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Worship Defeats Poverty
Worship Defeats Poverty
By Dave Roberson
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture notations are taken from the King James
Version of the Bible.
All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced and circulated in its
entirety free of charge, but this publication shall not be edited, redacted, reproduced
in part, sold, or exchanged for consideration, without the prior written consent of
the publisher.
Chapter 1
Deception Imprisons People ..............................................4
Chapter 2
The Choice..........................................................................6
Chapter 3
The Carnal Nature of Our Flesh ......................................8
Chapter 4
The Power of Worship.....................................….............10
Chapter 1 believers in the area of finances.
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something they perceive to be better
doesn’t come along — something like
MONEY!
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Chapter 2 despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.
The Choice Matthew 6:24
This defines an essential
Satan is a dictator. He would problem within the American church.
send the entire human race to hell if it The United States is a mighty nation,
were up to him. He hates human but God cannot use it to its fullest
beings and delights in reducing potential. Why? Because many of the
civilization to a subhuman standard same Christians who remain loyal
— starving children to death and during times of persecution and
causing adults to worship animals and hardship choose to fall away during
images made like corruptible men and times of prosperity when the gods of
four-footed beasts. mammon and greed begin to test their
Choosing Between Two ‘Gods’ loyalty.
When people are reduced to a For instance, I used to wonder
pitiful state of despair, they look for a why there aren’t as many creative
way out. In their despair, they take Christian songwriters as there are in
hold of anyone’s hand who will offer the world. Then I realized that the
them a ray of hope. People like this Body of Christ includes many creative
will literally throw themselves on God Christian artists. However, many
with an intensity that reflects their times when these artists find out they
despair. They don’t have fifty other possess a marketable commodity, they
options from which to choose. sell out to the highest bidder — and
However, many times their loyalty that’s usually the world.
lasts only as long as the crisis they are The Church’s Dilemma
trying to get through.
What is the result of so many
When anyone in this condition American believers failing the test of
suddenly receives prosperity, an loyalty between God and mammon? It
interesting thing occurs. All of a makes it appear as if Christians of
sudden, they have two “gods” or third-world countries are more
“masters” to choose from. dedicated and loyal to God in the
One “god” is named “mammon” midst of adversity and hardship than
or “money.” This “master” is willing to are Christians in America where one’s
serve their whims, their greed, and faith or walk with God is seldom
their lusts. On the other hand, their significantly challenged.
Father God (the other “Master”) is To the natural mind, it would
only willing to serve righteousness, therefore seem that deplorable living
holiness, and peace. That’s why Jesus conditions, starvation, and depravity
said, provide the greater testing ground for
No man can serve two a man’s loyalty toward God. However,
masters: for either he will hate most Christians who survive that kind
the one, and love the other; or of testing start thinking they have
else he will hold to the one, and enough character to survive anything.
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Then if their circumstances change for
the better and the limitations of the
flesh are removed, they fall prey to an
even greater realm of testings and
trials as their loyalty is put on trial by
prosperity.
This, then, is the dilemma the
Church at large faces: The Christians
of third-world countries who, to all
appearances, possess a steadfast
loyalty and zeal for God cannot
evangelize the world because they
have no money. But if God blesses
them with a great increase in
finances, many of these seemingly
sold-out Christians become like most
of us in the United States. They often
fail the loyalty test and begin to act
and sound just like those of us who
have been neutralized through the
love of money.
Therein lies the problem. The
people who appear to be much more
spiritual and loyal to God cannot be
used by Him because they don’t have
any money. On the other hand, the
people who do not appear to be as
spiritual cannot be used by God
because they have been neutralized by
the money they possess!
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Chapter 3 their choices are not between
hardships and God but between the
The Carnal Nature pleasures of the good life and God,
Of Our Flesh very few prevail over the love of
money before the love of money
prevails over them.
The heads of most large
ministries will tell you that their God’s Search
ministries are primarily supported by For the Trustworthy
people who give donations of five to As incredible as it may seem,
twenty-five dollars. God has chosen to depend on human
Personally, I have always beings to preach the Gospel. This is
wondered where the larger why Romans 10:14 says, How then
shall they call on him in whom they
contributors hide! I know there are
have not believed? and how shall
always some wealthy believers who
they believe in him of whom they
give generously, but where are the have not heard? and how shall they
majority who know about giving and hear without a preacher?
about establishing partnerships with
ministries in order to reach the lost — God depends on frail human
yet they do not give? beings to carry the greatest message
on earth to those who are lost and
I can tell you what has headed for hell. Yet just as He
happened to many of these wealthy afforded Adam the right to make his
believers. Most of them no longer own decisions, God gives believers
pursue the goal of winning lost souls that same right — to decide not only
for the Kingdom of God with the same whether or not they will serve Him,
tenacity they once did before their but even the degree to which they will
loyalty was neutralized by the love of do so.
money. Most of them give little or
nothing, depending on how deeply It is mind-boggling to think that
their security or comfort is being God has entrusted His evangelistic
threatened. efforts into the hands of people like
you and me. It is even more
Throughout the history of frightening when you understand
mankind, ever since Satan introduced that, in order to finance the Gospel,
greed and lack into this world, money God has to get His wealth past the
has been a major problem for people. carnal nature of believers and into the
The devil has always been successful hands of those who are winning souls!
in getting men to heap up treasure
unto themselves. It therefore doesn’t take much
to realize that a person God can trust
Too often believers don’t to make wealthy (and I’m talking
understand that the real fight for about INCREDIBLY wealthy!) for the
prosperity is not against poverty, but sake of His Kingdom is a rare
against the self nature that takes commodity. Yet God is continually
their loyalty away from God. When looking for that type of person.
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The Real Problem person can take in the spirit to combat
So the problem is not money or the flesh in both these areas is
WORSHIP.
the lack of money, but whether or not
you are willing to deal with the carnal When we first enter into
nature of the flesh. private, consistent worship of God,
The only way lack can be your Satan accuses us of false motives. He
problem is when you BELIEVE it is the tells our minds that we are worshiping
problem. If that is what you believe, God and giving of our finances only for
consider this: If lack were the the selfish motive of receiving
problem, why did Jesus say four something back in return. BUT WE
MUST NOT STOP WORSHIPING!
different times in Matthew 6 not to
take any thought for your life — for The devil knows that if he
what you will eat, drink, or wear? cannot convince us to quit through
condemning thoughts, we will
Therefore I say unto you,
Take no thought for your life, eventually break the bonds of flesh
what ye shall eat, or what ye that constrain us. Once we taste God’s
shall drink; nor yet for your goodness through true worship, the
body, what ye shall put on. Is enemy will be hard pressed to
not the life more than meat, and convince us to go back to serving the
the body than raiment? flesh instead of pursuing a deeper
Matthew 6:25 relationship with our Heavenly
And why take ye thought for Father.
raiment? Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin.
Matthew 6:28
Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?
Matthew 6:31
Take therefore no thought
for the morrow: for the morrow
shall take thought for the things
of itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
Matthew 6:34
No, lack isn’t the problem.
Wealth is more of a problem to a
man’s loyalty to God than lack is. Yet
of all the truths God has taught me,
this is one of the most important: The
singularly most effective action a
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Chapter 4 hope and new life in Christ.
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Worship Changes You also cleanses you from greed and self-
Personally, my life is being indulgence so your soul can prosper.
changed by worshiping God in my So if you want to be set free
private prayer time. Something is from worry, torment, or fear — if you
happening to the carnal nature of my want to be free from poverty, lack,
senses that is freeing me from sickness, deception, and every other
bondage and releasing me more and strategy of the devil — create a prayer
more into the blessings of God. Today closet or a private place where you can
I am more thankful about a simple go to meet God. Then begin to worship
necktie or the clothes on my back than Him for His Presence in your life, for
I used to be when I acquired a new His wonderful provision, and for His
car. deliverance from every attack of the
When I first went into my enemy.
private prayer closet to worship God Satan may come like a roaring
for His goodness and for meeting my lion, seeking whom he may devour,
needs, the devil tried to tell me I was but your God has placed you in the
only doing it for gain. But I didn’t let palm of His hand. And as you enter
the enemy discourage me. I stayed in God’s Presence often to love and
there anyway and kept worshiping worship Him, you open the way for
God. Him to fulfill His heart desire — to
You see, worship is very cause you to prosper and be in health
powerful. Even if your motives are even as your soul prospers!
wrong when you begin to worship God,
they cannot possibly stay wrong
because worshiping God in your
private prayer closet brings
transformation to your soul.
The moment you begin to
worship God in your prayer closet —
lifting your hands to Heaven and
saying things like, “I love You, Father;
thank You for supplying all my needs”
— change begins in you. As you
continue to tell God how much you
love Him over and over again an hour
at a time, you will be amazed at the
change it will effect in you and in the
adverse circumstances surrounding
you.
Worship plays a most powerful
role in cleansing the soul from
worries, torments, and fears. Worship
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Worship:
Have you been searching for a way to be set free from worry, fear,
poverty, lack, and every other strategy of the devil? Author Dave Roberson
provides you with the key to freedom in this little book. In Worship Defeats
Poverty, Dave points the way to escape the bondage of the flesh and carnal
emotions so you can live in the abundance that is yours in Christ!