How To Live Above And Beyond

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What is the first Bible verse that you ever learned?  For most believers it’s John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God seeks to give. . .man, left to his unrefined nature. . .seeks to get.

Giving is God’s way

If you desire to be closer to God and be more like Him … begin by giving.

The problem is that man—our human nature seeks to obtain and increase its money, clothes, food, possessions, houses, lands and businesses by expending energy in getting more and more things……

Consider the words of John 6:31-33 in the King James Version which says….

“Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”

When we focus on seeking the ways of God (being a giver) then things will come to us….

Giving is completely relinquishing control of something of yours into the control of another person to do with as he/she pleases.

Let’s go a little further and look at John 6:41-44 which says:

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.  43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

True wealth is not measured by what people have but by what they give.

There are actually 3 kinds of wealth—Financial, Personal and Spiritual.

Financial wealth is what you have.

Personal wealth is who you are.

Spiritual wealth is what you do with what you’ve got because of who you are in Christ.

Everybody is capable of giving something frown/smile  ….food/share a meal….

          Measure of a true God giver is above and beyond

How much do you want to receive of God’s abundant blessings is in direct proportion to how much you give back of the blessings He has bestowed upon you.

It’s simple…the more you give…the more you receive.

90%

Jesus did not say that if we are given much then some will be required from us or a little will be required from is. But much will be required from us.

Luke 12:48 in the King James Version says:

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

Sir Winston Churchill once said”

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Write this next statement down…get it in your spirit.

Giving is an attitude before it becomes an action.

The Holy Spirit is a person with a generous, giving attitude.

Giving people are joyful people—giving is the Christian way.

People with a giving attitude don’t stop to calculate the cost when a need presents itself.

Being cheap, miserly, stingy or giving out of a grudging obligation is not what God wants from us.

Exodus 35:5 in the King James Version says:

Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 in the King James Version says:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

COOKIE THIEF story

Remember giving is an attitude that becomes an action

How do you move from where you are…to manifesting the blessings of God in your life…

Here’s the bottom line…you’ve got to take a step of faith.

Psalm 37:23 says:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

Personalize that scripture.

“The steps of <<Your Name>> are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in <<his/her>> way.”

When you take a step of faith it releases the power of God.

A walk of faith—is a series of steps.

A step is a decisiona walk is a series of decisions we make.

God calls on people to take a step of faith so miracles will take a place in their lives.

When Jesus said he would heal someone…he often used the Greek word ther-a-pay -o (sounded out) from which we get the word therapy…He would “therapy” them or require them to participate themselves… like “reach out your hand” or “go wash in the pool.”

In the same way, many scriptures require that we first do something, before we receive the promise of God. 

It’s sometimes called a test … but it’s establishing the measure of trust it requires to let go and let God.  Jesus tells the nobleman with a dying child to go His way…the man believed and went home to see his child healed…

Do you have that kind of faith?  Would it matter if Benny Hinn spoke that word into your life?

John 4: 49-51 in the King James Version says:

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.   Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.”

Jesus tells the 10 lepers to go show themselves to the priest that they were healed…but it wasn’t until the lepers began walking to the temple that they were actually healed.

Luke 17:14 in the King James Version says:

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.”

“…as they went…”

The miracle took place as they took a step of faith.

Let me say it again….when they took a step of faith their miracle took place.  We know this because one was so overwhelmed that he ran back and thanked Jesus before continuing on to the temple.

In Matthew 9:6 Jesus tells the paralyzed man lying on bed to take a step of faith and he began to walk.  The King James Version of the verse says:

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

In Matthew 12:13 Jesus told the man with the withered had in the synagogue to step forward and stretch it out.

“Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

Joshua was told to take a step of faith by sending the priests into the River Jordan…they took the step and the water stop flowing—the Israelites crossed—took Jericho and eventually the land of Canaan.

Joshua 3: 15 in the King James Version says:

And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)  16That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.”

At the gate called Beautiful, Peter and John commanded the lame man to stand up and walk…to take steps of faith

Acts 3:  6 in the King James Version says:

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

Again … Jesus called on Peter to step out of the boat and walk on the water.

Jesus gave him the authority but nothing happened until Peter took a step of faith and got out of the boat

Matthew 14:28 in the King James Version says:

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.  29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

This occurred on the 4th watch or roughly 3 AM in the morning as it was nearing sunrise---they’d been struggling with the storm all night and yet were only halfway across.

A step of faith may also be a step of sacrifice….the greatest step of faith in the scriptures was also a step of sacrifice…

Abraham’s readiness to give up his beloved son Isaac as an offering to God.

Abraham is prepared to carry out God’s instructions even though he has waited one hundred years for this son, but now God wants to know that Abraham is holding nothing back from God.

Abraham displayed his faith even before he took his step of faith as he told his servants that he and the boy would return from sacrificing on the mountain.

Genesis 22:5 in the New Living Translation says:

"Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the young men. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back." 

Abraham did not offer one of his servants’ children or even Ishmael because He knew that God was faithful to fulfill His promise.

Hebrews 11:17-19 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was still in progress], had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God's] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son, Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned. 19For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead.”

That’s what God wants you to know…that He’s faithful to fulfill His promise.

That’s why the enemy has created such confusion in the church and the Body of Christ….he does not want God’s children walking by faith….he does not want you and I moving in seed time and harvest.

The devil hates offerings…not just because they will ultimately cause the people of God to prosper, but because they contain spiritual power.

But God wants you to move in His abundant blessing flow…He wants you to have more than enough and be generous to others.

Isaiah 32:8 in the King James Version says:

“A generous man devises generous things and by generosity he shall stand.”

Generosity will make you inwardly wealthy.

Proverbs 11:24-25 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything.  The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Generosity transforms the ways you see things

Proverbs 22:9 in the New King James Version says,

“He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.”

A generous person looks at things differently.

Now I want you to consider the Message Bible translation of that same verse (Proverbs 22:9.) 

Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor.”

It doesn’t say that you’re blessed because other people give bread to the poorit says that you’re blessed because YOU give bread to the poor.

Generosity opens the door to great destiny and blessings.

Having a generous spirit can uncover incredible opportunities you might have never know God was offering you, blessings beyond your greatest desires and imagination.

Let’s look at Genesis 24…this is an amazing account of how Eliezer, chief servant of Abraham, traveled back to his master’s homeland to find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac.

He loaded ten camels with fine gifts for the fortunate woman whom he would choose as Isaac’s bride.  Let’s look at five reasons why Eliezer was successful in his assignment … and how you can be too.

1.      Personal wealth did not detract from his honor and loyalty to Abraham. 

Genesis 15:2 in the New Living Translation says:

But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”      

2.      He prayed for success every day.

Genesis 24:12 in the New Living Translation says:

“O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.”

3.       When you take a step of faith. . .it energizes heaven.

Genesis 24:40 in the New Living Translation says:

“He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family.”

4.       Pray specifically for what you want to achieve.

Genesis 24:42 in the New Living Translation says:

“So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.”

5.       Never forget who makes you successful.

Genesis 24:56 in the New Living Translation says:

“But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.”

Now that we’ve discussed the success of Eliezar. . .let’s look at Rebbekah’s date with destiny.  Everyone involved has a part to play.

As we said earlier. . .Eliezar loaded ten camels with fine gifts for the fortunate woman whom he would select…as he approached the well he prayed that God would reveal the future wife of Isaac by her generosity.

Genesis 24:14 in the King James Version says:

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.”

As he finished praying, along came Rebekah…the most beautiful young woman that Eliezer had ever seen…asked for a cup of water and without hesitation, she gave him the water and then something very important happened…..

Rebekah went above and beyond that act of generosity by also offering water to all of his camels.  Here’s what Genesis 24:18-20 in the New Living Translation says:

“Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.”

Genesis 24:18 in the New King James Version says:

And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.  20And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.”

Here’s an Animal Planet fact for you…a camel can drink up to 25 gallons of water at one sitting….

Let’s see…that’s ten camels at 25 gallons of water each…that adds up to 250 gallons of water.  Back then the most common water vessel was a 5 gallon container and since water weighs 8 pounds per gallon that adds up to about 40 pounds per trip so that means Rebekah made 50 trips carrying 40 pounds of water each time and that adds up to a ton of water…literally.  Two thousand pounds equal a ton.

With each step Rebekah was taking a step toward her destiny and she didn’t even know itBut God did!

We don’t know about Rebekah before this action.  But it stands to reason that this was the type of person she was or she would have never shown such generosity to a stranger.

Within hours, Rebekah’s family was blessed with Eliezer’s gifts…they had agreed to the marriage of Rebekah to Isaac and she was off to establish a legacy that is unmatched in all of human history.

She became the mother of Jacob, who became the father of the Israelite people, from whom the Messiah would come….she became part of one of the wealthiest families in the entire East….all because of her above and beyond offering and her generous spirit.

There are defining moments in your life…when God ask you to take a step of faith….I believe one of those moments is tonight…

So the question is. . .are you an Above and Beyond kind of person?

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