Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken

from the King James Version of the Bible.

Anointed With Favor
Copyright © 2000 by The Voice of Evangelism Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 3595
Cleveland, Tennessee 37320
http://www.perrystone.org
Tel: 423.478.3456
FAX: 423.478.1392
Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved

Layout Design: Bill Cloud, Cleveland, TN

Cover Design: Stan Carter, Cleveland, TN
Editing: Melanie and Juanita Stone, Cleveland, TN
 Contents
Title Page
Copyright & Permissions

Dedication
Preface
Chapter 1: God's Favor

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINISTRY

AND FAVOR
HISTORICAL MEN THAT HAD THE FAVOR
FACTOR
BULLETS COULD NOT KILL HIM
THE MIRACLE PROTECTION OF PRESIDENT
REAGAN
FAVOR AND GRACE DEFINED
WHY ARE SOME MORE HIGHLY FAVORED?
THE BENEFITS OF FAVOR
THE BIBLE IS FILLED WITH PROMISES OF
FAVOR
WHAT FAVOR IS NOT
Chapter 2: Waiting For Your Season

HOW LONG WILL I NEED TO WAIT?

THE WAITING PERIOD
THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO HELP GOD

Chapter 3: What Favored People Have In

Common

THE PROMISES OF PROVERBS GENERATE

FAVOR
SEEKING THE GOOD
HAVING GOOD UNDERSTANDING
A GOOD NAME
WHEN PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO YOUR
WORK
OBSERVE AND STUDY THOSE WHO HAVE
FAVOR

Chapter 4: You Shall Not Go Empty

GOD'S FULLNESS FOR YOU

Chapter 5: Have Your Blessings Been

Delayed?
 THE TALE OF TWO COVENANTS
EXPOSING A MISCONCEPTION
REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES ARE ETERNAL
THE POWER OF A COVENANT
THE SEAL OF THE COVENANT
A PROMISE DELAYED FOR TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS
HAVE YOUR BLESSINGS BEEN DELAYED?
YOU MAY NOT BE READY YET
THE REASON FOR FAILURES
THE ISHMAEL GENERATION
THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER
THE APPLICATION

Chapter 6: The Key To God's Favor

THE JACOB FACTOR

THERE IS A PROCESS TO THE CIRCUMCISION
OF THE HEART
MY PERSONAL CONFESSION
EVER HEARD OF A MINISTRY OF
CONFRONTATION?
YOUR HEART CONDITION
LOSING BATTLES WITH AN UNCIRCUMCISED
 HEART
WHEN GOD WANTED TO KILL MOSES' SONS

Chapter 7: Rolling Your Reproach Away

THE GILGAL FACTOR

ROLLING AWAY THE REPROACH OF THE PAST
THE KEY POINT

Chapter 8: God's Secret Covenant

THE SECRET COVENANT OF GIVING

THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
THE MYSTERY OF THE SACRIFICES
HOW GOD CONSIDERS YOUR SACRIFICES
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFERING
THE MYSTERY OF THE HARVEST
GIVERS AND THE COMING OF THE LORD
HIDING THE LORD'S MONEY

Chapter 9: Anointed With Favor

GOD'S PURPOSE FOR FAVOR

FAVOR IS GOD'S METHOD OF EXALTING THE
FAITHFUL
Backcover
 Throughout my life and ministry, many precious people
have impacted my life. I often speak of my father, grandfather,
my wife and others who have deposited such important truth
and understanding within me, that has made me what I am
today.
With this in mind, I wish to dedicate this book to a great
man of God, whose life and ministry have impacted me from the
time I was a child. This man is Dr. T. L. Lowery Dr. Lowery has
served as evangelist, pastor and an elected executive of the
Church of God.
As an eight year-old child, I saw an evil spirit cast out of
a woman during a tent revival. Dr. Lowery demonstrated that
Jesus' name was stronger than the unclean spirit. At age
eleven, at a campmeeting in Virginia, I again witnessed the
anointing of God as T.L. prayed for a crippled man hobbling on
a cane, and the man was instantly healed and began running
and praising God.
When I was a teenage evangelist, I saw this man minister
after he just came off a 40 day fast. The Presence of God was
so powerful that sinners were running to the altars and saints
were weeping prostrate before God.
After an extended fast, this spiritual general went to
Maryland, took a church with less than 75 active members and
built a strong church with over 5,000 members. Today he is an
executive in the Church of God, and continues to travel,
preaching to thousands in America and overseas.
This man carried the favor of God in literally everything
his hands touched. Whether it was ministering, praying for the
sick and needy, giving an altar call for salvation, building a
church, or privately helping a wounded or fallen minister, Dr.
Lowery has impacted my life and, today, I consider him to be
one of the three most important people who have influenced
my life.
With great joy I dedicate this book to a man who has
walked in the favor of God, and continues to pass down to this
generation powerful spiritual principles that will continue to
change destinies.
 It took me several years to realize it wasn't just luck.
During my early ministry as a teenage evangelist, I would
study the lives of great men and women who were mightily
used of God. Some were missionaries who impacted entire
nations with the gospel. Others had built large churches and
were seeing thousands won to Christ. Some had a unique gift
from the Holy Spirit and were touching humanity with the
Power of God.
I would often wonder, "Why did God select that person?
Does God have favorites? Why do some bear more spiritual
fruit than others?" I settled in my mind that the Lord must
chose certain people because He simply likes them.
After years of observation, study and prayer, I have
come to the understanding of why some are used more than
others. It is the favor of God. I have also learned that favor
does not involve random selection. There are things we can do
to move the attention of God towards us and create the
opportunity for God to increase His favor in our lives.
This book will open the eyes of your understanding to
the many spiritual keys that will unlock the favor of God. I
believe if you will put in motion these spiritual principles, that
your entire life will be changed and your relationship with the
Lord will be more personal and intimate.
This book is not the product of a wild imagination. These
are time proven and tested spiritual truths that when believed
and acted upon will bring about spiritual results.
May the Holy Spirit birth in you a fresh understanding
that will launch you into a new level of relationship with God,
and our Saviour Jesus Christ!

Your covenant partner for souls,

Perry Stone, Jr.

 Years ago as a teenage evangelist, I was ministering in
the southern United States. One morning I visited the state
overseer of a large denomination. This man had hundreds of
churches under his authority, and I was excited about meeting
him. When I walked into his office and said "Hello," I was
unprepared for his remarks. He blurted out, "You know what
happens to all the young preachers that the denomination tries
to push to the top, don't you? They all FALL!"
Without blinking an eye, I refuted his destructive
statement and said "For your information, no one is pushing
me to the top. I am studying, fasting and praying and God is
blessing us with results!" He smiled and switched the topic of
conversation. He proceeded to ask about the revival I was
conducting in town.
 That was over twenty-three years ago. We now have an
international ministry with a Spirit-led, seven-point outreach
plan that reaches millions of people yearly. Our first revival
meeting had fifteen in attendance; yet today, God and the staff
of Voice of Evangelism (VOE) minister to as many as ten
thousand in one service. We began by publishing only one
booklet that was 32 pages long. Today VOE's library consists
of seventeen books and booklets. Several of them have been
translated into foreign languages. In addition, VOE has an
audio and video ministry library which has been used by God
to touch lives around the world.
God's favor and blessing have been upon VOE since that
first modest revival meeting. I want to explain why we have
been blessed with God's favor and elaborate on what the Holy
Spirit has taught me about favor. The Holy Spirit spoke to my
heart that "Favor is God's reward for faithfulness." Jesus said,
"If you will be faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things" (Matthew 25:21-23). This scripture refers to
God's elect ruling with Him during the millennium. It also relates
to how God rewards faithful behavior in our lives while on
earth. When we are faithful in the little things each day, God
gets the opportunity to exalt us in due time!
I remember another state overseer's statement to me as a
teenage evangelist. He said, "God's hand is upon you, Perry
Ask God to give you wisdom and make you the greatest
evangelist and soul winner there has ever been!" At first, I
thought, "That's a selfish prayer - make me a great evangelist!"
Then I remembered that Jesus said, "The chiefest in the
kingdom must be a servant of all" (Mark 10:44). The Holy Spirit
inspired me through the words of Jesus. I realized that by
loving people, ministering to every area of their needs, and
serving them, I was being great in the eyes of God. This
"greatness" is made evident by God. He grants me favor with
Himself (in the Persons of The Father, The Son and The Holy
Spirit) and with men. Each time I pray to the Lord, I petition,
"Father, allow me to have Your favor, and favor with those to
whom I will minister."

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

MINISTRY AND FAVOR
Ministry is about your relationship to people. Favor is
about your relationship to God. The will of the Father is to give
you favor with Himself, and with men. Favor brings increase in
every area of life and ministry It is God's reward for obedience
and faithfulness.
I want to help you to discover the keys to receiving favor
from God. Favor will transport you from your current
circumstances into a place ordained by your Father in heaven.
God told the Israelites that He wanted them to be the "HEAD
and not the TAIL, above and not beneath" (Deuteronomy
28:13). God also wants His children today to be the "HEAD"
and not the "TAIL."

HISTORICAL MEN THAT HAD THE FAVOR

FACTOR
"For the Lord will bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou
compass him as with a shield." - Psalms 5:12
 He was a man of destiny. A strange, historical account
reveals that even bullets could not kill him. In a letter to his
mother, he acknowledged God's providence and protection.
The man was George Washington, the first President of the
United States.
In April of 1755, British General Braddock invited
Washington to assist in the French and Indian War. When
Washington accepted the invitation, his mother was concerned
for his safety Washington wrote her: "The God to whom you
commend me, madam, when I set out upon a more perilous
errand, defended me from all harm and I trust He will do so now.
Do not you?"
Soon thereafter, on July 9, 1755, Washington served as
an aide to British General Braddock. A terrible battle ensued
near the Monongahela River. In the heat of the battle,
hundreds of American and British soldiers were slain.
Washington rode through gunfire and gave orders to the
soldiers. When the battle ended, sixty-three of the eighty-six
British and American officers lay dead. Washington was the
only officer on horseback who was not shot or wounded.
BULLETS COULD NOT KILL
HIM
In a letter to his brother, John Washington, the future president
told a remarkable story:
"By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have
been protected beyond all human probability or expectation;
for I had four bullets through my coat and two horses shot
under me. Yet, I escaped unhurt, although death was leveling
my companions on every side of me" (George Washington's
letter to his brother - July 18, 1755).
Our first president believed in the power of prayer. His life was
spared many times by prayer and the favor of God upon him.

"Washington's uniform was riddled by four bullets. Two

horses were shot out from under him, but Washington led the
survivors out of the trap and back to Virginia. According to
early historical accounts, an Indian who was present that
ominous day was recorded as saying many times, 'Washington
was born never to be killed by a bullet. I had seventeen fair
fires at him with my rifle and, after all, could not bring him to
the ground' " (Pictorial Encyclopedia of American History,
Volume 2, Page 96).
The biography of Mary Draper records that, when she
was kidnapped by Indians, she overheard a conversation
between some French soldiers and her captors. According to
Draper, an Indian chief named Red Hawk personally told of
shooting Washington eleven times without killing him. Finally,
he ceased firing and was convinced the Great Spirit was
protecting the man.
According to David Barton, "Eighty years after the
battle, Washington's gold seal with his initials on it was found
on the battlefield. It was a belt buckle that had been shot off of
him in the battle. The relic is in the possession of the family.
True to the Indian's prophecy, Washington was never
wounded in any battle!" (The Bulletproof George Washington).
Why did God supernaturally protect George Washington
in such an unusual manner? Of course, God had a destiny for
him to fulfill, but Washington was also a strong Christian who
prayed often and believed in God's ability to protect him.
His faith in God released God's ability to supernaturally
protect him in battle. Washington's story is a real-life example
of the promise in Psalm 91:7 that says, "A thousand shall fall
by thy side and ten thousand by thy right hand, but it will not
come nigh unto thee." A relationship with Christ and faith in
God's promises can release special favor and grace upon your
life!

THE MIRACLE PROTECTION OF

PRESIDENT REAGAN
 A remarkable cycle involving American Presidents was
discovered after the death of President Roosevelt. The strange
cycle is known as the Zero Curse. Since 1840, every president
elected in a year that ends in a zero (at twenty year intervals),
has died of a fatal illness or been assassinated while in office.
Below is a list of presidents elected in a year ending with zero.
They all died while in office:

In 1840 - William H. Harrison

In 1860 - Abraham Lincoln
In 1880 - James Garfield
In 1900 - William McKinley
In 1920 - Warren G. Harding
In 1940 - Franklin D. Roosevelt
In 1960 - John F. Kennedy

This Zero Curse seems to have begun after the deaths of

our founding fathers. Three men who signed the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776 and subsequently were elected
president, died on a 4th of July. Two of them died on the same
day, exactly fifty years after the historic signing.

President John Adams died on July 4, 1826.

President Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826.
President James Madison died on July 4, 1831.

While no one is certain how or why this curse began,

some think that an Indian chief invoked it because white men
were taking over Indian land.
 When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, some White
House staffers were aware of the Zero Curse although they
never publicly discussed it. When the attempt was made on
Reagan's life, he survived. But the bullet was one inch from his
heart!
Reagan was an avid lover of Bible prophecy and a bold
Christian. He was the first American President to break the
Zero Curse. After researching the facts of the Zero Curse and
why Reagan was spared, I suggest three things:
Reagan had received a personal prophecy from George
Otis at the California Governor's mansion in 1970 that, if he
would obey the Lord, he would one day become President
(Reagan Inside Out). Therefore, Reagan had a certain destiny
from the Lord.
 Secret service agents tackle would-be assassin, John W
Hinckley. Though dangerously close to death, Ronald Reagan
was the first president to break the so-called Zero Curse on
the Presidency.

Reagan had a prophetic destiny ordained by God

regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communism
and the opening of Eastern Europe for the Gospel.
Reagan surrounded himself with many personal
assistants who were Christian and prayed each day for the
President's health and protection. I was told by a well-known
gospel singer who ministered in the White House that one of
Reagan's personal secretaries prayed in the Oval Office for his
protection each morning.
FAVOR AND GRACE
DEFINED
Without a doubt, there is a difference between being
religious and having an experience with God. Many leaders talk
about their faith and their Christianity. But personal faith and
Christianity are ineffective if they are based on mere head
knowledge and not on a true heart experience. Both
Washington and Reagan had a praying, Bible-reading
relationship with the Lord. Their supernatural protection was
built upon a foundation of God's promises. God has an
obligation to His Word and His promises. Those who take God
at His Word are positioning themselves to receive the
blessings promised in the Bible. The Bible is not effective just
because you carry it to church, it is effective because you hide
it in your heart!
It may surprise you to discover the connection between
the word "favor" and the word "grace." Actually, the Hebrew
word for "favor" is chen and is the same word used for
"grace." The New Testament Greek word for "favor" and
"grace" are the same! The word "favor" is the Greek word
charis, found in Luke 1:30, 2:52, Acts 2:47, 7:10, 7:46 and
others. The Greek New Testament word for "grace" is also
charis. The basic meaning of both words is "that which causes
delight or favorable regard toward."
While the Greek spellings and meanings are similar, there
is one major difference between the practical application of
"grace" and "favor." Grace is unearned and favor may be
earned through acts of kindness and love. The Grace of God is
God's free gift of mercy and salvation given to those who
believe. The Favor of God is more grace (James 4:6), or to be
highly favored (Luke 1:28).
For example, when God chose Mary to give birth to
Jesus, the angel told her she was "highly favored" (Luke 1:28).
This means she was looked upon with a greater measure of
God's favor than other women. While God is no respecter of
persons (Acts 10:34), He does choose certain people for certain
purposes. For example, Paul is called a "chosen vessel to carry
the Lord's name to the Gentiles" (Acts 9:15) . Moses was
chosen to lead the Hebrews out of bondage. God chooses
those who will use their gifts, talents, and abilities to advance
His eternal purpose!
Grace and favor are free gifts from God. Grace is the
reward for believing in Christ and His Word. Favor is a reward
for acting upon the promises of God. So, when a person
repents of personal sins and believes in Christ as Savior, he or
she is saved. When that same person serves Christ and follows
His teachings, he or she begins walking in His Word and
receives God's favor.

WHY ARE SOME MORE HIGHLY

FAVORED?
Why, at times, does it seem that God favors certain
people above others? This is a very perplexing question. Some
ministers have the privilege of building large congregations,
yet other ministers with smaller churches are as good, if not
better, pulpit preachers. I have heard television preachers with
large ministries who preach no better than the average Sunday
school teacher, yet the Lord blesses millions through their
work. Sometimes small town Sunday school teachers have
superior speaking skills and Bible knowledge as compared to
the preachers on TV, yet very few attend their classes.
This is also true in the world of business. I will illustrate
this by supposing that there are three Christian owned
businesses that all operate printing shops. One shop seems to
have more business than it can handle, while the other two just
get by financially. Yet, all three are dedicated to Christ and have
dedicated the works of their hands to the Lord. Is God
randomly selecting favorites? I don't believe so. While every
Christian has experienced the saving grace of God, not
everyone experiences a high level of favor. This is not because
God withholds His favor, it is because believers do not tap into
His favor. Favor can be obtained from God through acts of
kindness, obedience to His Word, and by following His
guidance!
Paul was favored by God to be an apostle. He was a
highly educated Pharisee trained by Rabbi Gamaliel. Jewish
history reveals that Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was destined to be
the next head rabbi in Jerusalem, had he not converted to
Christianity. So why did God choose Paul above others? Paul
had a Jewish mother and a Roman father. To the Jews he was a
Jew, and to Romans he was a fellow Roman. This worked well
when he was arrested. He could tell the Romans, "Why have
you arrested a Roman?" Roman government officers would
tremble in their shoes, because arresting another Roman
without just cause was punishable by death! When Paul was
with the Jews, he talked about his Jewish upbringing and the
Law of Moses. He celebrated the feasts and understood
Hebrew customs (Acts 28:17). He was bold, spoke several
languages, and had great wisdom. God used Paul's qualities
and circumstances to best fulfill His purpose at that time in
history!
God often selects people who will apply every personal
gift to the work of serving in the kingdom of God. In your
ministry or business, do you:

1. Dedicate everything you own and have to God?

2. Follow the practical Scriptures in Proverbs and the
commands of Christ?
3. Discover the will of God in every decision you make?
4. Have the right people working with you that will build
up and not tear down?
5. Ask God for His favor on a consistent basis?
THE BENEFITS OF FAVOR
Scripture gives many examples of God's children being
showered with favor. It is filled with faith building accounts
that show the benefits of God's favor. Below are six facts
concerning favor:

1. Favor can come in strange places.

Would you expect to find favor in a prison, especially

when you are the prisoner? When Joseph was falsely accused
of seducing his boss's wife, he was sent to prison. While he
was in prison, "The Lord was with Joseph and showed him
mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the
prison" (Genesis 39:21). Joseph was so highly favored that the
head of the prison gave Joseph authority over all the prisoners
and did not look over Joseph's shoulder to check out his
faithfulness (Genesis 39:23).
This story reveals a dynamic truth. Your present
condition or your surroundings have no bearing on God's
ability to bring favor into your life. Favor moved Joseph from
the pit, to the prison and on to the palace!

2. Favor can bring you unexpected income.

When the nation of Israel was about to be delivered from

bondage, the Egyptians owed them a lot of back pay for
working overtime! Scripture reveals, "The Lord gave the people
favor in the sight of the Egyptians and they loaned the people
such things as they required and the people spoiled the
Egyptians" (Exodus 12:36). The Hebrews didn't just borrow a
cup of tea. They took gold, silver and jewels from the
Egyptians.
Later, in the wilderness, Moses took an offering from
those riches, to be set aside for building the tabernacle. The
Egyptian gold, now in the hands of the Hebrews, was used to
craft the furniture of the tabernacle! This is a wonderful
example of the "wealth of the wicked being laid up for the just"
(Proverbs 13:22).

3. Favor can bring the right companion.

A great example of this is found in the story of Ruth.

Ruth had a lot going against her. She was a widow, a stranger
in the land of Israel, and her ethnicity was that of a Moabite.
The Jews did not take kindly to Moabites. In fact, in
Deuteronomy, a curse was placed on them up to the tenth
generation (Deuteronomy 23:3). Yet, Ruth chose to make the
break from her past, enter into a covenant with the Hebrew's
God, and allow God to direct her path.
When she met Boaz, she saw the man of her dreams.
Ruth said to Boaz, "Let me find favor in thy sight" (Ruth 2:13).
Boaz graciously allowed Ruth to glean in his barley field to
help supply her and Naomi's (Ruth's mother) personal needs.
After she obtained favor, he gave her "handfuls on purpose"
(Ruth 2:6). Afterwards, he "laid in on her" and gave her six
measures of grain (Ruth 3:15). Finally, she got Boaz's attention
and they were married! From their marriage came Obed, the
father of Jesse, who was the father of King David! (Ruth 4:18-
22).
When you have prayed for favor and direction, you don't
have to chase some man or woman around trying to get
attention. The favor of God will act like a magnet and attract the
right person to you.

4. Favor can stop a national disaster.

When the Jews were in Persia, a wicked man named

Haman set out to destroy the entire nation (Esther 3:6). Haman
was an Agagite, a descendant of King Agag. Agag was the
Canaanite king of the Amelekites who ruled in the time of Saul
and was slain by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 15:33).
Therefore, Haman was full of revenge and wanted to destroy
the Jews in retaliation for the deaths of his ancestors.
The plot would have succeeded if Queen Esther had not
made a decision to appear before the King. This sounds simple.
The queen always had access to the king, but not in Persia.
The king killed his previous wife because she showed him
disrespect and had passed a law concerning wives in the
kingdom (Esther 1:19-22). Esther could have been killed for
coming into the king's chamber without permission.
Scripture states, "When the King saw Esther standing in
the court, she obtained favor in his sight" (Esther 2:17). The
Bible mentions how Esther received favor in the sight of the
king five times. The Lord used Esther's beauty and her sweet
countenance resulting from a faithful heart, to get the king's
attention and his favor.

5. Favor can bring the miracle birth of a child.

 Many barren women in the Bible conceived after a
visitation from God. Yet, one woman received a child and she
certainly wasn't expecting it or asking for it! Mary was engaged
to Joseph and was a virgin. When Gabriel appeared to her, the
angel announced, "Fear not, Mary, you have found favor with
God" (Luke 1:30).
Under the Old Covenant, barrenness was considered a
sign of God's disfavor. This is why Hannah became bitter in her
spirit and began travailing before God for a son (1 Samuel 1:10).
Hannah's prayers were so intense that they moved the heart of
God toward her. Instead of one son, she bore seven children (1
Samuel 2:5). The barren can rejoice when the seeds of favor are
implanted in their spirits!

6. Favor can be with God and with man.

"Samuel grew and waxed strong in favor with the Lord and
with men." (1 Samuel 2:26)

"And He (Jesus) increased in wisdom and stature; and in

favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)

Why is it important to obtain favor with God and with

man? Look at the number of people you must encounter each
day: your boss, co-workers, business colleagues, friends,
family, authority figures, etc. Your entire life revolves around
dealing with people. God uses "men to give to your bosom"
(Luke 6:38); therefore, favor with God and with man is
important.
Favor can be the invisible key that unlocks doors of
business opportunity. Favor can direct you to the best price,
bring business your way, and open doors of personal and
spiritual opportunity! Yes, favor is that unseen force that God
places upon your life to attract success and blessing to all you
do.

THE BIBLE IS FILLED WITH PROMISES

OF FAVOR
"For thou, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor you
will compass him as a shield." - Psalms 5:12

"Whosoever findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of

the Lord."- Proverbs 8:35

"Good understanding giveth favor, but the way of the

transgressor is hard." - Proverbs 13:15

"Fools make a mock of sin, but among the righteous there is

favor. " - Proverbs 14:9

"Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing and

obtaineth favor of the Lord." - Proverbs 18:22

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and

loving favor rather than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1
WHAT FAVOR IS NOT
It is just as important to understand what favor is not as
to understand what it is. Here are some important points to
remember about what favor is not.

Favor is not physical attraction or good

looks.
Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah and said, "There is
no beauty in Him that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2). If
the image on the Shroud of Turin is the image of Jesus, then He
was not a naturally handsome man. He had a very strong,
manly appearance, but His physical appearance was not why
people were attracted to Him. God's anointing was His
attraction! Likewise, your physical beauty, form, or appearance
does not determine your level of favor with God.
The Bible says that man looks upon the outward
appearance but God looks upon the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The
condition of the heart is more important than the cosmetic
appearance of a person!

Favor is not charisma or a polished

personality.
Sales representatives should dress well, use good
grammar, and take additional classes to brush up on the latest
sales techniques. Yet, the favor of God can do more in one hour
than months of sales training.
In the secular world, people use their charm or
personality to persuade people. While God can use your
personality in a positive manner, real favor does not involve
charm. Favor is a supernatural action from God that enables
Him to receive the glory when He works on your behalf. If we
think that favor results from our abilities, then we would
foolishly accept the praise of men for ourselves, and think that
we accomplished the work.
My wife, Pam, and I know a young woman in Maryland
who is a real estate agent. She sells more homes and
apartments than any sales person in the Baltimore area. In fact,
co-workers ask her to train them in the art of sales. When she
tells them that her secret is tithing, giving, and the favor of
God, they give her strange looks! Some are not willing to make
a decision to serve Christ in order to receive God's favor. Favor
is a unique blessing for those who will chose Christ as their
Lord!

Favor is not having the right connections.

While God uses people to open doors of opportunity for
you, and uses "men to give to your bosom" (Luke 6:38), favor
does not involve having the right connections. If all our
connections opened the doors for us, then how could God
receive the glory for His blessing toward us? I am reminded of
Christ's words, "I am ... He that openeth and no man shutteth
and no man openeth" (Revelation 3:7).
In twenty-four years of ministry, I have never attempted
to open doors of utterance for speaking engagements or
revivals. VOE does not send out information packets
attempting to get churches to book us for crusades. I have
always asked God to give us favor with pastors. This way, we
minister in churches where the pastor has been led by the Lord
to have us come.
When Peter was locked in jail as a prisoner for the
Gospel, he was held behind three iron gates that kept him from
the outside world (Acts 12:10). The jailer had the key, the
governor had the authority and the iron gates were impossible
to penetrate. Peter didn't need a letter from the president to
order his release. God sent an invisible messenger, an angel, to
touch the chains and release the man of God (Acts 12:4-11).
Remember, Christ has the key to unlock the door of your
destiny!

Favor is not determined by financial status.

Some people believe that the large financial gifts they
give to charity demonstrates their spirituality. The Bible says
that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but
"righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans
14:17). The ability to pray and get an answer is greater than the
ability to give money and be spiritually empty. Many third
world Christians are poor financially but they are rich in faith.
Their faith will be their foundation in times of crisis. A poor
man with God's favor is like Elijah on Mount Carmel standing
against 850 false prophets. One man with God's favor is always
the majority! If God be for us, then who can be against us?
Favor is not determined by family
background.
People often feel that, if they belong to a racial minority
group, there is no chance of receiving favor. Ruth was a
Moabite, and Moabites were under a ten-generation curse
according to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 23:2-3). Ruth
was a widow and was very poor. She moved to Bethlehem to
live among strangers, and had circumstances working against
her. All Ruth needed was a Boaz to help fulfill her destiny.
Today, Ruth would be considered a minority. Yet, because she
worked hard and was faithful, she seized the attention of Boaz
and, together, their linage produced King David!
Quit making excuses and make things happen! Break
away from your past and choose to move into your future. Too
many people dwell on their past, their ancestors, the hard times
their descendants experienced, etc. But they are not making a
choice to change today. We are not living in yesterday - it is
gone. Learn from the past, but don't live in it! You never have
to become what others were before you! Be a pioneer and cut a
new trail into new places and conquer new territory for the
kingdom!

Favor is not based on your economic

resource.
People allow the lack of finances to determine their
outcome in life. With favor, you can move into a desert, and
with one hundred dollars, prayer and work hard you can
experience blessing. In twenty-five years you can have a large
farm, as well as be the mayor of a small town built around the
wells you dug! This is true, because this is the story of modern
Israel!
Think about the Jews who came from the holocaust.
Many returned to Israel with nothing. Yet today, there are
Jewish people who are millionaires. I know one Jewish
billionaire family. Hearing the stories of how God began to
bless them after their greatest hour of suffering moves me to
tears. In our pursuit of God's favor, let us remember that
seeking God's righteousness is the foundation to favor. When
we are in right standing in our relationship with God, then God
will stand good on His promises.
Answers to prayer, increase in our lives, seeing our
families saved, and walking free from bondage are all a part of
God's blessing on our lives. Good health is a special benefit
(Psalms 103:2).

Favor is not a mental condition -- it is a seed.

Favor is not mind over matter, or maintaining a positive
mental attitude. Favor is an action of God directed toward you.
It begins with a seed that is planted in your spirit. Everything
begins with a seed. All of creation reproduces through the
seed. The seed of favor can create what you do not have to
meet your needs. God needs NOTHING to create
SOMETHING. The worlds were framed by the Word of God,
and according to Paul, God used things that do not appear!
(Hebrews 11:3). As you grow in the grace and knowledge of
God, the seeds of favor mature. The seeds of favor today will
become the trees of righteousness tomorrow. They will
produce fruit in our lives for eternity! We must guard the seeds
of favor through being faithful in all we do. Faithfulness is the
water, and consistency is the light, that will cause seeds of
favor to grow!
Our faithfulness must be consistent. Faithfulness and
steadfastness in spiritual matters causes us to drink from the
fountain of favor! When we give, pray, worship and walk with
God, it must be consistent. It has been said, "Faith is a fact, but
faith is also an act." Faith in God involves action. Being
consistent in our obedience gives God the opportunity to
prove His faithfulness to us. We know we shall "reap if we faint
not" (Galatians 6:9).
Highly successful Christians habitually practice being
consistent and steadfast. Be in church every Sabbath day Tithe
each week and sow your offerings as God directs you.
Maintain a daily life of prayer and reading the Word. Witness
to others and plant seeds of God's Word into their lives. Above
all, do it consistently! Your continual obedience will receive the
attention of God! (Read Luke 18:1-8)
People often become discouraged because they do not
see immediate results. This lack of visible results causes them
to question God's will, so they become discouraged.
Discouragement leads to becoming double minded. James said
a double minded person will not receive anything from God
(James 1:6-8). The Greek word double minded means to be
having two souls. It suggests having two opposite thought
patterns that are battling with one another. We would say a
person who is double minded is undecided, or can't make up
his or her mind. It is critical to keep our level of faith consistent
while we are waiting for an answer from God.
In the next chapter, I will share with you the spiritual
principles to practice when you are waiting for your answer, or
your season of blessing to come.
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Have you ever prayed for something, only to wait many

months or years before receiving the answer? Have you
questioned, "Why is God taking so long? After all, He is God
and could just snap His fingers and have this problem solved!"
To answer this question one must understand that God's
purpose and plan moves in cycles, or seasons.
Understanding that there are seasons of God in our lives
has strengthened me since the birth of VOE. Life seems to
unfold in seasons, which can be compared to the four seasons
of the year. Our youth could be springtime. Summer can be
compared to our adult working years when we raise our families
and work to establish our homes. Fall parallels our golden
years when we are blessed with grand children playing at our
feet. The winter season brings a climax and closing chapter to
our lives. Both the blessings of God and the times of testing
come in seasons (Luke 4:13). There is often a period of waiting
between the seasons of testing and blessing. People often
become impatient while waiting for promises to manifest. Long
seasons of waiting demand patience, because "in your
patience possess ye your soul" (Luke 21:19). Patience
undergirds faith while waiting for the answer.
The New Testament word "patience" means "to abide
under." It suggests that we stay with God and continue to walk
with Him during times of temptation, distress or testing. It can
also mean "endurance," like what a runner exhibits when
completing a long race - never quitting until the end (Hebrews
12:1). Patience is necessary when running the race of life.
Patience that will under gird your ship as you travel through
the storms of life, and it will give you additional strength until
difficult journeys end.
Tapping into the force of patience will cause one's spirit
to enter into spiritual rest when waiting on God for the visible
manifestation of answered prayer. The Bible gives many
examples of Godly individuals who exercised patience while
traveling the long road of destiny.
Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17. He received his
breakthrough at age 30. Joseph waited 17 years, including
several years in prison, for the ultimate purpose of God to be
released in his life. Yet, during the 17 years of trouble, he was in
God's will the entire time! God hid Joseph until there was a
famine in the Promised Land. Joseph reserved food for seven
years, thus opening a door for his entire family to be spared
from starvation. Joseph told his brothers, "What you intended
for evil God intended for good...to keep you and your children
alive" (Genesis 49:50).
Moses was raised for 40 years in Pharaoh's house. After
murdering an Egyptian, he spent 40 years exiled in the
wilderness (Exodus chapters 1-2). Then this so-called ex-con
was raised up by God at the age of 80 to lead the Israelites into
the Promised Land. Imagine waiting 40 years in a desert to hear
from God! Why did it take so long? God promised Abraham
that his children would be in Egypt for 400 years, and then He
would bring them out (Genesis 15:13-15). Moses had to train as
a shepherd for forty years before God made him the pastor of
three million Hebrews! His school of the wilderness prepared
him to lead Israel into and through the desert (Exodus 1-3).
Joshua and Caleb were rewarded for having a spirit of
faith. Ten spies doubted the promise of God, yet Joshua and
Caleb believed the Lord's report. Despite their faith, both spent
40 years in the desert waiting for a generation of unbelievers to
die. It was Joshua who led the people across the Jordan into
the land of promise. Caleb, at age 85, ran giants off his
mountain near Hebron (Joshua 15:14). God made a promise and
kept it to an 85-year-old man, thus demonstrating this fact: age
does not matter when it involves God's favor (Joshua 14:6-15).
David received his anointing to be King of Israel at age
18. Conditionally he was king, but for years he remained a
shepherd. After twelve years and a series of trials, David was
anointed as king of Israel. He was 30 years old. If God had not
given him favor during his times of tribulation, David would
have fainted. He wrote, "I would have fainted if I had not
believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the
living" (Psalms 27:13). Remember, patience brings an inner
peace that God will move on your behalf, even when the
season of waiting is long!
Noah was 500 years old when God told him to build the
ark. His building program lasted for 100 years. What average
church member would remain in a church where the building
program lasted for 100 years? Noah patiently obeyed God's
command, despite enduring 100 years of scoffing by the
multitudes! His determination paid off when he and his
household were protected from the flood and rode out the
storm in the very ark God had instructed him to prepare!
In each example above, God preserved and protected
these covenant men with favor until the time came for His
perfect plan to manifest in their lives.

HOW LONG WILL I NEED TO WAIT?

How long will you need to wait until God begins to fulfill
His blessing and purpose in your life? Your favor breakthrough
can literally happen overnight. Within 24 hours, the course of
your life can forever be changed! Again, consider these
examples:
Joseph waited 17 years for his promotion, but in less
than one day he went from a prison to the palace and was
exalted to the second most powerful leader in Egypt (Genesis
41:37-43).
 Joshua spent 40 years in the wilderness training under
Moses. Joshua crossed the Jordan and three days later met the
Captain of the Lord's hosts who revealed the plan to take the
Promised Land (Joshua 5:13-15).
David patiently endured testing for 12 years then
suddenly, within moments after Saul's sudden death, David
was made the King of Israel and given great favor among the
people (2 Samuel 2:1-17).
Noah spent 100 years building the ark. After the ark was
completed, God waited seven days before instructing Noah
and his family to get into the boat (Genesis 7:4). His hard work
was rewarded when the flood lifted the huge ark from its
resting place. Seven days of waiting is nothing compared to
100 years of preparing! In the end, only Noah and his house
survived the flood!
THE WAITING PERIOD
God's waiting period varies with each person. God will
not thrust us into a situation for which we are not prepared.
This would be like throwing young men into a red hot war
without going through boot camp. Your trials, tests and
difficulties are preparing you for the greater challenges that lay
ahead. The Bible instructs us to:

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great

recompense of reward; for you have need of patience, that
after you have done the will of God, you might receive the
promise." - Hebrews 10:35-36

After waiting on the Lord through various phases of my

ministry, the Holy Spirit has taught me some practical truths
that you can also apply to your seasons of waiting:

1. There were times I thought I was ready for the answer

and I wasn't. I still had a lot to learn.
2. Promotions never follow disobedience. God never
blesses a person beyond their last act of obedience.
You will be waiting longer if you are stuck in a rut of
disobedience.
3. Waiting time should be learning time. Use your current
season to plant seeds of information into your spirit
that will help you produce fruit in your next season
ordained by God.
 4. When God prepares to move you into the next level of
favor, the element of time will be accelerated. In other
words, when your season of blessing comes,
everything will move swiftly.

Often, people observe the blessings of others, forgetting

it took TIME to bring them into their prophetic destiny. VOE is
a prime example. I began ministering in 1976 to small
congregations of twenty people or less. The offerings seldom
paid for the gasoline needed to get to my speaking
engagements. I slept in musty church basements, attics, or old,
often unsafe motel rooms. My first office was in a two-bedroom
apartment, where my wife and I took the pillows off the couch
and slept on the living room floor. Our magazine was a small
one-page flyer, which cost $60.00 a month to print.
Because we were faithful in the little things and did not
despise small beginnings, the crowds now range from five
hundred to three thousand in America, and up to ten thousand
overseas. We have a 25,000 square foot ministry center and are
clearing land for a 40,000 square foot studio and office complex.
The magazine is now 20 pages and goes into thousands of
homes. Our debts are paid and God is glorified each day for the
wonderful things He has done.
Remember this: GOD HAS A PLAN AND YOU HAVE A
PURPOSE. When you discover God's plan and purpose for
your life, and His will is released, you will enter your road of
destiny. God will watch you to see if you will be faithful in the
small times, in the low and sometimes discouraging moments of
your life. If you are faithful, your choice puts you in line for
God's favor! Favor is the reward for faithfulness; therefore, you
must never, never give up.

THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO HELP GOD

When waiting upon the Lord, it is important not to get
hasty and attempt to speed up the process by helping God.
This is what Sarah attempted to do when she offered Hagar to
Abraham (Genesis 16). The end result was a family feud that
has continued for over 4,000 years. This is what happened:
When Abraham was 75 years old, God promised him a
son. Eleven years later, Sarah was still barren and Abraham was
not getting any younger. In order to assist God in fulfilling the
promise, Sarah gave her Egyptian servant Hagar, to Abraham
for a wife and allowed him to have a son through her. The birth
of Ishmael, Hagar's son, brought chaos into Abraham's home!
Sarah did not understand the reason for the long wait. It
was twenty-five years after the promise when Isaac was born
to Sarah and Abraham. There are many reasons for the promise
being delayed. These will be discussed later. For now, I want to
discuss the importance of why God waited until Sarah went
through menopause before causing her miraculous conception.
The Bible says, ''And Sarah ceased to be after the manner of
women" (Genesis 18:11). God waited for Sarah to experience the
change of life, so Isaac could be born out of what looked like
an impossible situation. This is why she laughed when God
said the son would be hers. Isaac's birth was a double miracle.
Sarah was already barren, and then menopause made it
impossible for her to conceive!
Isaac is a type of Christ. Both Isaac and Christ
experienced supernatural births in their mothers' wombs. Sarah
was barren and Mary was a virgin. Mary was young and Sarah
was very old. Mary believed and accepted the announcement
of Christ's birth by the angel. Mary said, "So be it unto me
according to thy word" (Luke 1). Sarah doubted and "helped
God fulfill His promise" by giving Hagar to Abraham for his
second wife.
After Sarah gave birth to Isaac, Abraham had the heart
 wrenching duty of telling Hagar and Ishmael to leave.

God's timing is not our timing. We must be patient and

trust God's timing for our answers to prayer and our blessings.
At times, it seems that our promise is dead! Imagine how
Moses felt, an ex-con on the run from the Egyptian police.
Joseph was placed in chains in prison, yet had his dreams
burning like a fire in his spirit. Often, it seems that our vision
slowly dies before it comes to pass. This time of death is
actually the pivotal moment where our faith must kick in. Often,
the Lord allows a time of testing to see how determined we are
to fight for what has been promised. The fight is not with God,
the battle is related to our faith. Do we continue to believe
despite the odds that are stacked against us?
Years ago one man stated, "When in deep prayer I ask
God for large things - things that are impossible for me to
control. This way, when it comes to pass, I know God did it!"
Time of waiting will test your faith and stretch your
patience. This is why God gave us the command not to "cast
away our confidence" and to "hold fast to the profession of
our faith" (Hebrews 10:23).
During my seasons of waiting, I would say, "Lord, I am
not getting younger and time is running out. You need to
speed this process up so I can get on with the work of the
Kingdom of God." Often, the Lord would not answer me. Then
I would remember when God begins to move, He can do more
in a short period of time than I can in a long period of time.
I am reminded of this truth. Satan has no patience.
Patience is a product of the Holy Spirit and Satan cannot
duplicate the fruit of patience. Therefore, if I am under an attack
of the enemy, I may not be able to out wit the enemy but I can
outlast him! Satan is running out of time! God has His number
and wrote Satan's obituary 1,900 years ago in Revelation 20:1-
2! There is a pit with Satan's name on it, and he has been pre-
assigned to the lake of fire. His reservations have already been
made and in God's time, he will check in and not be able to
check out!
Satan has no patience and since the believer can operate
in the fruit of patience, the believer can patiently endure while
waiting upon the Lord. Patience is the key to open the door
between one season and the next. Scripture teaches, "By faith
and patience we inherit the promise."
As we continue to grow in understanding about the
favor of God, we will examine the common links between those
whose lives and ministries seem to be highly favored. I believe
I have discovered at least four common threads that weave a
garment of favor upon highly favored Christians.
"But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and
gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." -
Genesis 39:21

During my travels, I have encountered highly favored

people. Some have a financial anointing that appeals to key
financial partners. Prosperous individuals sow thousands,
even millions, of dollars into their ministries. Others have an
anointing to attract sinners and win thousands to Christ.
Others receive buildings, property and valuable assets to use
for the Kingdom of God. Each ministry seems to have a special
area of favor.
VOE seems to have great favor concerning the nation of
Israel and things relating to Hebrew culture and history. Many
times while touring Israel, we see places that are not open to
the public - giving VOE the opportunity to report information
first-hand in America. In 1986, over 150 people traveled with us
to Jordan and Israel. Upon arriving in Jordan, the Jordanian
national press met us and requested an interview. The
interview was aired on television throughout the Middle East. I
was wearing a green jacket, which happened to be a main color
of the Jordanian flag. The Arabs and Palestinians loved the
coat. Our initial friendly conversation grew into friendships
that last to this day. During that trip, I was awarded the medal
of tourism, which I have kept in my office.
Years before his death, I met with one of the leading
rabbis in Jerusalem. During our tours, he allowed both men and
women in our groups to enter tunnels that were not open to the
public. Once, he ordered the locks to be broken on the
underground gates to provide access for our group, and on
another occasion he moved the Jewish men out of the Western
Wall side chamber, so the women with our group could go into
the tunnels without conflict. I did not consider this to be luck,
but rather the favor of God!
God releases favor into lives for a variety of purposes.
Those who are highly favored seem to have four common
threads in their lives, which weave a garment of favor.

People who are highly favored love the word

of God.
According to Psalm 1:1-3, if we meditate in the Word we
will prosper. Joshua was told to meditate in the Word day and
night (Joshua 1:6) and he would prosper and have good
success. The Word reveals how to react under every type of
circumstance. God favors those who favor His Word.
There are two types of ministers: those who talk about
people and those who talk about the Word. Men with large
churches have built their congregations on the preaching of
the Word. Therefore, they spend much time in study and
preparation to feed the flock. Other men, too often, have the
same sheep grazing in the same field, and spend less time
seeking a fresh Word from God. God favors those who favor
His Word!

People who are highly favored love Israel.

Stories of past empires in Biblical history show how not
to treat the Jews. Abimelech wanted to expand his harem and
went after Sarah, Abraham's wife. God smote Abimelech's
wives and made them barren. Only after Abraham prayed did
God reverse the curse (Genesis 20).
When Pharaoh rose up against the Hebrews and began
killing their firstborn offspring, little did he realize that he and
his army would see their firstborn dead. The wealthy Egyptian
empire experienced economic decline after the Israelites
escaped from Egypt. Today, Egypt is merely a dim light
compared to the mighty empire it once was.
During Esther's time, Haman tried to kill the Jews living in
over 120 provinces of Persia. His work was exposed and the
Jews were spared. The mighty Persian Empire has become a
mere memory. It survives through tour guides' stories
recounted to visitors. The barren deserts are populated by
stone monuments which reflect Persia's past glory.
The German empire was a mighty force at the turn of the
century. During Hitler's reign it was considered to be one of the
greatest military machines on earth. However, after murdering 6
million Jews, Germany is only one of many European nations
which has declined in influence, and it is no longer a feared
military beast.
It was once said that the sun never sets upon the British
Empire. The blessing of God came upon England when King
James translated the Bible into English and made it available to
the English speaking world. From 1611 to 1948, the British were
an influence in Africa, the Middle East, and throughout
Europe. Their influence extended all the way into India. After
British ships kept holocaust survivors from entering Palestine,
British influence and control has declined worldwide.
Those who mistreat the Hebrew people and the nation of
Israel will be cursed by God (Genesis 12:3). Those who "pray
for the peace of Jerusalem shall prosper" (Psalms 122:6). God
said that those who touch Israel, touch the apple of His eye
(Deuteronomy 32:10). I have met people who have great favor.
Not surprisingly, these people also have a great love for the
Hebrew people, Jerusalem and Israel.

People who are highly favored love worship.

Jesus said, "They that worship the Father must worship
Him in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to
worship Him" (John 4:23-24). God will search you out if you are
a worshiper. Worship gives you access to the throne of God,
causing heaven and earth to Kiss! Worshipers are often
accused of being emotional and religious fanatics. Yet, show
me a worshiper and I will show you a person that God is
seeking out!
When David did a victory dance in Jerusalem, his wife
criticized him (2 Samuel 6:20-23). She became barren and never
bore children. But David continued to have God's favor until
his death. God extended mercy to David, sparing his life after
he sinned with Bathsheba and killed her husband in battle.
During the crisis of his life, when his sin was exposed and
Bathsheba's child (David's illegitimate son) died, David arose
and worshiped God (2 Samuel 12:20). David knew how to
repent and how to worship. Repentance and true worship
attract God's attention. This is why David was a "man after
God's own heart."

Highly favored people enjoy giving to others.

Paul wrote, "Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or out of necessity; for
God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6). The churches
and ministries experiencing wonderful growth are all giving
churches. They do not hoard all the blessings for themselves,
but they share their blessings with others. They understand
that, what they sow into the lives of others, God will sow into
theirs. A seed is useless until it is planted. It pleases God when
His children enjoy giving. God highly favors people who love
to plant seeds into the lives of others.
 Scripture states that it is more "blessed to give than to
receive." Throughout our lives, Pam and I have given away
cars, furniture, finances and various things to those in need.
We could have sold them to bring in additional income, but
seeds planted in God's kingdom will bring a greater harvest,
because God becomes the source of the return. I have learned
that God does not release His harvest into your life until you
release the seed in your hand. When God brings increase into
your life, He doesn't just add, He multiplies!

Highly favored people support the poor and

needy.
Many promises of blessing are given to those who support the
poor:

"He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the Lord; that
which he hath given will he pay him again." - Proverbs 19:17

"He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance,

he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. " - Proverbs
28:8

"He that has a bountiful eye shall he blessed: for he gives his
bread to the poor." - Proverbs 22:9

When you support the poor, God will bring financial

blessings into your life. Unique promises of provision are
given to those who assist the poor and needy. Many of
America's greatest churches have large feeding and clothing
programs for the poor. God brings wealthy individuals into the
churches because they will use their money to help others!

THE PROMISES OF PROVERBS

GENERATE FAVOR
Solomon wrote many of the Proverbs. In the thirtyÂ​o ne
chapters of Proverbs, there are three words that are continually
used: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The definitions
of these three words are as follows:

Knowledge is the accumulation of facts.

Understanding is the arrangement of those facts.
Wisdom is knowing how to apply those facts.

Many people obtain knowledge through secular

education; yet, knowledge without understanding is simply
information. Understanding is the arrangement of specific
information for a certain purpose. Wisdom is the God-given gift
of knowing how to apply information to any area of one's life.
Godly wisdom helps you to evaluate information in order to
solve problems and make choices. Wise choices are ordained
by God.
The Bible encourages us to seek wisdom. We are told
that God will give wisdom to all men (mankind) liberally and will
not withhold it (James 1:5). Proverbs states, "For whosoever
findeth me (wisdom) findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the
Lord" (Proverbs 8:35). The world is full of intellectual men, but
there are very few wise men around. King Solomon was
thought to be in his day the wisest man alive. He wrote several
of the Proverbs and gave us key nuggets concerning wisdom.
SEEKING THE GOOD
"He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that
seeketh mischief, it shall come to him." - Proverbs 11:27

Jesus "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). Jesus

taught that men should focus on good works and glorify your
Father in heaven. Seek out people who bring out the best in
you and always attempt to do good to those you meet.
HAVING GOOD
UNDERSTANDING
"Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of the
transgressor is hard." - Proverbs 13:15
Successful people attract successful people. Successful
people usually have common sense, or good understanding.
They would not place money in a bank that has a history of
defaulting on its loans. They would not invest money in a
company that is going under. And they certainly would not
buy a swamp in Florida with plans of building a high rise!
Those able to offer wise solutions to people's problems will be
in demand. Those with good understanding are needed in the
ministry and the workplace. I have told my staff workers I pay
them according to the problems they solve and not the
problems they create.
A person who exercises good understanding is blessed
to be a blessing. Business owners are always looking to hire
people who can think on their own and are self-motivated.
Knowledge mixed with understanding will make you attractive
to people. If you can solve problems and make decisions with
good understanding, you will be successful.
A GOOD NAME
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and
loving favor rather than silver and gold." - Proverbs 22:1

I have a plaque that my mother gave me years ago

hanging on my office wall. It has a poem on it that speaks to
our family name. At the top, in bold letters, is the name
"Stone," followed by this short poem:

You got it from your father,

It was all he had to give.
So it's yours to use and cherish
For as long as you may live.
If you lose the watch he gave you
It can be replaced
But a black mark on your name, son,
Can never be erased .
It was clean the day you took it
And a worthy name to bear
When he got it from his father,
There was no dishonor there.
So, make sure you guard it wisely
After all is said and done.
You'll be glad the name is spotless
When you give it to your son.
- Author Unknown
 I once knew a brilliant businessman who had a thriving
company. He was bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars
each year. Over time, he began to cut corners in order to pad
his own pocket. Soon, he was cheating people out of their
investments in order to make more money. Eventually people
began to suspect him of wrong doing and he got a bad
reputation. This bad reputation began to precede him, and
soon his company went bankrupt. Today, the mention of his
name brings up the image of a crook.
Recently, in Bethlehem, I met the sons of the man who
bought the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. They have a shop in
Bethlehem, and I was impressed with the humility and sincerity
of the entire family. One of the owners said, "We try to have a
clean reputation in all we do. We must carry on the integrity of
our father's name." People will always be attracted to people
who have integrity. A person's name is only as good as his or
her word.
When God exalts a person, He allows their name to
become great. This happened to Joseph (Genesis 39:21).
Exodus 11:3 says, "Moreover, the man Moses was very great in
the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the
sight of the people." The tribe of Napthali was "satisfied with
favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord (Deuteronomy
33:23). Regarding David, Saul said, "Let David, I pray thee,
stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight" (1
Samuel 16:22).
Esther is a perfect example of a woman walking in favor.
"And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all of them that
looked upon her" (Esther 2:15). "And she obtained grace and
favor in his sight more than all the virgins" (Esther 2:17). "And
it was so that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in
the court, that she obtained favor in his sight" (Esther 5:2).
Esther's favor before the king saved the lives of thousands of
Jews in Persia!
Self-exaltation lasts for a season, but God's exaltation
lasts for a lifetime! "For thou hast granted me life and favor,
and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit" (Job 10:12). God
enjoys seeing you blessed and highly favored. God has
"pleasure in the prosperity of his servant" (Psalms 35:27).
Your name and your word are your bond of integrity. If
you ruin your reputation, then your word is useless. Think
about this -- few people ever named their children Judas or
Bathsheba! Yet, millions of children are named Mary and Peter.
You must guard your integrity by protecting your reputation
and keeping your word. Favor will follow those who protect
their integrity.

WHEN PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO

YOUR WORK
Earn the trust of your employer and your co-workers and
you will have a good reputation. If you deal with people
honestly and have a reputation for doing high quality work for
a reasonable price, then men and women will want to do
business with you!
I remember my mother taking her car to be repaired. After
three trips, the problem remained. She said, "I wish I could find
someone who wasn't trying to rip me off." In every area of life,
people are sensitive about being ripped off. A shady business
owner might make a few dollars now by cheating a customer,
but that customer with tell others about his or her experience!
Soon most of the town will hear about what happened and the
business owner's reputation will go down the tubes.

OBSERVE AND STUDY THOSE WHO HAVE

FAVOR
I was called to the ministry as a teenager. My father, who
was a minister, had collected a file cabinet filled with magazines
and articles about great evangelists from the 1940's and 50's. I
spent weeks pouring over these fascinating reports, articles,
and testimonies. I examined what these men did right and
where they failed. My faith was strengthened when I read
about the incredible miracles and answered prayers. I spent
years of my early ministry studying the lives of anointed
evangelists.
Don't just study about people who are successful, study
people who have favor. Identify their routines and prayer
habits. Tap into their faith and anointing by attending their
church services, reading their books, or listening to their tapes.
Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ." Timothy was Paul's
spiritual son. Before Paul's death, he laid hands upon Timothy
and gave him a powerful prophecy concerning his ministry (l
Timothy l:18). Timothy became pastor at the huge church at
Ephesus. Paul's gifts were transferred to Timothy (2 Timothy
l:6), even as Elijah imparted a double portion to Elisha! Iron
sharpens iron! Spend time with people who have favor!
"And I will give this people favor in the sight of the
Egyptians: and it shall come to pass that, when ye go, ye
shall not go empty." - Exodus 3:21

After 400 years of slavery, the Hebrew nation came out of

Egypt with plenty of gold and silver and not a feeble person
was among them. The precious metals used to build the
wilderness tabernacle came from an offering received by
Moses in the desert. Gold and silver was transferred to the
Hebrews by the Egyptian slave owners! It was not a normal
practice for slave owners to send their ex-slaves away, literally
loaded down with personal wealth. The Bible tells how the
transfer of wealth took place:
"And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the
Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they
required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." - Exodus 12:36

Today, we lend something knowing it will be repaid. This

word "lend" means more than borrowing. The text says they
"spoiled the Egyptians." One scholar estimates that the
Hebrews carried away one-third of Egypt's wealth. According
to Jewish tradition, Korah was Pharaoh's treasurer. Korah had
accumulated so much wealth that it took 300 mules to carry the
keys to his treasures (The Aggadah, Pes. 119a). It is assumed
that Korah knew where the wealth of the Egyptians was stored.
Korah led a rebellion, supported by 250 chief men, against
Moses and Aaron in the wilderness (Numbers 16). Apparently,
Korah felt that his wealth should have caused him to be placed
in Moses' high position of leadership. But God did not agree
with Korah and He opened up the earth to swallow Korah and
his family because of their rebellion.
Can you imagine the drudgery of working long hours
with the blistering desert sun beating down on your sweaty
brow, and not being paid a decent wage for your labor? The
Hebrew women carried large clay jugs of water to the slime pits,
where their husbands stood in ankle deep mud oozing between
their toes, mixing straw and mud for the bricks. The Israelites
were building treasure cities for the Egyptians (Exodus 1:11).
It was a Hebrew named Joseph that enabled the
Egyptians to become wealthy beyond measure! Joseph
interpreted Pharaoh's dream and revealed a plan of how to
prosper during a seven-year famine. He had the Egyptians
store a percentage of each year's harvested grain during the
seven years of plenty. Then, he had them open the storeÂ​-
houses during the seven years of famine to sell grain to
starving nations (Genesis 41). The plan was a huge success,
bringing great wealth to Egypt. Joseph also brought his family
to dwell comfortably in Goshen, an abundant area of Egypt.
In reality, when the Hebrews spoiled the Egyptians they
took back a portion of Joseph's wealth and a portion of back
pay for working overtime! God told them that they would not
go out of Egypt empty!

GOD'S FULLNESS FOR YOU

Israel did not leave Egypt empty-handed after they were
released from captivity. In fact, they were loaded down with the
wealth of Egypt. Likewise, under the New Covenant, Christ has
provided fullness for us! We can be filled with joy,
righteousness, understanding, wisdom, and filled with the
Spirit.
God is a God of increase. The increase is above and
beyond what you normally expect. If a farmer has brought in an
average of ten tons of grain each year, and suddenly he brings
in fifteen tons one year, he experienced an increase of 5 tons. If
you have worked for ten dollars an hour and receive a raise to
thirteen dollars an hour, your increase is three dollars an hour.
The Bible is clear that God is a God of increase.

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister

bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and
increase the fruits of your righteousness." - 2 Corinthians
9:10
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that
ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to
every good work ." - 2 Corinthians 9:8

"And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield
fruits of increase." - Psalms 107:37

Notice how things are added to us:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you."Â​ Matthew
6:33

In my book Lay It On Me, I share the principles of the

thirty, sixty and hundred-fold levels of harvest, illustrated in
the story of Ruth.
Ruth was a Moabite who had married a Jewish man, who
was Naomi's son. Her husband died and Naomi left Moab to
return to Bethlehem. Ruth followed her mother in law and
converted to the God of Abraham.
Ruth began her workday by "gleaning in the corner of
the fields." In the corner, few people pay attention to you. You
are just another worker in the company, another number on
paper. Yet Ruth was faithful and she experienced a thirty-fold
increase. She gleaned enough to meet her basic needs, but she
never had an increase by working in the corner of the fields.
Then Boaz saw her, and he was attracted to her
faithfulness and beauty. He told his men to give her some
"hands full on purpose." She now was able to bring home more
than she needed, because her boss told his men to throw
handfuls of grain into the corners of the field so Ruth could
glean more. Suddenly, she began experiencing an increase in
her income. She was moving to a sixty-fold level, which is
enough and a little left over!
Ruth continued to be faithful. Boaz then told her to get
her garment out and he "laid on her" six measures of grain!
This was a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over! Ruth was not at a level where she could not
contain the increase. She was blessed going in and blessed
going out! God had favored her! She married Boaz and was the
great grandmother of King David! She became the HEAD and
not the TAIL! Her seed became great in the earth.
She left the land of Moab and did not look back at her
past. Moab only offered memories of famine and pain. She
went out with nothing but faith in God. Nothing plus nothing
leaves nothing, but God plus nothing gives you everything!
She left her past and walked with faith into a new and beautiful
future.
When you have faith, you shall not go out empty. Plant
the seeds, water them and keep the weeds of unbelief out of
your mind. Give God time to grow your harvest, then in time,
you will "reap if you faint not!"
"And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto Aaron
and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the
children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and
keep thee: the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and he
gracious unto thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put
My name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.' "
- Numbers 6:22-27

There is a secret to the Hebrew blessing. I have examined

many Scriptures and done extensive research on the subject. I
am convinced that many Christians have missed a vital spiritual
custom practiced by the early patriarchs and fathers of the
faith. The transfer of the Hebrew blessing was a common
tradition among Biblical fathers.
 Near the time of their deaths, the patriarchs called their
sons together and blessed them with the laying on of hands
and by speaking a prophetic blessing over each of them.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob practiced this tradition. Jacob
blessed his twelve sons with this ceremony (Genesis 49). Later,
Moses spoke a prophetic blessing upon each of the tribes of
Israel (Deuteronomy 33).
Before you say, "That was just in the Old Testament,"
consider that the practice of laying on of hands was practiced
by Christ, the apostles, and the early church fathers. In fact, a
doctrine of laying on of hands was established in the first
century church (Hebrews 6:2-4). Prior to Christ's ascension
from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, He "lifted up His hands
and blessed them" (Luke 24:50). This was similar to the
blessing of the high priest that was performed in the Old
Testament. The Torah, in Numbers 6:22-27, reveals how the
priest blessed the people. Jewish sources reveal that the priest
would form his hands in the shape of the Hebrew letter shin,
which is the same form of the mountains that Jerusalem sat
upon. It is also the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which
represents the name of God!
 The 21st letter in the Hebrew alef-bet, the shiyn. The
mountains and valleys of old Jerusalem are very similar to the
shape of the letter shiyn.

In the Bible, healing is manifested after the laying on of

hands (Matthew 9:18). Gifts of the Spirit were imparted and
wisdom was given through the power of the blessing and the
laying on of hands (Acts 8:19).
In this dynamic study, we will explore the power of the
Hebrew blessing that is connected to the laying on of hands
and the prophetic blessing given to the children. We will reveal
why God still honors this act today, and why your seed can be
great in the earth. Understanding and practicing this blessing
will move you from being the TAIL to being the HEAD! God
said to Israel, "I will make you the HEAD and not the TAIL"
(Deuteronomy 28:13). This is not just a catchy phrase. The
word of the Lord given to Moses revealed that God wanted His
people to be the HEAD and not the TAIL, above and not
beneath. God does not want us to go out empty!
 American Christians have been indoctrinated in a
western type of theology. This theology often (willfully or
ignorantly) confuses or underestimates the importance of
Hebrew theology in relation to New Testament doctrine and
early church history. Simply put, we cannot put into practice
what we have not learned and Christians need to know about
the Hebrew blessing and other Old Testament practices. The
foundation of the Hebrew blessing is woven in the revelation
of the covenant.
THE TALE OF TWO
COVENANTS
What image comes to your mind when you hear the
words Old Testament, New Testament, Old Covenant or New
Covenant? To most western Christians, the word "old" implies
something outdated. In fact, many western believers perceive
the Old Testament as an inspired document of outdated stories
with no practical application for today.
Some Christians can be overheard saying, "I am a New
Covenant person," or ''I'm a New Testament believer." Many
pastors never even crack the cover of the Old Testament. Since
salvation through Christ's death and resurrection brought us
into a new and better covenant, we often think all 39 books of
the Old Testament have been replaced or retired on the shelves
of heaven and that they are no longer valid for our time.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Consider the
following:
At the time of Christ and the apostles, the New
Testament was not compiled or written. All that existed was the
Torah (five books of Moses), the prophets and the writings
(which we call the Old Testament).
The writers of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John) are constantly quoting Scriptures from the Old
Testament to prove Christ was the Messiah.
When the apostles (like Paul) began to debate the
doctrine of Christ in the New Covenant era, they always
referred back to the Old Testament prophets and the Torah to
prove that Christ was the Messiah.
Many Old Testament prophecies predicting the
Tribulation, God's wrath, the coming Kingdom of God, and
future events have NOT yet been fulfilled.
Despite certain modern thinking, it is impossible to
separate the many prophecies and promises found in the Old
Testament from the Bible itself. Christ came not to destroy the
Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-18). It is said, "The Old
Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New
Testament is the Old Testament revealed." Jesus said a scribe
will bring forth treasures both old and new.
EXPOSING A
MISCONCEPTION
Misunderstanding the importance of the Old Testament
stems from a misconception about the Law of Moses. The first
five books of the Bible are called the Torah (in Hebrew) or the
Pentateuch. These five books written by Moses in the
wilderness are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy. In short, they reveal the history of creation and
the early history of the Hebrew nation, Israel. The Torah is the
written record of the laws, judgments, and commandments God
gave to His chosen people.
The Torah contains the "blessings and curses of the
Law." If Israel, as a nation, obeyed God's commandments, then
great blessing would follow every aspect of their lives. The
works of their hands would be blessed and great increase
would follow. If they walked in sin and disobedience, then
great pain, suffering and sorrow would follow. This was called
the "blessing and curse of the law" written in Deuteronomy
chapter 28.
REDEEMED FROM THE
CURSE
At the time of Christ's death and resurrection, a New
Covenant was established. It was not based upon the Law, but
upon grace; not upon works, but upon faith. The Ten
Commandments were summed up by one commandment: "Love
the Lord thy God with all thy strength and mind and thy
neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-39). If you walk in love,
you will obey the Ten Commandments!
The Bible states that, "Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).
Paul, in his writing, knew that the Law was so strict that even
the most observant Jew could not keep every letter of it in
minute detail. Therefore, Paul taught about the power of the
grace of God to forgive sins.
Because of the teaching of grace versus following the
Law, many Christians think that the Old Testament, especially
the five books of Moses, has been done away with. How can
this be if heaven and earth shall pass away, but God's Word
shall never pass away (Matthew 24:35)? How can it be when,
several times in the five books of Moses, God said He
established a certain statute forever?
Israel celebrated seven feasts throughout the year. God
commanded the Hebrews to keep these seven feasts. One of
those feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, will be celebrated in the
millennial reign of Christ (Zechariah 14:16).
 Bill Cloud has pointed out that we are redeemed from the
curse of the law, but Christ never removed the blessings found
in the Torah! The same blessings available to the Jews under
the Old Covenant are available today under the New Covenant,
and are established by the promises of the Word of God! In the
book of Hebrews, Paul said, "We have a better covenant
established on better promises."
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES ARE
ETERNAL
Are sins under the Old Covenant still sins today?
Certainly! Are the eternal promises given to Abraham and the
Jews under the Old Covenant still available today? Certainly!
As Psalms says, "Forever, O Lord, is Thy word settled in
heaven" (Psalms 119:89). "Heaven and earth will pass away, but
the Word of God shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
Because the Word of God is an eternal seed that cannot be
destroyed, then the spiritual principles recorded in the entire
Bible are as valid today as they were for past generations.
According to Psalm 105:8, God keeps His promises for a
thousand generations!
One of those spiritual principles is the blessing
transferred upon children. The dynamics of a covenant
relationship are understood better when we realize the power of
the blessing that is released by our obedience to God's Word.
THE POWER OF A
COVENANT
Paul's discourse in Hebrews chapter seven tells about the
power of a covenant. Alluding to Genesis chapter 14, Paul tells
how Abraham traveled to Salem (Jerusalem) to pay his tithe to
Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the first king and priest of the
Most High God. Abraham's obedience was carried over into
future generations, who were yet unborn! Paul makes an
unusual statement in Hebrews 7:9-10: ''And as I may so say,
Levi also who receiveth tithes, payed tithes through Abraham.
For he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met
him."
How could Abraham have paid tithes for Levi, who was
not yet born? In fact, neither Isaac nor Jacob had been born!
Yet, Abraham's act of faith would influence a child that was still
a seed in Abraham's loins! To comprehend this passage, we
must examine God's perspective of the covenant as it relates to
those who are yet unborn.
THE SEAL OF THE
COVENANT
The Bible declared that the Jewish Messiah would come
through the "seed of a woman" (Genesis 3:15). The Hebrew
nation began with Abraham and his son Isaac. Isaac's son,
Jacob, had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel.
Israel grew from seventy souls in Egypt to a countless
multitude by the time of the New Testament.
In every ancient covenant, there are covenant rituals
involving the shedding of blood. For example, among certain
African tribes, an incision is made in the wrist of two covenant
partners. Their blood is co-mingled in a cup and this seals the
covenant between the two.
In the Old Testament, God established a sign that
represented His being in covenant with Abraham and his sons.
The sign was circumcision. On the eighth day, Jewish male
babies had the flesh of their foreskin removed from their
genitals (Genesis 17:11). The process caused a flowing of blood
and left a permanent mark on the Hebrew sons. When they
matured and married, each time they consummated the marital
act with their wives, the male seed (sperm) would pass though
the mark of the covenant, therefore, the seed (future child) was
marked before the child was ever conceived!
Circumcision was revealed first to Abraham. Yet, the
revelation did not come to Abraham until twenty-five years
after God promised him a son (Genesis 12:4 and Genesis 17:1).
Why did it take twenty-five years for the promise to come to
pass? Have you received a promise from God, and yet you are
hanging on by a thread of faith, waiting for the promise to
become reality? Does it seem your blessings have been
delayed?

A PROMISE DELAYED FOR TWENTY-FIVE

YEARS
God promised Abraham a covenant son when he was
seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). Abraham was ninety-
nine years old when Sarah finally conceived (Genesis 17:1). For
years, I wondered why it took twentyÂ​five years to bring Isaac
into the world.
I realized the key was the mark of circumcision. Isaac
could not come until Abraham was circumcised and he was
ninety-nine years old when God instructed him to be
circumcised. God knew there would be an Ishmael in Abraham's
life when he was eighty-five years old. If Abraham had been
circumcised and had placed his seed into Hagar, then by the
Law and promise of God, Ishmael would have been the
fulfillment of God's covenant promise. When Ishmael was
thirteen years old, Abraham removed Ishmael and Hagar from
the presence of Sarah, and sent them both away into the
wilderness. Age thirteen is when a Jewish male is responsible
for his own sins.
After Ishmael and Hagar were sent away, God reveled the
secret of the Hebrew covenant to Abraham, who was then
ninety-nine years old! The seed (son) of Abraham entered
covenant because of the act of circumcision. Ishmael could not
be the promised seed, so God allowed Ishmael to grow up and
be removed at age thirteen, then He revealed the secret of the
covenant (Genesis 17:25).
Within one year after God instructed Abraham to be
circumcised, the promised son finally came! The act of
circumcision was so sacred that God demanded that every
Hebrew male child be circumcised on the eighth day, because
eight is the number for new beginnings. If a child was not
circumcised, then they were not considered under covenant
and God warned they would be cut off from among the people
(Genesis 17:14).
The question is, which is holy - the seed or the mark of
the covenant? God promised the blessing to come to
Abraham's seed, which would have been his children and
grandchildren. Yet, the blessing did not come until Abraham
was cut in his flesh! Any seed (person) without a covenant is a
life without a destiny. A covenant without a seed (person) to
carry it on is a temporary blessing. A person who is in a
covenant relationship with God will see blessings flow in his or
her life.
In fact, the Word of God is called the "seed of the word"
(Mark 4:14-15). In the Greek text of the New Testament, the
word "seed" is the word spermata. It means a living, active
seed. It is actually a word related to the sperm (seed) in a man's
loins. Each seed of a man contains the power to produce an
individual life. The Word of God has power to create miracles,
answer prayers, and change lives forever!

HAVE YOUR BLESSINGS BEEN DELAYED?

 Some believers keep a prophetic journal or a spiritual
diary to track every prophetic word from the Lord and record
every Scriptural promise ever revealed to them. Perhaps you
have patiently endured and questioned why it is taking so long
for your promises to be fulfilled. While the answer to that
question may vary, the life of Abraham gives us a clue to one
main reason for delays in our blessings. The Ishmaels in our
lives may be restraining the progress of our destiny!
Ishmael was conceived because Sarah became tired of
waiting for the promise. When we become impatient, we begin
operating in our flesh and attempt to help God in fulfilling His
promises. The Scripture says, "Be not weary in well doing, for
in due season we shall reap if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). God
is not slack concerning His promise.
Ishmael was a product of the flesh and had to be
maintained in the flesh. Remember, what you birth in the Spirit
will be cared for by the Holy Spirit. What you birth in the flesh
must be cared for by the flesh. You will become weary and
depressed attempting to maintain anything that did not come
to you through God's approval.
The Ishmaels must be removed from your life before God
can complete His perfect work in you. In Genesis 21:9, we are
told that Ishmael began mocking Isaac. Your flesh will always
misunderstand things of the Spirit. Your spiritual blessings and
your flesh are in conflict. The Ishmaels in your life could be
people who pull you away from God because of pride, jealousy,
fear or unbelief.

YOU MAY NOT BE READY YET

 You may think you are ready for a global ministry, but
God may see too much of Ishmael in your life. You may be
asking God for increase in your business, but you spend too
much money on toys of the flesh and do not sow enough into
the Kingdom of God. If God sends your knight in shining
armor, you may not be prepared emotionally, since you haven't
gotten over the last bad relationship you had. For example,
divorced people often need someone to affirm them, and they
enter into a marriage with someone who had a similar
experience. Neither one of them are healed from the past. They
carry emotional baggage into their next marriage, only to
experience additional disappointment.
When I have observed other ministries moving along
much quicker than VOE, I have questioned God asking, "Why
is that person reaching thousands and I'm still reaching
hundreds? I have been in the ministry twice as long." This was
not out of pride, but out of frustration. Years passed and the
ministry reaching thousands is now reaching hundreds and we
are now reaching thousands. The Lord revealed to me, "You
were not ready for growth when you thought you were. There
were things in you that I needed to work out of you, in order to
use you in a greater manner."
THE REASON FOR FAILURES
God often blesses us not because we deserve it, but
because we are obedient and willing vessels. I remember a
great female minister who witnessed great miracles. I asked her
husband, "Why isn't she preaching to multitudes? She is
friends with many nationally known ministers who could help
open doors of utterance for her!" Soon after our conversation,
the enemy came against the woman and she wasn't able to
withstand the attack. She fell into a sin and her marriage ended
in divorce. I was stunned, because she was a woman of great
prayer. I pondered, "How could this happen to her?"
Her husband told me, "The reason God did not open
great doors for her is because there was a spirit of pride she
dealt with and it finally manifested." He continued, "I am glad it
came out now, and she dealt with it before she became
nationally known and her sin would have disappointed so
many people." God has restored her ministry, although her
family and friends were hurt greatly.
Often, our greatest blessings are delayed until we deal
with those things within us that, if ignored, will destroy our
lives, ministries, and family. God does not want to withhold His
favor, but He will not send favor upon a person who is
operating in the flesh.
THE ISHMAEL GENERATION
In America, we have a shortage of men who are good
fathers. Often, a young woman becomes pregnant and the
baby's father leaves her to raise the child alone. The mother,
often resentful, feels the child has ruined any opportunity to
go to school or develop a career. Sometimes children in this
situation grow up feeling unwanted and unloved.
We are now seeing the results of a generation of spiritual
orphans who have no fathers. They have no male authority to
hold them and speak words of blessing over them. Remember
that Ishmael was conceived through an act of flesh and not of
faith. When Abraham sent Ishmael away, he sent him into the
wilderness. God told Abraham that Ishmael would be a wild
man and his hand would "be against every man" (Genesis
16:12).
Ishmael was a teenager when he and his mother were
separated from their father, Abraham. Ishmael was under
Abraham's covering and discipline when he lived in his house,
but without a father authority he became a wild man.
Remember, Ishmael had a promise from God to become a great
nation, but had no special favor or blessing from Abraham.
Ishmael became a man who was out of control, and his
descendants turned against their own relatives!
We have thousands of our own teenage Ishmaels in the
United States. They are wandering in the wilderness of life (the
streets and ghettos) without any spiritual fathers to touch and
bless them. They are wild in their appearance and in their
attitudes.
 When a son does not have a true spiritual father, he
often develops an Ishmael spirit. He becomes ruled by his
emotions and feelings. God said Ishmael's hand will be against
every man (Genesis 16:20). The Ishmael generation respects no
one in authority. They are out for themselves and eventually
turn against parents, teachers, policemen, and those who
attempt to bring discipline to their lives.
This explains why teenagers in public schools turn guns
on teachers and fellow students. Very few young gun-men and
teen troublemakers come from a solid Christian family with a
strong father to bless them. Most are from troubled homes that
breed entire generations of Ishmaels including alcoholics, drug
addicts, prostitutes and abusive parents.
Recently, the Holy Spirit directed me to pray for young
men who have not had a natural or spiritual father to speak
blessing into their life. Ishmael had a promise from God, but
was missing the blessing of a father. Many people have
promises in their lineage that are dormant because sin and
disobedience are inhibiting the ability to release the blessing.
THE BLESSINGS OF THE
FATHER
When a father is not present to pour blessings into the
life of his son, the boy may become an Ishmael. It is important
that sons without spiritual fathers have male figures to speak
into their lives. For a child, it may be a children's church leader,
a Sunday school teacher, an evangelist, or a pastor. It may be a
close relative who loves the Lord and can spend time with the
child.
During one revival, I asked for young men to come
forward who never had a father to speak blessings in their
lives. Young men between thirteen and twenty-five were called
forward. One young man later told me, "I am twenty-five years
old. From the time I can remember, my father has never said one
good thing to me. I have been cursed, rebuked and railed upon
all my life. You are the first man to speak a blessing over me." Is
it any wonder the children are turning out the way they are? If
there is power in the spoken blessing, there is also power in the
curse.
THE APPLICATION
After Abraham was circumcised, the promise was
fulfilled. After Abraham cut his flesh and bled, God fulfilled
Abraham's destiny.
"Oh Lord," we cry out. "I am reminding you of what you
told me. I know this was you. I have been waiting for a long
time. You know I am not getting any younger, so could you
hurry up and bring the answers to my prayers?" If we waited
for twenty-five years (as Abraham did) for our blessings, most
of us would forget about the promise, go adopt a child and
think that's how God meant to fulfill the promise.
Many people have many promises from the Lord. They
name them and claim them and speak over them and tell
everyone about them. Yet, year after year, they experience the
same level of blessing and little, if any, increase. Could there be
attitudes of the heart that are hidden and must be removed?
The way to remove the junk is to cleanse your heart through
circumcision.
"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and return
unto the Lord your God." - Joel 2:13

In the early church, many Jewish believers felt Gentiles

needed physical circumcision of the flesh as a sign of a true
relationship with Christ. During the first century, Jews and
Gentiles argued over circumcision. Paul had Timothy
circumcised in order to keep strife over the matter from dividing
the Jews and Gentiles in the church. It was Paul who revealed
that circumcision of the flesh was not as important as
circumcision of the heart!
God will not bring you into the fullness of your destiny
until you have experienced a circumcision in your heart. There
are many things in our hearts that can be major distractions if
we inherit God's blessings yet have uncircumcised hearts.
A person can be saved, but still struggle with bondages
of the heart. Like Lazarus, they are alive on the inside but still
bound in grave clothes! Paul wrote, "Let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit" (2 Corinthians 7: l).
Filthiness of the flesh involves the works of the flesh that men
can see, and filthiness of the spirit includes inner hindrances
such as jealousy, bitterness, and so forth.
THE JACOB FACTOR
The patriarch Jacob experienced a transformation when
he finally decided he needed an inner change in his nature. God
often reminded Jacob about His blessings and His promises.
He would tell him, "You shall inherit the land ... you shall inherit
the promise ... your seed shall be great." Yet, it took over
twenty years for the fullness of the blessing to become reality
(Genesis 32). There are several things Jacob did to change his
destiny.
Jacob became sick and tired of himself. His life had
centered around deceiving people and playing tricks on them.
He finally decided that he didn't like himself and he desired an
inner change to take place.
He wrestled with an angel (the Lord) all night long. This
wrestling represented crying out for a special blessing. Jacob
received a change in his nature and his name. God gave him a
new name (Israel) since he had become a new man. He walked
with a limp the rest of his life. It signified the bridge to his
blessing (Genesis 32:24-32). Like Jacob, when you spend time
with the Lord, you will leave with a different walk!
Years after Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his
blessing, Jacob had to meet him face to face. Remember that
Esau was Jacob's older twin and, as the first born, was to
receive Isaac's blessing.
 But Jacob deceived Isaac into giving him the blessing.
He had to cross the Jordan and have a face to face encounter
with Esau whom he had cheated twenty years earlier. Jacob
made restitution and presented gifts to Esau and sought his
forgiveness for stealing his inheritance.

THERE IS A PROCESS TO THE

CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART
We must become tired of our carnal ways. We will never
change the sin that we permit in our lives. Jacob finally ran out
of tricks and sought God for a blessing. This blessing led to a
life-long radical change in Jacob! We must spend time with God
until He changes our nature. Jacob conducted an all-night
prayer meeting. He was alone and literally wrestled all night
with God, but when the sun rose he was inwardly transformed.
He never again deceived a friend or foe.
I was called into the ministry during an all-night prayer
meeting. During a crisis early in my ministry, it was an all-night
encounter with the Lord that brought me through. We must not
forget the art of intercession!
We must make restitution with other people, if possible.
Making restitution involves making past wrongs right.
According to the New Testament, repentance is more than
telling God that you are sorry. It also means repenting before
those you have wronged or fought with. Unforgiveness stops
the flow of God's favor. God never blesses us beyond our last
act of obedience.
MY PERSONAL CONFESSION
The Bible instructs that we "make no provision for the
flesh and for the lust thereof" (Romans 13:14). Often, we try to
justify a weakness by excusing it as a minor flaw in our genes.
I'm sure you have heard people say, "I have a temper because I
have Irish blood on my mother's side and you know the Irish
have tempers!" Others will say, "My father was very abusive
and I have his genes in my body." Some will go as far as to say,
"My mother was unfaithful and the same thing has happened
to me. I guess it just runs in the family."
We do not have to re-live our family's mistakes. Problems
resulting from family lineage do not have to cripple our lives.
The spirit of poverty, divorce, strife and confusion need not
reign in our lives. A circumcised heart is free from the fleshly
past!
For many years of ministry, I dealt with a weakness. I
would, at times, sense the presence of unbelief or strife in a
congregation where I was ministering. The atmosphere was not
free. While preaching, instead of plowing through the
hindrance, I would become frustrated and begin publicly
rebuking the congregation. Sometimes I would say, "I am going
to say something and I don't care if you don't come back!" or,
"If you don't like what I am saying, you know where the door
is." There were times when folks took me up on the offer!
Afterward I thought, "How can I help people if they are
not present to hear the teaching?" Through these experiences,
I have learned to control my tongue when I get frustrated and
not make people mad. Needless to say, fewer people now leave
the services!
A young minister desires acceptance from older
ministers. During my early ministry, I would join other ministers
in sharing the latest information (it was actually gossip)
concerning other ministers. Instead of defending the men being
criticized, I said nothing. My silence seemed to signal
acceptance of the gossip. Sometimes I would offer my own
opinion. Afterwards, the knife of conviction pierced my heart. I
have gone to ministers and repented. My mouth was a
hindrance and needed to be circumcised. I needed to cut out
certain conversations, and speak only good things. It was easy
to excuse this problem by blaming certain people in my lineage
who were very emotional or temperamental by nature. I didn't
want to have this weakness linger, so I began to ask God for
discipline. I began praying often for the Lord to give me self-
control.

EVER HEARD OF A MINISTRY OF

CONFRONTATION?
I remember a person who once worked with us who was
always very opinionated toward people. It seemed when the
person met people, she always saw the worst in them and
usually wanted to point it out. One day the person told me that
she had a ministry of confrontation. Actually, this was a
spiritual excuse for being a gossip! The same person once told
a family member, "God puts me around people to discover their
problems and expose them." No one has a ministry of
confrontation - we need a ministry of restoration. The Bible and
the Holy Spirit reveals what is right and wrong in our lives.
Correction offered without love is a spirit of manipulation.
Correction presented with love leads to restoration.
YOUR HEART CONDITION
God is concerned about your heart condition. In the
natural, clogged arteries create severe blockages. These
blockages cause pain and weakness and, eventually, a heart
attack. When the blood doesn't flow correctly, it hurts your
health. In a similar way, strife, anger, fear, and other works of
the flesh block the flow of God's life within you.
People can claim all the promises they wish and quote
Scriptures forward and backward in Greek and Hebrew, but for
the Word to operate in their lives, they need a pure and
righteous heart before God! "For the Lord will bless the
righteous - with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield"
(Psalms 5:12).
The impurities in our mind and spirit will block the favor
of God. They also hinder our prayers from being heard! Psalms
states, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear
me" (Psalm 66:18). Hidden sin is evidence of an uncircumcised
heart.

LOSING BATTLES WITH AN

UNCIRCUMCISED HEART
When David fought Goliath, the Bible records a
statement that David made about the giant. David called him an
"uncircumcised Philistine" (l Samuell7:26). For a Jew to call
someone uncircumcised was the highest level of insult. By
David declaring Goliath as uncircumcised, David was pointing
out several important facts:

1. The giant had no covenant with God. According to

Jewish law, circumcision was the sign of a covenant
relationship with God.
2. Because the giant had no covenant with God, he did
not have the favor of Divine protection from God.
3. Because the giant was not protected by God, he was an
easy target for David. Goliath had blasphemed the name
of God, and a blasphemer was to be stoned, according
to the Law of Moses. Perhaps this is why it only took
David five stones to kill Goliath!

Goliath was an uncircumcised enemy of God. David was

a circumcised, covenant man. David went to battle with
confidence because he understood the condition of the
covenant and his position in the covenant.
When people go into a spiritual battle without repenting
of their carnal, fleshly nature (circumcision of the heart), they
are headed for eventual defeat. The priests Hophni and
Phineas once attempted to carry the ark into a battle, but they
were spiritually unclean. These ungodly priests were secretly
committing adultery at the door of the tabernacle. Both men led
Israel into war, carrying the ark on their shoulders. As
everyone shouted, the battle ensued. The priests were killed
and the ark was captured (1 Samuel 4).
Years earlier, the Ark of the Covenant was taken into
battle at Jericho, and Joshua led Israel into victory (Joshua
chapter 6). Yet, the following week, Israel was defeated at Ai
because there was a secret sin in the camp (Joshua 7). The Ark
was not a magic box that brought victory when carried around.
Hophni and Phineas forgot the lessons at Ai. The Ark was not
a guarantee for victory, unless it was carried on HOLY
shoulders!
There are many people who believe in doing warfare.
They hold prayer meetings with yelling and screaming, and
they command every demon from Washington to San
Francisco to give up, come down, and get out. They rail
against Satan as they rebuke, command and demand his
kingdom to submit to their commands. Yet, the same people
return to church on Sunday with an attitude against the pastor,
choir director, or other church members!
The archangel Michael fought with the devil over the
body of Moses. Michael did not rail against Satan, but he said,
"The Lord rebuke thee, Satan" (Jude 1:9). Michael expressed
authority over Satan (Revelation 12:7-11), not by using words
to assault him, but to rebuke Satan in the name of the Lord!
Michael understood that in the name of Jesus there is ultimate
spiritual authority Since Michael and Satan are both angels,
Michael had to deal with Satan using a higher name than his
own, and that is the name of Jesus.
We must come in the authority of Jesus' name when we
deal with Satan. Yet, many saints do warfare and end up getting
beaten up! If iniquity hinders our prayers from being heard by
God, then iniquity affects our warfare also. Satan is not
obligated to obey our rebukes when iniquity is in our hearts!
This may explain why many Christians unsuccessfully
bind devils and rebuke powers. When the motives in our hearts
are carnal, we are defeating ourselves. The favor of God cannot
be released when we walk in carnal disobedience.
David announced that Goliath would be fed to the fowls
of the air (1 Samuel 17:46). In the Bible, fowls of the air can
represent evil spirits. For example, in Mark chapter four, the
Word of God was sowed and the "birds come and eat the
seed." Jesus said the birds represent evil spirits that try to
devour the seed of the Word before it can take root. Evil spirits
encourage carnality in our lives and love it when we react
contrary to the Word of God. Remember, disobedience always
opens a door for the enemy!
The favor of God can never operate in a believer with an
unclean heart. The enemy will laugh at your prayers, your
binding and losing, and all your emotional shouting. When
you entertain strife, contention and unforgiveness, then you
are, figuratively speaking, food for the birds. Evil spirits will
oppress you, and attempt to kill you if they could, when you
allow yourself to become wounded spiritually through
disobedience.

WHEN GOD WANTED TO KILL MOSES'

SONS
At the age of eighty, Moses was called to Egypt. The
prophet took his wife, Zipporah, and his sons with him. While
Moses rested at an inn, the Bible says, "God sought an
occasion to kill Moses' sons" (Exodus 4:24-26). This statement
is confusing without an understanding of how circumcision is
tied to the blood covenant and the favor of God. Although
Moses was a Hebrew, he was raised in the palace of Pharaoh
and educated in the finest Egyptian schools. He may have
been circumcised before Pharaoh's daughter found him, but as
for his family, his sons were born in the desert and were
uncircumcised.
It appears that, at age eighty, Moses knew little, if
anything, about the Hebrew God and Hebrew customs. When
God appeared to him, Moses said, "Which God are you and
what is your name?" Moses even asked the voice behind the
burning bush, "Who shall I say has sent me?" If Moses was
this ignorant about the God of Abraham, then he was certainly
ignorant about the covenant nature of circumcision.
God required Moses to circumcise his sons before they
entered the land of Egypt so they would be protected from the
plagues. Later, when the angel of death came to kill the first
born of the land, the Hebrews were instructed to place another
sign of their blood covenant with God over their doorposts.
The blood of a lamb on each doorpost was a sign to the angel
of death to pass over that home.
The Egyptians were not protected by the covenant. They
had no evidence of being in covenant with God so they
suffered through the plagues and judgments, and ultimately
lost their first-born.
Even when Israel sinned in the wilderness and God
wanted to kill the entire nation and raise up a seed through
Moses, Moses reminded God of His covenant and said, ''What
will the Egyptians think ... that you brought your people out of
Egypt just to kill them in the wilderness?" Moses knew this
would bring a reproach to the holy name of the Hebrew God.
 Circumcision was the physical sign of God's covenant
with the Hebrews. Today, a circumcised heart is the spiritual
sign of your relationship to God, through the New Covenant.
Your biggest battle will be dealing with the reproach and
memories of your past. This is where the "Gilgal factor" needs
to take effect.
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away
the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of
the place is called Gilgal." - Joshua 5:9

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Joshua

led a new generation of soldiers into the Promised Land to
possess their prize. The Hebrews grew through three levels, or
positions of understanding, while in the wilderness. They
entered the desert with memories of the past when they were
slaves. They had a slave mentality. Then they learned about
becoming sons of God and acquired a son mentality Ultimately
they matured as sons and took on a soldier mentality
Those coming out of Egypt had a slave mentality. They
had been in bondage so long that, when they came out, they
still had the taste of Egypt in their mouths. They wanted to go
back into Egypt and complained on a continual basis.
While in the wilderness, God rejected the mixed multitude
and the complaining generation and began to teach the
younger generation how to be sons of God. God began to
reveal His desire to dwell among them and provide for them, in
material ways and by being their healer!
Finally, after forty years, Joshua taught the people to
walk in the position, or mentality, of soldiers. They had to learn
to fight in order to take (or possess) the promises of God.
Many Christians today have a slave mentality. They walk
in bondage to human values and traditions. Some have
matured beyond feeling like slaves and have learned that, in
Christ, they are sons of God, children of the King, and joint
heirs with Jesus. At this level there is a danger that Christians
might think that they are not required to do battle with the
enemy because the King's kids should exempt from trouble!
This is not so. King's kids need to be mighty soldiers of Christ.
In these last days, our spiritual battles include reclaiming
what has been lost! Joel said that, in the last days, God would
restore all things. Peter said that the "heavens would receive
Christ until the times of the restitution of all things" (Acts 3:19-
21).
When Joshua led Israel across the Jordan and the nation
headed for Jericho, they reclaimed what already belonged to
them. They repossessed the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
- the land of the covenant promise. To accomplish this, Hebrew
soldiers fought over thirty wars against thirty cities. They
never could have possessed the land had they kept living with
past slave mentalities. Their vision required that they become
soldiers.
THE GILGAL FACTOR
Before Joshua ever carried the young men into battle, he
did two things:
He partook of the Passover. This was the first Passover
celebrated in the Promised Land. The Feast of Passover
reminded the Hebrews of the power of the blood of the lamb to
protect them and bring them out of bondage (Joshua 5:10)!
Joshua then circumcised the young men again (Joshua
5:2-9). The Bible says that their fathers who came out of Egypt
were circumcised, but the young sons born in the wilderness
were not. Therefore, before Joshua took them into battle, he
circumcised their flesh! They had to be covenant men. If they
had gone into battle without the covenant, there would have
been no guarantee they would have won!
The place where Joshua preformed the ritual was called
Gilgal. The word Gilgal means to encircle. Before you come into
the fullness of God's purpose and favor, you must experience a
Gilgal in your life.

ROLLING AWAY THE REPROACH OF THE

PAST
After Joshua obeyed God and circumcised the men for
war, the Word says that, "The reproach of Egypt was rolled
away" In other words, the rebellion, disobedience, and
problems of the past were rolled away.
 Many Christians are cheated out of God's best blessings
because they choose to live with mentalities that are literally
loaded down with baggage from the past. Two things torment
believers: the guilt of yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. God
is already in our future and He will walk beside us as we
experience it! Regarding the past, we must realize that, through
our acceptance of Christ's shed blood for our sins, we are
forgiven and need not live with the guilt and reproach for our
past failures.
THE KEY POINT
Joshua circumcised them again. Some Christians believe
that, upon repentance and acceptance of Christ, all future sins
are automatically forgiven. So they see no need to confess sin
after the time they receive Christ as Savior. This is not correct.
Sin is not automatically forgiven just because one becomes
saved. Sin must be stopped and confessed to God. The Bible
says that, "If we sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" and "Confess your
faults one to one another and pray one for another that you
may be healed" (James 5:16).
Circumcision of the heart is the only way of removing the
fleshly nature that interferes with us having the mind of Christ.
Paul spoke of "casting down imaginations" and the "pulling
down of strongholds." These strongholds and imaginations
are thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of
God's Word. We must cut out and remove all thoughts that are
contrary to the Word. After all, the flesh is literally the old
nature and the carnal way of thinking. Only when we renounce
carnal thoughts and think the thoughts of God, can we be free
of the reproach of the past.
When you are free from guilt, you have confidence that
your prayers are heard and will be answered. Confidence mixed
with faith and patience will carry you through every difficult
situation that you will encounter.
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He
will show them His covenant." - Psalms 25:14)

God is a covenant keeping God. The Bible contains two

major sections - the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The word testament is an old English word for "covenant." The
Bible reveals God's conditions for entering the covenant and
God's promises of blessing for those who keep the covenant.
You are more than a sinner saved by grace or a saint on
your way to heaven. If you have received Christ and are
actively walking with Him, you are in a covenant with Him. It is
similar to the covenant of marriage. When I married my wife,
Pam, her last name was Taylor. Once the marriage bond was
sealed, she took my name and became Mrs. Pamela Stone. She
became co-equal in my blessings and also had her name placed
on the checking and savings accounts. We became one. Her
needs were my needs and her blessings were my blessings.
When she was hurting, it caused me to feel her pain.
When God makes a covenant with us, all that He has
becomes ours. And all that we have becomes His. It is not my
house, my car, or my ministry - it all belongs to the Lord and He
has made me a steward over things on earth.
This can be seen in the life of Abraham. Before God
judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He stood before Abraham and
warned him of the coming judgment. Abraham asked God if He
would destroy the cities for 50 righteous people. God said,
"Okay, not for fifty." Abraham began to negotiate and said
what about forty, then thirty, then twenty, then finally, "Will
you destroy the cities with ten righteous?" God said, ''I'll spare
the city for ten." God was willing to spare the city because
Abraham was His covenant partner. Abraham had blood
relatives in the city.
Later on, God instructed Abraham to take Isaac to Mount
Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham did not weep,
become angry, or question God. He followed the instructions to
the point of laying his son on the wood and preparing to take
his life! The Bible says that, ''Abraham counted God able to
raise Isaac from the dead." Abraham knew God would be
faithful to His promises.
Today, we do not understand covenants because we
frequently see promises broken in our lives. From marriage
vows to broken political promises, we trust no one who gives
us a guarantee. We must remember that "God is not a man that
He should lie!" If God has made a promise to a believer in a
covenant relationship, then He will fulfill His part. We must
begin to see our relationship to the Father as a covenant
relationship. All that is mine is His, and all that is His is mine!

THE SECRET COVENANT OF GIVING

This covenant is not secret because it has never been
revealed, it is secret because many believers do not know it
exists. I am going to show you one of the most amazing
revelations that God has ever placed before me. God has a
special covenant with those who are givers!
God remembers those who have a covenant of obedience
with Him! In Nehemiah, the prophet rebuilt Jerusalem and the
temple amid much opposition. His decisions were very
controversial with some people. Priests who married foreign
women were required to separate themselves from the
priesthood. Wealthy Jews were charging interest on money
they loaned to fellow Jews. Nehemiah was furious. Because of
Nehemiah's obedience to the Word of God, he said, "Remember
me, O God, concerning this." This phrase is found three times
in chapter thirteen (Nehemiah 13:14, 13:22, 13:31).
The Bible states, "He hath remembered His covenant
forever, the Word which He commanded for a thousand
generations" (Psalms 105:8). Psalms 106:45 emphasizes the
promise again: "He remembered for them His covenant."
When Noah was locked within the ark for one hundred
fifty days, the Word says, "God remembered Noah" (Genesis
8:1). When God destroyed the wicked cities in the plain, He
remembered Abraham and brought his nephew to a place of
safety (Genesis 19:29). When Rachel was barren and desired
children, she conceived because "God remembered Rachel"
(Genesis 30:2). As Hannah cried out for a son, God remembered
Hannah and gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 1:19).
The word "remember" does not mean God somehow
forgot us and suddenly snaps His finger saying, "Oh my!
There's one of my children in trouble. I got so busy I forgot
about her." The meaning of "remember" in Hebrew actually
means you came up before God's face.

THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

One way of reminding God about the covenant that you
have with Him is through your tithe and offerings. In Malachi,
the Hebrew prophet rebuked the priest for not properly
executing the priestly office. Sacrifices were offered that were
blind, lame, and defective. The Law instructed Israel to present
the first fruits and the best on the altar. Malachi told them that
they will be cursed with a curse if they did not begin obeying
the commandments concerning the tithe and offering (Malachi
3:10). God gave a dynamic promise that He would "rebuke the
devourer" for them if they would obey The windows of heaven
would be opened and blessing would flow into their lives.
They had lost their fear and respect for the Lord. Those
who lost their fear of the Lord became spiritually careless. God
was calling the nation back to truth! The Lord gave a revelation
that is only found in the Old Testament in Malachi 3:16, which
says, "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another
and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the
Lord, and that thought upon His name."
There is a book in heaven called a book of remembrance.
It contains the names of those that fear the Lord and think
upon His name! This appears to be the same book that the
angel of the Lord spoke about when conversing with Cornelius
in a vision in Acts.

"There was a certain man in Caesarea called

Cornelius, a centurion of the hand called the Italian band, a
devout man, and one that feared God with all his house,
which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God
always. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of
the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto
him, 'Cornelius.' And when he looked on him, he was afraid,
and said unto him, 'Thy prayers and thine alms are come up
for a memorial before God.' " - (Acts 10:1 4)

The angel mentioned Cornelius' alms and prayers. The

word "alms" is an English word for charity to the poor and
needy. This Italian soldier financially supported the needy. His
prayer, like all prayers, came before God and, according to
Revelation 5:8, was stored in golden vials before the throne of
God. The combination of praying and giving produced a
memorial before God.
The word "memorial" comes from a Greek word
mnemosunon, which denotes a memorial which keeps alive the
memory of someone or something. It is taken from a root word
that means "to be mindful."
THE MYSTERY OF THE SACRIFICES
To better understand the covenant that God has with the
giver, we must explore the true purpose and meaning of the
sacrificial system God established through Moses. There were
five major offerings established in the Law of Moses. Each
involved certain animals or grains that were offered as an
offering for various purposes.
1. The Burnt Offering
This involved a bull, ram, or male bird with no defects
that was wholly burned. Its purpose was to atone for
unintentional sin, and also to be an expression of devotion and
surrender to God (Lev. 6:8-13, 8:18-21, and 16:24).
2. The Grain Offering
This offering consisted of grains, fine flour, olive oil,
incense, baked bread (cakes or wafers), and salt. This was an
offering to recognize God's goodness and provision (Leviticus
2 & 6:14-23).
3. The Fellowship Offering
This had to be any animal without defect from a herd or a
flock - a variety of breeds. This was a voluntary act of worship,
thanksgiving, and fellowship. It included a communal meal
(Lev. 3 & 7:11-34).
4. The Sin Offering
This was a young bull for the high priest and the
congregation, a male goat for the leader, a female goat or lamb
for the common person, a dove or pigeon for the poor, and a
tenth of an ephah of fine flour for the very poor (Lev. 4:1, 5:13,
6:24-30, 8:14-17, and 16:3-22). This offering was mandatory
atonement for specific unintentional sin, confession of sin,
forgiveness of sin, and cleansing from any defilement.
5. The Guilt Offering
This had to be a ram or a lamb. It was mandatory
atonement for unintentional sin, requiring restitution or a
cleansing from defilement. A person making restitution paid
20%.
Imagine if, each time you sinned, you were required to
present an offering to the Lord. This did not include the
offerings during the special feasts of Israel or the free-will
offerings each Sabbath day at the synagogues. In those times,
no one ever came before God empty handed. They always
brought an animal offering, grain offering, or gifts to present
before God.
These offerings served a three-fold purpose: They were
used to forgive and cover the sins of the people. They were
used to feed the Levites that were ministering at the Temple.
The obedience of the people opened a window of blessing
upon them.

HOW GOD CONSIDERS YOUR

SACRIFICES
We no longer travel to Jerusalem three times a year to
offer blood on an altar. So, how do these Old Testament
sacrifices apply to us today? According to the New Testament,
Christ was the fulfillment of all these sacrifices. Through His
death and resurrection He redeemed us, sanctified us, forgave
our sins, and removed our guilt. Paul spoke of this in
Ephesians 5:2 when he said, ''And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."

Animal sacrifice was an important part of the covenant

between the Jews and God.

Notice the phrase "a sweet-smelling savor." This is a

term used in relation to how God viewed the burnt offerings of
the Old Testament. Christ's death was the ultimate offering,
well-pleasing to God.
Now, notice how Paul spoke of the saints' giving at
Phillipi: "Not that I desire a gift, but I desire that fruit may
abound to your account. But I have all, and abound. I am full,
having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent
from you, an odor of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and
well-pleasing to God" (Philippians 4:17-18).
The same phrase is used in connection to our financial
gifts. They are a sweet smelling fragrance! How could any
offering that we give be compared to the offering that Christ
made of His own life? Because our offerings are used to win
the lost to Christ! Therefore, the offering is valuable and
precious in God's sight! You must see your offering in the same
manner as God does - a sacrifice that is well pleasing.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFERING

I grew up attending large church conventions. During
the services, offerings were received. Often, the speaker would
laugh or make certain remarks, such as, "Let's get this offering
over with," or "It's time to get the money for the bills!" Offering
time was not worship, but was presented as an interruption of
the normal progression of things. Few Scriptures were quoted
to encourage the believer and most people dropped a dollar in
the bucket. Then church continued.
When we conduct our own camp meetings, it is
necessary to receive offerings. In the past, I often hurried
through the offering and treated it as a distraction. One day,
Pastor Jentezen Franklin and I went out for lunch. He said,
"Perry, you don't believe what you preach. Why do you act like
giving is an interruption? Don't you understand the power of
the seed offering?" After he shared the Scriptures that relate to
giving, my eyes were opened. I repented before our people and
before God. I now understand that the financial gifts presented
to God are like the sacrifices the Hebrews offered at the temple.
God considered the offering (sacrifices) very serious. In fact,
when Israel withheld the best sacrifices from God, He sent a
curse on the nation (Malachi 3:10).
These days, we do not offer lambs, bulls, and rams on an
altar. Yet, we are told to bring our gifts to the altar (Matthew
5:23-24). Today, our gifts are the financial seeds we plant as
tithes and offerings intended for the spreading of the Gospel.
To you, your offering may seem like only a piece of money or a
check. To God, it is a sweet smelling sacrifice, well pleasing to
Him.
Think about the number of missionaries who cannot
conduct crusades because they don't have the money to buy a
plane ticket, rent a convention hall, or follow up with new
converts. How does God view a person who plants offerings to
send missionaries overseas?

THE MYSTERY OF THE HARVEST

The seven feasts of Israel centered around seed time and
harvest. Passover represented the time of the barley harvest
and Pentecost was the time of the wheat harvest. During
Tabernacles, seven types of fruit were brought before the Lord.
Hebrew men would present portions of grain and fruit before
God in appreciation for God's blessings upon the work of their
hands. As we enter the time of the end, the parables and
teachings of Christ reveal two important themes. One is that
the harvest is the end of the world, and the other is that there
will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 13 and
Acts 2:17).
The harvest is represented by the wheat and the tares.
The wheat represents the children of the kingdom and the tares
represent the children of the world. The wheat and tares will
grow together until the time of the harvest, which is the time
before Christ's coming (Matthew 13:36-42). Then God will
supernaturally separate the two groups and bring the wheat
into the Father's house. The Holy Spirit will be poured out like
rain. The greatest impact will be upon the sons and the
daughters. In order to bring in the harvest, it requires seed
planting.

GIVERS AND THE COMING OF THE LORD

Perhaps the most exciting part of this special covenant of
the giver, is found in Psalms 50.

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall
devourer before Him and it shall he very tempestuous round
about him." - Psalms 50:3

This passage alludes to what Paul wrote in 2

Thessalonians 1:7-10. Paul wrote that the Lord would be
revealed from heaven in flaming fire, when He returned to rule
on earth! The Psalms continue:

"He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth,
that He may judge His people. Gather my saints together
unto me; those who have made a covenant with me by
sacrifice." - Psalms 50:4-5

This prophetic passage alludes to the time of the Lord's

return. It mentions the saints who are gathered together. This
phrase is used by Paul in Ephesians 1:10, regarding the
Rapture. Paul also said that we would be "caught up together"
(1 Thessalonians 4:17). Jesus said that He would prepare a
place for us, and then He would come and receive us unto
Himself (John 14:1-3).
Notice that those who are gathered together to the Lord
are those who have a covenant of sacrifice with God.
Remember, in the Old Testament, the sacrifices (and offerings)
were animals placed on the altar for the remission of sins,
forgiveness and cleansing. These sacrifices were a vital part of
a covenant relationship with God (Malachi 3).
Today, our tithes and offerings, along with the praise of
our lips, become the sacrifices.

"Ye also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an

holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5

The sacrifice of blood was a token of the covenant in

ancient Israel. When we accept Christ, we enter a covenant
with Him. The seal of the covenant is the Holy Spirit
(Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30). The word "seal" is a word used for an
engagement ring, among ancient Greeks. In other words, the
Holy Spirit is our engagement ring proving that we have a
relationship with Christ. Our obedience to the Holy Spirit
regarding giving and worshiping becomes our sacrifice to God!
Our body is a living sacrifice and our obedience is the proof of
ownership. If we love Him, we keep His commandments and
that is true obedience.
Those who are givers have a special covenant of
sacrifice with God! Those who obediently and sacrificially give
will be gathered together with Christ at the Rapture! Several
parables of Christ also point this out.

HIDING THE LORD'S MONEY

Matthew 25 includes the parable of the unprofitable
servant. Three servants were given various amounts of money,
called "talents." One received five, one two, and another fellow
got one talent. The master went on a long journey. Upon
returning, he demanded an account of his money. The man with
five talents invested the money and gained five, thus having
ten talents for the master. He was commended for being a
profitable servant. The second fellow took the two talents,
invested them and doubled his investment. The master
commended the second as a profitable servant. The third man
was afraid, and hid the money in the ground. He was rebuked
by the master and told that he should have invested the money
and earned interest for the master! He was called an
unprofitable servant.
The Bible teaches that we should be wise stewards of
God's money. We should invest our money to gain an increase,
and we should use that increase for the kingdom. The unwise
servant, who hid the Lord's money and never invested into the
kingdom, was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 25:30)!
According to older Bible scholars, the outer darkness is the
Tribulation period!
Those who are not obedient will face the Tribulation,
while those who were faithful to God will be judged as faithful
servants. We will be gathered together with Christ! God has a
special covenant with the giver.
Being prepared to meet the Lord in the air when He
returns for the church involves two aspects of obedience:

l. Being born again.

That means repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus
as both Savior and Lord. Your name is placed in the Lamb's
Book of Life, giving you access to the eternal Kingdom of God.
Being born again makes you Rapture ready!

2. Obedience to the teachings of Christ and the apostles.

Rewards are based upon your obedience. Sowing tithes
(giving of the first fruits) and offerings are a part of God's plan
for financing the Gospel and positioning you for blessings.
Those who are born again enter into the New Covenant.
The New Covenant has both promises and blessings within it.
In the Old Covenant, if you obey the Word of God, the
blessings will overtake you! Under the New Covenant, faith in
the Word becomes the central key to receiving all spiritual
blessings. According to Psalms 50:3-5, those who offer a
sacrifice will be those who are gathered together at Christ's
return!
It appears that one of the special benefits for being an
obedient giver will be the promise of going up when the Lord
comes. A person can go to heaven poor, but cannot go to
heaven with sin. A person could give everything away; yet, if
they are not washed in Christ's covenant blood, they will die in
their sins and spend eternity in hell.
If we trust God for our eternal salvation, we should trust
Him for financial and material blessings! God has given special
promises and blessings to all who will follow His instructions
regarding tithe and offerings.
"Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."
- Psalms 23:5

We often hear about the anointing, without

understanding the meaning of the word. The word "anoint" is
used in the Old Testament with reference to the act of pouring
a special oil over the kings, priests and prophets. In the New
Testament, the word means "to smear on, an unction." It is an
inward power and ability that is released by the infilling of the
Holy Spirit. Being anointed is to have an inward ability, or an
unction, that produces results in ministry.
To be anointed with favor implies that one walks daily in
the ability of God and experiences His favor. The anointing in
the Old Testament was God's seal of approval upon His
servants. In the New Testament the anointing follows the
baptism of the Spirit and is called the "unction from the Holy
One" (1 John 2:20).
Having favor does not exempt a person from trials and
tribulations. Joseph was highly favored, yet he was sent to jail!
Favor, like blessing, does not exempt one from trouble, but
favor causes you to always overcome and triumph in the end.
Favor means you will find a way of escape from every testing,
and you will find a solution to every problem with God's help. It
means God's peace will keep you in the midst of spiritual
storms and strengthen you in the time of sorrow.

GOD'S PURPOSE FOR FAVOR

Throughout this book we have written about God's plan
for YOU to enjoy favor. But what is your plan for God when
favor comes? God answers prayers so He receives glory and
honor for His mighty acts. Your job is to always give glory and
testify to others of His goodness to you. It is the goodness of
God that leads men to repentance. When men see how good
the Lord has been to you, then they will become interested in
hearing your testimony. Remember, a testimony is your
personal report after you have gone through a test!
We see this among many professional Christian athletes.
Especially in the National Football League (NFL), there are
countless numbers of players who attend Bible studies, prayer
meetings and chapel services, who even bow a knee in the end-
zone to signify that Christ is Lord of their lives.
 One person said, "How does God determine who wins?"
It is not a matter of God determining a winner. It is a matter of
each player asking God for protection and the ability to play
his best. Over the years I have noticed that the players who are
the most outspoken for the Lord belong to the top teams in the
nation! Some are going to the top and shocking the entire
sports community. As they rise up the ladder of success, they
tell reporters, "I give all glory to God and to Jesus Christ!"
Some time back, I conducted a Bible study with several
NFL players. While I was teaching them, the Holy Spirit told
me, "I will bless them and take them to the top because they
will give me all the glory!" In 1999, that team was one of the top
teams in the NFL. They have gone from the bottom to the top,
or from the TAIL to the HEAD and I expect in a few years that
they will be national champions.
When we humble ourselves before God, then He will
exalt us in due time! This is an unchanging law of the Spirit.
When a believer has the favor of God, then being exalted in his
or her field of labor is an expression of God's favor in action!
God always begins with small things, then exalts them to
large things. In this manner, He receives the glory, and men
know that it was GOD who lifted them up! When people visit
our ministry center and hear our testimony, they all say, "The
Lord has built this place." I am amazed how God took a shy
boy from the mountains of Virginia, touched him as a teenager
and raised him up as a last day minister. I have discovered:
As you obey God in little things, God will entrust
you with larger things.
 As you enter small doors, God will open up larger
doors.
As you learn to obey God in private, He will reward
you in public.
As I give up my desires, He fulfills my life with His
desires that are better than mine.

FAVOR IS GOD'S METHOD OF EXALTING

THE FAITHFUL
Again, it goes back to the spiritual principle, "be faithful
in a few things and you will become a ruler over many." Most
of your major tests will happen when you are faithful over little.
God's favor will exalt us in our season. Believers will become
the head of corporations and the top athletes. Our businesses
and ministries will become blessed, because God's promises of
favor are as eternal as Himself!
If you feel like you are always the tail and not the head,
yet you are faithful, then get ready. Walk with a pure heart and
obey the Word of God. There is about to be a transfer. You will
become the leader and not the follower, above and not beneath,
the HEAD and not the TAIL!
The anointing of the Holy Spirit enables a minister to
preach beyond his own personal ability, giving him
supernatural authority to expound upon the Word of God. A
person anointed with the favor of God will be respected and
will impact the world for Christ's glory. It is the anointing of the
Holy Spirit that attracts people to ministries. Whether you are a
part of a Christian ministry, or a business owner, or work at a
stressful job, you can become anointed with such favor that
your life, your advice and your wisdom will bring glory to God.
God does not just throw favor to the wind and cause it to land
at your doorstep. You must be faithful and obedient to walk in
favor. You must also combine knowledge and instruction with
favor.
For example, the Holy Spirit has given us many powerful,
life-changing messages over the years. Some have become
classics and have been recorded on tapes that have gone
around the world. At times, someone will ask, "What books do
you read to get the information that you presented in this
message?" I reply, "The Bible." One man said, "Oh come on!
You didn't get this just by reading the Bible." You see, some
people expect a shortcut on the road to favor. There is no
shortcut to God's best. I have spent as many as fourteen hours
a day studying the Word. This is why there is revelation
knowledge in the preaching.
When you discover God's direction for your life, then
learn all you can, and become all you can become. Follow the
principles and commandments of Scripture and learn to be a
giver. Ask for God's favor and blessing, and keep your heart
undefiled. As you do, the favor of God will explode in your life
and you will become anointed with His grace and favor. God's
favor will pave your road to destiny and lead you into the
perfect plan of God.
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