Sermons

Summary: Wealth is an undeniable good grace.

The Power To Get Wealth Is Good Grace

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (11/16/2013)

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (St. John 1:16, King James Version [The testimony of John]).

Greetings in the Name of Jesus,

My brothers and sisters, I hear the words of a friend constantly saying that she never saw the children of the righteous begging bread and kindly mentioned that my parents were, indeed, among the righteous that walked this earth. In Psalms 37:25, a prayer for confidence in God, David stated, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”. I thank her each time for the testimony of my parents' righteous life. It is right for her to give testimony of my mother's righteousness and my father's righteousness. Today, many of the righteous living in times of death and destruction, find themselves cut off and not justified (Deuteronomy 25:1, KJV [“...they shall justify the righteous”].

Where were the righteous cut off? “Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:7-8, KJV [Job complaineth of life]). It's not everyday of your life that you might need someone to speak of the righteousness of your works but when the righteous are tested, it was far better than not for those who witnessed the righteousness to speak.

Let us ponder when we, each of us, ourselves answered the calling for a holy existence in righteousness. It is right to think on righteous living, for the righteous are not forsaken. “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18, KJV [Rebellions of Israel]). Prophetic words spoke out from the pages of a letter I received to remind me that no one received except through someone else, for to get wealth for yourself denied God's rightful ownership of all that you received in the one body as inheritance with Christ Jesus. For if the wealth you received did not come through another person for you to receive, then where did it come from?

My brothers and sisters, even the fish who delivered the silver coin for tribute obviously received the silver coin from another person but the silver coin had to go from the person to the fish for Peter to receive the silver he needed to pay tribute for himself and Jesus. How else did the fish get the silver coin? Did the fish make the silver like pearls? Praise God!

The testimony of St. Matthew 17:24-27 stated:

“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute

money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He

saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him,

saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth

take custom or tribute?

Of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of

strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and

cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou

hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and

give unto them for me and thee.”

How much more proof do you need to know God takes care of you? According to St. John 1:16, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” “Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye

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better than the fowls?” God made a way to deliver the piece of money to pay tribute for Jesus and Peter, he fed Israel manna, he even feeds the fowls; consider the ravens. Do you question who the earth and the fulness of the earth belongs to?

Or, is it more questionable, that you belong to the one body of Christ, to receive from another, not trying to get for yourself? Paul the Apostle stated, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth” (I Corinthians 10:24, KJV [wealth]). In praising charity, Paul said, “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;” (I Corinthians 13:5-6, KJV [The praises of charity]). I know, it was not a stretch of your thinking to reflect on those members of the one body who looked at all the wealth given through the power of God as belonging to them, even charity and took from the one body. So, we say to you, to get wealth---that does not mean the wealth of the one body is your wealth; personal for you only.

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