How to Enjoy Prosperity— Lester L. Roloff
Transcription
How to Enjoy Prosperity— Lester L. Roloff
The Bible is always plain when it speaks of ONE GIFT: “The Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Winter 2016 Volume 37 No. 1 Your donation will help others to find this ONE GIFT. Post Office Box 1177 • Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 (361) 289-9215 • www.roloff.org Enclosed is $__________. Evangelist Lester Roloff Founder Christ Is The Answer! How to Enjoy Prosperity— Lester L. Roloff Did you know that heaven is talking to you? A lot of the time you don’t hear; do you? What if the Lord speaks to you? Are you tuned-in to the right frequency? You say, “What is the frequency?” B-I-B-L-E that will get it; you can listen now! 4 C H R I S T I S Christian Life.....from page 2 kingdom was the result of his neversatisfied, never-ending ambitions that led him away from the Word of God. II Kings continues to reveal how sin undermined the two kingdoms. The book of I and II Chronicles are repetitions of Israel’s history. They emphasize that the success or failure of a nation is determined by how they live for God. After 250 years, the kingdom of Israel was taken into slavery. Following this, the Kingdom of Judah continued to drift away from God, and the people were taken captive about 125 years later. Every person who ignores the revelation of God’s Word must suffer the inevitable consequences of satanic enslavement. But there can be a brighter day for the vilest of backslider as portrayed in the historic events of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. God’s great love for fellowship with man is pictured by the exiles’ return to Jerusalem to worship God. The events of the book of Esther, took place in Babylon—-a type of luxurious living in the world. There is no mention of God or prayer in the book of Esther, and nothing is said about the Scriptures. Why? Because these are left out of the lives of worldly- minded Christians who have allowed the things of the world to keep them from forsaking all to be in the place of God’s choice. The Israelites deserved to die in Persia, but God in mercy preserved and protected them. The book of Job leads us to better understand the death of the self-life. Although he was the best man on earth (1:8), he was also viewed as a man on his face before God, praying, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (42:6). The first step in the spiritual life is to abhor one’s whole being-his good points and his bad points-as expressed by Paul, the apostle: “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18). We see how the self-life must be brought into subjection to His indwelling life. This means suffering and losing confidence in human wisdom. Through the fires of affliction, there is a new vision of the wisdom and ways of God. The next step is expressed in the book of Psalms, which overflows with praise and prayer to the all-sufficient Lord who dwells within “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Seeing our relationship to Christ is the key to interpreting the Old Testament symbols and prophecies. In fact, Christ is the central message of the entire old Testament Scriptures (Matthew 5:17); Luke 24:27; John 5:39; Hebrews 10:7) and the unifying theme within each book of the Bible: “To Him give all the prophets witness” (Acts10:4). T H E A N S W E R ! Letters to Box 1177... Thank you for contending for the faith during these dark days. My wife and I were introduced to the radio ministry and personally to Bro. Roloff while attending Bible School in Decatur, GA. We continued to listen while we were in Torrington, CT. Bro. Roloff fortified our faith while we labored to begin Harvest Baptist Church. Thirty-six years later has found us in Naples, FL. Sadly there is no radio station in our area that carries your program. The only contact is with your newsletters and tapes that we gathered over the years. Please accept the small offering for the ministry and be assured we continue to pray for -W.C.,Naples, FL I listen to Bro. Roloff’s Family Altar Program each day in my hometown of Barboursville. After all these years I thank God for men like Bro. Roloff who preach God’s Word the way the Bible says it. I count it a blessing to have had Bro. Roloff as my pastor and to have known him and got to worship with him. -O.S., Barboursville, WV I want you all to know I enjoy your paper you send out and I have listened to Brother Roloff for some time. May the Lord let you keep on radio until He returns. -I.T., Seymour, TN Thanks for spreading the truth. The world needs to know. Pastor Roloff ës messages are applicable today as they were years ago. He was a wise man. -S.E., Richardson, TX I want to speak about what the whole world is concerned about. You can mention this word, and every businessman’s ears will prick up. You can get the attention of Wall Street. I want to preach on “How to Enjoy Prosperity.” Everybody wants to be prosperous, but there is only one way. America is not a prosperous nation; we’ve had inflation. Any nation as deeply in debt as America is a bad businessman. All the nations are in debt. Why is everybody living on borrowed money? A man who has to live on borrowed money is a bad businessman, and a man who can’t pay his debts is a bad businessman. How can you be prosperous? What does the Bible say about prosperity? Does God care whether or not I pay my bills? Does He want me to have food to eat and clothes to wear? The Bible says, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (I Timothy 6:8). What is the secret foundation of real prosperity? I’m not going to offer you a little piece of cloth; I don’t have a prosperity cloth. I’m not going to offer any mustard seed. I’ll tell you what I am going to offer you. I’m going to offer you the Bible contact - the only point of contact there is - and that’s God’s Book. If you want to be prosperous, you line up with God, and let God make you prosperous. If God doesn’t prosper you, then you’ll never truly be prosperous. Any prosperity that is not God-given, Christ-centered, and Bible-inspired is not true prosperity; you’ll lose it. I want to talk to you about what the Bible says about prosperity. You might say, “What right do you have to speak on prosperity? What do you know about it?” Well, what I know about it is what I have learned from the Bible. Let’s look at some Scripture: Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” He said to observe all things that are written therein. Proverbs 3:6, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Psalm 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” III John verse 2: “Beloved, (that’s Christians, isn’t it?) I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper.” “Above all things!” Most of us never get above them, do we? Most of us live under them, and most of us are guided by things. Our hands are full of things, and our time is occupied with things. Yet, the Bible says in Luke 12:15, “a man’s life consisteth NOT in the abundance of things which he possesseth.” Beware of covetousness! Paul said in I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” Once again we read from III John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” That’s real prosperity - soul prosperity and that’s the kind I’m going to talk about. Psalm1:3 “Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Who’s that? - the man who’s “planted.” First of all, on the negative side: (Psalm 1:1) He “walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” On the positive side: (Psalm 1:2) “His delight is in the law of the Lord.” (That’s the Word of God - the Bible.) “In His law doth he meditate day and night.” Just on Sunday? No Sir! You want to be prosperous? There’s a way. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” You want to be prosperous? Stay with the Book! Do you want inflation, or do you want to prosper? You’ll never become prosperous or be a good businessman in God’s sight until you become scriptural in your living. Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” That word “mammon” (we’ll just call it money; we’ll just call it worldliness; we’ll just call it material things) you can’t serve it. Now, the verse didn’t say you can’t make it serve you. Money is a good servant but a bad master. I have, if I know my heart, no ulterior motive in preaching what I’m preaching except to help you. If you ever learn how to recognize the use and value of material things and make them your servants (not your masters) and use them to glorify God, then you will have learned one of life’s choicest lessons. Most people are slaves of things, and money, and jobs. And most people work to keep and not to give. The Bible said we’re to work with our hands. You know why? In order to give to them who have need. Ephesians 4:28, “let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Now, that’s the purpose of work. Is that why you worked today? What is prosperity? God said that whatsoever you do will prosper, but He also said that you can’t serve God and money at the same time. Look at Luke chapter 16. I’d say this is the greatest chapter I know anything about (if we look at it like we ought to) about real prosperity. He draws the line here in the book of Luke. In Luke 16:10-11, Jesus said, Please see page 3 2 In Memory of... Harold W. Brubaker from Nova R. Brubaker, Altoona, Pennsylvania Ord and Lista Brubaker from Nova R. Brubaker, Altoona, Pennsylvania Gene and Joyce Casey from Nona and Jerry Wilson, Crystal City, Missouri Ron Casey from Nona and Jerry Wilson, Crystal City, Missouri Ida Cavitt from Mrs. Poerner Riehl, Houston, Texas Barry and Gary Dorman, twin sons, from Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Dorman, Dunn, North Carolina Frances Galloway from John and Wilma Russell, Whigham, Georgia Pastor James Hamilton from Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Blake, Lexington, Kentucky LaVelle Harrell, my precious mother, from Jeannine Glaze, Hickory, North Carolina Ethel Mauldin, my grandmother, from Jeannine Glaze, Hickory, North Carolina Lisa Peyton from Ms. Kay Riggs-McDole, Anderson, Indiana. Tammy Peyton from Ms. Kay Riggs-McDole, Anderson, Indiana. Gene Price Family from David and Elaine Shewfelt, Mission, Texas Orville Rice from Mike Haege, Charleston, Missouri Parker Rice from Mike Haege, Charleston, Missouri James Mitchell from Callie Mitchell, Elon College, North Carolina C H R I S T I S A N S W E R ! The Development of the Christian Life Genesis through Psalms The first five books of the Bible cover 2,500 years of human history. It also presents the progressive development of the Christian life. In fact, the development of our Christian experience is portrayed in every book of the Bible. In Genesis the sovereignty of God in creation and history is recorded. But the most important thing that Genesis reveals is that man’s relationship with God was destroyed because of sin. The great desire of the Creator is to fellowship with man. There is only one basis for having fellowship with God, and that is obedience. In order to fully comprehend the importance of obedience, we must read the Bible—-book by book-as God, the Author, arranged it. The book of Genesis tells of man’s spiritual death, followed by physical death. When Adam and Eve decided to live according to the tree of knowledge rather than the tree of life, man not only lost fellowship with God but received the curse of death. The book of Exodus opens with God’s chosen people at the close of 400 years’ slavery. This slavery was the result of man’s wisdom. Pharaoh is a type of Satan, and Egypt is a type of the world. God provided a way to free His people and restore fellowship with Him. The blood from an innocent lamb made deliverance possible and satisfied the justice of God. Having been strengthened through eating the lamb, they made their exodus out of Egypt. Fellowship with God is restored through the blood of Christ-the sinless Lamb of God-the Living Word. We receive strength as we eat “every word that proceedeth out of the moth of God” (Matthew 4:4). As we read the book of Leviticus, we recognize the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God. The many laws, sacrifices, and feasts symbolize how the Christian is led to maintain fellowship with God and to enjoy the “good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). George F. Squibb, my Grandad, from Judy Arredondo, Newark, Texas In Numbers, a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night were to be the guiding principles-thus confirming the necessity for God’s children to trust in His wisdom and goodness for daily supply and direction. Without His guidance, the Israelites could not enter the Promised Land. But His mercy protected and preserved the new generation. Glendon Squibb, my Dad, from Judy Arredondo, Newark, Texas The book of Deuteronomy covers just 30 days’ time and is a deeper revelation of God’s Hudson (Bud) Sipes from Billie Sipes, Glady, West Virginia T H E Word to prepare the Israelites for their promised inheritance. Joshua, covering 25 years of history, is the story of Israel entering the Promised Land. The book of Joshua shows us how to become an overcomer in our Christian life. Our inner life is to be controlled by Him. The giants of jealousy, greed, hate, lust and all the works of the flesh within the old nature can be defeated and driven out. Then “there remaineth therefore a rest” to the child of faith-a peace that “passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7; Hebrews 4:9). The victories over the enemy were contingent upon their relationship to God. Therefore, He told Joshua: “meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Judges covers about 400 years of history. In it we see the consequences of not permitting God to rule as king. As a result, we see man doing “that which is right in his own eyes.” This pitfall to failure is exposed in the book of Judges. The events recorded in the book of Ruth probably took place in the middle of the years of the book of Judges. It shows God can use the most miserable failure to bring something beautiful into the life of those who return to Him. I Samuel gives the key to Samuel’s greatnesshis desire to hear God’s voice and to “let none of his words fall to the ground” (I Samuel 3:19). Under his leadership the twelve tribes were united as a nation for the first time in history. But the people soon asked for a king like all the other nations. God revealed to Samuel the seriousness of their sin, saying: “they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (8:7). Then came the fateful transition from the Israelites’ being led by God to their being led by Saul. The 40-year reign of Israel’s first king ended in miserable failure. II Samuel is the book of David’s 40-year reign and God’s covenant with him (see chapter 7). I Kings records the decline of the nation as Solomon ruled for 40 years. The divided Please see page 4 C H R I S T I S T H E A N S W E R ! 3 Faith takes out worry. Faith is unreasonable. Faith does not question God. - Lester L. Roloff Special Offer for Winter 2 booklets for a gift of $5.00 RO 104 - “Food, Fasting and Faith” is Brother Roloff’s well known 42 page booklet on abundant Godly living. RO 120 - “Soul, Mind and Body” is a 75 page booklet with additional material for Godly and healthy living and is the companion book to RO 104 “Food, Fasting and Faith.” Prosperity.....from page 1 “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 (that’s the least), who will commit to your trust the true riches?” It doesn’t’ mean that all mammon is unrighteous. It’s just according to whose hand it’s in. If my hand is unrighteous, then my money is unrighteous, but I can change the complexion of money. If, for instance, a gambler or a drunkard were to just donate ten million dollars, I’d change the complexion of that money in a hurry. Not that I’m asking him for it; I don’t ask the liquor crowd for money. I don’t depend on the world, but I know that, if the money in a selfish miser’s hand became mine, (although it might have been unrighteous before I got it, it would become righteous immediately after I got it because I would do right by it and put it to work for God - every penny of it - and that’s the difference. Jesus said if you have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, or money, or material things, then “who will commit to your trust the true riches?” Reckon what that is? THE TRUE RICHES ARE SPIRITUAL THINGS! Why, that’s the blessings and the power of God. If you haven’t learned to be faithful in money matters, then God said you’ll never get the best riches. If you’re not faithful in that which is another man’s, who will give you that which is your own? Have you ever come into your own? Have you ever really gotten what belongs to you? Have you ever cashed in? Have you ever drawn the money out of the bank that God’s got put in your name? Have you ever learned to write a spiritual check on heaven and signed the name of Jesus? Did you know that you’ll never write a check so big that it will not be honored at the bank of faith - if you’ll sign it in Jesus name? When I went off to Baylor University, my dad said, “Now son, when you get there, in case you really get in a bad fix and you just can’t make it and you really need some help, I’m going to teach you how to write a check. You’ll write the check out and put the amount, and then you sign “H.A. Roloff “on that check, and you also put down under it “by Lester.” If I’d have signed “Lester Roloff,” that wouldn’t have gotten anything, but when I signed my daddy’s name, the banker looked at it and said, “I’ll honor it.” you want and all you need at the same time. Everybody’s seeking: some are seeking dope; some are seeking sin; some are seeking worldly things; some are seeking pleasure. Seeking, Seeking, Seeking! What are you seeking for? Oh listen, the secret of the right kind of seeking is: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matthew 6:33. Why don’t you believe it? Letters to Box 1177... That’s the way I write my spiritual checks. I sign Jesus’ name, by one of His children. See, I’m a child of God, and I don’t have any money of my own in the bank, but He does. I can get it if I get it in His name. Everything I have is in the name of Jesus. Every day of life ought to be in the name of Jesus. We should live and learn, yet some people live but never learn. We need to learn to live completely by faith. Just a thank you for the CD you sent me. I really enjoyed it so much. It was good to hear Brother Roloff singing and it seemed like old days and it really blessed me. -E.B., Bell City, MO If you’ll serve God and live for Jesus Christ, then you’ll get all you need; He’ll see to that. Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” I’m not supposed to beg, but I can pray, and there’s a difference between begging and praying. I believe God will supply our needs if we put our trust in Him! When you get to the place where you want only what you need, then God can give you all Bro. Roloff used to preach at Highland Park Baptist Church, when I was a boy growing up in the 1970s. I’ve never forgotten his powerful, passionate and unique preaching. When I am going to work early in the morning I get to listen to the Family Altar Program on WDYN. Thank you for continuing to broadcast the recordings of Bro. Roloff. -M.C., Rossville, GA I listen to my cd sermons every day and am so blessed by Lester Roloff and the music. All praise to God! -M.R.M.