John F Avanzini - Powerful principles of increase

Contents

Section IPoverty or Prosperity

Section IIHow You Can Reap in a Recession

Section III God's Gift-Giving Example

Section IVEight Truths About Money

Section VSix Mistakes About Money

Section VI The Good Life

Section VIIFirst Things First

Section VIII The Benefits of Giving

Section IXFour Kinds of Giving

Section X The Abundance of God

Section XIWho Is Behind Poverty

Section XIISeven Important Steps to Prosperity

This book is lovingly dedicated to Patricia Ann Avanzini , my partner in ministry and in life.

Introduction

You are going to have a wonderful experience! You are going to transform your mind from traditional thoughts to God's thoughts about prosperity.

You may question some of the challenging principles this book contains. They may seem so different from your present beliefs that you may ask whether or not they are really biblical. Well, let this special scripture be your guide as you undertake this life-transforming experience.

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Isaiah 8:20

Please don't reject the principles I am about to teach you just because they may not agree with what you have learned over the years. Freely question the new thoughts I submit to you. See if they agree with the Word of God. If they do, accept them and put them into practice. I promise I will not give you any principle without supporting it with the Scripture.

If you are going to have a life-changing experience, you must participate in the process. Read, question, and research. Then change.

Always remember that it is common for God's precepts and conclusions to be different from our own. God tells us of this probability.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8 ,9

Also keep this fact in mind. There is a biblical way to transform your mind.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.

Isaiah 28:10

Your mind has certain unscriptural concepts programmed into it. They have been reinforced daily and virtually unchallenged for many years. This false information probably came from well-meaning people. Some of it may have come from your parents, teachers, or pastors. Some may have even come from the music you enjoy.

Those thoughts were put into your mind precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Therefore, you must remove them the same way. That is why God led me to write this book lesson upon lesson. It's the best way to lead you into a breakthrough.

Please realize that everything you experience can plant concepts and ideas in your mind. Some are scriptural and some are not. Once a concept becomes part of your thinking process, it will always bring you to the same, predetermined conclusion. You may have already reached a conclusion that Christians should be poor. If you do not allow the Scripture and the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, you will always come to that same non-scriptural conclusion.

Remember, as you read these lessons, it is not enough just to put new information into your mind. You must also get the old, non-scriptural information out of your mind. By feeding your mind the Word of God, you will be planting scriptural concepts. Begin now to allow God to break through your traditional ideas. Be willing to allow His plan for your divine prosperity to crowd out the devil's plan for your continual insufficiency.

Each morning, read one of the lessons in this book. If you can, read the lesson once or twice again. Meditate on it through the course of your day. Speak each concept out loud as often as you can. Don't go to bed at night without once again reading that same lesson.

If you will dedicate yourself to this task, the Word of God will begin to live in you. Your new prosperity mentality will put into your hands the keys to the treasure house of God. He will begin to prosper you so that you can be an effective force in reaching the world for Jesus Christ through your giving. You can learn to finance the end-time harvest God's way! God will make sure you always have more than enough so that you can bless others.

But remember thisif you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.

Every one must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Dont force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes....

Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much....

2 Corinthians 9:6 ,7,11 TLB

If you are now ready to make a commitment to renew your mind in the area of biblical prosperity, pray this prayer out loud:

Dear God:

I make a solemn commitment to you today. I promise you, Lord, that each day I will digest one of these lessons and allow your wonderful truths to become a part of my Ufe .

Lord, I know that as I draw near to you in this new mentality, you will draw near to me, just as the Scripture says.

O God, I thank you that I can come to you, knowing you are a covenant-making God. I now make this covenant with you, with the angels as a witness.

Lord, I will be faithful in this covenant, and I know that you will be faithful in your promises to me. I pray in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

My prayer is that this book will help you replace all your non-scriptural concepts with a fresh, new, God-given prosperity mentality.

Section I Poverty or Prosperity

Lesson 1

Poverty or Prosperitythe Choice Is Yours

For too long we have believed the devil's lie. Satan says some people are destined to be poor, and some people are destined to be rich, and there's nothing anyone can do about either circumstance. This satanic lie has crippled Christians and ministries for far too long! It is time we learn the truth.

There are three main reasons we know this destructive statement is a lie:

1. It is a lie because God is not a respecter of persons.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.

Acts 10:34

God did not predetermine who would be rich and who would be poor. He simply created His spiritual laws, and freely gave them to everyone. Every person then has a choiceto implement the laws of poverty, or to implement God's spiritual laws of prosperity.

2. It is a lie because God's desire is that you prosper.

This truth is plainly stated in Scripture:

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth .

3 John 2

Prosperity, not poverty, is God's intention for your life.

3. It is a lie because God has given you the power to get wealth.

But thou shalt remember the lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:18

God would not give you the power to get wealth if He did not intend for you to use that power and become wealthy!

The decision to live in poverty or prosperity is yours. God has already cast His vote. He wants you to be prosperous. Make your life-changing decision today to reject the destructive laws of poverty and accept your God-given rights under God's law of abundance.

Remember:

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).

God wants you to prosper (3 John 2).

God gives you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).