THE INSTRUCTOR
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. – Proverbs 4:7-9
Someone once said that we walk by commonsense. In other words, no one teaches a child how to walk. We do not go to school to learn how to work. The child gets up one day, staggers a lot, and eventually starts walking. However, if you want to run competitively, you run by training. If you are going to become an Olympic champion, you will need a coach. You will need someone to train you. Thirdly, we fly by instruction. This is why those who train pilots are called instructors. They are not called teachers, coaches or trainers; they are called instructors.
Commonsense teaches you that you do not plant yam in a river. It tells us that you cannot plant on a rock. Commonsense tells us that the Law of Harvest is real. If you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. But if you eat all your harvest and do not plant again, commonsense should tell you that you are likely to go hungry in the coming year. Unfortunately, as it is the case, commonsense is not common. We run by training. We need someone to train us about the types of soil. There are different types of soils, but there are different soil requirements for different crops. One needs to know the right soil to sow in through training. More so, I do not intend to spend much time on running and walking. I am more interested in those that want to fly. Flying is only possible by instruction.
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom is a weapon; just like an arrow. Ecclessiates 7:12 says,
For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
When enemies come around, you use wisdom to chase them away by shooting arrows. Financially, wisdom is superior to money. Proverbs 23:5 has the reason:
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
If you have money without wisdom, you will soon lose the money. Riches can develop wings and fly away. There is a popular saying that a fool and his money are soon separated. But if you have wisdom and you do not have money, you will soon get money.
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. – Proverbs 3:13-18
If one has wisdom, he will have money, long life, happiness and peace. If you have wisdom, not only will you prosper, you will live long to enjoy it. People will honour you, and you will get peace. The wealth that comes through wisdom is not the type that makes you afraid of the police, the auditor, or financial investigative units.
Wisdom simply means the correct application of knowledge. We apply correct knowledge for our own good. This means that you will first get knowledge, and then use that knowledge correctly. Hosea 4:6 records that God’s people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Proverbs 1:5 says that a wise man learns more from what he hears; he gathers knowledge and applies it correctly for his own good.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. – Proverbs 1:5
Interestingly, Proverbs 1:7 declares that fools detest knowledge:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Because fools lack knowledge, they have nothing to apply or work with.
Proverbs 13:20 says:
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
In other words, as you walk with the wise, you learn their ways. Your knowledge will increase. Proverbs 9:9 says,
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
We see repeatedly that wisdom has to do with acquisition of knowledge, and the correct application of it for our own good. This is what makes wisdom such a powerful weapon.
When God wants to make someone start flying, He begins to give him instructions: “Do this, and this will follo”w.Everybody may hear the same thing, but not everybody will apply what they have heard for their own good. For example, in Luke 6:38, we are instructed to give and then we shall be given:
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. – Luke 6:38
This instruction on giving is not for some people. It is for everybody – sinner, Christian, Muslim, etc. This is what the devil has corrupted with the unbelievers in the form of bribery. The devil knows that when you give, you will get a reward. You do not have to be holy to know how to fly a plane; you simply follow instructions. It works with whosoever is involved.
The Bible gives us yet another instruction in 2 Corinthians 9:6:
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
This is a strict instruction. We hear it all the time, but only a few apply it. If you ask the elders, they will tell you that those people who go to the devil to get money get strict instructions from the devil to scatter a part of the money. So in parties, some of them spray it, knowing that if they scatter it, they will gather it too.
Another strict instruction is in Jeremiah 17:11:
As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his
end shall be a fool.
God warns that we must not get money by fraud. This is because if you do, you will not spend it, but will die early. Many people do not pay attention to strict instructions. They do not even learn from those who are more experienced. You will be amazed at how many Christians can quote the story of Gehazi and how he went behind his master to get money and lied (2 Kings 5:20-27). There is hardly any Christian who does not know the story of Judas Iscariot. They know he sold the Lord Jesus Christ for thirsty pieces of silver. They also know that he ended up killing himself.
Recently, I was sharing with our workers in Monrovia that a car can become a moving coffin. If you get money through fraud and use it to buy a car, it becomes a moving coffin. You might be buying your own coffin if you are getting money through any type of fraudulent means. May the type of blessing that brings destruction never come near you in the name of Jesus.
No Christian will say that they do not know about Malachi 3. In fact, we used to joke about it when I was a younger Christian. Some say they love the whole Bible except Malachi 3. We would say jokingly, “Then tear it off your Bible! ” If you like, tear that place out of your Bible; it does not remove it from all other millions of copies around the world. This portion of the Bible instructs us that if we do not return our tithe, we attract God’s curse into our lives. The question is: Who wants God’s curse in his life? Many people hear these things and do not apply them.
Imagine the pains of a father when his child is still crawling when he is supposed to be running. A child like that is called a retarded child. This is how God feels when we are supposed to operate in wisdom and we operating in disobedience or ignorance. I used to question giving of tithe when I was a young Christian, until the Lord told me not to be foolish. I have shared many instructions given to me by God. If God curses you, who will you go to? Some people say that they have not seen the windows of heaven open on them even after returning their tithe. Do you know the type of blessing it is to survive all the economic hardship in the world? You are not even begging bread, lying in the hospital, or hungry. You are not even sick. No one even begs you to eat while others have food but cannot eat.
Proverbs 3:9-10 says another instruction:
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst
out with new wine.
You obey instructions if you want to fly. People always shout Hallelujah when you prophecy to them. When you raise prayer points, believers will pray as though their lives depend on it. But when you call for giving, their ‘Amen’ and ‘Halleluiahs’ will reduce or even disappear.
It is one thing to have knowledge and another thing to apply it. A teacher cannot teach you all he knows; if not, he may not remain your teacher. But a father will be very willing to teach you all he knows. There are certain secrets that a father will give to his son. God has showed us the secrets to exceeding wealth and greatness. It is now our responsibility to apply them.
When I began to apply instructions from God, my level changed, and has kept changing. God asked me then to double my salary each time I give. God has continued to increase me beyond limits. I gave sacrificially, and I reaped in joy. When you pay your tithe, you have not done anything. It is when you go beyond that that you have started giving. I started practicing it, and until today, God has remained faithful.
I remember a man in Oklahoma, who in a gathering of 17,000 people did something that shocked me. We were raising some money for Kenneth Hagin’s ministry. He got up and said that whatever we all contribute is what he and his wife will give. So many people started giving, even more than they wanted just to punish the man. After the collection was calculated, it came to $3,500,000. We were expecting him to probably pass out. But this man asked us, “Brethren, is this all you can do”? This happened in 1979. It was obvious to me that this man knew something that I did not know. I went to him after the program to discover his secret. I found out that he started a business with $500 five years ago, and had an agreement with God to give him 90% of profit and keep 10%. As at the time he was standing before us, $500 had become $50,000,000.
Winning souls is another powerful key to abundance. All your prayers will be supernaturally answered by God. John 15:16 says,
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
If you bear fruit and your fruit remains, whatever you ask of the Lord, He will do for you. This is why in addition to everything you must have an incurable hunger for soul winning. If you know the way of salvation, and you refuse to show others, you are a dangerous fellow.
Say the following prayers earnestly.
Prayer Points
- Fathers, let your resurrection power touch my finances today, in the name of Jesus.
- Father, make me hunger for your knowledge, in the name of Jesus.
- Oh Lord, give me wisdom to apply the right knowledge I acquire, in the name of Jesus.
- Oh Lord, remove disobedience from my life, in the name of Jesus.
- My Father, I receive my breakthrough today, in the name of Jesus.
