Noel Jones - Vow of Prosperity

Copyright 2007 Noel Jones and Scott Chaplan

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible. Also cited: Living Oracles by Alexander Campbell, Fourth Edition, Bethany, Brooke Co., VA, printed and published by MVay & Ewing, 1835. Richard Francis Weymouth, The New Testament in Modern Speech edited and partly revised by Ernest Hampden-Cook. London: James Clarke and Co., 1903. Please note that Destiny Images publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules.

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ISBN 10: 0-7684-2488-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-7684-2488-1

For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.

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Scott Chaplan has served as General Counsel for Hayward Lumber Company since 1991. Scotts advice and friendshipboth personally and for our companyhave proven invaluable, and he has contributed greatly to our continued growth and success. Scott and Bishop Jones have a firm grasp on triple bottom line investing, and Bethany Square is a testament to their core values of improving the world one neighborhood at a time. Vow of Prosperity encapsulates their mutual quest to educate, empower, and free everyone desirous of prosperity.

William E. Hayward
CEO, Hayward Lumber Company (est. 1919)
Chairman, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

I n this book you will be given many truths that will help you discover prosperity in every area of your life. But in order for that to happen, you will have to draw on the talents that God has given you to make your life work. The gifts are given for a reason. Not only to bless God, but for you to be blessed by the gracious gift of God and then extend that blessing to others.

Your faithfulness in handling what God has given to you will determine your success. To make a Vow of Prosperity means that you make a commitment to take your gifts that have been given by the God of all grace and employ those gifts in the opportunities that He will bring your way.

The proven successful principles you will read about in the following pages can only work for you as you put your trust and faith in Him, and allow the gifts to be activated in your life in such a way that you will bring profit to the Lord. To the degree that you are faithful, then more will be given to you.

Distilled to its essence, this book is designed to open the door to spiritual solutions for your financial freedom.

Jesus was a master at communicating spiritual truth by using a variety of effective waysaphorisms, parables, and even His miracles were methods of instruction. The use of the parable was His favorite way to deliver heavenly truths.

For the kingdom of Heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lords money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath (Matthew 25:14-29).

This is one of the classic parables of Jesus that illustrates a timeless truth. The picture He paints with His words illustrates the dynamic reality that God has given talents to each of us. He equips us for our liveshere and there. The utilization of His gifts blesses us here, and rewards us there.

In discussing the issue of gifts, there is a question that will arise periodically and ultimately: What did you do with the gifts of God?

It isnt just a question for those who stood under the sway of His words. In the talents parable Jesus is reaching out and talking to all people. Through this parable Jesus still speaks to us in our postmodern world. The eschatological placement of the parable tells us that this question will not go unasked at the significant times in our lives, particularly at the end of it. The question will always haunt us.

The interesting thing that I have discovered is that often God will use the situations of life to ask us this question over and over again. Will God allow the circumstance of my life to question me about if and how I am using His gifts? Yes, the demand of life is gong to force us to reach for every gift God gives. God allows for this demand to exist to align us properly to our destiny.

It is quite evident that often our pain comes as a result of not having walked in the gifts of God. The introductory word to the parable is for, and in the Greek is gar. It can be interpreted as you see or it is exactly like. This parable is not separated from the Parable of the Servant (Matt. 24:45-51) and the Parable of the Bridesmaids (Matt. 25:1-13). They are connected in Jesus train of thought. Matthew chapter 25 verse 14 ends these two parables with these words: