Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
Let me start by sharing a testimony of friend of mine with a huge international ministry. Several years ago he met someone who offered to sell him his estate… owner financed, with no money down and pay as you can. The estate is a huge estate with a huge home, guest home and much more. My friend is a very big giver, and is always blessing people. He initially rejected the offer as he already had a beautiful home and did not need an elaborate estate. He always put the ministry, as well as the needs of others first.
After the owner of the estate insisted, my friend decided to pray about it… He knew that the ministry had needs and wanted to use his faith for God to meet those needs, not for an elaborate estate that he did not need. As he went before the Lord, the Lord clearly said to him, “If you cannot receive this personal blessing from Me, neither will you be able to receive what I have for your ministry.” My friend replied, “Lord, first bless the ministry… I don’t need this estate.” The Lord replied, “No, you first… I love you more than your ministry… I will not bypass you and bless your ministry, you have to learn to receive, not only your needs, but things beyond your needs. The same faith that you use to receive this will receive not only the needs of your ministry, but over and beyond, your ministry will be flooded with excessive blessings.”
My friend humbly accepted the blessing, and the Lord supernaturally provided for it… immediately, the Lord began to bless his ministry with excessive anointing, prosperity, souls, and things beyond what he had ever dreamed about.
I know that there are many self-serving, materialistic preachers out there who continually pressure people into giving thousand-dollar vows and such, so they can live in excess… but that is the counterfeit of real biblical prosperity… Abram was very rich… (Genesis 13:2 “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.”) Abram was not just rich, he was excessively rich! He was not excessively rich because he ran after riches, he was excessively rich because our excessive God blessed him.
Friends, we are going to need excessive riches if we are going to fund the gospel and bring it to the whole world. The bottom line is that God has to get things to you, before He can get things through you. He loves you more than your ministry, or anything that you are called to do. First RECEIVE love, then you will be able to love God and others… first RECEIVE forgiveness, and then you will be able to forgive others… first RECEIVE all things, then all things can pour out of you… the Lord will not bypass you, all that He has, has to come through you, not around you.
Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be added…” we do not SEEK after our own blessings, we SEEK and prioritize the kingdom of God first, but as we do, God prioritizes us first, because He loves us more than the needs of His kingdom… so, as we are prioritizing His kingdom, He is prioritizing us!
At the end of the day, it is not ‘this or that’, your needs or the kingdom’s needs… we prioritize the needs of God’s kingdom, while He prioritizes our excessive blessings. As you seek first His kingdom, be prepared to receive, then as you continue to receive, pour out what you have received to others. Start by receiving the Lord’s unconditional love, his grace and His mercy… then receive forgiveness, righteousness and allow Jesus to make you a king and a priest in Him. Then by faith, receive prosperity for your soul as well as every other area. Receive it by faith, and immediately begin to pour out and give by faith… as you give, you will make room for more… this is the New Covenant way!
In His amazing love, Nick
