The Power of Consistency by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Good morning. I wanted to begin this message by saying all denominations in Christianity can agree that the world as we know it is nearing its end. Any time you see two sides in the world at complete opposites from the other and fighting, as a believer you should be taking notice. A prime example is the building tension between banks and cryptocurrency. 

        God wants you to work in your walk. In scripture the symbolism for abundance, provision, and divine blessing was baskets. If you look at John 6:13 and the feeding of the multitudes, the blessing was collected in baskets. Anything you have as a skill, God may potentially bless later. What are you providing for God today? If you aren't trying to grow the kingdom of God today, you are missing the point of being his disciple. We are going to read from the book of Genesis chapter 30. We will start with verse 25.

        25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

        26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

        27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.

        28 And he said, appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

        29 And he said unto him, Thiou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

        30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

        31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

        32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

        33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

        34 And Laban said, Behold I would it might me according to thy word.

        35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had dome white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

        36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

        37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 

        38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

        39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

        40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

        41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

        42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

        43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and donkeys.

        God may place you in a job where a boss could be horrible and mistreat not only you but others. The situation you're in may be because of how you are treating others daily. You yourself may be horrible and two faced. A gossip and agitator. Now, let's go to the next chapter and pick up with verse 38. Jacob is confronting Laban after running from him taking all he owned.

        38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

        Jacob is professing in this verse what all he has done and experienced working under Laban. He is letting him know he hasn't been cheating him.

        39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

        40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

        41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

        42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Issac, had been with me, surely thou hadst set me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

        These three verses detail the change of Jacob's character. God works with consistent faithfulness rather than instant success. Generational wealth is not just money. It can be wisdom, faith, prayer, and other things which are not material to this world. Resources which bless future generations. Jacob showed up for 20 years in work and in faithfulness. Consistency builds the increase. Jacob wasn't building overnight wealth in this time. God will not give you detailed direction for your life. God will lead you into a direction. 

        Let's turn to the book of Proverbs. Chapter 16 and verse 9. Solomon wrote.

        9 A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.

        Many people want the inheritance with little to low effort. Consistent wealth, saving, and investing comes with consistent obedience. God took things from Jacob when Jacob had cheated his brother or father.

        Generational wealth comes with stewardship. Before Jacob became wealthy, he became trustworthy. Laban's flocks increased because Jacob managed them well. Jacob cared about his work and treated it like it was his. God gives us the principle of managing someone else's things before giving us something over our own. God will not give you the increase without good stewardship.

        We are so worried about our stuff, we forget who gave it to us. Christians are guilty of being short sighted in different things.

        Jesus speaks often about good stewardship in the gospels. God will put you through harder tests than any battle the enemy presents. You don't get to act like early Jacob and represent God.

        Stewardship precedes increase. Jacob managed people's property with respect. Consistency through difficult seasons builds strength. Our heart leads us, but God directs our steps. Jacob's wages were changed 10 times, yet Jacob kept working. Jacob didn't have a good place to stay. God blesses consistent faithfulness in all seasons. Jacob worked and God blessed Jacob with knowledge.

        Work like it depends on you. Trust God where he leads you. God wants you to provide as much as you can give. Diligence, wisdom, and dependence on God builds your wealth. Generational wealth is from a legacy of faith.

        Think beyond yourself. Think on your future generations. Jacob wasn't merely acquiring possessions. He was passing other things to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

        Stay consistent in all your days and ways. Show up with the right attitude and consistency builds increase. God's blessings reward faith. What you do consistently today, your family builds on for tomorrow.