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open It would seem that the more a person makes, the easier it would be to give. But that is not the case!

Possessions have a way of possessing. A wealthy person may give a larger dollar amount, but a proportionately smaller amount than a poor person. God looks at the proportion, not the amount. It is within the grasp of every person to please God with their giving because He weighs the gift not in dollars but in sacrifice.

Jesus saw among those bringing their gifts to the temple a widow. Her offering was "two very small copper coins", worth very little. Yet she is the one He commended. She did not give a pittance out of her excess, but gave excess out of her pittance!

Jesus is interested in the heart that gives, not the hands that have. He did not commend the rich for the size of their gifts, but the widow for the size of her heart. With prosperity comes a peril. A person no longer has things, but things have a person.

Do a heart exam on yourself. Is it a heart that Jesus would commend... or condemn?

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.41. Live for God, on purpose, with a heart filled with His love to give to all around you.

success Success and Prosperity
in Difficult Times

I can almost hear it now... “Success?? Prosperity??! How about just survival in times like these!!” With unemployment rates higher than anytime since the “great depression,” with escalating unrest around the world, with the N1N1 flu virus predicted to explode in months to come – how can we even think about success and prosperity?

If we allow ourselves to become consumed with the times we live in, and the circumstances that surround us, we will quite obviously become dismayed, distraught and discouraged. The key is not to attempt to deny reality, or convince ourselves that things aren’t what they seem. In fact, quite the contrary, acknowledging our condition is really the first step toward becoming successful and prosperous!

Let’s look at a biblical example of this very principle. Moses had successfully led his people out of Egypt, where they had been enslaved by the most powerful people on earth. By his leadership, they had walked through the wilderness and seen God perform miracle after miracle. The people of Israel are nearing the most important part of their journey – entering the land promised to them. In front of them was perhaps their most difficult challenge. And, just as they are ready to move forward, an event takes place that most certainly would have rocked them to the core.

The book of Joshua begins by announcing this event. Quite matter-of-factly, God simply says, “Moses my servant is dead.”

What would they do now? How could they move forward? Their world was turned upside down, and their comfort level was now non-existent.

But yet, in spite of this, God gives their new leader, Joshua, specific instructions on what he and the people would need to do. And, He says, if they do it, they will “be successful” wherever they go (:7), and they will be “prosperous and successful” (:8).

God’s words to Joshua are still true for us today.

Join us this Sunday at WFA as we, too, discover how to have “Success and Prosperity in Difficult Times.” You won’t want to miss this timely and life-changing message!

what What are You Talking About?

“Those who are careful about what they say protect their lives.” – Proverbs 13:3 NCV

After failing in business, Paul Galvin attended an auction for his own company. He was ‘down‘ but he wasn't ‘out'! With the last of his money he bought back the department which later became – Motorola! How's that for a comeback story?

The Bible says, "In... prosperity be joyful, but in... adversity consider [examine it and see what you can learn]... God has appointed the one as well as the other" (Ecclesiastes 7:14 NKJV). Whenever we face new challenges, like changing careers, going back to school or starting a new relationship, our old programming kicks in and tells us we're not equal to the task. Look out! The Bible says, "Those who are careful about what they say protect their lives ...whoever speaks without thinking will be ruined" (Proverbs 13:3 NCV).

The wonderful thing about being the person God created you to be, is that He pre-programmed you to handle new situations, to change and to grow. Don't build a case against yourself by listening to old voices without or within, or speaking words that undermine your confidence. Doing something you've never done before usually involves an anxiety-induced learning curve that follows along these lines: "There's no way I can do this... I suppose I can try... I'm doing it, but not very well... I'm still doing it but I'm scared... I'm doing better... Oops, I made a mistake, guess I can't do this after all... Maybe I'll try again... I'm not doing much better this time... I'll give it one more shot... Hey, I'm doing pretty good... I can do this!"

The Bible says you'll "be rewarded for... how [you] speak" (Proverbs 18:20 NCV), so turn all those "I can'ts" into "I cans" and get your self-talk lined up with the Scriptures.

embrace Embracing the Lean Times

by Os Hillman

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him." – Jeremiah 17:7

Have you ever considered at what point a test becomes so difficult that you decide you can no longer trust in God and you must take over to solve the problem? The prophet Jeremiah describes a situation in which the temptation to solve a financial problem can become so great that we trust in man's way to solve it.

This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Jeremiah drew a sharp comparison between the man who trusts in his own effort to solve his problem and the man who trusts in God when he cannot see the outcome. The man who trusts in God bears fruit despite the circumstances in his life. He does not shrivel when the heat comes; in fact, his roots go deeper into God's grace. He continues to bear fruit in spite of his circumstances.

Recently, a friend from South Africa explained to me that whenever a plant lives in an arid climate, the roots drive deeper and deeper into the soil to get the water they need. This forces the plant to develop a root system that is far beyond the normal plant because it is forced to go deeper to gain the water it needs. Sometimes God forces us to go deeper into the grace of His love in order to build a greater foundation in our own lives. These lean times are designed to accomplish this in us. If you find yourself in this condition, ask the Lord who provides the water for our soul for the grace you need today to continue to bear fruit in the desert.

why Why is the Lord “Letting”
this Happen?

by Patrick Morley

A lot of us are wondering about our economy, “Why is the Lord letting this happen?”

Biblically, God is not just “letting” this happen; He is the “Arranger.”

Consider Jonah. God gave Jonah a mission—to preach repentance to Nineveh. But Jonah used his free will to run away from God.

He boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. But God arranged for “a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm...” (Jonah 1:4). Did that “circumstance” get Jonah’s attention? Yes, but instead of turning back to God, he continued to resist. So the sailors tossed him overboard.

Thus endeth the story of Jonah? Not at all. “Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah” (1:17). Finally, Jonah, of his own free will, agrees to the mission God gave him—to preach repentance to Nineveh. And Jonah was successful—they did repent. And Jonah was angry about it.

So Jonah sat down and waited to see what Nineveh would do. “And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant” (4:6) to shade him while he watched. Jonah was grateful for the respite from the heat.

“But God also arranged for a worm” (4:7) during the night to eat through the plant—to help Jonah understand why he wanted to save Nineveh.

It’s too bad we have free will—at least when we resist God. When we resist Him, we force God to sovereignly arrange (or rearrange) our circumstances until we see the light and follow His will.

Have you been refusing God’s call on your life? Have you been running away from God? For many of us, God is using this recession to “arrange” our circumstances so that we will get back to the essentials: surrender, worship, prayer, reading God’s word, love, faith, reverence, obedience, glorifying God, reconciling relationships, doing good works, living humble lives, and working for the “peace and prosperity” of our nation (Jeremiah 29:7).

This recession is God’s grace. God is not the Great Observer; He is the Arranger of all things. He is sovereignly arranging your circumstances so that you will choose His way of your own free will. Rejoice and be glad—God has arranged your rescue.

while While You're Waiting

"Multiply there and do not decrease." – Jeremiah 29:6 NAS

God tells His people "I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you... plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). But hope needs a nurturing environment. God didn't give them permission to take that hope, then just sit back and do nothing.

No, He told them exactly what He wanted them to do while He was working out some of the details for their future: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce... Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you... Pray unto the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:5-7 NIV).

In other words, while you're waiting for God to turn things around, seize the moment. Become as productive as you possibly can. Maximize your potential. A lot of us, while we wait for God to work, think we can do nothing when there's plenty around to do.

God said, "Pray for the prosperity of those around you, because when they prosper you will too." A lot of us don't understand this. We've become concerned about one person only – ourselves. When we mess up, the only person we tend to see is ourself. But God says "While you're waiting on Me to do something good for you, begin doing something good for others." That's what Paul meant, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35 NAS). Then he added: "The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does" (Ephesians 6:8 NIV).

You see, by blessing others you literally open up a channel for God to come through when He blesses you.

diff See the Difference

by Rick Ezell

"My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!‘ Your face, Lord, I will seek" – Psalm 27:8 NIV

Have you heard people pray? The next time someone prays, listen closely to his or her words. Keep track of what they say. Or better yet, consider what you are saying in your prayers. See how often you pray for God's blessings, God's protection, God's healing, God's providence, God's power, and God's help. Then, see how often you praise God for his presence, his glory, his character, and his nature. You see, the first type of prayer is, in biblical terminology, a prayer for God's hand. The second type is a prayer for God's face. When we seek God's hand, we are asking for what God can do for us. When we seek God's face, we are requesting his presence. Check out most hymns and most praise songs. Generally speaking, most hymns are primarily songs sung about God, while praise songs are sung to God. See the difference.

Pray like the Psalmist prayed: "Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Psalm 27:8 NIV). Not his hand, but his face. Let's not always seek what God can do for us, but seek God-his presence, his person. See the difference.

When I seek God's face, I seek God. I seek a relationship with him alone. I know that if all I had was a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus, that would be enough. Regardless of prosperity, power, or prestige, I would have his presence and that would be enough.

Baptist pastor Peter Lord said, "If we only seek God for what he can do for us, rather than seeking him for him, we are spiritual idolaters."

Today, I will seek God's face, his presence. And, that will be enough

last The Last Impression

A husband took his young daughter to the grocery store to help him buy groceries. In addition to the healthy items on his wife's carefully prepared list, the two of them returned home with a package of sugar-filled cookies.

"Why in the world did you buy those?" his wife asked. "You know they aren't good for you!"

"Oh, but don't worry, honey, these cookies have one-third less calories than usual in them," the husband replied.

The wife looked all over the package but couldn't find any claim to that fact, so she asked, "What makes you think that?"

"We ate about a third of the box on the way home."

We are anticipating a wonderful time together in the Lord this Sunday here at WFA! When we praise His name and worship Him, we have His divine promise that He is in our midst, for He inhabits the praises of His people! Don’t miss out on being in His presence!