The answer is, yes, He can provide in the same supernatural way as He did in the past, and the biblical basis for this assurance is found, in principle, in the words of the writer to the Hebrews:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Jesus is God, the declaration of the apostle John leaves it fully established: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;[1] and since there is only one true God,[2] we proclaim with certainty of faith, that God is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
For his part, the apostle James also states in his apostolic writings that in God there is no shadow of turning,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
So, based on these two pillars of faith and divine operation, we loudly proclaim that yes, God can provide today in the same supernatural way as He did in the past.
The problem we face in the present times, however, is not because God does not want to provide, or because God acts with those of this time in a different way from those of the past, or worse, because God acts towards Israel in one way and towards the Gentiles in another, explanations that the reader will surely have heard from more than one preacher as an explanation (excuse) of why we do not see the same supernaturality of God in the present.
The problem is the arrogance of the people of faith not to be willing to go to the ultimate consequences to see God act, but to immediately seek solutions that shorten the waiting time and thus abort any possibility of God intervening in the midst of crisis situations.
The people of faith suffer from a problem of unbelief, which although it highlights the fact that God has a “purpose” with the presence of the tests of faith, at the same time there is no certainty that the provision will come directly from the Lord.
It is convenient, then, that we establish several guiding postulates that help us understand how God provides, and above all, to help us change our paradigms of operation as men/women of faith.
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God’s provision is available to all who believe, and who are operating within the purposes of the Kingdom of God.
God’s provision is linked to the purposes that God has established for the person and/or for the region. Let’s look at it in more detail. The doctrine of Jesus states that the man/woman of faith is assured of God’s provision without the need for him/her to demand it in prayer:
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Mathew 6:25-26
In the teaching that Jesus presented to His disciples, He explained that the anguish of not having provision is not the fruit of the Kingdom of Heaven;
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Mathew 6:31-32
He further explained that the provision for the man/woman of faith is linked to God’s purposes with the person, and/or with the inhabitants of the region,
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Mathew 6:33-34
So, we conclude, God’s provision is linked to God’s purposes with the person, which means that, first of all, the first thing we must review in our life of faith is God’s purpose, particularly if we are within the revealed purposes for that moment, because even if there is no sin involved, it could be that someone is walking outside of the revealed purposes, and persists in moving on actions and/or decisions that have already expired.
We all know that the purposes of God are developed in function of the operations of the Spirit,[3] not all the time we keep developing the same actions, there are different demands from God as we develop and grow ministerially; in fact, the Revelation that God gives is also in function of the operations of the Spirit to which we are called.
The reader can see briefly how Paul’s ministry transcended from a function as a teacher of the Word,[4] until he became an apostle of the faith;[5] in the development of his ministerial trajectory he was operated by the Spirit in other functions according to the operation of the Spirit for the place, he confesses that the Spirit made him a “preacher” (κηρυξ),[6] which shows his function as a “settler” of the Kingdom of God; in another of his writings he recognizes having received such a Word of authority, capable of establishing among men the ministry of reconciliation (καταλλαγης).[7]
The reader should not see these titles as different ways of identifying the same person, in this case, Paul, but should see, the description of operations of the Spirit according to the purpose that the apostle fulfilled in the regions he visited; so for example, a preacher is not the one who preaches the word, although it may seem so at present, but the one who establishes the Kingdom, and not every ministry has the capacity to do so; likewise, not every ministry has the spiritual capacity to establish reconciliation among the inhabitants of a place.
So, we conclude that God’s provision is dispensed according to the operation of the Spirit, and according to God’s purpose with the person and/or with the place. It’s not just a matter of praying, but of finding out what purpose you are fulfilling in your moment, on God’s behalf.
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God’s provision is tied to a particular person; it is he or she who holds the key to delivering it.
Don’t find it strange what we have just affirmed, as part of the operations of the Spirit, and as part of the functions of the members in the Body of Christ, God determines that specific persons are in charge of “opening” God’s provision for others. It is not for everyone.
Joseph son of Jacob was chosen by God from among his brothers to “open up” God’s provision of life for a whole people, the Egyptians, and for his brothers:
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-44
In general terms, the person who “opens” the provision, man or woman, is because of the “virtue” he or she has received from God for that purpose; the book of Proverbs identifies the case of a woman whom it calls “a virtuous woman”:
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12
In the doctrine of Jesus it is established that there are people in charge of “opening” God’s provision in their time:
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Matthew 24:45
In the ministry of Jesus there were people in particular charged with providing specific provisions for the operations of Jesus; we have the case of the one who provided the colt in which Jesus entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophetic Word of Zechariah,
and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. Mark 11:2 (Zachariah 9:9)
We also have the case of the one who provided the space where Jesus celebrated the Passover on the night He was betrayed,
And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. Matthew 26:18
The book of Acts of the Apostles describes seven servants full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, who were placed to “distribute” God’s provision for the Jerusalem community, particularly among the widows, and as a result the Word of the Gospel grew extraordinarily:
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7
God operates in this way so that communities of faith learn to interact and depend on each other. In our time there are many ministers who shun the idea of receiving instructions from others, because ministerial independence is nourished.
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Many of our acts establish shortages
It is a reality in many of our faith communities, there are even ministers who contribute to it with their preaching.
The spiritual principle of this evil is found in the book of Proverbs:
Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. Proverbs 13:23
These are actions that are done in violation of God’s Word. We will cite several cases.
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Standing up against a covenant establishes a shortage of provision even if you have the resources to acquire it.
The case that best exemplifies this is the case of Saul in relation to the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were a people who managed to make an alliance with the Hebrews in Joshua’s time, although by deception, the Gibeonites managed to get Joshua and the elders of the time to commit to them that their people would not be destroyed,
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. Joshua 9:15
Saul did not consider the spiritual value of the word of an anointed of God, and he ignored the covenant that Joshua and the elders of the people made, and attacked the Gibeonites, the result of which brought three years of famine upon the land:
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 2 Samuel 21:1
Many people of faith attract scarcity to their respective homes, and even to their own communities of faith, because they have risen against covenants that God has established within their communities, and/or within their own homes.
Many have brought scarcity into their homes by opposing God-established ministries, by rising up against them in gossip and slander, and by distorting their work. Personal scarcity also comes from divorces not authorized by God (there are divorces authorized by God). These shortages are accentuated in times of national crisis.
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To do God’s instructions half-heartedly, or to alter them, attracts scarcity.
Saul’s case of altering God’s instruction to destroy the Amalekites, including their cattle, meant for Saul the destitution of the kingdom, bringing to his house scarcity and extermination.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23
God demands the literal fulfillment of His Word and the instructions He gives, and anyone who violates them violates God’s provision for his house. The foundation of this instruction is found in Abraham’s obedience;
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Genesis 22:12
Not knowing the results of meeting God’s demand to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Abraham himself established as the law of the kingdom, that on the mountain of the Lord it shall be provided.
Hence, the Bible requires that the man/woman of faith who has failed to comply with the literal execution of the Lord’s Word, should be accounted for as soon as possible,
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
This is the teaching established in the doctrine of Jesus,
leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5:24
It is the demand according to the Law of the Spirit of Life:
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Job 22:27
Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: Psalm 50:14
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Resistance to moving in the direction the Spirit points out attracts scarcity.
God asks men/women of faith to move in one direction, and gives instructions for it, the example we have in the instructions God gave to Moses in his journey through the desert,
The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: Deuteronomy 1:6
The resistance that the man/woman of faith presents to God’s instruction to move in the direction that the Spirit of God points out to him/her brings shortages to his/her house, and even to his/her community of faith. Jesus presented this in the form of a parable:
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow…. 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. Luke 19:20-24
And then, He added:
For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. Luke 19:26
As you can see, scarcity comes from the reluctance of men/women of faith to move in the direction the Spirit is leading them, and they attract scarcity to their lives, ministries, and even their congregations. The apostle James presented this in the following words:
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17
In conclusion, as we have seen, God provides, and does so abundantly, that is His nature; the Psalmist David sums it up in the following words,
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5
The apostle Paul presents this way of being of God as one of his attributes,
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:15-17
God can provide in the same supernatural way as He did in the past, the problem of the lack of supernatural provision for our time is not in Him, it is in His people, in the people who confess His name, because they do not know Him, because their leaders preach skepticism, and they do not succeed in establishing faith among their communities, because they do not know the Word of the Lord.
The time is right for correction, for correction in Truth and Righteousness. Only those who are willing to reach the ultimate consequences, and humble themselves by correcting and admitting their faults before their community, will obtain Mercy and the appropriate help.
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Isaiah 5:13
The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
Pastor Pedro Montoya
WhatsApp 1 (407) 764-2699
Follow us on Twitter: @pastormontoya
https://earthenwarevessels.com/
[1] John 1:1
[2] Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
[3] 1st. Corinthians 12:6
[4] Acts 13:1
[5] Romans 1:1; 1st. Corinthians 1:1; 15:9
[6] 1st. Timothy 2:7; 2nd. Timothy 1:11
[7] 2nd. Corinthians 5:18-19
Treasure in Earthen Vessels 