PROSPER 2015

The apostle John wrote great words of encouragement and empowering in his 3rd Epistle verses 2-4: 

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

What a lovely, inspiring message of belonging and an expression of love.  How much would we love to hear words like this today?  Amen?  The most loved of the disciples is showing us, in his 90’s, how much he cares for God’s people and wants to draw us more to the Kingdom of God.  

Virtually on his deathbed, he expresses his heart and wants to leave a legacy of understanding how God feels about us.  We are His beloved, he loves to hear about us walking in the truth - John refers to this twice in as many verses.  Our walk with the Lord cannot ever be underestimated - try asking the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 v 32 

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

How amazing is it when we walk and talk with Him? - more so when we receive the revelation that we CAN walk with Him and talk with Him!  Everyday becomes more enjoyable, more inspiring, more... this is the very foundation of what John had learned from His Lord and Saviour, all those years ago.  The truth of that remained with John, 60 or more years later and can guide us 2000 years.  Now, that is TRUTH!  

That is by way of an introduction into what the Lord is wanting us to see about Prosper 2015.  As soon as Prosper(ity) is mentioned, the discussion with money raises it’s head. Yes, Prosper 2015 has some of it’s roots in financial blessings.  Who wouldn’t want to have more money to dispose of and sow into the hearts and lives of people in need? 

We should translate the word, prosper, to understand John’s motive.  Why did he write such a small epistle (letter) of only 299 words - the smallest book in the bible?  He wanted to leave a lasting message - to prosper, in his way, means 
to grant a prosperous and expeditious journey, to lead by a direct and easy way, to grant a successful issue.

Let’s have a look at that, big words need to be made simpler.  Expeditious - implies that our journey should be quicker and more prompt.  That is true on most occasions.  The 40 year wandering in the wilderness could have been a little speedier couldn’t it?  

It’s as though he is trying to ensure that we don’t labour anymore than we need to. Oh! now we find out it could have been easier... We can get an inside track on life and it will help us on our journey?    This is insight, it says we should be teachable and open ourselves to the wider picture.

The Apostle Paul spoke to the church at Corinth in his 2nd letter chapter 6 verses 11-13, as the Message interprets it - 

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

This doesn’t mean that that we’ve lost it, it means that there is more to life  and the Lord is trying expose us to more and greater. The rest of the word is described as making our way direct and easier with success.  ‘Success’ is another tricky word in the Kingdom.  There is a choice - we can have defeat or the opposite of success, failure.  All this is not related to money.

Now go and prosper in 2015.