Many years ago, I taught in Rick Renner’s Bible school and ministered at a convention he held in Riga, Latvia.  I saw the beginnings of a church which grew quickly. Seeing the people in their newly established church was one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever encountered. 

The people of Riga were loving and open to the gospel, yet they were some of the poorest people I had encountered anywhere in the world. Years of communism had left them with only the clothing on their bodies. I was told by the team and staff that these people had only one set of clothes and a coat to put on in the winter and take off in the summer. They did not have enough money to buy food. The poverty was so incredible, but the love in their hearts for God could not be taken away.

Since they had no money, they brought what they could, flowers. Each night at the convention the people brought flowers by the armful. They laid them on the platform at our feet and expected us to take them with us. Each evening we left the auditorium with hundreds of thousands of flowers. Rick had to find vans to take them.

What a Difference a Year Makes

When I returned a year later it was a huge transformation. The people in the church were wearing nice clothes and gave money in the offering. In fact, the offering took so long to receive, the praise and worship leaders sang their song through more than once to allow all the people to come forward and give. The people were lifting their hands, rejoicing, singing, dancing, running through the auditorium. They were filled with more joy than many Spirit filled Christians in the United States. I asked Rick how much money came in during each service and he told me over two thousand dollars. In our church, that might have been two million dollars.

The Riga congregation taught me a new lesson. I saw simple obedience to give to the Lord of what they had, and I saw God bring prosperity to a group of people given up and shunned by the rest of the world. Prosperity was not a western doctrine. God’s word works anywhere.

For years, I thought the resistance in people to tithing was rebellion. I now saw an enemy I had overlooked - fear.

Jericho Has to be Conquered

Joshua 6:1-20 describes the defeat of Jericho. Jericho was the key city for the Israelites. There was no other way into Canaan except by conquering this city. Jericho could not be bypassed, gone around, or forgotten. It stood as a monument to the Jews of forty years of fear.

One year, after coming out of Egypt, the first generation sent ten spies into Canaan from the border city of Cadesh-Barnea. Every part of the evil, fear-filled report they brought back could be found in Jericho alone. The giants, thick walls, and large, well-trained armies were especially concentrated in this border city. All of Israel's fears about Canaan would be destroyed when this city fell.

Jericho Was a Gateway City

It was the doorway into Canaan, as well as a doorway out of the wilderness.  The wilderness has been described as the “land of lack” when used as an analogy for the Christian life.  This is not true.  Once we are born again, God never brings us into a land of lack.  Egypt was that land.  In our own lives, we once served sin, and Satan ruled over us.  Egypt was “the land of lack.”  The wilderness was the land of “just enough.”  God wants us to live in the land of abundance.

Jericho Belonged to the Lord

God told the children of Israel that Jericho belonged to Him and all the possessions in the city belonged to Him. All the gold, silver, money, and garments were to be taken into the treasury of the Lord. After Jericho, all the possessions of the remaining cities could be taken by people. Jericho was the firstfruits of the land of.  It belonged to the Lord but had to be taken by the people and given to Him as an act of submission.

Jericho Demanded Preparation

Before moving into prosperity, the land of abundance, we must first judge the flesh.  The flesh will always desire to use God’s blessing for us.  Our priority in moving into greater blessings is to use our resources for the gospel, discipleship, and accomplishing the Great Commission.

For seven days the people marched around the walls of Jericho.  It was a time for the people to address their fears and excuses and remember what God had told them.  By the seventh day fear was replaced with faith.

Preparing our hearts is necessary for the removal of fear of circumstances and to have faith to replace the fear with God’s promises.  “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Everywhere they would place their foot was theirs by inheritance. The Canaanites were now trespassers on the land given to Israel by God. Although the land was already given to Israel, the people had to prepare to possess it, then drive out the inhabitants. God’s people had to understand they owned the land by promise. Their feet had to walk on God's promises, not their fear.

What is Jericho?

Jericho represents the tithe. It is the firstfruits of all our financial increase. God tells us to “honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase, so shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses will burst out with new wine (Proverbs 3:9-10). The tithe, the firstfruits, is the gateway out of the land of just enough and the gateway into the land of abundance. The fear of the tithe must be conquered. You cannot go around the tithe or ignore it. You can enter in no other way.

Two of the tribes of Israel decided not to go into the land. It seemed much more comfortable on the wilderness side of Jordan. How sad that many Christians today accept and settle for far less than God has for them. The tithe, like Jericho, is our test. It is our place to really come to grips with our own fears and excuses and truly deal with the promises of God. Do we believe Him or not? Many have passed over and are calling back to us to come on in. The land of abundance is wonderful. What God has done for so many others is also true for you too. He is no respecter of persons. How long will you stand at Jordan and just look across? How long will you stand frozen between two options, fear or faith?

Abundance is already yours, but you must deal with your fears first, step out in faith on God’s promises to see the walls fall.  Then you can leave the wilderness of just enough and watch God begin to fulfill the desires of your heart as well as meet all your needs.  Now God can trust you with the abundance because you are trusting in His word.