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May 23, 2005
"Understanding
and Breaking Old Cycles of Poverty"
by
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
www.glory-of-zion.org
 This
is a year of the open window of heaven. As I have written, this is a year of the
HEI of God. The Hebrew letter HEI looks like a window.
When studying this word, both wind and sound blow
from heaven through the window into the earth realm to bring change. Declare that
you are willing to change and watch your atmosphere begin to be filled with God's
presence.
God does not produce signs and wonders from heaven
as ends in themselves. They are released to bring faith to His people and those
around them -- whether believers or unbelievers.
This is also the year of the SAMEKH of God, or
things coming full circle. This is the year to break old cycles. Ask the Lord to
come again and break you out of old cycles. Ask Him to allow you to experience His
Glory so your faith will explode. Come, Lord Jesus! May you enter into the fullness
of this year of Samekh Hei!
The Church is in an incredible season of change. I believe we are all sensing those
changes in us and around us. In one of our prayer meetings at Glory of Zion at the
beginning of December, I saw "great atmospheric changes in the heavens that would
affect the earth realm." We are hearing about those changes in the natural as well
as the spiritual.
I actually prophesied that over the next four months
(beginning in December) there would be cataclysmic shifts in the heavens and we
must be prepared to shift in the earth realm. It's important to understand that
the heavens and earth are changing, and the atmosphere of earth is changing rapidly
in the natural. As we intensify our seeking of the Lord, not only will passion increase,
but we will also understand that the heavenlies are coming closer and invading the
earth. We are entering a supernatural dimension.
This is a SEASON to Declare VICTORY!
I hope you received our last 10 Day Prayer Focus, 10 Days to Decree 10 Months
of Victory. If not, you can read it on The Elijah List at
http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=2871.
Each month we are decreeing victory. God is having
to develop a mindset of victory in His people. This is a year we are on the offense
and not the defense. The enemy does not have an upper hand this year. This last
10 day prayer focus explained how to declare victory for the next 10 months. I studied
each month in the word of God and saw how certain things happened in certain months.
One of the months had the following victory focus:
What you seed in the second month will begin to produce great fruit. (I am not talking
about the month of February, but your second month of prayer where you "set your
face like a flint" to have victory.) We are decreeing that what you tithe will blossom.
We are decreeing that there is a supernatural grace for your offerings to multiply
30, 60, and 100 fold. We are decreeing that you will gain victory through giving
and break the curse of God robbing. We are even declaring that you will break a
three year cycle of debt and declare that your past financial defeats will reverse
and begin to multiply seven fold.
Any poverty spirit that has held your generational
bloodline in captivity and kept you from the fullness of the prosperity that God
has for you must break!
Breaking the Spirit of Poverty
We need a wind of change to blow upon us and produce victory! This will break every
old cycle. If the windows of heaven open, then every spirit that has trapped us
in the past will flee! One old cycle that I feel we should break is linked to the
SPIRIT OF POVERTY!
Victory is the defeat of an enemy or opponent.
Victory is the success in a struggle against difficulties or some obstacle that
is impeding your path of success. Victory is the state of having triumphed. We are
declaring a victory over the SPIRIT OF POVERTY! This spirit has violated God's perfect
order and produced instability in many.
I feel the Lord is saying to take a violent, passionate
stand on behalf of the Body of Christ concerning this spirit. When God is talking
about us being violent, this means that we will press through difficulty and storms,
and force an atmospheric change. I declare that any atmosphere of poverty encircling
around you or your sphere of authority will be invaded with the atmosphere of blessing
and glory from heaven.
How Does A Poverty Mindset Develop?
Poverty is refusing to become what God created and destined you to be. Poverty is
not believing that the Lord can branch you into the fullness of His plan. Poverty
is not just experiencing lack, but having a fear that you will lack. Poverty is
where you conform to your circumstance or the blueprint that the world and the god
of this world has surrounded you with.
Poverty occurs when the "god of this world" surrounds
you with and influences you with only a world perspective and causes you to forget
God's ability in the midst of your circumstance. Poverty has a voice that says,
"God is not able!"
Poverty can occur through various means. Poverty
can occur through oppression through wrong authoritative structures (Isaiah 5:8).
Poverty can also occur if we have a mentality of covetousness or gluttony (Proverbs
23:21). Poverty can occur if we are indolent or lazy (Proverbs 24:33,34). Haste
leads to poverty (Proverbs 28:22). This occurs when we fall into "get rich quick"
schemes. Poverty occurs if you negate the Holy Spirit. If you resist the Holy Spirit
you negate the blessing of the Lord.
Genesis 45 is the only Old Testament reference to poverty outside of Proverbs. Joseph
was anointed to keep the people from experiencing poverty. In the New Testament
there were two concepts of poverty: begging and alms! The Lord is breaking the power
of begging in His people. He is making us a people of faith. He will change the
identity of His people from beggars to KINGS!
What are the Causes of Poverty?
The key reason for poverty is our failure to harvest. When you do not gather spoils,
a poverty mentality is set against you.
Many times the enemy will wait until your harvest
time to develop strategies of devastation against you. The enemy already has devised
a plan to eat up your assets and returns.
With Gideon, the Midianites always stole the harvest
(Judges 6). We can plant. We can watch our crops grow. We can even have breakthrough.
But if we do not take our opportunity to gather and steward the spoils, a
strategy of poverty will begin to develop against us. When you increase
without developing the storehouse to contain your spoils, the enemy will gain access
to you excess and your future.
Other causes of poverty include aligning with structures
that cause your interest rates to go beyond a godly mentality of interest (Nehemiah
5:1-5), fear and an unwillingness to face your enemy (Proverbs 22:13), and (succumbing
to) persecution of faith (II Corinthians 6 and 8).
War to See Poverty Break!
If you are sent to or get in a war and lose it, you wear a reproach until you have
a subsequent victory. Many in the Body are afraid to war. War is the conflict necessary
to conquer your enemies and take possession of what has been promised to you.
War is receiving grace to fight (I Thessalonians
5:8; II Timothy 2:3,4). War is receiving the necessary armor for victory (Ephesians
6:11-17).
War produces an opportunity for us to enter into
victory (Revelation 3:21). The Lord brought His people out of Egypt by armies (Exodus
12:51), with a trumpet sound and a battle cry. He brought them out with the Ark,
or presence of God (I Samuel 4:5,6). He used forces of nature if necessary to help
them defeat their enemies (Joshua 10). He always releases strategies enabling us
to plunder, prosper, and stand (Matthew 10; Ephesians 6). He has a Banner of Victory
for you.
While Jehovah Nissi puts a banner over you to cover
you, Lord Sabaoth will send the Hosts of Heaven to help you. He is God of
the armies of Earth (I Samuel 17:26) and God of the unseen armies of angels (I Kings
22:19). HE IS THE LORD OF THE ARMIES (Romans 9:29)! He already has victory for
you!
We are required to combat poverty by being kind and generous to others.
Like Ruth in Boaz' field, we can combat poverty by allowing people to glean our
vineyard, and providing them access to our excess. We combat poverty by developing
strategies to help those that have been ravished by systemic poverty. In other words,
we should help others gain wisdom on how to break out of the system that Satan is
using to hold them captive financially. We are also required to develop reaping
strategies (Amos 9:13). When we do this, we overcome and our increase will go from
multiplication to multiplication.
May you be blessed and have success in all that you put your hands to!
Success means that the Lord will give you the power to adapt to every circumstance
so that you can bring forth His covenant plan (Deuteronomy 8:18). Success is when
you accomplish God's redemptive plan for your life. If you receive revelation, if
you honor the prophets, and if you are at the right place at the right time doing
the right thing, then you will SUCCEED.
Joshua 1:8 says,
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate
in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
(NKJV)
Success occurs when we behave wisely and act prudently.
Success occurs when we study to develop skill and understanding. Success means "to
follow after," dispossess and possess/occupy, and master the place or position that
the Lord assigns. Success also means that there is already help on our road to cause
us to succeed.
The Power to Get Wealth and Riches!
Wealth is an abundance of possessions or resources. During the times of the patriarchs,
wealth was measured largely in livestock -- sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, and camels.
This was true of Abraham (Genesis 13:2), Isaac (Genesis 26:12-14), and Jacob (Genesis
30:43; 32:5).
People of the ancient world also measured wealth
in terms of land, houses, servants, slaves, and precious metals. The prime example
is King Solomon, whose great wealth is described in 1 Kings 10:14-29. Wealth comes
from God! The prophet Amos thundered against the rich and prosperous inhabitants
of Israel, who sold "the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals"
(Amos 2:6). Their wealth was corrupt and under a curse because it was founded on
exploitation of the poor.
Riches is receiving the grace of the Holy
Spirit to enable you to accomplish what you are called to accomplish. Riches are linked
with accumulation or what you have amassed. A stewardship plan is devised from your
riches. The more you steward your riches properly, the more you will get. This is
just not a money issue! God is looking for people who will shift in their stewardship
so He can release a transference of wealth.
GIVE Your Way out of Poverty
Giving is probably one of the most controversial things in the Body of Christ. Giving
is not bringing a "check or dollar to the church." Rather, giving is built around
a covenant relationship linked around an altar of worship.
Giving is when you recognize "MY KING is RIGHTEOUS
and LEGITIMATE." I bless Him so He will take His stand righteously on my behalf.
Giving occurs when you worship! Giving occurs when
you respond to authority with generosity and blessing. Giving occurs when you realize
the lesser is blessed by the greater. He is the Greater King -- we should want to
give all to Him. Giving occurs when you do not hold back what you have been entrusted
with by the Lord!
God has a plan! Now is the time! Break old cycles of poverty!
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
www.glory-of-zion.org
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"If
you are an intercessor and you love to pray for the LAND of the USA, then you simply
need this book in your arsenal. I don't know how else to say it." - Steve
Shultz
Plus,
For any order of a Chuck Pierce book(s), we'll send you, as a gift, a f*r*e*e
CD by Chuck Pierce: "What to Expect and Pray in 2005."
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