jesusJehovah Jireh is hebrew, which if interpreted in English means “God is my provider? Did you not read the testimony of Elijah the prophet who suffered lack in the wilderness by the brook cherith and cried to God and God sent him to a widow in zerephath; whom the lord said would feed Elijah (1 kgs 17:1-9) and Elijah got there, saw the widow who said the famine equally affected her and she had her last meal to cook and to eat with the son and die. Elijah asked her to cook for him lust to eat then for herself and the son She obeyed- As she went the spirit of God spoke through Elijah the words of abundant supply; “for thus saith the lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the cruse of oil fail until the day that the lord sendeth rain upon the earth” lKgsl7: 14. And the Bible says the prophetic words were fulfilled. “And the barrel of meal wasted not neither did the cruise of oil fail according to the word of the lord which be spoke by Elijah” lKgs 17:16. There is a principle in operation which I shall wish to explain later. But suffice me to say here that God is great provider and he can do and undo. God is the king of the whole universe — he is “the lord of Lords and Kings of Kings” Rev 7: 14. He says if he opens the door of blessing for you nobody can shut it “I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE AN OPEN DOOR AND NO MAN CAN SHUT IT” REV 3: 8 God as the king of the universe has the world and its resources under his frill control. The Bible says: “THE EARTH IS THE LORDS AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF: THE WORLD AND THEY THAT DWELL THEREIN”
PS24: 1, 50:12 God obviously is the God of abundance. If the whole universe and its resources are under his command then the God of heaven whom we serve is a rich God. Moses the prophet of God attested to this when he spoke these words: “FOR IT IS HE (GOD) THAT GIVETH THEE POWER TO GET WEALTH” DEUT 8:18 The lord greatly blessed Abraham with riches and wealth (Gen 24:25) ; He blessed Isaac in the city of Gerar in the midst of famine and Isaac “waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great” Gen 26:12-13. To Solomon the king God had said “wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee and I will give thee riches and wealth and honour” 2Chron 1:12. Indeed God is the source. “And thou say in thine heart my power and the might of mine hand hath given me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth” Dent 8:17-18. The proverbist put it this way; “the blessing of the lord maketh rich and he added no sorrow with it” Prov. 10:22.
OCCUPY TILL I COME LK19: 13
Jesus told a parable to his disciples as he began to approach the end of his earthly ministry called the parable of the pounds (Lk19: 11)
This is the parable. Jesus said, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants and delivered to them ten pounds and said unto them, occupy till I come” Lk 19:12-13 – Each of these ten servants was gives a pound. What happened when the nobleman returned?
“And it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, that he commended these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much everyman had gained to trading” Lk19:15.
When each of the servants appeared before him to them he commended as follows: “then came the first saying, lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds” Lk. 9:15. And to this the master said “well thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” Lk. 19:17. He also commended the second servant who invested his pound and gained five pounds. He gave him authority over five cities in commendation Lk. l 9:18-19. But the third did not invest the money rather tied it up “And another came saying, lord behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin” Lk. 19 :20. The noble master rebuked him for not investing it or putting it into the bank to yield some interest and took his pound and gave it to the first faithful servant. Lk. 19: 20 —24. Then Jesus said; “I say unto you, that unto everyone which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him” Lk19: 26. This is a financial parable; probably the only financial parable among the forty-six parables in the new testament scriptures in which the lord used financial investment benefits resulting from faithful labour to describe our spiritual state. The faithful servants invested their pounds and gained more pounds and they were commended for their faithfulness but the unfaithful servant did not do so: he was reprimanded.
Christ is obviously the nobleman who traveled to a far country: the pounds he gave each servant is the gift — both spiritual and natural talents given to children of God: and the lord expects each faithful child of God to utilize the gifts and talents for kingdom expansion. The gifts and talents must not be kept docile but utilized to enhance Gods kingdom on earth. Jesus Christ would return and would bless each faithful servant who did righteously with his talent and spiritual gifts.

WHY THE PROSPERITY THEOLOGY?
(Gods game plan for our salvation)
Many persons even Christian and Christian ministers are usually against the prosperity theology. This is because it has been seriously abused and used for egocentric pursuits. Many insist that, “You stop the prosperity theology and teach salvation theology” I was very much in support of this idea. I was initially and antagonistic against anything having to do with prosperity theology; and for years I shunned it and would not teach it- but it dawned on me that having closely studied the scriptures, I was undoing my ministry and not properly directing the congregation. I was presenting God wrongly before my congregation. Why have I said so? Yes because the church did not prosper and the congregation did also not prosper and I presented God as a suffering God worshiped by suffering children. But as soon as I took a closer look into the concept of Christian prosperity and related it with our salvation, I began to see a new light dawn on my congregation and the ministry. The new message put a new hope and galvanized them to aspire to succeed in their endeavors and to see Gods blessing as part of his salvation plan for mankind. You may be like me as I was before I took a closer look at the prosperity theology. Now I think the prosperity theology is clearly part of the salvation plan of God. While Jesus came to save yet he came also to bless. For what do you think of a man who says he is saved yet in penury? Would that not affect his faith. Jesus came principally to save; yet as part of the salvation plan he came to bless the saved.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life’ Jn3: 16. This is the primary reason Jesus came to save the would. But part of the salvation plan is to bless the saved, that they having being saved, their destiny changes for good also.
“I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” Jn. 10: 10.
You see that Christ came to save yet that the saved might also enjoy abundant life. The problem with the prosperity theology is that teachers teach it isolatedly. It is not so. It is to be taught as part of the salvation plan of God. Christ did not come principally to prosper but to save; yet the saved must not only find satisfaction for their souls, but also satisfaction for their spirit and body. The Apostle John wished same to the elder Gaius when he wrote;
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” 3Jn2 Reader do you now agree with me that the prosperity concept is part of the salvation plan of God? Do you rationally think that God, being so good and who controls all the resources in the world: for he says “the world is mine and the fullness thereof,” (Ps 24:1, Ps 50:12) would such a kind father bestow hunger, poverty and disease on his children? Would that glorify  the lord? Would that not portray him in bad light? Look at what the Bible says about God being delighted in the prosperity of his servants;
“Let them shout for joy and be glad, that favour my righteous cause, yes let them say continually LET THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED WHICH HATH PLEASURE IN THE PROSPERITY OF HIS SERVANT” PSALM 35:27
We are told here God is magnified in the prosperity of his children. Don’t you also think so? Do you see the son of a rich man on earth suffering hunger and poverty? Then the world would say either the son is “a prodigal son” or the man is a spendthrift or a wicked man. I think in the same way we paint a just and magnanimous Jehovah when a child of God continually experiences suffering, disease, hunger and poverty, and presumes that it is Gods wish for his life. How can that be? Through the prosperity theology God is making us to know that he is God; of we are saved and deal righteously with him and we listen to him and obey his directives; he will bless us as abundantly. The property theology portrays God as a very benevolent father who blesses the genuine effort of his children. It does not teach laziness nor nouveau riche’ ideas as some try to portray it. Of a truth I believe opposition to the prosperity theology is not that it is not biblical but the teaching approach is faulty. Some preachers just teach it, they fail to present it as God’s given plan for our salvation, pari-pasu. Peter the Apostle of Jesus; while he remained a very faithful disciple of Jesus asked a question on behalf of other disciples who had accepted Jesus as their lord and personal saviour, what would be their reward. They had already been saved; they had worked assiduously for the faith, what would be their outcome?
“Then peter began to say unto him, lo, we have left all and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospel’s. But he shall receive in hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions, and in the world to come
ETERNAL LIFE” Mkl0:28-30.
Did you hear what Jesus said to the disciple Peter? Did he say to Peter: “now you are saved; you got to suffer and suffer then wait for your reward in heaven.” But rather he said he would be blessed on earth here a hundred fold and receive eternal life after death. Praise God! If you are a child of God, born of the spirit: rise up and challenge every obstacle to your blessing. The lord shall cause new doors to be opened for your prosperity if you believe;
“I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it” Rev3: 8 my God is the God that saves and prospers!