God's Prosperity
II Corinthians 8:9 says, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
Somehow inside of me I knew I was supposed to be rich. (God obviously put that in me growing up). That may shock some people, but in my heart I just knew this. The Jezebel had other plans for my life, but God is greater than the Jezebel. I had no idea that God had ordained these riches for my life to come through believing the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And I am here to tell you, He has ordained that for your life too. But to get into "God's Prosperity," you will have to get a revelation of the gospel, which is the power that raised Jesus from the dead. He took all of our poverty and lack upon Himself, and overcame it that we might walk in divine prosperity. Walking in divine prosperity is being sufficient in every situation, whether you are abasing or abounding -- (Philippians 4:11-13). It will not matter whether you have $100 or $1000, you are sufficient in whatever situation you are in.
Growing up we were what you would consider a 'middle class' family - we were not rich, but we were not poor. We never lacked for anything. We may not have gotten everything we wanted, but we sure had everything we needed. When I was 15 years old, one month short of being 16, my mother married a physician, and we started living a lifestyle that we had not known before. Money became no problem. But I am here to tell you, that even if you are rich and your riches have not come through the death, burial and resurrection power of the Lord Jesus, then the devil is the one who has blessed you - not God. In Revelation 18, it talks about the rich men of the earth got their riches through sorcery. That is a frightening thing, but God's Word is true and everything man says is a lie - Romans 3:4.
In June 1978, JR and I were married and we both worked, but we lived from paycheck to paycheck. We always paid our bills, had a nice place to live and food on the table. But there was never an abundance. Then in May 1981, I quit work when our first child, Travis, was born. What an adjustment that was! At least it was until we got use to one less paycheck. But we believed it was the will of God for me to stay home and I am glad I did.
We ended up getting involved in all these charismatic churches where they promise you everything, but never can deliver any of it. I would give to every ministry that came down my road (or at least it seemed that way). Television ministries were an easy prey on me. And during this time we would always give our 'tithes'. (Maybe God honored our obedience on that part, I do not know). What we were doing is 'sowing to the flesh', as it states in Galatians 6, and it never did profit us anything -- except an empty wallet! And the gospel will always profit you, if you mix faith in believing it (Hebrews 4:2).
In August 1985, God brought us to Water of Life Church in Plano, Texas, and here is where I first heard, by the Spirit, that God made us rich. And that those riches would manifest in our life by believing what Jesus did for us on the cross. (The cross and the gospel are one in the same - I Corinthians 1:17-18). Before these riches started manifesting, though, God had to tear down, pull down and destroy these false foundations that had been laid in our hearts, and then start building a true foundation. And this is what the ministry of an apostle and prophet does, which is what Doyle is.
In December 1986, I was in the kitchen fixing dinner one night and the kids asked me what we were having. I told them and they both started grumbling and complaining. They kept on and I yelled out at them and told them I was sick and tired of their murmuring. And God spoke out to me with a sharp rebuke and said, "And I'm sick and tired of your murmuring about not having any money." When He said that, it pierced my heart and made me sick to my stomach. I knew that what He had spoken was true. I immediately left my cooking (what I was fixing even sounded sick to me, then) and went to the bedroom and asked God to forgive me. I mean repentance came to my heart that day. There were a few times after that, that I would begin to murmur and then I would stop and say, "Jesus, forgive me." What the Lord brought my heart to see was that He had already made me rich 2000 years ago when Jesus was raised from the dead, and I needed to believe that.
Several months later we were at church one night and Doyle was walking around and talking, and all of a sudden he stopped and looked at JR and me and said, "God is getting ready to give you a 50% salary increase." You better know, inside of me I was leaping for joy. Shortly after that, JR started working part-time at the church and then we came on staff full-time in January 1988. What God had spoken out of Doyle's mouth came to pass. Little did any of us know that God was going to put us on staff at Water of Life. But God had it in His plan from the foundation of the world. God has continually blessed us by turning us from our iniquities, according to Acts 3:26, and because of it III John 2 has taken place -- "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Repentance came to my heart, and then God's blessings manifested. Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
