I’m continuing my discussion of Philippians 4:10-19, one of the many passages containing Paul’s Prosperity Plan. In the early verses we saw that God always taught that giving produces results. In other words, the incomings will always exceed the outgoings. In business this is called “profit”, in your personal finances this is called being “financial”. You can never outgive God. You can read the previous sections starting here.
Next we look at the conditional promise in verse 19. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from It does not take a college degree to understand that the promise of verse 19 is only for those who are givers. Giving is the catalyst that starts the receiving process. You give nothing, you receive nothing. Paul taught proportional, persistent giving — that is, proportional to what you have, and persistent, once a week or once a month, whenever you have income. See the previous discussions for verses that teach this. It is also limited to those who are “in Christ Jesus”, believers in Christ. Now let’s dig into verse 19 just a little deeper. “God… will supply all your needs.” The word “supply” is pleroo, from which we get “complete, replete”. It means to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), to furnish (an office), according to Strong’s Dictionary. All those word pictures show God filling to capacity. An accurate translation would be “according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”, not “from his glorious riches” as that implies He has less now that He has filled your needs. Yet our God is limitless, so the principle of standard applies, that is, in proportion to what the giver has. The widow in the Gospels actually gave more proportionally than did the rich men, for she gave all she had. We must also understand the word “needs”. It does not mean “greeds”. It means “a lack, a necessity” (Strongs), not something you want, like a vacation, but a necessity — food, clothing, shelter, and some seed to sow to keep the process going, and some left over to help others in need. Are your present circumstances covered? I would think so. “But my God will fill your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” So apply the context by giving and receive the promise by your act of faith! Want to learn how all this works? Get your own copy of Four Keys to Prosperity, its an important and beautifully printed small book. Discover the Action, Attitude, Amount, Affirmation. And by the way, this article is not an appeal for finances but an appeal for faith to be excercised. I’d rather you gave to some other ministry than see this article as a fundraiser.
Amen to that! I was so happy to learn that in 1981 The Prosperous Jesus at Mendocino Woodlands that I emptied my purse of the rent money (which was not enough anyway) and when we got home after camp Dad put us in a better house for less $$. I love to operate without visible means of support!
Love, Geri
Dear Peter and Vivien,
My testimony: I am a born again giver! It’s just my nature. To show how I am not of this world and my heavenly Father is supplying all my need and more regardless of circumstances, take the following abundant blessings under consideration. Selling my home and buying a new one has not been an easy task. However, faith in my Father, encouragement from both of you across the world, produced amazing results. After two signed sales fell through at my home, and a fire destroyed the area adjacent to my new home, the Lord kept me going forward. I let the new house go, but I found a gorgeous place to live surrounded by redwoods and my offer was accepted on my first try. (Impossible!) I received two high qualified offers for my condo, nearly what I paid for it during the height of the U.S. market in 2000, (Impossible!) and when the appraiser came he looked me directly in the eyes and asked me for the dollar amount I needed to sell at full price! The appraisal came in over the offered prices and the highest of any condo within ten miles. (Impossible!) In spite of the stock market instability, I just returned from my loan broker who stopped in the middle of my signing, called his underwriter, and confirmed that interest rates at that moment had fallen to an historical low. (Impossible!) I was locked in at the low rate. Yes, the current financial circumstances in the world have absolutely NOTHING to do with our rich, divine, heavenly Father supplying our need far above what we ask or even think to ask.
Peter and Vivien, Thank you! As always you are ever blessing the saints and helping us to understand more clearly God’s Word for the doing. I think of you and pray (with thanksgiving and expectation) regularly for you. Thank you for your personal attention to my life; especially that wonderful note from Vivien (1 yr. + ago). I am manifesting almost complete deliverance from the mental attack and 99% from the physical. Love in the Lord, Craige Banios