February, 2001
By Pastor Pete Norris
Divine favor is following us!
Ephesians 2:7 -- “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Paul said an age was coming in the church that he did not fully understand. He also said he did not understand the fullness of God’s grace. We are in the age Paul spoke about. There is a new place that God is drawing the church to. God will show us the exceeding riches of His grace. There is a time that this has been designated to take place. It will happen before the coming of the Lord and the rapture of the church.
God is going to give us limitless grace. Grace means “undeserved favor.” Limitless means “infinite” or “without end.” Surpassing means “goes past our ability and into His ability.” Immeasurable means “vast.”
Ephesians 3:20 -- “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...”
God is getting ready to take the church into places they have not even thought about. In the Greek, grace is “charis” and means “the divine influence upon the heart.” The reflection of this influence shows up in our lives.
God is going to radiate His grace out of us. The church will see the things illuminating out of us. A divine influence upon the heart will reflect out of our lives.
Exceed in the Hebrew is “yazaph” and means “to add to or continue to do a thing, to produce further, abundance, overflowing, to hang over.” The glory will continue to flow out of us. God will do things we have never even thought about. He will do these things because of His grace for us.
Ephesians 2:7 -- “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Kindness in the Greek means “favor.” God will give us His favor and then reflect His kindness on us. He will give us more and more favor.
Luke 4:19 -- “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Profusely means “more and more and more.” Favor means “to endorse, to support, to assist, to make easier, to provide with advantages, and to show special privileges.” God has given us favor so we can endorse Him.
Mercy in the Greek is “chacad” and means “to bow one’s neck only as courtesy to one equal.” God has given us His mercy. He looks at us as equal to Him.
We were created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus came to earth as one being equal and He counted it not sin being equal with God. All power was given to Jesus and He, in turn, has given us that same power. We have power over heaven, earth and things under the earth. God see us as His chosen ones, walking in His favor. We are equal to God and there is nothing anyone can do about it. When God looks at us, He sees Himself. He sees someone immeasurable, limitless and surpassing. This must happen in the church before Jesus comes back. The church has been in a mentality that it is just holding on.
John 14:14 -- “And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
Whatever we ask in His name, if it does not exist, He will create it.
Psalm 5:12 -- “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
Bless means “empowered to prosper.” The blessings and favors of God shall surround us. We are living in a time when God has empowered us with favors and blessings. The favors of God will give us confidence. We are compassed about with the favor, mercy and grace of God.
We all go through trials but they have nothing to do with anything. What we go through is for somebody else and to see if we will endure and stand. Faith is the only thing that pleases God. God does not anoint a person but He anoints a ministry.
Luke 2:52 -- “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge. Jesus knew the Word. Wisdom will produce favor with God. Favor with God will cause us to have favor with man. Our anointing will take us so far but our wisdom is what will deliver us out of this world.
Wisdom was brought up with Jesus. It was wisdom that created Him and brought Him to earth to be conceived. Jesus learned how to use the knowledge and it became wisdom. Jesus was not killed; He gave His life. You cannot kill someone who has favor. Wisdom will not let you die.
Luke 6:38 -- “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Time is more important than money. You can get money back but you cannot get time back. When Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, He got favor with God and man. If we increase in wisdom and stature, we will get favor with God and with man.
Luke 1:30 -- “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God.”
God was going to “endorse” (or assist) Mary and give her special privileges because she had found favor with Him. God was going to give her advantages.
Psalm 103:3 -- “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”
Wisdom is the principle thing. God is telling us that we have divine favor. When we want someone to do us a favor, we want them to do something out of courtesy to us.
Favor means “to be featured.” Featured means “presented” or “the only one.” Also, it means “to be given special prominence or first place.” We are not second in line but we are first because we are featured or favored. We are God’s “stars.” We are all the same because grace and favor has made us the same.
Joshua 10:12-14 -- “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.”
Joshua needed more daylight and he told the sun to stand still. It happened because Joshua had favor with God.
We will see grace like we have never seen because the appointed time is coming when people will see that God is God.
We are in heavenly places and the earth is our footstool. Everything is under our feet. God gives grace to those who are humble enough to receive it. It is continuously coming.
In Exodus Chapter 25, Moses told the people to bring offerings for the tabernacle. They brought so much that there was an overabundance and they had to stop bringing them.
Our favor brings the power and anointing of God into our lives. The Israelites’ favor was painful to Pharaoh. This will come again to the church. God’s children will increase because we are walking in divine favor. There is nothing that Satan can do about it.
Humble in the Greek is “homoiotes” and means “resemblance, similar in appearance, and character, and manner.” When we are humble, we are in the appearance of God and are in His resemblance.
When we comply and line ourselves up with the Word, we are a resemblance of God on the earth. People spend time begging God to do something because they are ignorant of what the Word says. We are living under a new commandment, which is love your neighbor as yourself. If we walk in love, we will not do wrong to our brothers.
Proverbs 3:3-4 -- “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart;
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
We should hear the Word over and over and speak that we are walking in divine favor. God gives grace to those who are like Him. It is the glory coming out of us that will rapture the church out of here. That is why Jesus has not come back yet. Before this happens, all the blessings are coming back to the church. Favor produces wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:18 -- “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”
If Satan can get to us, then what good is the covenant?
I Peter 5:5 -- “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
God gives grace to those who resemble Him. Do we resemble God?
Psalm 102:13 & 15 -- “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.”
Zion is the church. When God has mercy upon Zion, then the favor will come. The moment designated has come. There is a time of favor coming into the church. David was exalting the church in these scriptures. When the favor of God comes to the church, then the glory will saturate it. The favor is here.
Isaiah 60:1-3 -- “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”
Psalm 102:16 -- “When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.”
Isaiah 60:4-5 -- “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”
The wealth shall come to the church when Zion has been built up and the favor has come upon the church. Favor has got to come to the church first before the return of the Lord.
Ephesians 2:7 -- “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
A time has been appointed when the favor will come upon the church. God must show His favor upon the earth before the Lord comes. The gospel will be preached all over the world. The things of God shall overtake the things of the world. The world will never come to the church until the church gets favor. Favor is following God’s people around.
II Chronicles 1:12 -- “Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”
Honor is translated as “favor." Favor produces wealth. We will never make any more than we see ourselves making. We need to see ourselves overcoming obstacles. Satan cannot get to us because we have favor. People are afraid of the devil because they do not know they have favor. If Satan could have killed us, he would already have done so. You cannot touch or stop God’s anointed people. The favor of God is more powerful than the devil. We should just do our part and leave the rest up to God. If we do not do our part, then God cannot do His. We will have trials and tribulations but they will pass. Whatever it takes, God will do it.
II Chronicles 1:15 -- “And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the vale for abundance.”
God will give us wealth with our wisdom.
II Chronicles 2:7-9 & 16 -- “Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
Send me also cedar trees, fir frees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants.
Even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee in flotes by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.”
Everything we build to God is wonderful and great. God will send us everything we need to do what He has asked of us.
II Chronicles 5:1 & 13-14 -- “Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;
So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”
It would cost $370 million dollars today to build a temple like Solomon did. The mercy and glory of the Lord had filled the house because He had prayed everything He needed in. God will always send you the right people and everything you need to do what He has called you to do. He will send you quality things, quality people and the talent to accomplish what you need to do. This is where the church is missing it. Most pastors think they are called to do everything. Wisdom lets you know where you belong and where you do not belong. God will supply the right people and the expertise. You have to trust people or you will never do anything for God.
We should remain humble and not try to take God’s glory. God will supply what we need if we will remain faithful. Obedience moves God and the things we do should be in obedience to Him. We have God’s favor, but we should not let God’s favor have us. We can only walk in God’s favor by remaining humble and realizing that He is our source.