Transcription
Now, open your Bibles to Galatians chapter 3, verse 13. I want you to put your eyes on it. Don't just hear me say it, look at it, mark it, underline it, circle it, write it on the tablet of your heart.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Say it out loud with me. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse. Say it again. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse. One more time. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse.
Now, if he redeemed you, then you are redeemed. If he set you free, then you are free. If he bought you back, then you don't belong to the curse anymore. Hallelujah.
Now, listen carefully. The Bible didn't say Christ is going to redeem us someday. No. No. It doesn't say he's thinking about redeeming us. It doesn't say he might redeem us if we work hard enough. It says he hath, that means past tense, already done, already finished, already sealed in the blood of the lamb.
When Jesus hung on that cross, the curse hung on him. When Jesus bore the thorns on his head, he bore poverty on his brow. When Jesus cried, "It is finished," the curse was finished. And child of God, if the curse is finished, then the blessing is begun. The curse is ended and the blessing is yours.
We're going to walk through the word tonight and see exactly what that means. We're going to open up Deuteronomy 28 and find out what the curse is. Poverty, lack, insufficiency. And then we're going to shout from Galatians 3 that Christ has redeemed us from it.
I want you to hear me well. You are not bound to your father's curse. You are not tied to your mother's poverty. You are not chained to what runs in your family line. When you got born again, you changed families. You are now Abraham's seed and an heir according to the promise.
Say this with me. I am redeemed from the curse of lack. I am redeemed from the curse of poverty. I am redeemed into the blessing of Abraham. You see, we're not talking about fairy tales. We're talking about legal documents written in the blood of Jesus. God's word is his bond. And when you believe it, when you act on it, when you confess it, it comes alive in your life.
So tonight, we set the stage. We start right here, right now. Christ has redeemed us. We're going to build on that. We're going to dig into that. We're going to walk in that. Glory to God. Are you ready?
Now, let's take our Bibles and turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 28. Somebody says, "Well, Brother Hagen, why do we need to go back under the Old Testament?" Because if you don't know what the curse is, you won't know what you're redeemed from. Galatians 3 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." Well, what curse? The curse is written in the law, and Deuteronomy 28 lays it out line upon line.
Now, the first 14 verses talk about the blessing. Glory to God. I love the blessing. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses. Duke 28-38.
But after verse 14 comes the other side, the curse. And it's not pretty. It talks about defeat, confusion, sickness, and yes, poverty. lack, want, shortage. Look at verse 48. Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things.
Now wait a minute. That's poverty. That's lack. That's insufficiency. That's shortage. That's the curse. Verse 17 says, "Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store." Well, your basket and store is your cupboard, your pantry, your bank account. If it's cursed, that means it's empty. That's lack. That's shortage. That's insufficiency.
But praise God, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. If it's written in Deuteronomy 28 as a curse, then Galatians 3 says you're redeemed from it. If hunger is a curse, you're redeemed from hunger. If empty cupboards are a curse, you're redeemed from empty cupboards. If debt and slavery are curse, you're redeemed from debt and slavery.
Say it out loud. I am not cursed. I am blessed. I am not poor. I am provided for. I am not in lack. I am in abundance.
Now, don't misunderstand. Me being redeemed doesn't mean the devil won't try to bring lack against you. But it means you have the authority to resist him. It means you don't have to accept it. It means you don't have to bow down under it. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Well, if poverty is of the curse and if poverty is of the devil, then you resist it just like you resist sickness, just like you resist sin. Somebody says, "Brother Hagen, are you saying that lack is not my cross to bear?" No. No. A thousand times no. The cross to bear is obedience to God. Poverty is not a cross. Poverty is a curse. And Jesus already bore it on his cross so you don't have to say it again with me.
Christ has redeemed me from the curse of poverty. I will not serve lack. I will not bow to shortage. I live in the blessing.
Now, child of God, we're setting the foundation. We've seen the curse. We've named it. We've read it. We've identified it. And now, we know we're free from it. Glory to God. Next, we're going to see how Jesus bore that curse on himself so we can walk in the blessing.
Now that we've seen what the curse is, let's see where it was carried. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 8:9. The word says, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
Let that sink in a moment. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. Why? So that through his poverty you might be rich. Some folks don't like that verse, but it's still in the Bible. You can't tear it out. You can't ignore it. You can't explain it away.
Jesus took our poverty the same way he took our sin. He bore our lack the same way he bore our sickness. He carried it to the cross so we wouldn't have to. Isaiah 53 says, "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." That word griefs means sickness. That word sorrows means pains. And he bore our poverty too.
When he hung naked on that tree, stripped of everything, rejected by man and seemingly forsaken, he bore the curse in full. Think about it. The crown of thorns was a sign of the curse. Back in Genesis chapter 3, when Adam sinned, the ground was cursed to bring forth thorns and thistles. And what did they press into Jesus's brow? A crown of thorns. He literally wore the curse on his head.
But glory to God, he didn't stay on that cross. He didn't stay in that grave. He rose again. And when he rose, he rose free from the curse, victorious over sin, sickness, and poverty.
Say this out loud. On the cross, Jesus took my poverty. At the resurrection, he gave me his abundance. Say it again. On the cross, Jesus took my lack. At the resurrection, he gave me his supply.
Oh, thank God for the cross. Thank God for the empty tomb. Thank God for the blood that redeemed a spirit, soul, body, and finances, too. You see, redemption is not just spiritual. Redemption is not just for heaven. Redemption touches your everyday life. It touches your kitchen table, touches your gas tank. It touches your bank account. It touches your business.
Philippians 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." Not according to the stock market, not according to the government, not according to inflation, but according to his riches in glory. And I'm telling you tonight, his riches never run out.
So child of God, when you look at that cross, see more than just forgiveness. See more than just healing. See your poverty nailed there. See your debt nailed there. See your lack nailed there. And when you look at that empty tomb, see your blessing rise. See your abundance rise. see your provision rise. Glory to God forever more.
Now, we've seen what the curse island. We've seen who carried it. Next, we're going to see what belongs to us now. The blessing of Abraham.
Now, let's take another step. We've seen the curse. We've seen it nailed to the cross. But what takes its place? The blessing. Turn with me to Galatians 3 29. And if you be Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed and hes according to the promise.
Did you catch that? If you belong to Christ, and I believe you do, then you are Abraham's seed. You are Abraham's heir. You are in the bloodline of blessing. Some folks say, "Well, Brother Hagen, that's talking about spiritual blessing." Yes, it includes spiritual blessing, but don't leave it there.
Genesis tells us what Abraham's blessing looked like. Genesis 13 verse 2, "And Abram was very rich in cattle and silver and in gold." Genesis 24:1. And Abraham was old and well stricken in age. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. Did you hear that? Not some things. Not just heaven someday, not just forgiveness. He blessed Abraham in all things.
Say this with me. I am Abraham's seed. I am heir to the blessing. I am blessed in all things.
Now, you may not feel like it. You may not look like it. You may still see bills on the table and debts in the mail, but don't let that move you. You stand on the word. The word says, "If you be Christ, then you are Abraham's seed." That means blessing is your inheritance.
Romans 4 says, "Abraham is the father of faith. And just as he believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness, so you believe God and is counted to you for blessing." Listen to me. Abraham was blessed in famine. Isaac sowed in famine and reaped a hundfold. Jacob was blessed in strange lands. Joseph prospered in a prison. Daniel prospered in Babylon. Don't you tell me that the blessing only works in good times. The blessing works all the time. Because the blessing is not tied to economy. It's tied to covenant.
Say it out loud. I have a covenant. I walk in blessing. The blessing of Abraham is mine through Christ Jesus.
Now let's tie this back. Galatians 3:14 says that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith. So through Christ the blessing has come on us through faith we receive it. This blessing covers every area of life. Blessing in the city, blessing in the field, blessing in your body, blessing in your children, blessing in your storehouse, blessing in your hands, blessing in your coming in, blessing in your going out. Deuteronomy 28 says it and Galatians 3 confirms it. And if God said it, then it's yours.
Say it again with me. The blessing of Abraham is mine. I am blessed in all things. I am blessed in my body. I am blessed in my house. I am blessed in my work. I am blessed in my finances. I am blessed to be a blessing. Glory to God. I feel faith rising right here.
But we're not done yet. You see, to walk in this blessing, you've got to do something with your mind. You've got to line it up with the word of God. That's where we're going next.
Now, child of God, listen closely. You can be redeemed. You can be blessed. You can be Abraham's heir and still live like a pawper if your mind isn't renewed. Romans 12:2 says, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
The world says money is scarce. The world says there's never enough. The world says some people were born poor and they'll die poor. But God's word says the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Psalm 23:1. God's word says, "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." Psalm 34:10. God's word says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19.
Whose report are you going to believe? If you keep thinking like the world, you'll keep living like the world. But if you think like the word, you'll live like the word.
Say it with me. I renew my mind to God's abundance. I cast down thoughts of lack. I fill my mind with the word of blessing. Joshua 1 verse 8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Did you hear that? Prosperity and success are tied to what you meditate on. If you meditate on bills, you'll get more bills. If you meditate on debt, you'll sink deeper into debt. But if you meditate on the word, confess the word, think the word, dream the word, you'll see the word come alive in your life.
I remember years ago a young man came to me. He said, "Brother Hagen, I just can't seem to get ahead. Every time I save, something breaks. Every time I sow, something happens. It feels like I'm cursed." I told him, "No, son. You're not cursed. You're redeemed." But your mind hasn't caught up yet. You're still talking curse, thinking curse, expecting curse. Get in the word, renew your mind, and start expecting blessing, man. And do you know, six months later, he came back and said, "Brother Hagen, it's working. I've paid off debt. I've got money in the bank. I'm giving more than I ever gave before." What happened? The word didn't change. God didn't suddenly decide to bless him. No, the blessing was there all along. But when his mind got renewed, his life lined up.
Say it again. I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. I think blessing thoughts. I believe blessing promises. I expect blessing results. Hallelujah.
Now, once your mind is renewed, you got to put your mouth in gear. You got to start speaking in line with the word of God. That's where we're headed next.
Now, once your mind is renewed with the word, your mouth has to line up with it. Faith is not silent. Faith speaks. Turn to Mark 11 23. Jesus said, "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith."
Notice he didn't just say, "He shall have whatsoever he believeth." No, he said he shall have whatsoever he saith. Three times Jesus said, "Say in this verse." And only one time he said believe. Why? Because most believers are strong in believing but weak in saying. You see you can believe the word in your heart but if you never speak it with your mouth you cut the power line. Faith has to be released. Faith has to be spoken.
Romans 10 verse 10 says for with the heart man believeth under righteousness and with the mouth confession is made under salvation. Confession brings possession. Say this with me. My confession brings my possession. Say it again. My confession brings my possession.
Now, let's make it practical. If you keep saying, "I can't make it," you won't make it. If you keep saying, "There's never enough," you'll never have enough. If you keep saying, "I'm always broke," you'll always be broke. But if you say what God says, you'll have what God says.
God says, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Proverbs 10:22. So you say, "The blessing of the Lord makes me rich. Sorrow has no place in my finances."
God says, "I will open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10. So you say, "The windows of heaven are open over me. I receive overflow. I receive more than enough."
God says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over." Luke 6:38. So you say, "I am a giver and I am a receiver. Blessings are running over in my life."
Say this out loud right now. I call abundance into my life. I call increase into my family. I call provision into my house. I call debt cancellation in Jesus' name. Faith speaks what it believes. Faith speaks what it expects. Faith speaks what the word says.
Remember, you're redeemed from the curse. But the devil will try to bring symptoms of the curse. Lack, shortage, insufficiency. When he does, you don't cry about it. You don't beg God about it. You speak to it. You say, "No, devil. I'm redeemed from that. Take your hands off my finances. The blessing is mine. The word is mine. Abundance is mine. Glory to God. When faith speaks, mountains move. When faith speaks, doors open. When faith speaks, lack flee.
Now, we've seen that faith speaks. But next, we're going to deal with a big one. Generational lack. Because some of you been told all your life it runs in the family. Well, I've got good news in Christ, you're in a new family.
Now, let's go a little deeper. Some of you here tonight, you've been told it just runs in the family. Daddy was poor, granddaddy was poor, and you'll be poor, too. But I've come with good news from the word of God. That cycle stops with you.
Turn with me to Ezekiel chapter 18 verse two. It says, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge." That was a proverb that people used to say, "What happened to daddy has to happen to the children." But God replied in verse three, "As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion anymore to use this proverb in Israel." Glory to God.
What does that mean? It means the curse is not hereditary when you're in Christ. It means you're not bound by what your earthly father did or didn't do. It means you got a new father and your inheritance is not debt and lack, but blessing and abundance.
Say this with me. I am not tied to my family's curse. I am tied to my father's blessing.
Now, look at 2 Corinthians 5:17. You know it well. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Did you hear that? Old things, old habits, old curses, old lack, old shortages, they are passed away. You are new. Oh, somebody needs to hear this. The poverty that ran in your bloodline has been stopped by the blood of Jesus. The blood of your family may have been weak, but the blood of the lamb is strong.
Say it out loud. I am in a new bloodline. I am in a new covenant. I live in a new inheritance.
Galatians 3:1 13 again. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. He didn't just redeem you from your personal curse. He redeemed you from generational curse. He redeemed you from family bondage. He redeemed you from cycles of debt and poverty.
Now I want you to see this. In Exodus, the Lord said the curse could visit to the third and fourth generation. But the blessing, it goes to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:9. Which one is greater? The curse or the blessing? The blessing. Which one has more power? The devil's grip or Jesus's blood? Jesus's blood. So stop saying it runs in my family. Start saying the blessing runs in my family. Increase runs in my family. Favor runs in my family. Wealth runs in my family. And it will flow to my children and my children's children and a thousand generations after me. Glory to God. That's shouting ground right there.
So, we've broken the myth of generational lack. But how do we walk it out daily? We need to understand something very important. There's the legal side of redemption and then there's the vital side, living it out. That's where we're going next.
Now, listen closely because this will clear up confusion for many. There is a legal side to redemption and there is a vital side to redemption. Legally, everything you'll ever need has already been purchased. Legally, the blessing has already been signed, sealed, and delivered by the blood of Jesus. Legally, you are redeemed from the curse of poverty. Legally, you are heir to Abraham's blessing.
But vitally, that is experientially, you must take hold of it. You must walk it out. You must act like it's true, talk like it's true, live like it's true. Let me give you an example. Suppose a man has a million dollars sitting in the bank in his name. It's legally his. The bank recognizes it. The documents prove it. the account is open and waiting. But if he never writes a check, if he never makes a withdrawal, he could starve with a million dollars in the bank. Why? Because he didn't exercise his legal right. He didn't make it vital in his life.
It's the same with redemption. You can quote Galatians 3:13:14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. And that's legally true. But if you never renew your mind to it, never speak it out, never act on it, you'll go on living like you're still under the curse.
Say it with me. Legally I am redeemed. Vidally I walk it out by faith.
Hebrews 4:2 says, "For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Did you hear that? The word is true. The word is living. But the word won't profit you unless you mix it with faith. You must take what is legal in heaven and make it vital on earth. You must take what is promised in the covenant and bring it into practice in your confession, in your giving, in your daily living. That's why James said in James 1:22, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only. Deceiving your own selves. Hearing is legal. Doing is vital. Knowing is legal. Acting is vital. Believing is legal. Confessing is vital."
Say it again. The blessing is mine legally. The blessing is mine vitally. I walk it out by faith.
Now, child of God, don't ever forget this. Faith is an act. If you want to see the blessing show up, you've got to act like the word is true. That's where seed time and harvest comes in. And that's what we'll look at next.
Now, we've seen the legal side. We've seen the vital side. But how do we bring this blessing into manifestation in our daily lives? The Bible gives us a law, an eternal law that governs provision. It's called seed time and harvest.
Turn with me to Genesis 8:22. While the earth remainth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. As long as the earth remains, this law remains. Seed time and harvest is as sure as sunrise and sunset. It is God's built-in system for increase.
Now look at 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 6. But this I say, he which seweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which seweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Notice it doesn't say he that prayth about reaping shall reap. It doesn't say he that cries about reaping shall reap. It says he that sweth. Seowing determines reaping. Plant little harvest little. Plant much, harvest much. That's not my law. That's God's law.
Say this with me. My harvest is determined by my seed. My increase is determined by my sewing.
Now, don't misunderstand me. Your giving doesn't buy God's blessing. No. No. Jesus already bought it. But giving is the way you activate it. Giving is the way you put your faith into action. Giving is the way you say, "Lord, I believe your word more than I believe my circumstances."
Proverbs 11:24-25 says, "There is that scatterth, and yet increasth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meat, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that waterth shall be watered also himself." You see, withholding leads to poverty. Giving leads to increase. It doesn't make sense to the natural mind, but it makes perfect sense to the renewed mind.
I remember one time years ago a young couple came to me. They said, "Brother Hagen, we just can't afford to tithe." I said, "Son, you can't afford not to." They started small, but they started and they watered that seed with faith and confession. Within months, doors opened for better jobs. Debts got paid. And their testimony turned into a shout of victory.
Say this out loud. When I sow, I reap. When I give, I receive. When I scatter, I increase.
And don't forget, sewing is not just money. It's words. It's love. It's service. But yes, it includes money. And money is often the hardest seed to release, which is why it brings such a powerful harvest when given in faith.
Now, here's the key. Sew your seed and then water it with confession. Don't dig it up with doubt. Don't cancel your harvest with words of lack. Say every day, "My seed is growing. My harvest is coming. My cup runth over." Glory to God. The curse is lack. The blessing is overflow. And seed time and harvest is God's guaranteed system to move you from lack to overflow.
Now, I want to show you something else. Once you've swn, once you've spoken, the enemy will try to bring fear. Fear of shortage, fear of not enough. That's why our next step is learning to stand against the fear of lack.
Now, child of God, listen carefully. You can sew your seed. You can make your confession. You can know the word. But if you let fear creep in, it will choke your harvest. Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear is the thief that tries to rob you of the blessing.
Hebrews 13:es 5 and 6 say, "For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Did you hear that? He said, 'I will never leave you.' That's the legal side. So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper." That's the vital side.
Say it right now. The Lord is my helper. I will not fear lack. I will not fear shortage. I will not fear tomorrow. Glory to God.
You see, fear always paints a picture of not enough. Fear says you won't make it this month. Fear says there's no job for you. Fear says you'll lose the house. Fear says the world is falling apart and you'll go under with it. But faith paints a picture of God's word. Faith says, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." Faith says, "My God shall supply all my need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." Faith says, "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."
Whose picture are you going to hang on the wall of your heart? Fear's picture of shortage or faith's picture of supply. Job said in Job 3:25, "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me." Fear attracts failure the way faith attracts blessing. That's why you must cast it down.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of a sound mind." Say it again. God has not given me fear. God has given me power. God has given me love. God has given me a sound mind.
Now, let me tell you something. The devil traffics in fear the way God moves in faith. If you accept fear, you give him room to operate. But if you resist fear and speak faith, you slam the door in his face. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That includes resisting the fear of lack.
When fear whispers, "You won't have enough," you shout back, "The Lord is my helper. The Lord is my provider. The Lord is my supply." I remember one time years ago, the enemy tried to bring fear on me. Bills were due, money was short. The thought came, "What are you going to do now?" I answered right back, "Devil, I'm going to believe God. My God supplies all my need. I will not fear. I walk by faith, not by sight." And do you know before the wheat was out, every need was met and more besides. Faith works when you work it. Fear flees when you resist it.
Say this boldly. I refuse fear. I resist fear. I walk in faith. I walk in abundance. Glory to God.
Now that you're free from fear, you can walk boldly in the covenant of prosperity. That's what we'll look at next.
Now child of God, let me remind you, prosperity is not an accident. Prosperity is not luck. Prosperity is not chance. Prosperity is covenant.
Turn with me to Deuteronomy 8:1 18. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Did you hear that? God gives you power to get wealth, not for greed, not for pride, but to establish his covenant. When you prosper, the covenant is displayed. When you increase, the covenant is established. When you overflow, the covenant is proven.
Say it with me. Prosperity is my covenant right. Prosperity is God's covenant proof.
Now, notice he didn't say he gives you money. He said he gives you power to get wealth. That power may be wisdom. That power may be ideas. That power may be favor. That power may be strength to work. But it all comes from him.
Genesis 26 tells us about Isaac. The Bible says there was a famine in the land, but God told Isaac to stay where he was and sew in that land. And verse 12 says, "Then Isaac sowed in that land, received in the same year and hundfold, and the Lord blessed him." Verse 13 says, "And the man waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great." Did you hear that? In famine he sowed. In famine he reaped a hundfold. In famine he prospered. Why? Because he was in covenant with God.
Your prosperity is not tied to the economy. Your prosperity is not tied to Wall Street. Your prosperity is not tied to your employer. Your prosperity is tied to your covenant. And your covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus.
Psalm 89-34 says, "My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. If God has spoken prosperity into his covenant, he will not break it. If he said it, he will do it. If he promised it, he will perform it."
Say it again. I have a covenant of prosperity. My covenant cannot fail. My covenant is sealed by the blood of Jesus. Glory to God.
Now, once you understand prosperity is covenant, your response is thanksgiving. And that's where we're going next.
Now that we've seen prosperity is a covenant, let me show you the attitude that keeps the covenant flowing. Thanksgiving.
Turn with me to Philippians 4 6 and 7. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Notice that little phrase with thanksgiving. Prayer alone is not enough. Supplication alone is not enough. Requests alone are not enough. They must be wrapped in thanksgiving. Say it with me. Thanksgiving seals the blessing.
You see, thanksgiving is faith's language. If you believe you've received, then you thank him for it. If you believe the harvest is yours, you thank him before you see the crop. If you believe the bills are paid, you thank him before the check arrives.
Colossians 2:7 says, "Rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Did you catch it? Abounding in faith goes hand in hand with abounding in thanksgiving. A thankful heart attracts increase. A grumbling heart shuts the door. Israel grumbled in the wilderness and stayed in lack. Paul and Silas sang praises at midnight and the prison doors open. Which do you want bondage or breakthrough? Thanksgiving makes the difference.
Say this out loud. Father, I thank you for my redemption. I thank you that I'm redeemed from the curse. I thank you that the blessing of Abraham is mine. I thank you for abundance, increase, and overflow.
Now, let me give you a picture. A farmer doesn't plant seed and then curse the ground. No, he waters it, he tends it, and he thanks God for rain before he ever sees a drop. He lives in expectation. That's thanksgiving. So don't just sew your seed, water it with thanksgiving. Don't just make confession, season it with thanksgiving. Don't just pray, shout your thanks before the answer shows up. Glory to God. Thanksgiving turns your confession into celebration. Thanksgiving keeps your harvest alive. Thanksgiving proves you really believe what you prayed.
Say it again. Thanksgiving seals the blessing.
Now, if thanksgiving seals the blessing, confession holds it fast. That's what we're going to next. The power of consistent confession.
Now, child of God, let me tell you something. I've learned through years of walking by faith. Confession must be consistent. Not once in a while, not only on Sundays, not just when you feel good, but day after day, morning and night, in good times and in bad.
Hebrews 10 verse 23 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promise." Notice that, "Hold fast. Don't let it go. Don't drop it when pressure come. Don't change it when bills show up. Don't waver when circumstances shout against you. Hold fast your confession."
Say this with me. I hold fast my confession. I will not waver. God is faithful.
Now, confession is not a one-time thing. You don't plant a seed once and forget about it. You keep watering it. You don't breathe once and expect to live. You keep breathing. In the same way, you don't confess once and expect victory. You keep confessing.
Joshua 1 verse 8 again, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Did you notice? Not out of your mind, not out of your eyes, but out of your mouth. That means speak it continually, morning and night, again and again.
Say this aloud. I say what God says. I hold fast to his word. I refuse to waver.
Now, let me tell you, the devil hates it when you keep confessing. He doesn't mind if you say it once. He doesn't mind if you sing about it on Sunday, but he trembles when you say it on Monday morning. He trembles when you say it when bills are on the table. He trembles when you say it at midnight with tears in your eyes because he knows if you hold fast, the blessing will manifest. Consistency is the bridge between believing and receiving. Consistency is the proof that you're persuaded. Consistency is the key that unlocks the vault.
Say it again. My confession holds my possession. I will not quit. I will not change. I will not let go.
Now, let's do it together. Repeat this with me three times. Christ hath redeemed me from the curse of poverty. The blessing of Abraham is mine. I live in abundance today. Glory to God. I sense faith rising.
But remember this, faith works by love. You can confess all day long, but if you don't walk in love, you shut down your faith. That's what we'll look at next. Walking in love to stay in prosperity.
Now, child of God, listen closely. You can confess the word day and night. You can sew your seed faithfully. You can even resist fear. But if you step out of love, you step out of prosperity.
Galatians 5 verse 6 says, "For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision avaleth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which workketh by love." Did you hear that? Faith works by love. That means if love is shortcircuited, faith won't flow. And if faith won't flow, prosperity won't grow.
Say it with me. Faith works by love. Prosperity flows by love.
You can't walk in strife and expect the blessing to manifest. You can't hold bitterness in your heart and expect your seed to grow. You can't stay offended at your brother or your sister and expect your confession to produce.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love looks like. Love suffereth long and is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself. Is not puffed up. Seketh not her own. is not easily provoked, thinkketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth. V48.
Notice, love never fails. That means if you stay in love, your faith won't fail. If you stay in love, your prosperity won't fail. Say it again. Love never fails. Therefore, my prosperity never fails.
I remember a dear lady once came to me. She said, "Brother Hagen, I've been tithing. I've been giving. I've been confessing, but nothing seems to work." I looked down and said, "How's your love walk?" She dropped her head. She said, "Well, I've been holding something against my sister for years." I said, "Go make it right." She did. And within weeks, doors of provision opened up that had been locked for years.
Child of God, unforgiveness will clog your pipeline. Bitterness will choke your harvest. Strife will slam the windows of heaven shut. But love keeps the blessing flowing. So say this with me. I walk in love. I forgive quickly. I let go of offense. My love walk keeps my faith strong. My faith works. My seed grows. My prosperity flows. Glory to God. When you walk in love, you walk in prosperity. When you keep your heart open, heaven stays open. When you forgive, God's blessing flows freely.
Now, we've seen how to stay in prosperity. Next, we're going to deal with the root cause, the spiritual side. Because poverty isn't just natural, it's a spirit. And we must break it.
Now, listen to me, child of God. Poverty is not just numbers on a page. Poverty is not just a empty wallet or a stack of bills. Poverty is a spirit. And until you recognize it as such, you'll wrestle with it in the natural when you ought to resist it in the spiritual.
Jesus said in Luke chapter 10 verse 19, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." That means you have authority over poverty because poverty is part of the enemy's power. It's part of the curse. It's not your inheritance. It's a thief.
Say it with me. I have authority over the spirit of poverty. Poverty, you have no place in my life.
John 10:10 tells us, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." Poverty steals. Poverty kills. Poverty destroys. That's the thief at work. But Jesus came that we might have abundance. So which side are you going to live? On the thief's side or Jesus side?
Say it again. I live on the abundant side.
Now, let me show you something. In Deuteronomy 28-48, it says, "Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things." That's poverty described right there. Hunger, thirst, nakedness, want of all things. And the Bible says that's bondage to the enemy. But Galatians 3:13 says Christ has redeemed us from that curse. So why accept poverty as a normal condition? Why tolerate what Jesus already bore? Don't pet it. Don't excuse it. Don't call it humility. Call it what it is, a curse. And then break it in Jesus' name.
Now, I want you to do something bold. Lift your hand and say this out loud. In the name of Jesus, I take authority over the spirit of poverty. Satan, take your hands off my finances. I am redeemed from the curse of lack. I walk in abundance. I walk in overflow. I walk in blessing. Glory to God.
Something happens when you use your authority. You enforce what Jesus already purchased. You don't beg God to do it. He already did it. You stand up. You take your place and you break that spirit's hold.
Now, once you've broken poverty's grip, don't just think about yourself. Think generationally. God's plan is not only to bless you, but to bless your children and your children's children. And uh that's where we're headed next.
Now, child of God, hear me well. The blessing of God is not meant to stop with you. The blessing of God is not just for your lifetime. The blessing of God is generational.
Turn with me to Proverbs chapter 13 verse 22. A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Did you hear that? Not just for your children, but for your children's children. That's three generations in one verse. God thinks generationally. God blesses generationally. God intends for your blessing to outlive you.
Say this with me. The blessing does not stop with me. The blessing flows through me. The blessing continues to my children and my children's children.
Now remember what we read earlier in Deuteronomy 7:9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. Glory to God. The curse only went to the third and fourth generation, but the blessing goes to a thousand generation. Which is greater, the curse or the blessing? The blessing which has more endurance, the curse or the blessing? the blessing.
You may come from a line of poverty, but in Christ you start a new line of prosperity. You may come from a line of debt, but in Christ you start a new line of abundance. You may come from a line of struggle, but in Christ you start a new line of victory.
Say it again. The blessing starts with me. The blessing flows through me. The blessing continues beyond me.
Think about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The blessing didn't stop with Abraham. It flowed to Isaac. It didn't stop with Isaac. It flowed to Jacob and Jacob's sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. One man's blessing multiplied through generations. That's covenant blessing.
Now, let me tell you something. Every time you sow, every time you confess, every time you walk in love and faith, you're not just setting yourself up for victory. You're setting your children up for blessing. You're breaking cycles of lack and starting cycles of increase. So, don't just see yourself prospering. See your children prospering. See your grandchildren prospering. See your household blessed. Your family line blessed. Your future generations walking in overflow. Hallelujah. That's what living in generational blessing looks like.
Now, let's bring this all together with a strong call to action. A challenge to live it, speak it, and walk it out daily.
Now, child of God, it's not enough to hear this. It's not enough to shout about it. Not enough to say, "Glory to God, I'm redeemed." You got to act on it. You got to live it. You got to walk it out every single day. James 1:22 says, "But be ye doers of the word and not hear