Someone said, "One day of favor is better than a lifetime of labor." I agree!!! I am not a "prosperity" preacher but make no mistake, I believe the Lord prospers people. James says in 1:17 that "every good and perfect gift is from above." Prosper, in a Biblical sense, means to push ahead. I am convinced that the greatest form of prosperity God can give is a deeper relationship with him, but I also like to be blessed in tangible ways as well. Financial blessings, material possessions and opportunities are something we all enjoy. David said in Psalms 65:4 that a man is truly blessed when he is drawn into Gods presence. I confess that I am sickened by the many preachers who publicly define God's prosperity as something that relates primarily to money. Many times, this equation of God's favor/prosperity is viewed, and then calculated through a personal lens of opinion and then considered a fact - even when it is wrong. To assess prosperity and favor - Biblically - we must get God's view through the Bible. I regularly pray that I will have great wealth, not in money, but in closeness to Christ. Like you, I know wealthy people who are dirt poor because they don't know Christ and poor people who are filthy rich because they adore Jesus. I even know a few people who are rich in money and Jesus.
Another mind blowing blessing that God has given to us, that even the angels aren't privy too, is the opportunity to lead others to Christ. This spiritual adrenaline is addictive and I would rather die than to lose my passion to see others come to Christ. If you have never experienced the rush of being a megaphone of salvation in someone else's life then I encourage you to ask God's Spirit to enable you to be a voice!!!
I have been blessed to have the awesome opportunity to speak to a group of wealthy and powerful men who may not have experienced the ultimate wealth of knowing Christ. I will be attending the Monday Night Football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 8th. The night before the game I have 25 minutes to speak to the Buccaneer football team. It is a great opportunity to get Jesus in front of a group of men who might never be open or receptive to hearing about His salvation in any other environment. I am very excited about this opportunity because of the inherent potential these men have. I know that many of these men could have the influence to impacts multitudes of others, if they committed themselves to Christ. I have been told that this meeting is optional but at least half of the team should be in attendance. Please pray that God will move in the hearts of these men so that ALL the team members will attend. I have met thousands who ended up at our events not knowing why they came. I trust God to bring players under conviction and salvation. I can only imagine the incredible force for Christ that these Sunday warriors could have. May God turn their aggression, strength and passion into a hurricane for righteousness.
I have met many famous and powerful people in my travels and I have learned that you can live a life of prominence that still lacks significance. The way to impact this type of person is not by impressing them but by influencing them for Jesus. Would YOU ask God to draw these players to the meeting and to use me as a tool to drive the arrow of the Gospel into their hearts?????????? So much is at stake!! If so, I would appreciate a quick note to let me know that you will be praying for them and me.
A Megaphone,
Jay Lowder