Let’s continue with the what we started in last week’s blog. The scripture we highlighted was 3 John 2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.”

According to this scripture, and many others, it is God’s desire that we prosper and be in health.  All throughout the Word you see where it is God’s will for us to prosper.

Jeremiah 29:11 is an example of God’s desire for us to prosper. It states,

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Another example is Psalms 35:27, which tells us,

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

All three of these scriptures are examples of God’s will for us to prosper.  When we think of the word prosperity, the first thing we think of is money. Money is part of the plan of God, but the full meaning of prosperity is not just money. It is God’s will for us to prosper in all areas of our lives. He wants us to prosper in health, in peace, in joy, in relationships, in mind, body and spirit. True prosperity in God is having a wealth of wholeness in all areas of our lives.

The more we spend time in God’s Word and in God’s presence, the more we prosper.  The more we pray and do the will of God, we prosper. The more we live in the light of God and the will of God, the more we prosper. The more thankful we are and the more we give God praise, the more we prosper!

Beloved, I wish above all things that YOU prosper. God so loves us that His desire for us is to prosper. Champions, let’s just take time right now to be thankful for the prosperity that God has placed in our lives: prosperity of wealth, peace, joy, health, long life! He has designed us to prosper in our spirit, in our soul, and in our body.  

As you continue to walk out your daily walk with God, remember this verse.

Beloved, I wish above all things that you mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.

As you meditate on the scripture, first of all, know that you are loved by God. It is His desire for you to prosper in all areas of your life.

-Coach Brim

I wanted to begin this blog today with the main scripture the Lord has given our church congregation to focus on for the year of 2019.  The scripture is found in 3 John 2, and it states, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you mayest prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

I love this scripture! I love the way it begins! The simple word, beloved. When anyone calls you beloved, you know you’re loved. This is John who is writing to Gaius, and by using this word, we realize that Gaius and John are not just casual friends. They are not even partners in a business, but there is a strong emotional tie here. This is a relationship of true love: a brother-to-brother or father-to-child kind of love. Every time I read this scripture, I think of the Father talking to me, His child. BELOVED. (Remember, the Word of God tells us that all scripture is presented to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.)

So, God is talking to us here and saying, “my dearest, most loved part of my life.” To finish out the rest of the scripture, you have to realize how loved you are by God! You are so loved that He created a plan from the beginning of time to bring you into fellowship with Him. He gave up His only son, allowed Him to suffer for us so that we may be reunited with Him. You have to realize that you are loved beyond any measure in life - beyond anything that you can imagine, beyond eternity. This is how strong the word beloved is!

Another example of the beloved type of sincere love is found in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God SO loved that His desire is that not one person will perish, but that everyone should have everlasting life! We were part of that “world.” He so loved us that now we do not have to have life without Him. We have everlasting life, thus, He calls us beloved.

This upcoming week, focus on the first part of 3 John 2: beloved Be loved by God. Be loved with God’s whole heart! Be loved by God’s very existence! And then in turn say, “God, be loved by me. God, be loved with my whole heart! God, be loved by my whole existence!” Then, you will be able to write a letter to God that starts with, “Dear Beloved,...”

-Coach Brim

Let’s pick up where we left off last week.

1 John 1:5-7 states, This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you. That God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth but if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.

Last week we looked at this verse. We said that if we stay in the light we will not be in darkness. I shared with you about my “bad attitude day”; and that when I chose the light of God’s word over my bad attitude, God was able to use me to pray for others. Today, I want to show you how that works.

The main word I want to point out to you today is the word fellowship. A lot of times we think of this word as simply meaning spending time with someone - going out to dinner with them or going to grab a cup coffee after work. But, this word has such a greater meaning to it than just hanging out with someone. Fellowship, according to the Greek meaning, is partner and partaker of. In other words, when you see this word in conjunction with God, it is saying that we are partnering up with God and partaking of all His benefits. So, let’s go back and look at the above verse, especially verse seven. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. In other words, using what we just learned about the word fellowship, if we walk in the light, we are in partnership with God! We can partake of all His benefits. Praise God!  We are in partnership with the creator of the universe! The one who said, “let there be light” and light was! It seems like a “no brainer”, but the catch is we must walk in the light. When we gossip about our neighbor, we walk out of the light, and we are no longer in partnership with God. When we murmur and complain, we walk out of the light and are no longer in partnership with God. That day, I was upset because of losing the ballgame. I had stepped out of the light and out of partnership with God. Am I still going to heaven? Yes! But, I am no longer able to work with God to accomplish His goal. His goal for me that day was to pray. The moment I recognized that I needed to get into the Word of God, God began to unveil His light to me, and I was able to move back into the light and hear God say, “Pray for the kicker.” I was back in partnership. I was back working with God.  

Every day, we have to choose whether to walk in the light of God or to walk in the darkness. Trust me, Satan has devised a plan to keep you out of God’s light. He knows that if you figure out that you are in partnership with God and that you can get things done by walking in His light (His Word) Satan will detour you from it. Sometimes, it’s not even Satan! It is just everyday life and your flesh that will get you upset, angry, and walking out of love. Not you, Champion! You choose to stay in fellowship with God by walking in the light. Make the decision this week to stay in fellowship with God in every situation. Tell yourself, it’s not worth being out of partnership with God, and stay in the light.

-Coach Brim