Practical Increase (Summarized) - 8/15/06

Often times things in the gospel are presented by ministers as more mystical than it really is, leaving out the practical understanding causing the church to miss out on the important pieces that will take them to a higher level of fruition (where they are living and actually using the Word rather than just knowing and being motivated by it). One area is in prosperity/increase. So many of us can attest that “I’ve been giving and giving, and though I’ve seen some blessings, I’m still in the same place where I was” or “Though I’ve seen many blessings from my giving, I still feel like there’s something much greater that I’m not reaching.”

One of the places where the message falls short is that it often comes across that if you just give, you will increase to your desire level automatically. This is not true all in and of itself. Don’t get me wrong, God does bless for giving unto His work just for you giving, but when trying to move into a higher standard of living, consistently, work must be done.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

So commonly, preachers only really preach the aspect of the giving unto their ministry and being increased without indicating the aspect of increasing yourself. As the scripture says, God gives the ability for us to produce our own wealth. There are other scriptures which talk about God blessing the work of our hands. Though God will sometimes just give us blessings, scripture after scripture shows that we work for that which we obtain. It is blessed greatly by God as a result of our righteous living and stewardship, but never have we been designed to sit around doing nothing and receiving WEALTH. Wealth, by Biblical standards, is earned, and when earned though righteous stewardship, is supernaturally magnified. God takes our natural effort and adds supernatural results to it, but if we don’t DO anything with what we have, how can God anoint and bless it? With that, I encourage you to understand that the blessings (sowing and reaping) of increase are not handouts, but rather principles to obtain supernatural increase to your efforts for success.

The world has been using these same principles for centuries (always giving to charities/displaying honest business practices, which improves their image making more people respect and trust them, which leads to greater support or patronage of their products and services), so why can’t we – the seed of Abraham through faith – do the same. We can! Let us do so!

By the grace of God,


Rev. Kelvin N. Broadus