Elim message on prosperity during

presentation

DROMORE residents heard a timely message at the weekend on how to make sure that God is backing their finances.

Coming within a week of the chancellor announcing swingeing cuts over the next four years, the message was delivered in Dromore central Primary School during week three of the Elim church's 10-week series of presentations designed to help people explore the Ten Commandments as a framework for dealing with 21st century problems.

This week's presentation - ‘Prosper with a clear conscience' - was based on the eighth commandment, ‘You shall not steal'.

English evangelist J. John began by outlining the wrong ways to prosper.

"Society as a whole suffers as a result of seemingly small-scale theft," he said, "such as theft from employers, insurance companies, the taxman, libraries and even ‘sickies'; the eighth commandment does not say, ‘You shall not steal more than 1 at a time'; it says you shall not steal,"

Zacchaeus was held up as a Biblical example of a man whose dishonesty brought great wealth but little happiness - a first century tax collector who used his position to defraud the vulnerable.

However, Rev. John highlighted the fact that rather than judging Zacchaeus for his greed, Jesus wanted to spend time with him.

"The love of Jesus is real, loving us for who we are," he said. "Of course he desires our change, but the way he works is to love us into change not beat us into change, Although we may recognise that we need to change, we don't have the power to change on our own, but when Jesus becomes your friend and empowers you with His Spirit, He'll help you clean up your life.

"With Jesus we can experience forgiveness and cleansing. Then, like Zacchaeus, we can forget the past and right our wrongs by giving back anything we have wrongfully gained."

Next week's presentation is entitled ‘How to affair-proof your relationships'. For more information contact Pastor Steven Neil at [email protected] or on 07737055685.