus today I come before you. I refuse to be a beggar. I refuse to be a burden to others around me.
l I will be a giver. I will be diligent. I will not be jobless. I will not suffer the shame of poverty in my life. I will not suffer the shame of lack and want in my life.
l Lord give me the grace to be diligent.
l Refuse laziness.
l Lord you are concerned about my finances. You want to prosper me to promote the kingdom.
l You want to prosper me to share joy and happiness with others around me.
l You are concerned about my finances. For me to worship you with what you give to me. For me to be a blessing. Not to be a burden. Hallelujah.
l Are you jobless where you are? God is releasing ideas for you. May God meet you to a point of your needs.
l Go to work. Is somebody holding your money somewhere?
l I command a release of it in the name of Jesus Christ.
l I pray that God will confirm his covenant toward you by providing for you financially.
l He is the God he is our father and as a father is happy when the people, his children, it takes pleasure to prosper his children.
l Father thank you to blessed be your holy name. In the name of the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit we have prayed.
l And we all say amen and amen. Hallelujah.
l This word will come to pass in your life.
l Isaiah sixty-one verse seven will be your portion.
l God say for every area if you have suffered shape in your finances God says he will restore to you double. Amen. Have a blessed day ahead.
l Let's meet on Sunday. Double for Sunday service. Something great there would be recovery. Recovery of whatever the devil has taken from you.
l Come expect that. Blessed day to you.
l Day of favour, day of grace, day of open doors, day of success be your portion in Jesus name.
l Amen and amen.
PASTOR TD KASUKU
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