If you'd turn with me and go please to 3rd John, the first verse, just one chapter in 3rd John,

we began last time I was with you talking about that God's will is success.

And it said, the elder to the well-beloved Gaius whom I love in the truth

beloved I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health even as your soul

prospers.

Holman says,

Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health just as your soul prospers.

The Dewey translation says,

I make it my prayer that you may proceed prosperously and farewell as your soul does prosperously.

Now if this is just one man talking to another, it shouldn't be in the Bible, if that's all it is.

But if it's the inspired word of God,

can we take the word as God speaking to us?

Is it God's will that we prosper and be in health,

even as our soul prospers?

And he's talking about inner prosperity and outer prosperity.

Material, financial prosperity is outer, physical prosperity is outer, and healing and material

abundance is connected to inner man, soul prosperity.

Now, there's a lot of controversy about this subject.

There are people who are adamantly opposed to what they call the prosperity message.

But the word prosper is in the Bible, isn't it?

Numerous times.

And if you look it up, the word prosper simply means to succeed.

...