Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Heirs of the World

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)
We often think of Abraham as one through whom the inheritance came. But Paul called him the heir of the world. An heir is one who receives an inheritance. Here we see that the inheritance Abraham was given is the world itself. When God called Abraham to leave his father's house and his country, He gave him this promise:
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
(Genesis 12:2-3)

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:3-9)
The blessing for all the families of the earth comes through Abraham. He is the father of numberless descendants, the father of multitudes, the father of nations and kings. This is the inheritance Abraham received from God, and it is the inheritance he passes on to all those who are heir to him.

How does this happen, and who are the heirs of Abraham. The point Paul makes in Romans 4 is that it is not a matter of law, or of works such as circumcision. It is not even a matter of being a Jew (for Abraham was neither a Jew, nor circumcised when the promise was first made). Rather, it is a matter of God's grace and is received by faith:
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Romans 4:13-15)
From beginning to end, it is all about faith — believing God. As it was for Abraham, so it is for us:
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord form the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:20-25)
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are not only made right with God, but we also become the heirs of what God promised Abraham. Because of Jesus, through faith in Him, we are made heirs to the world. That is why, as Paul later said,
The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21)
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made heirs to the world, along with faithful Abraham, and all of creation waits for the full manifestation of this inheritance.

Monday, February 26, 2007

The Mysteries of the Kingdom

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given; for whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing the do not hear, nor do they understand … But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:10-13, 16; see also Mark 4:10-12)
There are those who are ready to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; and there are others who are not. What is the difference? In another place, Jesus put it this way:
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. (John 7:17)
If you are willing to do the Father’s will, you are ready to know the mysteries of His kingdom. If you are not willing to do His will, you will not understand His kingdom because it is about His rule and reign, and His righteousness — His way of doing and being right. That is why Jesus preached, in His foundational Sermon on the Mount, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Parables reveal who is willing to do the will of the Father, and therefore who is ready to know the secrets of His kingdom. Those who are ready will understand the parables; those who are not willing to obey are not ready to know and therefore will not understand.

If you are willing to the Father’s will, you are ready to know the secrets of His kingdom, and the parables of Jesus are for you.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

To Keep You in ALL Your Ways

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
(Psalm 91:11)
Angels are the messengers of God. That is what the Hebrew and Greek words translated as “angel” mean. They are messengers, acting on God’s behalf, not their own. God gives them assignments, and they carry them out.

Here we see that He gives His angels charge over His people. That is, He gives them commands concerning us. He instructs them, appoints them for our benefit. Their assignment: To keep us in all our ways.

The Hebrew word for “keep” means to guard, protect, hedge about. This is where the idea of guardian angels comes from. God sets His angels over us to guard us in all our ways. Our ways are not just the roads and paths we travel, but everything we do. God instructs His angels to guard and protect us everywhere we go and in everything we do.

Notice that God sends His angels to keep us in all our ways. That covers everything, every area of life, all our assets, everything we set our hands to. It covers our homes, our businesses, our ministries. There is a lot of concern over identity theft these days, but God’s angels are able to guard even our identities, our bank accounts, our credit information, our medical information. Angels are hack-proof, because Almighty God has given the assignment.

Now, like everything else in the Christian life, this angelic protection is not automatic, it must be appropriated by faith. Faith is believing the promises of God. Everything God does for us is a gift of His grace, and the way to receive a gift is to say “Thank You,” then begin to use it, treating it as your own, because now it belongs to you.

All who know the Lord Jesus Christ, you are entitled to angelic protection, 24-7, in everything that pertains to you. I give thanks to God everyday for His angels watching over me and my family:

Father, I thank you that you give your angels assignment over me and my wife and my children, to keep us in all our ways, to bear us up in their hands so that we do not even dash our foot against a stone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Diligence: The Parable of the Talents

Jesus told this parable concerning the kingdom of God. It demonstrates the importance of being diligent with whatever God has place in our hands.
A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come.” … And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

Then came the first, saying, “Master, your mina has earned ten minas.” And he said to him, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”

And the second came, saying, “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” Likewise he said to him, “You also be over five cities.”

Then another came, saying, “Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.”

And he said to him, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?”

And he said to those who stood by, “Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas … For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Luke 19:12-26)
God has given each of us resources and opportunities, and He expects us to make good use of them, to “do business” for Him until He comes. For Jesus has been given a kingdom, and when He returns, He will be looking for increase. To those who are diligent with what has been placed in their hands, even more will be given. But to those who make excuses, even what little they have will be taken away from them and given to those who will use it faithfully. For all who obey God, He will command the blessing on all they set their hands to. What are you setting your hand to? Are you doing business for Him?

Thursday, February 22, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Diligence

The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
In addition to commanding the blessing on us in our storehouses, God also promises to bless us in all we set our hands to, when we are obedient to Him.

Just as the Lord cannot command the blessing on your storehouse if you don’t have a storehouse, He also cannot command the blessing on all you set you hand to if you never set your hand to anything. This calls for diligence.
He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
(Proverbs 10:4)

The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
(Proverbs 12:24)

The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.
(Proverbs 12:27)

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
(Proverbs 13:4)

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
(Proverbs 21:5)

Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.
(Proverbs 22:29)

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
(Proverbs 27:23-24)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.
(Ecclesiastes 9:10)

In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
(Ecclesiastes 11:6)
The Hebrew word translated as “diligent” generally means to be incisive or sharp. We might say “on the ball.” It is active, it is timely, it is decisive. It is quick to act, but not without due consideration, to take care of the things that ought to be taken care of. Another word means to be skillful, to excel. Such excellence requires that one be ready and steady in their effort. The word for “diligent” in Proverbs 27:23 is actually the word for “know” used twice, reflecting a Hebrew idiom for emphatic action. The idea in this verse is to do all you can to keep up with what’s going on in your affairs, or your prosperity can easily slip away.

God wants to bless the work of your hand, so set your hand to work.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Go to the Ant

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer, or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
(Proverbs 6:6-8)
To those who are obedient, God has promised to command the blessing on us in our storehouses and in all we set our hands to. The ant is an example of both the storehouse principle and of diligence. For in the time of harvest, it is busy gathering, storing away food so that it will be available when needed at a later time. The success of the diligent ant is quite different from the results of the lazy:
How long will slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
(Proverbs 6:9-11)
The ant will know plenty, and not be in want. But those who are indolent will lose even what little they have managed to acquire.

Obey the wisdom of God and consider the ant, who knows how to be diligent and how to use the storehouse.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Storehouses: Where Are Yours?

Put simply, a storehouse is a place where you keep your goods until they are needed. Financially speaking, a storehouse is where you keep your money until it is needed. It may be:
  • Retirement accounts, IRAs, 401Ks, etc.
  • Savings accounts for specific projects
  • Reserve accounts for contingencies
  • Investment accounts
  • Cash for emergencies
  • Money set aside for giving (1 Corinthians 16:2)
How much should you set aside? Some Christians suggest the 10/10/80 rule: 10% for God, 10% for savings, 80% for meeting expenses. That may be difficult for some people. But anything is better than nothing, so begin somewhere. You already have some amount, however small, that you can use to start your storehouse. If you will be faithful to do that, and add to it regularly, God can cause it to multiply. Remember the widow with the cruse of oil in 2 Kings 4.

John Wesley, in his sermon on “The Use of Money,” made these three points:
  • Gain all you can.
  • Save all you can.
  • Give all you can.
God gives His people the ability to create wealth — gain all you can. God commands the blessing on us in our storehouses — save all you can. God’s desire is not only to bless us, but to bless others through us — give all you can.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Storehouses: Being Rich Unto God

One day Jesus was preaching to the crowds, and said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possess” (Luke 12:15). Then He told this parable:
The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he though within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he said, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’”

But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16-21)
The problem with this man was not that he had storehouses. It was not even that he was laying up treasure for himself. The real problem is that he was not rich toward God.

God has already promised us that He would bless us in our storehouses when we honor Him with out possessions, and with firstfruits of our increase (Proverbs 3:9-10). That is being rich unto God.

The Lord Jesus had this to say about laying up treasure:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Notice that Jesus instructs us to lay up treasure for ourselves — but to lay it up for ourselves in heaven, and that is about the attitude of our heart. We are not to lay up treasure the way the world does. The world ends up loving, trusting and serving money, just as the fool in Jesus’ parable did. But we are to lay up treasure and use it for the purposes of heaven. That is being rich unto God.

The man in this parable thought wealth and riches were about using them to satisfy his lusts, so he said to his soul, “Take it easy. Eat, drink and be merry.” But James comment about unanswered prayer is also applicable here: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasure” (James 4:3). God does not give us the ability to create wealth so we can be selfish with it, but so we can use it to glorify Him and bless others.

Toward the end of chapter 4, James makes a comment that is very reminiscent of Jesus’ parable:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)
Just like the fool in the parable, these whom James addresses have no regard for the purposes of God. Their plans and their profits are about their own arrogance, so their boasting, just like the boasting of the fool in the parable, is evil.

God gives us the power to create wealth so that we may be rich toward Him. When we have our hearts properly oriented toward Him, then God will be able to bless us richly in our storehouses, because He knows that we will be using it for the purposes of heaven. This is a vitally important issue because, where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Storehouses: The Jar of Oil

“Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
(2 Kings 4:2)
One of Elisha’s disciples had died, and his widow came to him. She came to him and said, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?

And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Then he said, “God, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And you when you have come in , you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones. (2 Kings 4:2-4)
This woman had a big need, but little resource. She needed help, so she turned to the man of God, who had at one time been her husband’s teacher. What she didn’t realize is that she was about to receive a miracle of multiplication.

Elisha’s mentor, Elijah, also helped a widow receive the miracle of multiplication. In both cases, the blessing of storehouses was involved. When God multiplies your means, you need someplace to put it.

All this woman had was a little jar of oil. But that was enough for the blessing of God. All she needed now were storehouses to contain it all. So Elisha directed her to go to her neighbors and gather up empty vessels, as many as she could get.

Gathering the empty vessels took an act of faith on her part. She didn’t wait for the miracle to occur and the blessing to flow before she enlarged her storehouse system. No, she established her storehouse, just as the prophet directed, in faith that the blessing would come.
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest. (vv. 5-7)
Note that the oil ceased because the last vessel had been filled. If she could have gathered more vessels, more would have been filled. But what she was able to collect was sufficient for her needs. She had enough to pay off her debt and live on the rest, along with her sons.

If does not matter what financial circumstances you are in, there is already something in your hand that God can use to deliver you, for He gives seed to the sower (Isaiah 55:10; 2 Corinthians 9:10). There is always something you can set aside in your storehouse. It may be only a small amount, but if you will be faithful to save it and not consume it, God will bless and multiply it.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Storehouses: A Widow in Zarephath

For thus says the LORD God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry.” (1 Kings 17:14)
Because of the wickedness of King Ahab, the prophet Elijah proclaimed a drought in the land: “As the LORD God or Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” ((1 Kings 17:1). Then the Lord directed him to dwell by the Brook Cherith, where he would drink from the brook, and the ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening — God is a God of miraculous provision! So Elijah lived by the brook until it dried up because of the lack of rain. Then the LORD sent him to Zarephath, “See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you” (v. 9). When Elijah entered the gates of the city, he found a widow there who was gathering sticks.
And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD god of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:10-16)
Sometimes storehouses were buildings and barns; sometimes they were dry cisterns used to keep and protect one’s goods; and sometimes they may have been nothing more than bins and jars.

Here was a woman of Zarephath, which was somewhere between Tyre and Sidon. She was not of Israel, but was a Canaanite woman, a widow who was nearly destitute, having no one but her son. Their provision was almost gone, but the Lord wanted to bless her. He also wanted to feed His servant Elijah.

Now, this widow woman had storehouses — a bin and a jar — but they were severely depleted, and just about empty. She had just enough flour and oil for one last, little meal for her and her son, then that would be all. But here came the prophet of God asking her for water and a handful of bread. Had the media been around in those days, the headlines might have read, “Traveling Evangelist Takes Last Meal From Destitute Family!”

“Go and do as you have planned,” Elijah told her, “But first, make a small cake for me.” That would have been a very hard request, but then he gave her this promise directly from the Lord: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.” And suddenly there was hope — if the woman had the faith to act on it.

Proverbs 3:9-10 says that if we honor the Lord with our possessions and with the firstfruits of all our increase, then our storehouses would be heaped up with plenty, and our vats would overflow with new wine.

That is what Elijah was asking this poor widow to do, to honor the Lord first with what she had. And this is what God promised to do for her, to heap up her storehouses — her bin and her jar — with provision enough to carry her through the rest of the drought.

And that is exactly what happened. The woman did what Elijah said, and she ended up with enough to feed him, herself and her household for many days. “The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah.”

The storehouse principle begins by honoring the Lord with our possessions, and with the first and the best of all our increase. Then keep your bins and your jars handy, and watch as the Lord heaps up your provision. Faith in the promise of God sets it in motion — even in a time of drought.

Friday, February 16, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Storehouses

The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
The Hebrew word used for “storehouse” here also appears in Proverbs, where it is translated by the NKJV as “barns”:

Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10)
When we walk with the Lord in the obedience of faith, He commands the blessing on us in our storehouses. A storehouse is a place where provision is set aside until it is needed. In Bible times, after the harvest was gathered, threshed and winnowed, it was brought into the storehouse. The first and best portion was set aside for God. The next best portion was set aside for seed for the following year’s harvest. The rest was used for sustaining one’s family, and also as fodder for the cattle. If there was extra, it could be sold to those who needed it. So a storehouse was not only a place where wealth was stored until needed, but was also a place where additional wealth was created.

A storehouse is oriented toward future need and future provision. Many people spend all they make as soon as they make it. They do not set anything aside for the future, often because they think they cannot afford to. But the truth is, we cannot afford not to. God is ready to command the blessing on our storehouses, when we obey Him. His desire is to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). But if we never establish a storehouse — setting aside a good portion of our increase for the future — then how can we ever be blessed in our storehouse? Indeed, creating a storehouse requires the faith to believe that God does have a future and a hope for us.

The account of Joseph in Egypt shows us how useful the storehouse can be in the creation of wealth. When Pharaoh sought the meaning of a pair of dreams he was given, God gave Joseph the interpretation: There would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:1-32).

Then Joseph relayed to Pharaoh this divine wisdom: During the years of plenty, set aside one-fifth (twenty per cent) of the increase, then it shall be a reserve for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s ability to walk in the wisdom of God that he made him ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:33-44).

Now watch how Joseph conducted the storehouse. During the seven years of plenty, he did just as he advised Pharaoh, storing up food:
So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. (Genesis 41:48-49)
When the seven years of plenty ended, the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And now the success of Joseph’s storehouse plan began to materialize:
The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. (Genesis 41:54-57)
Because of divine foresight and wisdom, and prudent use of the storehouse, when Egypt and all the surrounding countries needed food, Joseph had enough to sell it to them and supply their need.

Now observe what happened as the years of famine progressed. The money ran out in Egypt because the people had used it all to buy grain from the storehouses which Joseph managed for Pharaoh. Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone” (Genesis 47:16). So Joseph fed them with bread, and ended up with all their livestock that year (v. 17).

The next year, the people came and said, “Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate” (Genesis 47:19). So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. He moved the people into cities and gave them seed to sow, for the years of famine would soon be over:
“Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” (Genesis 47:23-25)
Because he knew how to use the storehouse, Joseph was not only able to save the people of Egypt and the surrounding countries in the time of famine, but he also amassed all the wealth — money, livestock, and land — of Egypt and the surrounding countries. He operated according to the wisdom of God, and the LORD commanded the blessing on him in his storehouses.

When you obey the LORD, and honor Him with your possessions, He will command the blessing on your in your storehouses. So, in addition to setting aside the first and best of your increase for God, create a storehouse where you can set aside funds for future provision and investment. As your storehouse begins to fill up, ask God for wisdom and opportunity for the appropriate investment of your funds. This will create wealth, and meet the needs of others, as well as for you and your family.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Table of Divine Judgment

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
(Psalm 75:8)
Calling the Table of the Lord the Table of Divine Judgment sounds pretty ominous and fearful, as does this verse. And yet, the Lord’s Table does indeed represent a divine judgment that has taken place. For at the cross, the full measure of God’s judgment rained down on the Lord Jesus Christ as He gave His body and shed His blood on our behalf. And now, for all who receive Him, the judgment He willingly suffered at Calvary is counted as ours. It is no longer necessary for us to bear it, because Jesus endured it in our place.

The apostle Paul put it this way, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is, Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and we are not just given His righteousness, but we are made the righteousness of God in Him. We are also accepted by God in Him — “accepted in the Beloved” is how Paul says it (Ephesians 1:6). And “there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

The judgment of God has now become a very good thing for us. For it is the nature of judgment to come and set things right, to bring justice where injustice has been done. Because Jesus took our sins to the cross, we are now judged to be righteous through faith in Him. So now the judgment falls on all those things that are our enemies: sin, sickness, demonic strongholds, poverty, even death. They cannot stay on us because they do not belong on us. Even death, which is called “the last enemy,” has been defeated by the cross and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the assurance that we shall likewise be raised (1 Corinthians 15).

When we take the Table of the Lord, we are recalling that divine judgment fell on Jesus Christ for our sakes, and that we receive His righteousness, and therefore all the blessings and provisions that belong to the righteous. We no longer need to fear the judgment of God, because Jesus drank that cup for us, and now the divine judgment is to our benefit. We just need to stay close to Jesus, and one of the best ways to do that is to meet Him often at the Table of the Lord.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Table of the LORD: Let God Arise

Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
(Psalm 68:1-3)
When God arises, His enemies scatter. And when He has made a covenant with us, His enemies become our enemies, and our enemies become His. So there is great rejoicing — lightheartedness, gleefulness, cheerfulness, blithesomeness, gladness, and even triumphing and jumping for joy — among His people. This psalm of David is a celebration of God’s victory on our behalf.

The New Testament people of God have a celebration as well — the Table of the Lord. For it is here that we receive the cup of the new covenant which was cut in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is here that we lay hold of the benefits of His body given for us. It is the continuing sign that God has arisen on our behalf, and has scattered our enemies. As John observed, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). In Jesus Christ, the works of the devil have been destroyed on our behalf. The bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper is our song of rejoicing.

David details some of the practical benefits of this victory:
  • The LORD is to us the father of the fatherless, and the defender of widows (v. 5).
  • The LORD sets the solitary in families (v. 6).
  • The LORD brings out the bound into prosperity (v. 6).
  • The LORD goes out before His people, leading us, even through the wilderness (v. 7).
  • The LORD sends us plentiful rain, whereby He confirms our inheritance when we are weary (v. 9).
  • The LORD has made this inheritance our dwelling place (v. 10).
  • The LORD provides for the poor out of His goodness (v. 10).
The blessings are so plentiful that David declares,
Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits.
The God of our salvation.
(Psalm 68:19)
The Hebrew word for “salvation” here is yeshuah, which in name form is Yeshua, the Hebrew name of Jesus. Truly it is in Him that we have all these blessings. For He was anointed by the Spirit of God to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and proclaim the year of God’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).

This psalm begins with a note of triumph, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,” and only gets better, for it ends with the sure prosperity and protection of His own: “The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people” (v. 35)

The Lord Jesus Christ has arisen on our behalf to scatter the enemy and destroy all the works of the devil. And now the God of our salvation, our Yeshua, daily loads us with His benefits. The Table of the Lord is the perfect place to lay hold of all these provisions, to celebrate the victory with Him, even to jump for joy and dance with abandon in care-free celebration.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: The Blessing

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your god, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
The blessing of God is His power and all the resources of heaven brought to bear on behalf of the one who is blessed. It belongs to all those who diligently obey His voice and walk in His righteousness — His way of doing and being right.

Notice how Moses details the blessing in this passage. They speak of the abundant prosperity and protection God has for His people:

(You can hear this passage in streaming MP3, with a background of relaxing music. This track is called Choosing Life, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD Vol. 2.)
  • Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (v.3)
  • Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle, and the offspring of your flocks. (v. 4)
  • Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (v. 5)
  • Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (v. 6)
  • The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (v. 7)
  • The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (v. 8)
  • The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. (v.9)
  • Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. (v. 10)
  • And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. (v. 11)
  • The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (v. 12)
  • And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. (v. 13)
Then Moses adds this important warning from the Lord: “So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (v. 14). We follow after other gods whenever we make anything other than the LORD God our primary concern. If we are not careful, we can idolize even the very abundance and prosperity God desires to give to us. Jesus give us the correct order for living a life of blessing: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

God blesses us with the means and opportunity for abundance and prosperity, even for the creation of wealth, that His name may be glorified and others may be blessed through us.

Monday, February 12, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Remember the LORD Your God

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
How do we remember the LORD our God, who has given us the ability to create wealth? Earlier in Deuteronomy 8, we find this: “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 8:11).

The Hebrew word for “beware” means to hedge about, guard, protect, attend to, mark, preserve. It introduces something that calls for great diligence. The word for “forget” means to mislay or become oblivious to for lack of attention. It is not forgotten intentionally, but slips the mind because it has not been remembered intentionally.

What are we to be diligent about and mindful of so that we do not forget? To keep — to mark, observe and do — the commandments, judgments and ordinances of the Lord. We remember Him by doing whatever He instructs us to do.

Psalm 1 speaks about the intense happiness and great prosperity of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly:
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Who leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
(Psalm 1:2-3)
Notice that it this not a drudgery but a delight, because it is filled with great promise. We don’t remember the Lord and His commandments because He is a hard, cruel taskmaster, but because He is a good and gracious God. The ability to create wealth does not come grudgingly from His hand, but is given freely to those who will take Him at His word and follow His direction. It is an act of His kindness and favor.

We do not keep the commandments just because it is pragmatic for us to do so, but we honor the LORD for who He is in Himself. We do not delight just in the law of the LORD, but also in the LORD Himself. David said, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). It is about a personal relationship, getting to know the heart of God, and letting His heart change our heart so that His desires, which are always good, become our desires as well. The result is that the prosperity of God will always lead us into prosperity, too.
Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10)
“Honor” is not giving lip-service, but is a very tangible expression. The Hebrew word is kabod, which is the word for “glory.” Literally, it means “heavy” and refers to the weight of good things. We honor the Lord by giving Him the good things out of our possessions and our increase. We literally give Him glory when we bring Him the first and the best (not the last and the least) of all our means. We respond to His prosperity toward us by being prosperous toward Him. Then we find that there is a greater prosperity released toward us as God honors our faithfulness toward Him.

When we remember the LORD our God, He always reminds of His benefits towards us:
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
(Psalm 103:1-5)
When we are diligent to remember the Lord, delighting in Him and His Word, obeying His commandments and instructions, and honoring Him with our possessions and the first and best of all our increase, we are positioned for operating in prosperity and the divine ability to create wealth.

Friday, February 9, 2007

The Table of Abundance and Satisfaction

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust
  under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:7-9)
Here is a table prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. David knows that the wicked are around. That is what the first part of this psalm is about (Psalm 36:1-4).

The wicked are the ones who have no fear of God before their eyes. That is, they do not recognize how mighty and majestic God is and stand in awe of Him. Their eyes are too full of themselves to see the holiness of God, so they are unaware of their depravity. They fill their mouths with wickedness and deceit, and are always plotting trouble, never seeking what is good, never detesting what is evil.

David is well aware of their presence, but he is not troubled one bit because he is aware of a much greater Presence. He has filled his eyes, his mouth, his heart and his thoughts with the goodness of God:
Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
(Psalm 36:5-6)
This leads him to the lovingkindness of the Lord — the chesed (Hebrew), the steadfast love of Yahweh, by which He entered into covenant with His people. It is the love with which He has promised to always love us and take care of us. It is the same agape love (Greek) which He showed to us in Jesus Christ: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

It is in this love that we can trust and find protection under the shadow of His wings. It is by this love that He offers us full access to His house and all its provision. It is this love that prepares a table before us where we can be abundantly satisfied, drinking from the river of His pleasures — the luxuries and delights of God! His love is a fountain of life. That is why Jesus came, that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). It is by this love and this light that we can truly see and understand what life is about.

The Table of Abundance and Satisfaction is not just for when we die and go to heaven. It if for us right here and right now, even in the presence of our enemies. Even now we can drink from the river of the pleasures of God, to enjoy, not only His protection and provision, but even His delicacies and delights. It is all portrayed for us, even presented to us, in the Table of the Lord. For there we see Jesus, the love of God manifested in the body given and the blood shed for us. Everything we need — salvation, forgiveness, freedom from captivity, healing, provision, even prosperity — is found in the new covenant made in Jesus’ blood, and can be laid hold of at this Table.

It is here that the petition of David finds fulfillment for us, who have been made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ:
Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
(Psalm 36:10)
The Table of the Lord is the Table of Abundance and Satisfaction of every need and godly desire you could ever have. When the enemy shows himself and adverse circumstances press in around you, that is a good time to go this Table and drink from the might river of God.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

The Table of Forgiveness, The Table of Happiness

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
(Psalm 32:1)
The Hebrew word for “blessed” here is asher, and refers to a deep and abiding happiness. It is like a wave of joy that puts a smile on your face every time if washes over you.

What is the cause of such wonderful bliss? Knowing that your rebellion against God has been forgiven and God no longer looks at your sin. That the evil of iniquity is no longer charged to your account and you no longer feel the need to hide out from God.

Adam tried to hide when He rebelled against the Lord. “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). But we no longer have to be afraid—or ashamed. Because God no longer charges sin, but righteousness to our account. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Get the picture? God charged your sin and mine to the account of Jesus, who had no sin of His own. Then He charged our accounts with His own righteousness, and now we can be debt-free in the most important sense. Paul revelates more on this more in his letter to the Romans:
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”
(Romans 4:5-8)
When we receive this wonderful righteousness by faith, the blessings and benefits of the righteous belong to us. David continues in this psalm:
For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.”

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:6-8, 10-11)
This righteousness and these benefits are portrayed for us at The Table of the Lord. The bread displays the body of Jesus given for us. The cup reveals the wonderful promises God has made to us in the blood of Christ, for Jesus declared, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20).

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Blessing and Benefit, the Table of Deep Happiness and Abiding Joy. Because it is the Table of Forgiveness.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Wisdom, Opportunity, Capital

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
How does God give us the power to create wealth? Three things are needed: wisdom, opportunity and capital.

Wisdom. We need wisdom and insight both to understand how to create wealth and to know what to do with it. God is our source of wisdom for everything.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
Opportunity. In addition to wisdom for creating wealth, we also need opportunity. Fortunately, opportunity for creating wealth abounds. It is created in the very structure of the world — the law of seedtime and harvest, which shall endure as long as the earth.
While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.
(Genesis 8:22)
We find this principle at work throughout Scripture.
  • In Genesis 1, the creation account, every creature and all vegetation created to reproduce after its kind.
  • Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measure back to you” (Luke 6:38).
  • Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6)
  • To the Galatians, Paul said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). Here we see that the law of seedtime and harvest can work for us or against us, depending on what kind of seed we sow.
The whole world, in every facet of life, operates on the principle of sowing and reaping, of seedtime and harvest. Therefore, if you want to reap a good harvest, sow good seed. Sow regularly.
In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do no know which will prosper, either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
(Ecclesiastes 11:6)
Don’t be deterred by negative circumstances, but always look to the Lord to guide you in how, where, when and how much to sow.
He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
(Ecclesiastes 11:4)

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you …

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:1-3, 12-14)
The Bible teaches that a day is coming in which the process of seedtime and harvest will be accelerated.
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.”
(Amos 9:13)
This describes the end-time harvest, and that day is already dawning, “because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).

Capital. In addition to wisdom and opportunity, we also need capital. Capital is the initial assets needed to produce greater assets. If you are going to sow, you need to have seed. But God has also provided this as well. He gives seed to the sower.
For as the rain is comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My Word be that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please.
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
Paul makes reference to this passage in his letter to the Corinthians, applying it in a financial context.
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, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)
God will never leave you without a seed to sow. Consider, for example, the story of the prophet’s widow who was covered up with debt she could not pay. She nothing at all of value — except for a jar of oil. Elisha told her what to do with that oil — how to sow it — and the result was a miracle of harvest and increase that not only got her out of debt but also provided a living for her and her sons (2 Kings 4:1-7).

God has given you the ability to create wealth. Ask Him for the wisdom, identify the seed He has given you, and watch for the opportunity to sow it. Put your trust fully in Him, let Him direct your path, and He will lead you into prosperity and abundance.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: Ability and Means

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
What is the power to create wealth? Power is simply the ability or means to do things. God has given us the ability and means to get wealth. The Hebrew word for “get” means to do, accomplish, make, acquire, bring about or use.

What is wealth? We often think of it in terms of money, property and substance. The Hebrew word translated as “wealth” refers to the “force” of resources. It is itself the ability to get things done and supply what is needed. In some contexts it may refer to the force of an army (in Exodus, for example, references to Pharaoh’s “army” uses the word that is translated in other places as “wealth”). In this present context it refers to the wealth of material abundance and resources, for God was preparing the children of Israel to cross over into the Promised Land:
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing,; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)
We often think of wealth as a “zero-sum game.” That is, in order for one to have an increase in wealth, another has to have a decrease. In some cases that may be true. When the children of Israel entered the land of “milk and honey” they had to conquer the evil and perverse Canaanite people. The Bible also promises that “the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22). But those are unusual cases. The acquisition of wealth is not usually about taking it from others — that sort of wealth does not usually last — but it is more often a matter of creating wealth.

Once in the land with its wealth of resources, the children of Israel still had to do something with it. The land had to be developed, the fields planted, and the crops cultivated before there could be a rich harvest. The domestic animals needed proper tending if the flocks and herds were going to multiply. There were storehouses and homes to build, settlements to organize and city gates to be established if the people were to have lasting prosperity. All of this required vision and creativity, and people operating with insight, wisdom and skill.

That is the creation of wealth — recognizing the potential of available resources, developing those resources for meeting needs and solving problems, adding value and causing them to abound with blessing for many. This ability is a gift from God, part of the divine likeness in which we were created (Genesis 1:26-28).

Monday, February 5, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: It’s All About Covenant

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
The power to create wealth is a very positive thing, a gift of God. And it is given for a very godly purpose: “That He may establish His covenant.” The covenant in view here is the covenant God made with Abraham, then confirmed with Isaac and Jacob:
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be bless.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you and your shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of may nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8)

Then the LORD appeared to him [Isaac] and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 26:2-5)

And the LORD stood above it and said [to Jacob]: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and our descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, ad will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)
The covenant of blessing was not just about the expansion of Abraham and his descendants, but about all the families of the earth. So the power to create wealth is not given to the people of God just so we ourselves can be blessed, but so God can establish His covenant to bless all the families of the earth. That has always been God’s plan.

This promise is not just for Israel of the Old Testament, but also for all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul said, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). We do not do away with or replace God’s promise to Israel, rather, we are like branches grafted into the main trunk of God’s covenant people (Romans 11:17-24).

As the people of God, we have a right to all the blessings and provisions of God. In fact, as the author of Hebrews tells us, we have been given a new and better covenant based upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). It contains all the blessings and benefits of the former covenant—and more!—because it is mediated to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose blood it has been made (Luke 22:20).

As the children of Abraham, and heirs according to promise, God’s plan still is to bless the world through us, even through financial means. In the financial context of 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul offers this assurance to those who are willing to partner with God through their material resources:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 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, may have an abundance for every good work … Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the see you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while are you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11)
God gives us the power to create wealth, not just so we ourselves can be blessed, but so we can also become a blessing to all the earth, and that God may establish His covenant throughout the world.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: A Good Thing

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
There are many Christians, who, when the subject is wealth and riches, will sniff and say, “Money is the root of all evil,” or “You cannot serve God and mammon,” or “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

But actually, wealth and riches themselves are never the problem. Rather, it is our attitude toward wealth and riches that so often leads to trouble. For example, the Bible does not say that it money itself is the root of all evil, but that it is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus did not teach that it is wrong to have money, but that it is wrong to serve money (Luke 16:13). And the thing that made it impossible for the rich, young ruler to enter into the kingdom of God is not that he had wealth and riches, but that he trusted in them. Jesus said,
Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:24-25)
So the teaching in Scripture is clear: We must never love, serve or put our trust in wealth and riches. We are to love, serve and trust in God alone.

But the power to create wealth is a good thing. That is why God gave it to us. It is a blessing, not a curse. In Deuteronomy 28, the chapter where the line between covenant blessing and covenant curse is clearly drawn, wealth and riches are found on the blessing side, where it is described in terms of full baskets and kneading bowls, blessed storehouses, plenty of goods, and increase of all kinds.

How do we develop the right attitude toward wealth and riches? We begin by setting it firmly in our hearts and minds that it is not by our own abilities that we are able to gather wealth, but that it is the Lord Himself who has given us the power to create wealth. It is His doing, not ours, and our trust must always be in Him, to love and serve Him alone.

Friday, February 2, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: A Gift From God

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is to this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
The Hebrew word for “remember,” zakar, means to mark, to recall, to call to mind, even to set as a memorial. It is an intentional act. It is keeping something at the front of the mind and not letting it get lost in a multitude of thoughts. In this case, what we are to remember is foundational to keeping the correct attitude and orientation toward God in the matter of wealth. There are many who have ended up in disaster and made a complete wreck of their lives because they have forgotten what Moses commanded the people of God to remember.

So what is it that we are to keep at the forefront of our thoughts? “Remember the LORD your God!” The Hebrew is most emphatic, “for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.” This is the polar opposite, and the corrective to, the attitude God wants His people to avoid at all costs:
Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statues which I command you today, lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; and fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end — then you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:11-17)
True wealth does not come by our own power and ability. It is a gift that comes from God to His people.