Your Storehouse of Faith (Part Two)

Redeem your time.....Purpose your heart.....

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up....." - Ecclesiastes 3:1-3.

In part one of this message, we discovered the method in which God was able to preserve and protect the posterity of His people during a severe famine that engulfed the whole known world during the days and life of Joseph (Genesis 37 through 50). Divine providence had brought Joseph to the right place and position to become the instrument of God's plan. God, by His sovereignty and grace, insured that Joseph was in that particular place - serving in that particular position - at a particular time - for a particular purpose.

Joseph understood that he had been a recipient of God's word - that God had entrusted him with a supernatural calling - that God had revealed to him through his own dreams and those of the Pharaoh that He had a "time and purpose" for Joseph's life. However, there was one more thing needed....one thing so essential that without it....the salvation of God's people would not come to pass....Joseph must act.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." - James 1:22.

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?...Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. " - James 2:14 & 17.

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." - James 2:20-24.

Beloved, it wasn't enough for Joseph just to receive the promise of God. Furthermore, it wasn't enough for Joseph just to believe the purpose of God. Joseph had to "redeem his time" and "purpose his heart" to see the fulfillment of the promise he received from God. Joseph had to "rise up and do exploits(take action)".....or the crops would never have been planted.....the abundance would never have been gathered....the storehouses would have never been build....and the people of God would have perished right along with the Egyptians.

The promise of God would have been made void had Joseph only received and believed....but Joseph had to, "by faith", align his time and purpose to that of God's in order to "see the salvation of God"!

"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." - Mark 7:13.

Beloved, the same holds true for us as it did for Joseph. Although the bible is filled with the precious promises of God....and although "all God's promises are yea and amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20)....they are made void if we do not act upon them! There must be an intentional, deliberate pursuit of God to discover His "time and purpose" for our lives....then....we must "by faith", align our time and purpose to that of God's in order to "see the salvation of God"! But, as it was stated in part one of this message....the time of plenty(abundance) is almost over.....

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:14-16.

Of all the commodities that God has gifted us with....food, clothing, shelter, material wealth and possessions.....the greatest gift and resource we have - and the one that, when invested wisely will give us the greatest return of reward - is TIME. Unfortunately, it is the one that we rob God most of....and the one God desires most of - our time.

Consider this.....most Christians believe in the principle of "tithing" - giving a tenth of all God gives us back to Him. Most Christian only practise tithing in our monetary lives; that is, we tithe of our income - our money. We do this because "traditional" doctrine and teaching has taught us that is all God requires a tithe of - our money. However, the true principle of tithing instructs us to tithe of all God has given us - what about our time?

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24.

Do we give God a tenth of our time? A tenth part of one day is two hours and twenty-four minutes! Do we spend two hours and twenty-four minutes with God every day? A tenth part of a week is sixteen hours and forty-eight minutes! Do we spend that much time with God every week?......We complain if we have to stay past 12:00 noon in church on Sundays. Psalm 121 declares that God never sleeps and is constantly thinking of us.....when is the last time we stayed up all night with God?

The wonderful thing about the power of the Holy Spirit is that He can accomplish more in a believer's life in five minutes that we can in a lifetime in our own efforts. The secret to "redeeming" what little abundant time is left is to give it to the Holy Spirit...and He will greatly multiply the value of it and accomplish a "quick work" in our lives. But nothing will be accomplished until we stop spending....no.....wasting our time selfishly with our own interests....our own "purpose"....and align our time and purpose with His!

"Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will..." - Ephesians 1:8-11.

Now, let's discuss "purpose".....

When a person "purposes" in his/her heart to commit his/her "time" to God....a very powerful work will be the result;.....however,....when a person also aligns his/her "purpose" with the "purpose" of God - the result will be an unstoppable force that "even the gates of Hell will not prevail against"! A great example of this is found in the book/story of Nehemiah....

"And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer." - Nehemiah 1:4-11.

"Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." - Nehemiah 2:17 & 18.

"So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work." - Nehemiah 4:6.

"So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God." - Nehemiah 6:15 & 16.

In a record "time" of fifty-two days.....Nehemiah and the people of God rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem and restored the inheritance of God's people. If one reads the entire book/story of Nehemiah; he/she will discover that the enemy threw every weapon he had at Nehemiah in an effort to stop the restoration from happening.....fear, threats, violence, hunger, treason, etc......and nothing could stop Nehemiah....why? Because Nehemiah received the call of God, believed the call of God, aligned his "time and purpose" with the "time and purpose" of God, and "took action"! - rebuilding a city - rebuilding a people - restoring a nation!

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." - Romans 13:11 & 12.

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." - Ephesians 3:9-12.

Beloved, "purpose" in your heart to commit your "time" to pursuing God as never before. Receive the word of the Lord being proclaimed in this message. Believe to the point that you begin to "align" your "time and purpose" with the "time and purpose" of God. Just as Nehemiah, "rise up and take action"....prepare to build your "storehouse of faith".....and when you build it....God will assure that it is filled....filled with His abundance....the abundance that will sustain you to eternal life!

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this message - "The Blueprint for building your Storehouse of Faith".....

Your Storehouse of Faith (Part One)

Time is running out....

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." - Hosea 10:12.

One of the most beloved stories in the Bible is that of Joseph. His story spans from Genesis chapter 37 to the last chapter of Genesis, chapter 50. It compasses his life from age 17 till he dies at age 110.

There are many lessons that can be gleaned from Joseph's story - the fact that his life was a picture of Jesus - how he left his father's presence....was hated by his own brothers....was sold into slavery....thought to be dead....only to return and save his people from certain destruction.

What about the great life lesson of God's sovereignty? - Joseph was given a promise in his youth....the promise then appears to be "put to death"....his brothers, acting on what they believed was their own pretenses, give him over to the gentiles....only to discover God had been working through them the whole time to bring His promise to pass.

But the focus of this message will be on the main purpose God had for Joseph's life....which Joseph himself declares in Genesis chapters 45 and 50.

"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." - Genesis 45:4-7.

"And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." - Genesis 50:18-21.

Although there were several goals God had in mind to accomplish through the life of Joseph, the main one was so that God could preserve the line and lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - thus assuring the covenant made with Abraham would continue to be fulfilled.

Joseph, under the divine control of God, was made second in command to the most powerful person in the world at that time - the Pharaoh of Egypt. In the time appointed, Joseph was placed in that position to save countless lives, including that of his father, his brothers, and their families, from extinction.....and it all started with a dream.

"And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.....Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.....And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass." - Genesis 41:1-7, 14-16, 25-32.

In the previous message entitled, "The Prodigal Gospel", it was explained and established through the scriptures that God used famines many times in the history of mankind to reveal and bring His purposes to pass. The story of Joseph is just one example of this fact. God warned Pharaoh in a dream of a coming famine that would cause the prosperous years to be forgotten for its severity.

God would use this famine to glorify His name among the Egyptians (Egypt has always been used in scripture as a reference to the world) and to preserve and perfect His people. God also gave Joseph, His prophet and spokesman for the time, the means in which to avoid catastrophe and save the nations from being destroyed by the famine.

"Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.....And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.....And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands." - Genesis 41:33-36, 46-49, 53-57.

Watchmen of the Wall Ministries has also warned of a coming famine, both physical and spiritual, that would cause the prosperous time of both the world and the church to be all but forgotten. And just as He did in the story of Joseph, God will use this famine to glorify His name among the nations of this world and to supernaturally preserve and perfect His people.

God instructed Joseph to build storehouses in which to lay up provisions against the famine. God is also instructing His children today, those who have ears to hear, to build spiritual storehouses. And just as Joseph was able to sustain others as well as himself through the famine; those who hearken unto the Holy Spirit and build these "storehouses of faith" will be able to use them in the days to come to sustain themselves and others.

And how does one build such a "storehouse of faith"? First, we must understand the principle of sowing and reaping.

"Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same." - Job 4:8.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." - Psalm 126:5.

"He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail." - Proverbs 22:8.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." - Luke 6:38.

"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." - John 4:36.

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." - Galatians 6:7 & 8.

These are just some of the scriptures that explain God's principle for sowing and reaping. However, they are enough to establish the fact that whatever someone plants/sows/gives, that is what can be expected to return, both physically and spiritually.

Because the principle of sowing and reaping is an established law of God, it works just like the principle of gravity. God does not have to carefully watch over the earth for fear that gravity will stop working and things will begin to float off into outer space. God established both the principles/laws of gravity and sowing/reaping at the beginning of all things. These principles work as God designed them without His conscious attention.

Joseph used the principle of sowing and reaping during the years of plenty to build and store provisions in order to preserve many lives. His heeding of God's warning and wisdom brought about the kind of salvation the people of God needed most....at that time.

"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:15-21.

Here in lies the problem....

Many ministers have used these scriptures and the principle of sowing and reaping to promote physical and monetary gain. Instead of the church using the years of plenty to build up spiritual storehouses.....the Body of Christ has been spending its efforts building a physical kingdom - one of bricks and mortar, of large bank accounts and big-time ministries - when the need for spiritual storehouses is the greater one.

Beloved, what is more important? the condition of your body? or the condition of your soul? What do you fear most about the future? your loss of resources and physical comfort? or the preservation of a strong relationship with your Lord and Savior?

"But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." - Jude 1:17-21.

Now, the years of plenty are almost over.....time is running out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQVmR0jV52A