T.D. Jakes - Life Overflowing, 6-in-1: 6 Pillars for Abundant Living

Life Overflowing
6 Pillars for Abundant Living
Copyright 2000, 2008 by T.D. Jakes
Originally published in six volumes under the titles Loved by God, Experiencing Jesus, Intimacy With God, Life Overflowing, Celebrating Marriage, Overcoming the Enemy

Cover design by Josh Madison and Melinda Schumacher

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified TLB are from The Living Bible 1971 owned by assignment by Illinois Regional Bank N.A. (as trustee). Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotation identified WUEST is from The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth D. Wuest, 1961. Reprinted 1994.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2012

ISBN 978-1-4412-6032-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Ephesians understood wealth.

Ephesus was a city with marble streets, mosaic sidewalks, a massive temple that was considered one of the wonders of the Greek world, a busy port, a popular athletic arena, one of the finest libraries in the first century, and villas filled with artwork, tapestries, silks, and exotic birds and animals. Even today, the coliseum at Ephesus is considered one of the finest performing arts centers in the world.

Caravans from the east routinely ended their journeys at Ephesus, and ships from ports throughout the Mediterranean brought the riches of Egypt, Rome, Greece, Spain, and northern Africa.

The apostle Paul came to town and blew their minds by presenting a type of wealth they had never encountered before. Paul presented to them the God of all riches, the God who gave His only begotten Son, His most precious possession.

We discover how precious Jesus was to God when we examine the Greek word translated only begotten. Jesus was of exceeding value to God because He was extremely rare. Gods willingness to share and sacrifice for us this wholly unique treasure, His only begotten Son, was the supreme expression of His love for us.

The wealth the apostle Paul brought to Ephesus is Jesus Christ. In Him is everything a human being could ever dream of, hope for, or desireand more.

THE GOD OF ALL RICHES

T here has never been a time in history when most people did not believe that possessing great wealth was the key to happiness. Yet time and again we have seen millionaires and billionaires live miserable lives and even end their lives. We have watched their children wander through life aimlessly, self-destructive. Some have even used their wealth to destroy others. Why? Because their wealth consisted of temporal things, not eternal.

Material wealth is not evil in and of itself. Ten dollars in the hands of a criminal or a pastor is still ten dollars! The Bible says it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. (See 1 Timothy 6:10.)

Mankind must connect to the God of all riches to truly enjoyand to avoid being controlled and owned bymaterial wealth. Thank God, when that divine connection takes place and we are gloriously born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts and we begin the adventure of the truly privileged: discovering our riches in Christ.

KNOWING OUR SOURCE

To be convinced that we are about to receive great riches, we must be confident that the person giving the riches is capable of doing so. A check is only as good as the check-writers ability to pay.

As children of God, we must know that our heavenly Father possesses everything we need in life, a promise He makes to us throughout the Bible. Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians by declaring the grace, resources, and power of God, the author of all wealth. It is important to know that the verses at the beginning of Ephesians chapter 1 are speaking primarily of God the Father and His redemptive plan and work. From Blessed be the God and Father in verse 3, through verse 14, unto the praise of his glory, the Holy Spirit is revealing to us the majesty, riches, and power of Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although the revelation of the Father God impacts our lives significantly for all time, this particular passage is not about us. It is about Him His glory and His grace.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13

Paul considers the foundation for all of our blessings in Christ to be this fact: God is blessed. He is not frail, impoverished, or impotent. He has every resource at His disposal, both things seen and unseen. Nothing lies beyond His ownership. God only temporarily allows man to use these resources.

God is all-powerful. He is fully capable and able in all situations, at all times, and regardless of circumstances to exert control over His resources. God has authority over all things. He can and will do what He says He can and will do when it comes to blessings and the transfer of wealth.

Mining companies dont own the gold and silver and other precious stones and metals of this earth.

Oil companies dont own the oil and gas resources of the earth.

Man can never truly own any of the earths resources because every resource is created by God.

The One who creates is the one who owns!

Who owns ideas?

Who owns creativity?

Who owns motivation or enthusiasm?

Who owns ability?

Who owns talents?

Who created these capacities in man?

God did! What God creates, He owns. He imparts these resources to people and allows them to use them, but He never relinquishes ownership. Behind every transaction and every transfer of wealth on this earth are ability, ideas, invention, innovation, and energy. All are owned by God, because all are created by God and imparted by God.

The Devil doesnt own anything.

The gang doesnt own your neighborhood.

The criminal doesnt own what he steals.

God may have allowed a transfer of authority over certain resources temporarily, but it is always God who allows it. No one can force the hand of God or lay rightful claim to the things He has created.

God delights in blessing His children. It is His desire to show us all His kingdom has to offer us. When we are born again, we become Gods children; we are His family. And in any family, there is a difference between what outsiders know about the family and what family members know. In the same way, being a part of the family of God automatically brings with it the privilege of knowing God in an intimate way.