Table of Contents

1    Jesus Must. Increase!

2    Increasing and Decreasing Simultaneously

3    Areas of Increase

4    Getting a Vision of Increase

5    Increasing the Fruits of Righteousness

6    Enriched for Liberality in Giving

7    Releasing Your Increase

Personal Prayer of Commitment

"THE LORD SHALL INCREASE YOU MORE AND MORE, YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN."

Psalm 115:14 (KJ)

1

Jesus Must Increase!

He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

This verse contains the testimony of John the Baptist, who came to bear witness of the light, that through the light—Jesus Christ—all might believe and be saved.

Isaiah said of John, the forerunner of Jesus Christ:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ’Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

’Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth.’

Isaiah 40:3,4

John's mission as a forerunner was to baptize people unto repentance and to announce that the Kingdom of God was coming. He said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11).

The day came when Jesus stepped on the scene.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ’I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’

But Jesus answered and said to him, ’Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.

Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the

Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting upon Him.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ’This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’

Matthew 3:13-17

John directed his own followers to become disciples of Jesus. John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

John, as a forerunner, had pointed people to Jesus. He had a mission, and that mission was not to draw people to himself, but to point them to the Savior. When Jesus stepped on the scene and began His ministry, the job John had done came to an end. He had pointed people to the light, but now the light—Jesus Christ—had come.

It is Jesus who is to increase in your life. The "I" that must decrease in you is the old ungodly nature.

2

Increasing and Decreasing Simultaneously

When you are born again and Jesus comes into your life, do you increase or decrease? You both increase and decrease. The things of God increase, while the things of the old life decrease.

Can you remember some things that decreased in your life when you were saved, such as anxiety, a little bit of hell or a whole lot of it and sorrow? Can you remember some of the things that increased, such as joy, peace and love? How about selfishness and living for others? Did they increase or decrease? Simultaneously, when you are born again, there are some things that increase and other things that decrease.

Believers should have a decrease in the devil's work, the work of the flesh and the old life, but an increase in the Kingdom of God and His life. Can you see the validity of both increase and decrease in your life?

Every time you increase in the things of the Kingdom of God, you decrease in the things of the kingdom of darkness!

Let's focus on increase in your life, and you will see a decrease in the devil's works.

3

Areas of Increase

Luke 2:52, KJ

You are to increase in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, just as Jesus did. God wants you to increase in all areas of life and godliness.

Wisdom

You ought to be wiser today than you were last week. God wants you to continually increase in wisdom. Paul prayed that "...the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom in the knowledge of Him" (Ephesians 1:17).

Solomon had much to say about increasing in wisdom. Let's look at what he had to say in Proverbs 4:5-13:

Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.

Hear, my son [My child], and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life. Stature

God wants you to increase in stature. This means more than physical growth. It means to grow in your manhood and womanhood in God so you will increase in character and in the revelation of God. It means to grow up spiritually on the inside.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,

But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:11-16

Favor With find and Man

You are to increase in favor with God and man.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a good example of increasing in favor, for Scripture says the angel spoke to her, "...Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28).

I believe God chose Mary, because she pleased Him. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God. The word please is the same as "to find favor." Therefore, to increase in favor with God, you must increase your faith level. Kick doubt and unbelief out by filling your mind daily with the Word of God, for faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Then declare, "I'm going to be a believer, not a doubter; a forgiver and not a pouter!"

To increase in favor with man, strive to be at peace with all men. Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." It's favor to have your enemies be at peace with you.

Months ago, a man said some ugly things about me. Later, he came to see me and said, "I want you to forgive me." I said, "I already have." He said, "It's sure good to hear it though." God worked on him apart from me doing anything in the natural toward him, except to pray for him, bless him and love him.

You can increase in favor with God through faith, but to increase in favor with man you must determine, "I am going to love my enemies and pray for them." God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends (Job 42:10).

While Jamie Buckingham was going through an extended illness, he said what set him free was when someone told him to pray for his enemies. He started praying, not just for enemies, but for others, and as he prayed for them, healing began a good work in his own body.

Knowledge of God

To increase in the knowledge of God overlaps into the area of increasing in God's wisdom, but we will treat it separately.

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.

Colossians 1:9-11

You are to be increasing in the knowledge of God, but decreasing in the knowledge of the world and darkness. Some people say, "You need to know more about the dark things so you can help people." Remember, the more you know about the darkness won't help you to lead someone to the light. It's the more you know of the light that will equip you to help someone see the light.

Many a delivered Christian has been ensnared again in things from which they were set free, because they heard, "I need to know more about this." You need to stay as far away from darkness as you can.

It's not just a delivered alcoholic who can help an alcoholic be set free. I've seen a lot of alcoholics set free in our ministry, and I've never been an alcoholic. Thank God for people who have gone through things and have been raised up to deliver others, but you don't have to experience it to set someone free. You simply have to be connected to the One who sets people free!

Love

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you.

1 Thessalonians 3:12

I pray that you increase in love and go to a higher level in loving others. Paul talked about increasing in love one for another again in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11:

But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

And indeed you do so toward all brethren who are in all Macedonia.

But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;

That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.

Peter gave a strong statement concerning love, which we need to consider.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

I Peter 4:8

Increase in Prayer

I am praying for an increase in people who are committed to daily prayer in the Body of Christ around the world.

We have SWAT prayer teams at Victory Christian Center who stand in the gap and battle in prayer for those who are in any type of crisis.

When Daryl Burdick, a member of Victory Christian Center pastoral staff, was in a health crisis with a heart attack, his wife, Marlene, called our people to pray nonstop day and night. When things didn't seem to be happening in the natural as they should and it looked like there was no way, the group prayed. The next word we heard was, "Something worked out." One victory after another came for Daryl as a result of prayer.

As you increase in prayer, you will see continual breakthroughs in those for whom you are praying. Your prayers will cause the increase to come to others that the Lord speaks of in Psalm 115:14.

4

Getting a Vision of Increase

Where there is no vision, the people perish....

Proverbs 29:18, KJ

It takes vision for you to increase. If you don't have a goal to shoot for, you will be satisfied with where you are. God has higher ground. I've heard the joyful sound of saints on higher ground. "Lord, lift me up and let me stand; by faith on heaven's table land." You've got to have a vision of the higher ground you're headed toward.

A man at Seminole Hills Apartment Complex said he grew up in government housing projects and never dreamed that he would ever be able to get out of it. As a young boy growing up, he thought that was all there was to life. His thinking changed, however, when someone preached the Gospel to him. He got a vision that he could increase. Today, he doesn't live in a government-subsidized housing project, but he preaches in them! His circumstances have changed, because he got a vision of increase.

Maybe you are thinking you will always be where you are right now. I'm praying that you will have a breakthrough to see that your circumstances can be better than they are now. If you have illness in your body, don't accept believing you will never be whole. You can increase in your health, because 1 Peter 2:24 says, "...by whose stripes [Jesus’ stripes] you were healed." Past tense!

Perhaps you think your strength level will never change. Perhaps you are experiencing continual weariness, a lack of strength and a lack of vitality. Psalm 84:7 says you will go from strength to strength and from glory to glory. That's increase! Get a vision of God doubling your strength!

Get a vision of your marriage relationship being enriched because of a decision you make today to "...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). As a party to your marriage covenant, God wants your marriage to increase and abound with love, joy, peace and prosperity in every area.

Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's anointing (2 Kings 9:8-15). He wanted it. Remember, James 4:2 says you have not because you ask not. Elisha received the double portion.

Maybe you have desired to go to Bible School, have your children in a Christian school, have more of the things that are needed in your life, or do more things for God, yet you've been satisfied to stay where you are, not realizing God wants to increase you.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Your vision for increase will come from the invisible realm of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. You will see that God can do more, He can give you more and He can cause you to be more than you have thought in the past.

Job 8:7 says, "Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly." Your latter days are going to increase far more than your early days! Believe it! Expect it! Receive it!

Psalm 115:14 (KJ) is a powerful word: "THE LORD SHALL INCREASE YOU MORE AND MORE, YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN."

How big should a church be? It should always be getting bigger. How many souls should one person save? You should always be saving more souls! What should you be doing for God? You should always be doing more. God will give you creative ways and ideas to do more.

The Lord quickened to us that we could do more through books and tapes. We give many of our books away. You can lead someone to Christ through the distribution of our This New Life books.

Recently, I heard from someone who was in Europe. They had gone into a store, and on the counter was a stack of This New Life books. We receive letters regularly from people all over the world who have received this book.

Scripture says David "...waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him" (1 Chronicles 11:9, KJ).

You can do more and more, too, because the Lord of hosts is with you! In fact, God will increase every part of your life.

5

Increasing the Fruits of Righteousness

We use 2 Corinthians 9:6 in talking about bringing our gifts to God, but I believe we've overlooked something in this verse. As we give, God brings an increase of the fruit of the Spirit into our lives.

Paul identified the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22,23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gentleness, self-control....

Perhaps you would like to have more love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life. How does it happen? Let's read 2 Corinthians 9:6 and see:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Paul is talking about bringing an offering and how what you bring will determine the harvest you will receive. A little seed brings a little harvest. A lot of seed brings a lot of harvest. The greater the seed, the greater the harvest.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:7,8

"Always having all sufficiency in all things" covers every realm of life. It covers the time frame of your entire life. That's sufficiency to meet every single need!

David said, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits..." (Psalm 68:19).

What is God's basic purpose for increasing you and loading you with His benefits? Is it God's intention that your increase be hoarded upon your own life? No! Verse 8 reveals His motive for increasing you: that you may " ... have an abundance for every good work."

When there's a work to be done, a need to be met, ministry to be done, or a financial need to be met, you have been increased so you have the strength, the power, the anointing and the finances to be part of the answer. You are being increased to enable you to abound to every good work.

As it is written: ’He has dispersed abroad...’

2 Corinthians 9:9

You are being increased so you can disperse abroad. A million copies of the This New Life books have been printed and are being distributed in Russia. We are dispersing the good news of Jesus Christ abroad. Our increase will cause great rejoicing in Russia!

Some people aren't fully persuaded that increase is for them, but I can assure you, if we hadn't increased as a church body, we wouldn't be able to abound to this good work in Russia.

Because of increase, our World Missions Training Center is training, sending and supporting missionaries all over the world. Without an increase, we would be limited in reaching other nations with the Gospel.

You must have something before you can impart something! That's why Paul said, "...always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work."

Personally, I'm more excited about increase than ever before for God's people all over the world. As another example for the need of continual increase, Victory Christian Center has two more tasks before us to do quickly: a million copies of This New Life book to be translated and printed in Chinese and a million translated and printed in Arabic for the Moslem world. I believe there will soon be an open door into the Moslem world, and we must be ready for it. Glory to God!

This New Life book contains basic truths about the plan of salvation, who you are in Christ, the faith message, how to be healed, how to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how to confess God's Word and victorious abundant living. Most of us needed someone to explain "how" to tap into these areas before we received. That's the purpose of this book.

As I share the goals and outreaches that I know best—those involved with Victory Christian Center—I want you to be encouraged that you can fulfill all the goals God sets before you, for He will increase you more and more for every good work!

As it is written: ’He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness remains forever.’

2 Corinthians 9:9

There's no poorer group than those in Russia and in third world nations who have been poverty-stricken, not only in their food, resources and finances, but in receiving the Gospel and in the teaching of God's Word. They've experienced poverty in every area.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:10

When you sow seed as unto the Lord, you will increase in all the fruits of righteousness.

6

Enriched for Liberality in Giving

Current statistics from a study conducted by John Avanzini reveal that only 18 percent of all Christians are tithers. No wonder there's so little joy and peace in people's lives! They are tormented and worried, because they aren't gaining the benefits of sowing and reaping. God says He will not only bless you financially so that you will have more than enough to be a blessing to others, even in other countries, but He is saying, "I will do something in your inner person, so you will have an overflow of joy and peace and all My blessings."

While you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

2 Corinthians 9:11

The Amplified Translation of this verse reads:

"Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God."

God wants you to be enriched in all things so you can be liberal in your giving. Poverty is not for you. Decrease in the things of the Kingdom of God is not for you. God wants you to increase in every area of life, which will cause thanksgiving to flow out of your heart to God.

He wants your children to increase. They ought to be increasing in blessing and joy. As your children become teenagers, they shouldn't go on a decrease through their teen years, but they should continue on an increase—on fire for God— because they have the energy, time and momentum to keep the revival fires going. Our teenagers aren't going backwards. They are going forward in the things of God.

Paul prayed that we would increase more and more in love, wisdom and knowledge. You and your children should increase more and more.

I decree an increase into your life—an increase in anointing, soulwinning, prayer, authority, in the power of God, in joy, peace, love and worship. Take it. Determine, "I will not stay in the status quo or in neutral. I will not be satisfied in the realm where I am, but I'm going on with God."

7

Releasing Your Increase

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit

John 12:24, KJ

Jesus gave up His life so He could receive an increase of many sons and daughters into the Kingdom of God! Every time someone is saved, He receives an increase on what He gave.

God's principle of redemption was based on the increase of the seed He planted. When we plant our life in God, it multiplies. When that seed— Jesus Christ—died, His body and blood were raised up and multiplied in us, for we now are the Body of Christ. We have the blood of Christ flowing in us.

I release an increase into your life now. An increase in God comes with a decrease in selfishness. They go together. Jesus died to

Himself when He said, "...’Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done’" (Luke 22:42).

Lord, we thank You that long ago You gave Your life on the cross. We thank You that we are a part of Your increase, all because You were willing to die.

Thank You, Jesus, for the anointing, for healing, deliverance, salvation, cleansing and wholeness. Thank You for removing the condemnation, guilt, fear and inferiority of our old life. In You, Lord Jesus, all things become new.

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Father, I receive the truth of Your Word that it is Your desire to increase me so I can enjoy Kingdom benefits—healing, wholeness and prosperity in every realm of my life—here on this earth and then share You and the abundant life found in You with others.

As a first step toward Your plan of increase for me, Father, I welcome Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and Savior. I renounce all the works of darkness. Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and that You died for me, You were buried, resurrected and then ascended to the right hand of the Father, where You are now praying daily for God's children. Thank You for accepting me today as one of God's children!

Holy Spirit, empower me to do the will of the Father and to live a triumphant, overcoming life in the earth for the purpose of bringing increase to the Kingdom of God.

Thank You, Lord, that today is the first day of the rest of my life. I am brand new and because of

You, Lord Jesus, I have been given a fresh start in life. How I praise You for Your mercy, grace and goodness, Lord! Amen.

(Signature) ________

(Date) ________

BILLY JOE DAUGHERTY is founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Victory has a Christian school, Bible Institute and Missions Training Center. Other Victory outreaches include taking the gospel via radio and television to North America, along with shortwave radio and television to other nations, plus the distribution of books, tapes, and videos. He and his wife, Sharon, minister God’s healing, saving, and delivering power as a team. Their family works alongside them in the ministry.

Table of Contents

1 Jesus Must. Increase!

2 Increasing and Decreasing Simultaneously

3 Areas of Increase

4 Getting a Vision of Increase

5 Increasing the Fruits of Righteousness

6 Enriched for Liberality in Giving

7 Releasing Your Increase

Personal Prayer of Commitment