Riches in Righteousness 3
(week 29/02)
Olubi Johnson
In our last article we saw that we need to have the right motivation and creative ideas to increase in riches in righteousness. This is the destiny of the end time church that aims for and ultimately comes into the perfection and fullness of Christ.
This week we will look at some practical steps of how to get and operate in creative ideas and so increase in riches in righteousness.
To increase in riches in righteousness we need to practice these things:
Tithing your time
Performing honest trades with creative ideas and visions
Tithing your profits
Patience
Tithing your time
In the pursuit of prosperity we must not allow God to be crowded out of our schedule. We must give to God that which is God’s and then we will be able to see properly how to give to Caesar, so to speak, that which Caesar’s. Caesar here, of course, represents our pursuit of material and financial wealth.
Luke 20:24-25 (KJV) Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.
We must seek first the kingdom (Mt. 6: 33) and trust that all other material and physical things will be added unto us.
We should make it a goal to tithe our time the same way we tithe our money. This way we will ensure by the grace of God, that in our pursuit of increase in riches we do not lose our first love:
Revelation 2:1-5 (KJV) Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Tithing your time is not easy at first. It means to give God in concentrated prayer, reading, confession and meditation of the Word 2 and a half to 3 hours a day.
Generally you should aim to spend 1-2 hours praying in the spirit, about half an hour reading the Word and another half hour confessing and meditating in the Word.
Start small maybe 15-30 minutes a day and improve gradually. Realize God loves you and wants to help you. So He will not condemn you when you fail because of the weakness of the flesh so long as your heart is honest and sincere.
A practical hint is learning to pray or read your Bible anytime you have the opportunity to do so: in the bus, train, and/or during your lunch break. Read your Bible before you read the newspaper during the day. Pray or read the Word before you watch television in the evening.
Generally then you pray for 1-2 hours in the spirit and maybe some bible reading in the early morning hours and then during the day maybe about 30minutes of more bible reading, confession and meditation and in the evening another 30minutes to finish off whatever is left. See our articles on Keys of the Kingdom and Daily Bible reading guide for more details.
If you practice these things and reorder your priorities you will find that indeed there is enough time to tithe your time to God. Remember God rewards those who diligently seek Him. The spiritual benefits of the wisdom, protection and prosperity that God will give you far outweigh the physical inconveniences you have to suffer. There is a price to pay for spiritual excellence and prosperity in righteousness.
So with discipline and proper ordering of your priorities you will find that it is not only possible to tithe your time but it also becomes a delight as you develop an intimacy in fellowship with God.
It starts as a duty, develops as a discipline and then becomes a delight.
Do not give up when it is initially difficult on your flesh. When you fail because of the weakness of the flesh, be honest about it. Confess it as sin and ask God for mercy to improve (Prov. 28: 13). The improvement may be slow but it will come if you do not give up. Like Jesus you will learn obedience by the inconveniences you have to suffer to give God time (Heb. 5: 7-9).
Practice honest trades by creative ideas
Titus 3:14 (NIV) Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.
With tithing your time as a foundation God will begin to give knowledge of witty inventions or creative ideas with which you can increase in riches.
One way of being sure that God is behind you is to make sure that whatever you do is honest. For instance, making profit from sale of alcohol or tobacco is not an honest trade as it brings sorrow to the lives of others. God given creative ideas will be a blessing to society and not a curse. Areas in which we can perform honest business include: food and agriculture, health care, education, clean entertainment, housing, transportation, and clothing.
These are areas in which there will always be a market, as people will always need these things.
Tithing your profits
To prosper and increase in riches you must tithe your profits. The tithe is one-tenth of the profit your business makes. This should be given to the local church from where God is feeding and looking after you spiritually.
Malachi 3:10-12 (KJV) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Notice here that if we tithe faithfully the nations of the world will so see the prosperity of God in the church and call us blessed.
The tithe should be given promptly, completely and regularly. Many Christians delay giving their tithes or when they do give they give it in parts when it is convenient for them. This is not right. It takes faith to tithe promptly, completely and regularly. Trusting God to take care of us and our businesses, especially when tithing promptly and completely may seem not to be financially expedient.
Also as profits increase people find it more and more difficult to tithe. It is more difficult to tithe $1,000, 000 of $10,000,000 than to tithe $1000 out of $10,000. However if you will learn to be faithful in little then God will give you the grace to be faithful in much and so be entrusted with the true riches which is treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Luke 16:10-11 (KJV) He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Colossians 2:2-3 (KJV) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In fact, one reason why so many do not prosper beyond a certain point is because they have not been faithful in tithing what they do have. So God cannot trust them with creative wisdom and spiritual understanding that will bring the wealth of the nations into the church.
To be entrusted with the creative wealth of the 21st Century church you must be found faithful in tithing your profits promptly, completely and regularly.
Patience
To increase in riches in righteousness we must learn to exercise patience. Do not make haste to be rich. Be consistent in prayer, in the Word, in performing honest trades, in tithing and then be content with whatever you have at any point in time. In due season God like He did for Joseph will take you to a place of great, creative wealth that will endure in righteousness.
Hebrews 6:12 (NIV) We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Proverbs 28:20 (KJV) A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Proverbs 8:18-21 (KJV) Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
