THE 818 GRACE: A REMARKABLE MONTH OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE

This is an amazing word of encouragement that the Lord has for the month of August 2018. There is a unique and remarkable grace that needs to be connected to by faith and intentionality and the practical rewards for it will be great. Much delayed economic payback will be evidenced and it will be another manifestation of the justice of God in this extended season of the justice of God.

I was told that there was a “818 grace” and led to look up several 8:18 scriptures. I came out astonished at how this theme was interwoven in a seemingly divine set up for this time as 8/18’s only come every hundred years. To be lead by the Holy Spirit to this discovery for today is quite relevant. The 8:18 scriptures we will look at are Deut. 8:18; Joshua 8:18; 2 Chronicles 8:18; Prov. 8:18; Luke 8:18; and Acts 8:18.

1) Deut.8:18- GOD GIVES YOU THE POWER TO GAIN WEALTH

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant…”

This is a time to really engage with this truth. Wealth is not of the devil. Satan comes to steal, the Bible tells us. Additionally, if poverty were a godly virtue, it would exist in heaven. It doesn’t. God does have a purpose for us gaining prosperity and it reestablishes His original covenant with Abraham- which was a covenant all about prosperity. God is generous and He wants His kids who align with Him and look to Him to experience the rewards of this.

2) Joshua 8:18- TIME TO WIN AND RECOVER WHERE YOU LOST

“ Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand towards Ai, for I will give it into your hand…”

Israel had just suffered their first “Promised Land” defeat losing in battle to Ai. This had happened because Achan had disobediently taken of the spoil of Jericho (Josh. 7:21) admitting “I coveted”, I took a “beautiful Babylonian garment” as well as silver and gold. This representatively speaks of disobediently linking with Mammon and using its covering (Babylonian garment) and greed (“I coveted) to gain wealth. Now the Lord was giving another opportunity even to gain wealth at a place where they had been ruined. Ai means “heap of ruins”. What followed was that Israel successfully took the city of Ai. Verse 27, tells us that Israel then took “the livestock and the spoil (riches) of the city as booty for themselves…”

So kind and merciful that God redeems a situation- even though it was THEIR sin that lead to the original loss. Apply that for your situation. God considers it unjust any time the enemy steals from you - even if it was YOUR fault that opened that door. “Stretch out your spear” pointing at your Ai and let God strategically allow you to recover and beyond that prosper. His economic justice is not just for where you were perfect but where you invited Him back in.

3) 2 Chron. 8:18 - UNBELIEVERS WILL GIVE TO KINGDOM PROJECTS

“And Hiram…went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and acquired 450 talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.”

What a great 8:18 passage. Hiram was King of Tyre- a foreigner. He represents those “unbelievers” or “pre-believers” who are moved upon to bless us. 450 talents of gold is roughly a half of a billion dollars. No small amount. This precipitated the queen of Sheba coming to Solomon to see the grandeur of the temple and everything else Solomon was prospering in. Ophir is this famous and almost mythical place of limitless wealth that was opened up to David- and Solomon. As we are building the house of God on earth (the kingdom) it connects us to the long prophesied "transfer of wealth”. Be about the kingdom of God- and He does have “and all these things will be added to you.” (Mt.6)

4) Prov. 8:18- RICHES ARE FROM HIM

“Riches and honor are with Me, enduring riches and justice…”

Truly remarkable the continued 8:18 theme of wealth and it is quite self-explanatory in the passage. If you continue reading the subsequent verses it gets really powerful as in verse 20 it talks of Him being “in the midst of the path of justice. That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth. That I may fill their treasuries.” As much as He does want our wealth-gaining connected to a kingdom purpose, another big truth is that He does just want to shower with wealth those whose love He feels- as a tangible expression of His love back to them. In other words, He is giving because He is by nature generous.

5) Luke 8:18- PAST GENEROSITY AND STEWARDSHIP DETERMINES FUTURE ABUNDANCE

“For whoever has, to him more will be given; and to him who does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

As we learn from the Parable of the Talents, God considers not using/burying what you have as “not having” and sees generosity and stewardship as “having”. The poignant truth for us for this time is God is saying that this August of 2018 is one of those times when He is making these determinations of “more will be given”.

5) Acts 8:18- DON’T PROSTITUTE THE POWER TO GAIN WEALTH

“And when Simon (the sorcerer) saw that through the laying on of hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered money, saying “Give me this power also, that anyone on who I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Yet again another 8:18 passage on money matters. There are a number of applicable messages depending on if you are Peter or Simon. Perhaps it is not coincidental that Peter was also known as Simon Peter. We have two Simons and one is wanting to do a wrong mix of riches and the power of the Holy Spirit- and one has it right. This will be relevant and applicable to some of you.

CONCLUSION

There is an 818 economic grace from God released for the month of August and you can participate in it. As any of the above 8:18 scenarios are applicable for you make sure to engage in intentionality towards receiving the good things He has for you and through you. Ai was not taken without Joshua pointing his spear towards where he had previously been devastated. This available 818 grace requires faith and your involvement.

The number 8 is known for speaking of “new beginnings” so this could be an application for many of you in this year of “new beginnings”. However the specific Hebrew word for 8 is “shemoneh” which means “plumpness” coming from a root word meaning “fat, rich, robust.” Believe that there is a special grace for economic prospering this August and open a greater door for yourself. There will be national and macro outworkings of this as well. August is a month for economic justice.