Lets start with this verse: Jn 10:10 The thief cometh not but for to steal to kill and destroy, but I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly
1 Chron 4:9-10 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
*It doesn’t say he was richer or wealthier
*It doesn’t say he was stronger
*It doesn’t say he was more educated
What the scripture does say is: He was more honorable
Honorable: Not disposed to cheat or defraud, not deceptive or fraudulent
Showing character of honor and integrity
Adhering to ethical and moral principles
Deserving of esteem and respect
This means that Jabez was more honorable, which means of a higher character, of more excellent attitude and heart
He was more trust worthy, more dependable
He had proven himself and earned the respect of his peers
This makes it clear: The most important things in life are not material and external, they are spiritual and they are internal, (they are matters of the heart)
Life circumstances and problems and people and the economy all have impact on our natural lives and can have tremendous effect on us financially and materially and physically.
They might lift us up to great heights one day and knock us down to the ground the next.
But when it comes to my heart, I’m in charge (you’re in charge of your heart)
You decide whether it rides high on the mountain or wallows in the valley.
You decide whether you’re going to live in the lowlands of mediocrity or ride the high places of honor, integrity, excellence.
No matter what happens (to) you, you are in charge of what happens (in) you.
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, he was king Sauls grandson, (he was of royal blood and lineage) but when he was a very young child his nurse dropped him and he became a cripple (lame on his feet) but he was not only crippled physically, he became an emotional cripple.
(He chose to be a cripple on life)
He chose to let his physical condition define him
I’m going to say something right here: All of us have had bad things happen to us in life, we have all had bad breaks, we have all been dropped in someway in this life.
You may have been abused physically, lied on, betrayed
Maybe you have had your dreams smashed over and over again
Maybe you have invested in relationships that let you down time after time
Maybe you lost your job, or your home
Jabez was a man like that: Just like Mephibosheth he had been dropped in life.
His life story begins very sad: From his birth there was a heaviness that surrounded him (his very name was a curse laid on him by his mother) It’s one thing to be cursed by people in general, we have all had people that didn’t like us (and definitely as a Christian we know we have enemies) but his own mother laid a curse on him.
We don’t know why: Maybe it was the circumstances of her own life (there is no mention of Jabezs father) or maybe it was the pain she was experiencing while bearing the child, we don’t know but she named him Jabez (Jabez means One who afflicts, one who causes grief and misery and pain)
So Jabez began his life under a dark cloud, it was as though his destiny was prophesied: He would be a person that would bring misery and grief and pain to every life he touched.
Like Mephibosheth: Jabez had been dropped by life, life had not been good to him
But there was a difference between Mephibosheth and Jabez: One day something happened inside of Jabez.
We don’t know when, but one day Jabez gets this thought ( This is not the real me, I don’t care what my mother named me, and I don’t care what my circumstances have named me, and I don’t care what my peers have named me) That’s not me.
That’s not me:
I’m bigger than that
I’m better than that
I’m not a loser
I’m not one who afflicts, and one who causes grief and pain and one who afflicts
And Jabez broke out
I love this story because it shows us:
You can rise above your circumstances
You can get out
You may be in the ghetto, but the ghetto doesn’t have to be in you
You don’t have to let the circumstances of life hold you in captivity
You can break out and break through
It doesn’t matter what side of the tracks you come from
It doesn’t matter what color your skin is
It doesn’t matter how educated you are
It doesn’t matter what people think about you
It doesn’t matter how much money you have
It doesn’t matter how small your beginnings are
It doesn’t matter how old you are (or how young you are)
What matters is: What do you believe about yourself ?
What do you say about yourself ?
How do you see yourself ?
You have to see yourself where you want to be
You have to see yourself like God sees you
Jabez saw himself worthy (deserving of more in life) He broke out of every preconceived idea and limitation that was placed on his life and he broke into a large life (The abundant life)
He called on the God of Israel saying: Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from evil that it might not grieve me
(And God granted him that which he requested)
God wants to bless you
God wants to prosper you
Jabez broke into a large life because he believed he could, and he refused to be satisfied where he was at.
Jabez was a fighter: He could have just accepted the hand that life dealt him.
He could have just fallen under the curse that was spoken over him.
He could have just decided: I can never be any better than my name, I’m destined to be miserable and to bring pain and grief and misery and affliction to every one and every thing.
Many of Gods people are living like that: They are saved but they are not enjoying the abundant life.
They are saved but they are not happy
They are saved but it seems like nothing really works for them
They are saved but they are sick
They are saved but their marriage is a mess
They are saved but their finances are a wreck
They are saved but they’re always struggeling
But Jabez didn’t accept that (He fought through to a blessed life and a large life
Like so many Christians today the companions of Jabez had no ambitions, or desires, they had no passion, no drive, they were satisfied.
But Jabez broke the mold (he broke out)
He stood up and he stood out
If you’re satisfied right now and you have everything you want in life, and you have all the anointing and all the power and all the joy and peace and wealth and health and prosperity that you want (then there’s not much I have to say to you)
I’m really here for those who have the Jabez spirit
You’re hungry for more
More anointing
More power
More prosperity
More joy
More peace
And you want more of Gods presence in your life and you believe that God wants to prosper you and multiply you and expand your borders and expand your territories
We find out from Jabez life that your past doesn’t matter
(God never consults your past to determine your future)
What happened in your life B.C. before Christ doesn’t matter, and even as a Christian if you have fallen, if you have sinned (forsake it, ask forgiveness) the blood of Jesus will erase it from your life.
Quit living in the past (past failures, past disappointments, past hurts, past wounds,)
Put the past in the past and move on to the greatness that God has ordained for your life.
Jabez had the courage and the boldness to ask God to bless him
You need the courage and the boldness to ask God to bless you
Lift your hands and ask God to bless you
God wants to bless you, but you have to ask him (you have not because you ask not)
Don’t get mad at me if I’m blessed and your not (I asked)
Don’t be angry with me if I walk in a powerful anointing and cast out devils and deliver the bound and oppressed, and people get healed when I pray for them (I asked for it)
Don’t be upset with me if I am blessed financially and prosperous (I asked for it)
Don’t be Jealous because I have favor everywhere I go and you don’t (I asked for it)
Tell your neighbor: I asked for it
There’s no need for you to be jealous, you can have it to, (you just have to ask)
Jabez asked for an enlargement of his coast
(This means increase and enlargement and multiplication in every area of your life)
This includes your ministry, your anointing, your business, your houses, your properties, your finances, your health, your families.
You can sit back and say: God knows what I need and he’ll give me more if I need it
No he will not: He’ll give you more when you ask for more.
Paul told us seek after spiritual gifts (then he said desire spiritual gifts) then he said Covet spiritual gifts.
God is a not a rewarder of the passive and the lukewarm and the indifferent (he is a rewarder of the passionate the violent the hungry the diligent seeker.
You can call me greedy if you want to, but I’m not satisfied
I’m not satisfied with my level of anointing, I’m not satisfied with the ministry opportunities I have experienced, I’m not satisfied with the financial level I’m on, I’m not satisfied with what God has done in my ministry (I want more, I want signs and wonders and miracles and the gifts of the spirit) I want more demonstrations and manifestations of the power of God.
I may not be talking to everybody today: But I want every single person who is not satisfied, who wants more, who wants to break out and break through into the large life, (the abundant life)
Come join me at the front
I believe that right now: Barriers and limitations, and hindrances, and restrictions are going to be broken today
I believe that many are going to break through today
Many are going to another level today
There’s always more: You can never exhaust Gods supply
Jesus said: If you hunger and thirst after righteousness you shall be filled.
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force
The world operates by the law of supply and demand
Gods kingdom operates by the law of demand and supply
When you make a demand (there is a supply)
Somebody needs to put a demand on heaven today (for your children, for your health, for your ministry, for your business, for your marriage.
Many of Gods people are living the Puny life, (a small life, a weak and sickly life, physically spiritually emotionally and financially) because they are spending their lives measuring giants.
You can live your life in fear of the enemy, fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of losing, fear of confrontation, fear of sickness and disease, fear of peoples opinions.
Fear will paralyze you and capture you and hold you a prisoner all your life
Or you can decide that instead of measuring giants and living in fear and running from the devil that you are going to break out of the prison and the bondage of fear and your not going to waste your life measuring giants (but you are going to start weighing grapes)
Instead
The grapes are the promises of God just waiting for you to claim them and lay hold on them.
So which one will you be (A grape weigher or a giant surveyor)
As for me I have decided I’m in the grape weighing business
