There is a picture of poverty that can attach itself to your thinking. We were preaching in Tomsk, Siberia, and the hall was full of graffiti. The chairs were all broken and it smelled of poverty. I asked the pastor how long he had been meeting there and he said five years. I told him that was unacceptable! Get some paint and a hammer and make this place respectable even if you don’t own it. Poverty thinking will keep all your people bound to low expectations in life.

A new power is in operation, a new land is available for every believer—but there will be giants to face. Who cares?! If God said the land is ours, who can stop it from being ours? Well, our own expectation and unbelief can. The children of God forgot the promise of God. They forgot that God was with them. They forgot that giants are not bigger than God.

Even if you have lived in poverty all your life and haven’t made ends meet for years, you can change your past experience now by embracing the words of life and blessing contained in Scripture. When we understand that prosperity is an inheritance of the believer, then no giant of past experience can stand before us!

Jesus took off His heavenly riches and became as you are so you could be as He is. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Some would say that this is just a “spiritual blessing” of riches. We agree – you are blessed with His presence, but His presence always brings material blessing. 

I love the story of David when he was attempting to bring the ark of God back into Jerusalem. The ark carried the actual presence of God at that time in the earth. When one of David’s men touched the ark and fell dead, David decided not to take it into the city but left it in a house. “And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had” (1 Chronicles 13:14).

If all we receive is the spiritual blessing of God’s presence in our lives because our body is His house, then His presence will do for us at least what it did for Obededom!

In 1991 we were preaching in the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia, and two Muslims were saved and healed. They made the decision to follow Jesus and their hearts were immediately opened.

Just as quickly as they accepted Jesus, they took out their wallets and said, “You must go to our home city of Baku, Azerbaijan, and tell our people what you have told us. We will buy your plane tickets, a sound system and whatever else you need!”

They saw the precious gift God had given them and quickly thought of all their loved ones who did not have this gift. When Jesus comes into your heart, the world comes with Him!

In 1984 I was in prayer one evening in Detroit, Michigan, asking the Lord what His next step was for me. In a flash I saw myself standing in downtown Detroit, next to a statue of George Washington, preaching the Good News. This picture was a totally new idea…I had never stood up in public before!

Because my regular soul-winning team didn’t show up at the church that night, I thought I should go downtown and see if this idea was of God. When I arrived I saw to my amazement that there was a small platform next to the statue. I stepped up on it and opened my Bible.

All summer long thousands of people walked through here going to the international festivals, and that night when I opened my mouth, power came forth to help the people and a new ministry was born. One man shouted from the crowd, “Who gave you the right to talk to us?”

I had to think for a moment.

No organization had told me to go. No preacher or pastor had sent me. The idea had simply come to me.

As I stood there thinking, I was reminded that scripture tells us to go into all the world (Mark 16:15-20). Detroit was part of the world, so I replied to the man, “The Apostle Mark told me to go!”

The devil wants to convince you that prosperity isn’t for you. If that doesn’t work, he’ll try telling you that prosperity isn’t for you today, but maybe tomorrow.

He pulls out his flip chart and starts reciting all the reasons why you don’t qualify. He wants to know what you’ll believe, so he can lock you into that belief system of limiting the unlimited God. Then he’ll recite to you the reasons for your poverty:

“God wants to keep you poor to train you.” 

“God has hidden blessings for you in poverty.” 

“Jesus was poor and you’re following His example.” 

“Poverty is a form of holiness.” 

Don’t allow yourself to land on his flip chart! Keep your spirit alive! Paul said, “Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

God has given you power! You are not a victim, but a VICTOR!

“If you’re a street-sweeper, be a great street-sweeper for God.”

These words saved a street sweeper in Siberia from suicide, and launched him into the leadership of a church and authoring a book. He saw for the first time that what he did was important to God. Whatever you’re doing, recognize that God is in the middle of it and you will excel.

On earth we measure greatness by the amount of toys in your backyard bank account. But the measuring stick that God uses is different, and it makes every human qualify for greatness.

Matthew 5:19 “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

Every human has God-like qualities. Every human is eternal, and has the right to heaven through faith in the blood sacrifice of Jesus for their sins. Once that relationship with God is established, then “God’s Positioning System” can work in every human, guiding them from where they are to where they were designed to be. Every human has a destiny on earth. Your dreams say a lot about where you were designed to go!

Jesus did not condemn His disciples when they discussed among themselves who was the greatest. Instead, He showed them the way to be great. In simple terms, He used the master key called service. If you provide a value to others, then you will be valued in return. Discover some of the many ways you can provide value to others and you will find a place of greatness in this life and the life to come.

Matthew 20:26 “Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant…”

There are qualities inside you that can override every obstacle faced in this earth. When we understand who lives in us and is our Helper, there’s no challenge that makes us afraid. The key to overcoming is not perfection, but perseverance.

I remember watching television coverage of the famous swimmer, Michael Phelps, in his quest for the new Olympic gold record. During the 7th race he was behind the Croatian swimmer the entire time, but a photo finish moment would determine his destiny. With 6 inches left to go, his opponent lifted his head and reached out for the wall…but Phelps kept his head down, allowing for one more stroke.  Stretching his right hand out, he touched the wall 1\100 of a second before the hand of his opponent, and history was made. One extra stroke and that tiny extra stretch was the difference between victory and defeat!

Paul had this attitude as He reached for his best life: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which area head, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

I believe God offers us the opportunity to live and walk the same way that His Son, Jesus, walked—regardless of the unique challenges our world faces today. Each challenge is an opportunity to discover the God-solution and grow in understanding of Him. Each challenge brings a supernatural answer, favor, insight, and experience that makes you wiser than before and more able to walk in God’s ways.

God’s salvation is free, but a miracle life is not easy, free, or cheap! A life of miracles requires risk. A life of miracles requires decision. A life of miracles is lived without fear of making mistakes. Living it will require your focus, commitment, determination, faith, and total effort in the laboratory of your life, “so you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

Do you have a dream that you are delaying? Is there a vision that you have stopped visiting? Does your destiny feel denied? I have learned that one of the great secrets of life is to just begin.

I guess I could be accused of beginning too many projects, too many buildings, too many countries, too many books, too many events, and too many enterprises. Let me just say that if I am to fall on my face, at least I know that I will fall forward, and that is progress!

When I go over to Russia and look into their eyes, feel their emotion and see where one van could reach one thousand villages or one evangelist with one hundred dollars could fill a tent with a thousand people each night, I am stirred to find money for the harvest. God never intended for anyone to be lost and spend an eternity in a hell designed for the devil. He gave the greatest gift of his Son for the salvation of people. He is constantly looking for men and women to get involved in his plan of redemption.

Every lost person is a mission field, and every Christian is a missionary. GOD NEEDS YOU! 

Without you His hands are tied, His voice is silenced and His feet are sunk in the sand. He has  not given His great Gospel plan to angels to proclaim, nor allowed His Son to walk on the earth like He did for forty days after the resurrection. He has entrusted to us the Gospel and believes that we can get this most important job done!

King Solomon is considered the richest man who ever lived and also the wisest man before Jesus Christ. The same spirit of wisdom God “placed upon” Solomon has been “created within” you, the believer in Jesus. This wisdom gives you power to make good choices and brings favor to your life. We see that financial wealth is not alone a satisfaction, but wisdom is the principle thing in life. Solomon’s prayer for wisdom was a key to unlocking wealth.

 “Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. “Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for— both riches and honor— so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings” 1 Kings 7:13.

We see that financial wealth alone is not a satisfaction, but wisdom is the principle thing in life. His prayer for wisdom was a key to unlocking wealth!