SCHOOL OF LEADERS 1

MODULE 1 – LESSON 9
PTRA. MERDE T. ERLINA

The Blessing of
Prosperity
Biblical Reference

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a).

MODULE 1
LESSON 9
 Objectives
1. To understand that the will of God is to bless us abundantly.
2. To comprehend the importance of an offering in receiving blessing.
3. To study the biblical truths of the importance of offering.
4. To understand the importance in the Bible of the relationship between giving your tithe and prosperity.
5. To begin to apply the principles for giving the best offering.

INTRODUCTION
David never forgot that God had called him from the sheep pen; as time went by, God continued to lift him up
until he became one of the greatest kings the people of Israel has ever had. When speaking about the great
challenge facing his son Solomon upon his succession to the throne, the responsibility of building the house of
God, David said of the Lord:

“Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are
strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:12).

1. GOD IS GOOD
During creation, the Lord spent five days preparing in great detail everything that man would need. He did this so
that man would lack nothing. He prepared for the generations to come. He was so generous that He provided
planet Earth with natural resources sufficient for every person to live like a prince. God gave man the freedom to
choose. He placed two trees in the middle of the garden; the destiny of the human race depended on man’s
decision. The fruit of just one tree caused man to forfeit paradise; amid such abundance, man took the forbidden
fruit, and it destroyed him. Nevertheless, God did not close His heart towards man, despite his sin. Instead, He
looked for a way to recover all that had been lost. Because of His great love, four thousand years later, God took
the best seed in His Kingdom and planted it in the earth. Once it had fallen to the earth and died, it became the
only tree of life (John 12:24).

The blessing of God is always comprehensive. It covers all areas of our lives: physical, spiritual, emotional,
financial, personal and material. “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go
well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2). “Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”
(Ephesians 1:3). “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”
(Joshua 1:8). “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 4:19).

“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” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
2. THE DESIRE OF GOD IS TO BLESS HIS CHILDREN
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to
overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). God does not need money
from anybody; however, God is able to see what is in our hearts by observing how we honor Him with our
possessions. Our attitude in this area determines our destiny.
Prosperity comes as a result of reciprocity between man and God. He tests the faithfulness of the
heart according to what we give Him as an offering.

3. ABEL’S OFFERING
“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as
a righteous man, when God spoke well of his
offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead” (Hebrews 11:4).
In this one verse we can find the steps toward giving a correct offering:

• Abel offered. Giving an offering is an act of our will – through it we express our thankfulness to God.

• Better. Abel did not simply give a good offering; he looked for what would be unequalled.

• Sacrifice. The correct offering implies sacrifice. Although Abel would have preferred to give himself, he search
for a substitute. He chose the best of the flock to represent his complete surrender to God.

• He was commended as a righteous man. This offering was a substitute for what Jesus would do for our
redemption.

• God made him an example. His offering became a powerful argument in his favor.

• His offering speaks after his death. Solomon said “The memory of the righteous will be a
blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7).The thing that made Abel’s testimony
immortal was the kind of offering he gave. If the offering we give to God is so important, we should make an
effort to always give the best.

4. THE OFFERING, A MIRROR OF THE SOUL

“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given
willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here
have given to you” (1 Chronicles 29:17). David and the people of Israel had managed to gather a vast fortune
for the construction of God’s temple through offerings that the people had willingly given. In this prayer of David
we can see:

• God tests the heart. The Lord Jesus entered the temple and watched the people who were giving their
offerings; while the disciples focused on the external, the Lord
examined the heart. He identified those who seemed to be very generous as stingy, because they were
giving to God out of what they had left. The Lord praised the woman who seemed to be giving very little,
because her offering was greater than those given by others, as it cost her greatly.

• Integrity pleases God. Integrity is the result of generosity. Cain’s selfishness ruined him; Judas’ greed
destroyed him. The men who touched God’s heart expressed their total surrender to Him through their
generosity. Abel’s offering still speaks today. Abraham agreed to offer his own son; this pleased God so
much that He said: “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and
have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take
possession of the cities of their enemies” (Genesis 22:16-17).

• We voluntarily give all this. All the gold, silver, best quality wood and other costly materials Solomon
used to construct the template came from the voluntary offerings David had managed to collect. Doing
God’s work implies a financial challenge, but these challenges can always be overcome when the people
sow joyfully, generously and voluntarily.

• The people of God give willingly. A freewill offering is when the people give wilfully out of their
generosity. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to
you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good
work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures
forever” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will
himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
 5. THE OFFERING THAT BRINGS SALVATION
“Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?
I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet
my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss,
but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put
oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many
sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has
been forgiven little loves little”” (Luke 7:44-48).

This is one of the most dramatic stories revealing the attitude of indifference that some have towards God, while
other who are less privileged, through their humility and sincere prayer, manage to favorably affect the course of
their circumstances. This woman did three things that led to her gaining her forgiveness.

She poured out her soul before Jesus

“”And as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she
wiped them with her hair” (Luke 7:38). The Psalmist said, “I am still confident of this: I will see the
goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). David said, “This poor man called, and the
Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6). This woman cried out with all of her
being. Every tear revealed the pain of an anguished soul, the desperation of someone who longs for God’s
presence in their life, the love and humility of someone who knows how to recognize the power of God. We all
need to pour out our hearts before God. Job, Jeremiah and David all did – men of God who were great because
they experienced brokenness and poured out their hearts before God.

She showed a thankful heart

She kissed his feet (v38). This was an attitude of pure thankfulness towards Jesus. The psalmist said, “Enter his
gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm
100:4). Having a thankful heart is part of our relationship with God. The writer of Hebrews said, “Through
Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his
name” (Hebrews 13:15). To kiss somebody’s feet requires a lot of humility, although this woman knew
perfectly well that Jesus was not just any person, but the true God.

She gave her best offering

“And poured perfume on them” (v38). She had poured her soul, and given thanks, but something material was
missing – it was her offering. Some offer their lives to God, but they do not want to give him anything financially.
You should know that God measures your spirituality by your material offering. Money is something negligible to
God but it tests the size of the heart of the one giving the offering. The expensive perfume in the alabaster jar
represented the woman’s savings. It was high quality perfume and to open it, the container had to be broken. This
represents the brokenness in her life.
If a person gives a correct offering to the Lord, everything becomes fragrant and this is what moves His hand.

6. LEARNING TO TITHE
It was normal for the people of Israel to separate the tenth part of their income for the work of God, even before
He established it in Mosaic Law. Abraham gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek who blessed him
(Hebrews 7:2-6). “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on
this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my
 father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s
house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth” (Genesis 28:20-22). mic““Bring the whole tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and
see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not
have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will
not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a
delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty”” (Malachi 3:10-12). God has prepared a series of blessings that can
only be reached by those who have learnt the importance of tithing.

• Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. The storehouse represents the church or place where we
are spiritually built up. This is where we should take our regular tithes.

• That there may be food in my house. The tithe support those who do the work of God, and so God
will reward you.

• Test me. This is the only text where God invites His children to test His faithfulness, and the invitation is
for those who are faithful tithers. Here, the Lord Himself promises to open the floodgates of heaven, which
represents when our prayers are answered. The promise to pour out so much blessing that you will not have
room to enough for it, means that God will give beyond what we ask or imagine.

• I will prevent pests from devouring your crops. The devourer is the spirit of ruin that the Lord
promises to keep far from us.

• And all nations will call you blessed. The blessing will be so evident that it will spread to other
nations; they will see the favour of God towards each one of His children.

• For yours will be a delightful land. This only occurs when the curse has been taken away and the
blessing is restored in our territory.

7. KEY TEACHINGS ON THE OFFERING

• Give the offering in secret. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the
truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:2-4).

• Giving an offering is investing in the heavenly bank. “Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
(Matthew 6:19-21).

• Choose between worry and faith. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall
we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).

• We will receive according to how we give. “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

• We are blessed when we give. “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work
we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed
to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
 • Learn to give offerings as Jesus did. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might
become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

• Carry out what you promise. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

• Bless God’s servants with finances. “Anyone who receives instruction in the word should
share all good things with his instructor” (Galatians 6:6).

• Teach others to give offerings. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve
others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

• Jesus gave us His mercy

The apostle Paul said that Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15 paraphrase). Jesus disarmed the demonic powers
that used to oppress people with all kinds of vices, sins and impure desires. He took all power from them,
bound them and made a spectacle of them as His great triumph at the Cross of Calvary. Paul said, “But
thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

CONCLUSION
We must understand that the validity of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross is eternal and so it is valid for every one
of us today. The triumph that you enjoy as a child of God is a proclamation of gratitude in the face of the
definitive defeat of the enemy.

You generosity reveals the place that God holds in your heart. Get ready to give you best
offering.

ASSIGNMENT!!!!!!
Destiny Training Name:

Module 1 Lesson 9 Pastor:

The Blessing of Prosperity Date:

Please hand in at your next training session

Activity Questionnaire 9
1. What is the relationship between David and God’s comprehensive blessing?
2. What do you understand by the phrase “God is good”?

3. Explain the context within which God blesses His children:

4. List the six characteristics of Abel’s offering:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

5. Explain the verses Luke 7:44-48, in relation with your own personal experience.

6. Do you believe you have learnt to tithe according to God’s teaching?

9. List the nine key teachings on the offering:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

SCHOOL OF LEADERS 1
MODULE 1 – LESSON 9
PTR. KEM T. ERLINA

Ready to
Consolidate Biblical Reference “We
proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling
with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29).

MODULE 2
LESSON 9
 Objectives
1. To learn some principles of leadership through the example of the Apostle Paul.
2. To understand what consolidation is.
3. To learn to apply the fundamentals of the process of Consolidation.
4. To see the principle of Consolidation through the ministry of the Apostles.

INTRODUCTION
Consolidation is the stage following conversion when the new believer receives constant care until the
character of Christ is fully formed in them, to such an extent that the purpose of God, of “bearing fruit that
lasts”, is fulfilled in their life.
The consolidation process allows cell leaders to discover the potential in each
member, awakening their ability to reproduce themselves
in others while sharing and reinforcing the message of Christ.

1. PAUL’S EXAMPLE
• Paul proclaimed, trained and taught (Colossians 1:28-29).

• He knew the calling on his life from the moment of his conversion. “Now get up and
stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of
what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people
and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from
darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:16-18).

• He was faithful to the vision God gave him. “So then, King Agrippa, I was not
disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in
Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and
turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:19-20).

• He preached a message of repentance. “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but
now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

• It was his goal to become their father through the gospel. “For in Christ Jesus I
became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15).

2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CONSOLIDATION?

Consolidation does away with the floating mass that moves from church to church. When we motivate new
believers to join a small group, they are strengthened in their faith and become true disciples of Jesus.
In this way we teach them how to firstly strengthen themselves in the
Lord, and then how to get involved in the ministry, becoming a channel
of blessing to others

3. EFFECTIVE CONSOLIDATION

Consolidation needs to relate to the act of winning. Interceding in prayer for someone to be saved is very
different from happening to be behind a person when they decide to accept Jesus in their heart. We can
compare this to the months a mother waits for her baby to be born and the part she plays in their
subsequent growth and development. She knows that giving birth is only the first step to bringing up her
child; the work that follows requires dedication, attention and patience. Just as the mother is responsible
for taking care of her baby, the person who wins a new believer for the Lord should be responsible for
taking care of them. For nine months, the mother fills her heart with

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dreams about her baby; when born, a much closer relationship is formed between her and her child. Before
we win someone for Jesus, they start to take shape in the spiritual world, through our prayer and patience. The
process continues until their spirit is born into eternal life when they accept Jesus in their heart as Lord and Saviour.

1. BECOMING SPIRITUAL PARENTS

“Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in
Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). Paul taught us that the
work of a consolidator is being a father and a guardian, and a guardian or a nurse is someone who is
employed to take care of babies. The apostle wanted to teach his spiritual children that though they had ten
thousand people consolidating them, only one father had brought them to the Lord’s feet, and that father was
him.

When someone becomes a Christian they need to be contacted immediately by a

consolidator. The new believer will open their heart and begin to express
themselves, providing the opportunity for the consolidator to counter arguments,
disarm prejudices, guide, help and release life to them.
Consolidation is a process that requires time and concentration, and it varies depending on the person you are
consolidating. It is important that early on, every new believer knows that Jesus has provided a new way for
their life, therefore, take the time to teach them the Four Precious Opportunities

2. PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION

“Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three
thousand were added to their number that day. They
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:41-42).
Verify their decision

Consolidation in the early church was effective because they first helped people to understand their spiritual condition,
they then instructed them, baptised all who accepted Jesus and collected their details. We can conclude that details
were collected because the Bible refers to the number of people added to the Church, implying that they kept a record
of the new believers.

Devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching

The apostles’ teaching forms the foundation for the believer’s spiritual growth. It consists of three ingredients:

• First, spiritual milk. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up
in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

• Second, the bread of the Word of God. The Lord taught us: “It is written: ‘Man does not live on
bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). A baby cannot
swallow bread because they are not ready, they can only drink milk. However, when they reach a certain level
of growth in their natural development, you can add bread to their diet.

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5. Third, solid food. The Word says that this is for those who have reached a certain level
of maturity and are able to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14). People get to this level
through various ways. Firstly, through understanding certain topics and principles in God’s word,
secondly, through being able to get the most out of what is read in Scripture, and thirdly through
meeting with others that have a deep knowledge of the Word, pairing up and sharing insights into its
truths, its wise content, and its rhema word on both an individual and a group basis.

Fellowship

God created us as social beings, so He rejoices when we have correct relationships with one another.
A consolidator’s success depends on the relationship between them and the person being
consolidated. It is an ongoing relationship, similar to that between a parent and their child. Our life
depends on the relationships we manage to develop. The early church developed this practice,
resulting in true companionship; this is mainly established in small groups. It is possible for someone
to come to a large church meeting and leave without anyone even noticing. However, we are able to
get to know each other through cells where we notice who is or is not there. As cells promote closer
contacts, we find it easier to tell who is present or missing from the larger meetings.

Share in the breaking of bread

The early church believers were guided by God to have periodic small group meetings which are now
known as cells, nuclei or family groups. These meetings took place in houses where they shared
spiritual bread as well as real bread. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number
daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47).

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Persevere in prayer

Prayer needs to be lifestyle for every believer. Prayer makes sure we stay on the correct path. Not
praying would imply a break in our communication with God. Jesus said that we should watch and
pray. The apostles always made every effort to ensure that the whole church maintained a constant
life of prayer.

Applying these principles with every believer brought incredible success. They retained the
multitudes because they verified their decision, taught them, invested in fellowship and led them into
a life of holiness and prayer.

6. HABITS THAT THE NEW BELIEVER SHOULD PUT INTO PRACTICE

Consolidation is more than a method or a training program; the heart of it is closely connected to the
heart of God. If we keep Gods’ heart at the centre as we consolidate, the ongoing care of the new
believer will be effective, helping them to stand firm, even in the midst of trails. It is therefore
important to teach them practically how they can grow in their Christian life.

• Speak to them about the need to be a disciple, not just a Church-attendee.

Being a disciple means being willing to follow Christ, obeying His Word every day.

• Teach them to set a time aside every day to ready the bible and reflect on what they
read, using these three questions:

• What is God saying to me? Something personal.

• What is God commanding me? What He wants me to do.

• What is God promising me? The promise I am going to claim.

• Teach them to pray as if they were having a conversation, using

spontaneous and sincere prayers; introduce them to prayer as worship, praise, thanks, petition,
confession and intercession.

CONCLUSION

Our responsibility does not end once we have taken a person to church. The moment they accept
Jesus in their heart is when the real work of consolidation begins.

Our success in implementing the vision is directly linked to the quality of our prayer life. This is
because the God who sees what is done in secret will reward you in public.

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Destiny Training Name:

Module 2 Lesson 9 Pastor:

Ready to Consolidate Date:

Please hand in at your next training session

Activity Questionnaire 9
1. What is consolidation?

2. What do we learn about consolidation from the following verses?

Colossians 1:28 29

Acts 26:16-18

Acts 29:19

Acts 17:30

1 Corinthians 4:15

3. Fill in the gaps and memorise the verse:

“Even though you ten thousand guardians in , you do not have

fathers, for in I became your through the gospel”. (1 Corinthians 4:15)

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4. Explain the principles of consolidation in your own words:

Verify their decision

Devote ourselves to the

apostles’ teaching

Spiritual milk

The Bread of the

Word

Solid Food

Communion with each

other

Share in the breaking

of bread

Persevere in prayer

5. How can you begin to consolidate?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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 MODULE 2 - CLASS 9 READY TO
CONSOLIDATE
Weekly Challenge - Guidelines
PRAYER
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

- The whole process of consolidation should be saturated in prayer:

- Continue to pray daily for the person during the process of consolidation
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you before every contact
- Prepare for the call and meeting during time of devotion in morning

PHONE CALL
Notes for phone call:
- Introduce yourself clearly (Name Surname from Church)
- Establish relation (I'm phoning on behalf of Pastor/G12 leader)
- Limit call time between 4 to 5 minutes (purposed and prepared)
Structure for phone call:
- Introduction (30s)
- Connecting with person (1min) - Ask questions (family, work, school)
- Share short Word (1min)
- Ask for a need to pray for (30s)
- Pray for their need (1min)
- Set up meeting them in person and connecting them to cell group (1min)

MEETING THEM IN PERSON

Notes for meetings:
- Always meet with person in pairs (with your leader or with a disciple)
- Women visit women and men visit men.
- Always look presentable
- Limit visit time between 15 to 20 minutes (purposed and prepared)
Structure for meeting:
- Introduction (1min)
- Connecting with person (5min) - Ask questions (family, work, school)
- Share short Word (5min)
- Ask for a need to pray for (1min)
- Pray for the need (2min)
- Set up connecting them to a cell group (1min)

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