How to Prosper in the Kingdom

In my last blog entry, I contended that much of the Lord's teaching regarded prosperity--not the prosperity of the world, but prosperity in the Kingdom of God. Jesus wanted his followers to have the spiritual resources to conduct His business here on earth. I am not just looking forward to going to heaven someday to inherit a mansion on a street of gold--I am interested in possessing the Kingdom here and now for the glory of my King! I want to be a successful person in the Kingdom of God.

In the parable of the nobleman who went on a journey and left his servants with various sums of money to invest while he was gone, we see that the master returned to reward his servants according to how successfully they had invested and prospered with his money. This tells us that the Lord wants us to conduct successful business transactions in the Kingdom of God here and now--we have been given a great responsibility to multiply his wealth until he returns. The Lord's wealth is not silver and gold, or meat and drink. The wealth of the Kingdom of God is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit  (Ro. 14:17). He will reward those who are faithful and wise to be prosperous with the Kingdom riches.

Fortunately, the servants of the King are not left to their own devices in this great responsibility. Jesus left us with instructions on how to multiply Kingdom wealth. Consider the following passages which are taken from the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:1-4, 6, 17-18
(1)  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
(2)  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(3)  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
(4)  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

(6)  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

(17)  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
(18)  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

In this selection of scripture, Jesus gave three examples of how we can multiply Kingdom wealth. They regard charitable giving, praying and fasting. These three Christian disciplines are the fundamental exercises for the person who wants to succeed in the Kingdom life.

If you are hesitant to believe that the Lord was teaching about how to multiple Kingdom wealth, consider the scriptures that immediately follow and give context to the sayings about giving, prayer and fasting. Jesus was teaching about how to lay up treasure in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-20
(19)  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
(20)  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Jesus taught a simple principle that applies to all three disciplines. Jesus taught that when we give, pray and fast, it should be done in secret. When seen against the contrast of the hypocrites that love to give, pray and fast for the applause of others, it is clear that doing these things in secret involves our motives. We are not to exercise the Christian disciplines for the sake of human applause. Our offerings are to be for an audience of One--the Lord himself. When our motives are pure and we are exercising the Christian disciplines for the sake of the Lord and His Kingdom--and not for the sake of human applause--then Jesus promised that the Father would reward us openly.

Do you understand what that means? Jesus was not talking about a reward that would be given in the hereafter. He was talking about being rewarded here and now in the sight of others. When you give, pray and fast with the right motives, the Lord promises that your Kingdom capital will increase so that others will be able to perceive it. Others will see your prosperity.

Kingdom prosperity was on display when Peter said Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk! (Acts 3:6). The Lord rewarded the charity, prayers and fastings of the early Church with regular and open acts of healing and deliverance. Thus were the servants of the nobleman investing his talents and increasing his wealth.