Showing posts with label Storehouses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storehouses. Show all posts

Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Storehouse of Faith


“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” Jesus said (Matthew 12:34). Then He talked about the storehouse of the heart. If we store up good things in our hearts, that is what will come out; if we store up evil things then evil will come out (v. 35; see What’s In Your Storehouse?). Now, let me show you one reason why this is so important. Consider the words of Jesus in Mark 11:22-25.
Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
See the dynamic of the heart and the mouth, how they word together? If you have faith in God and do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will be done, you words become very powerful, even to the moving of mountains. But notice what must be in your heart in abundance — not just in your heart, but in your heart in abundance? Faith! Yes, it starts like a mustard seed, but like a mustard seed, when you plant it, it grows (see Faith is a Seed). When faith is in your heart in abundance, and your mouth speaks out of the abundance of your heart, that is a powerful combination.

So where does faith come from, and how to you get it into your heart in abundance? Paul said that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). When God speaks, things happen, and God always keeps His Word. When we give our attention to the Word of God, to meditate on it, and when we let it instruct our hearts and change our thinking, the Spirit of God works through that. Faith in God begins to rise up within us. As we continue meditating the Word, faith begins to fill our hearts in abundance. Then, when we speak, and our words are in alignment with the Word of God, they come forth with the force of faith. Things we thought improbable, or even impossible, begin to happen.

But there is also something else that must fill our heart, and that is forgiveness. We must be willing to forgive everyone we have anything against. It is no coincidence that Jesus speaks of forgiveness immediately after He talks about faith-filled words and prayer. No, it is integral to the operation of faith.

When Jesus told Peter and the disciples that they must forgive “seventy times seven,” they said, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:4-5). They realized that real forgiveness requires the power of faith. However, Jesus teaches us that the opposite is also true: powerful faith requires a heart of forgiveness. They must go together. If we do not have the faith to forgive then we do not have the faith to move mountains. Paul tells us that even if we did have faith to move mountains, but do not have love, then we are nothing and our accomplishments are in vain (1 Corinthians 13:2).

This brings us, then, to a third thing we must have in our hearts in abundance: Love. In a religious dispute that was taking place in the first-century Church over a ritual issue, Paul concluded, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

There it is. Faith works through love. That is, faith is activated, energized, made effective, through love. If faith worked without love, we would soon destroy the world. Imagine the debris that would litter the highways as people charged their road rage with the power of faith. No, there must be love if we are to have mountain-moving faith. Indeed, love is the most important. “Now abide faith, hope, love, these three,” Paul said, “But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Out of the storehouse of the heart the mouth speaks. When faith, forgiveness and love fill your heart in abundance, your words will become very powerful. Mountains will move.

What's in your storehouse?

(See also Faith Comes by Hearing and How to Forgive by Faith)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What’s in Your Storehouse?


The tagline of the current Capital One(TM) campaign asks, “What’s in your wallet?” Let me tweak that a little bit and ask, “What’s in your storehouse?” Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35).

The Greek word for “treasure” is thesaurus. The Septuagint, which is a very early Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses thesaurus to translate the Hebrew word for “storehouse.” My translation of Matthew 12:35 is, “The good man out of the good storehouse of the heart brings out good things, and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings out evil things.”

What is a storehouse? It is a place where things are deposited, collected, laid up, stored away for future use. Each one of us has a storehouse in our heart and we are continually making deposits into it. These deposits are the words, thoughts, deeds and desires we focus on and give place to in our lives.

For example, in Luke 2, when the shepherds came and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby Jesus lying in a manger, they told of the angelic visitation and all the things that were told them about Jesus. Then we read, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). That is, she gathered them all up and gave place to them in her heart, where she could consider them, meditate on them, and let them shape her thoughts, her decisions, her emotions, words, her deeds — her life! She made a deposit of good things into her storehouse, and they were there for her to draw upon every moment of her life.

Another example is found in Acts 5, where Ananias and Sapphira pretended to bring all the proceeds of a piece of land they sold to lay at the apostles’ feet. Peter saw through their deceit and said, “Why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? … Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?” (Acts 5:3-4). The Greek word for “conceived” means to set, place or put forth. Ananias and Sapphira made a place for satanic deception and treasured it in their storehouse. It filled their hearts with evil, and when opportunity arose, evil is what they brought out.

We must be very careful what we allow in our storehouses and deposit in our hearts, because that is what will come out in our lives. “Keep your heart with all diligence,” Proverbs says, “for out of it spring the issues of life” (4:23). We are always making deposits and we are always drawing on our storehouse account. If we collect up and ponder good things — the promises of God, the fruit of the Spirit, the things Jesus taught — that is what will come forth from us. Paul said, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Now, you can tell what someone has been storing up in their heart by paying attention to what they say. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” Jesus said (Matthew 12:34). What is in their heart in abundance, whether good or bad, is what they have been depositing in it over time. When they open up their mouths to speak, what they have stored up is what comes out; this is especially true when they are under pressure.

This is very important because, as Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” That is why we will have to give account before God for the things we say. Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Words that are in line with the love of the Father, the faith of King Jesus the Messiah, the fruit of the Spirit and the promises of God, are words that will bring forth good things. Every word that is out of alignment with the Word of God will bring forth evil things. It all begins with the deposits you make in your heart.

What’s in your storehouse?

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Joseph’s Storehouses

Now the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So [Joseph] 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. (Genesis 41:47-48)
You might recall that Pharaoh had a dream for which God gave Joseph the interpretation: seven fat years followed by seven lean years. Joseph then advised Pharaoh on a wise course of action:
Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be I the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine. (Genesis 41:33-36)
Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph, he said to him,
Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.... See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.… I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41, 46)
So Joseph put his plan into action. He gathered up the abundance of the seven good years and established storehouses throughout the land as a reserve.

Now, here is an interesting thing about Joseph and his storehouse that many Christians often miss. It was a blessing to Egypt and the surrounding region, but Joseph did not give the food away to whoever needed it, he sold it to them (see Genesis 41:53-57). It was not a charity operation but a business set on doing good. In this way, Joseph managed to gather up all the money that was in the land, bringing it all into Pharaoh's house and administered under Joseph’s hand.

When the people had no money, Joseph bartered with them, trading food in exchange for their livestock. So all the livestock in the land came under the power of his hand. When the people had no more livestock, Joseph still did not give away the food, but traded it to them for their land. So all the properties of Egypt came under his control. When he controlled all their land, he gave them seed, let them work the ground, and received twenty per cent of their produce for Pharaoh. In this way, Joseph both blessed the land of Egypt, but also controlled all the wealth of Egypt and the surrounding countries (Genesis 47:13-26).

I have been thinking about this in relation to Proverbs 13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Now, we can certainly apply that to spiritual inheritance. I am building a spiritual inheritance for my children and their children (and the rest of my line until Jesus comes). However the context within this verse refers more to material inheritance, for the two halves of the verse go together. It does not stop at “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” It goes on to say, “But the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous.”

The “wealth of the wicked” is not a spiritual inheritance. Why would the righteous ever want the spiritual inheritance of the wicked? The wicked do not come to a good spiritual end unless they repent and join the righteous. Rather, “wealth of the wicked” refers to the material wealth that the wicked have accumulated for themselves. But it slips through their fingers because their fingers because they lack prosperity of soul (see 3 John 2). This wealth will not remain with the wicked, nor with their children’s children, but will eventually end up in the hands of the righteous, who first possess prosperity of soul. In the meantime, this wealth is stored up.

I see this illustrated well by the story of Joseph and his storehouse. He was a righteous man who prospered in his soul. By wise and righteous business dealings, he accumulated all the wealth of the Egyptians and the surrounding nations, blessing them with the food they needed, and prospering Pharaoh and himself in the process. The wealth of the wicked came into the hand of the righteous.

Good business, done well, brings prosperity and blessing to others as well as to us. When we learn to develop our storehouse, as Joseph did, we will see the wealth of the wicked come out from under their control and into the hand of the righteous, who know how to use it for good.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Deposits in the Bank of Heaven

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20)
How do we lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven? Or to put it in perhaps a more current mode, How do we open up an account with God and make deposits. The Bible gives us a few ways:

Giving to the Poor. As we saw in the last post, one way we lay up treasure for ourselves is by giving to the poor. “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given” (Proverbs 19:17). There is a divine accounting that goes on, even the creation of divine obligation. When we give to the poor, God commits Himself to pay it back, and He will always do so with interest. When we give to the poor, we are laying up for ourselves treasure in heaven. Jesus told the rich young man, “Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21).

Honoring the Lord with Your Firstfruits. Another way we also lay up treasure for ourselves by honoring the Lord with our possessions. “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). A barn is a storehouse, a treasury. When we give God the firstfruits — the first and best, not the last and least — of our possessions and increase, He causes our storehouses to overflow.

The Hundredfold Return. We also lay up treasure for ourselves whenever we give for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). Not only is there a hundredfold return, but notice that we receive it “now in this time.” If the rich young man had obeyed Jesus’ instruction, sold his possessions and given to the poor, he would have received it back a hundred times over.

We find this same principle at work in the Old Testament, when Isaac obeyed the Lord and dwell in the land God show him, instead of going down to Egypt because of famine. “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” (Genesis 26:12-13). Because he stayed in the land for God’s sake!

Partnership in the Gospel. Many people know the promise in Philippians that God will supply all our needs, but they often miss the context in which this promise is made.
Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19-20)
Notice the words “giving and receiving.” The Greek words behind them are terms used for accounting. Note also, “fruit that abounds to you account.” The Philippians had often sent financial assistance to Paul and his gospel ministry. Though they may not have realized it at the time, they were actually laying up treasure for themselves with God, and God was greatly pleased with their deposits. It is out of this context that Paul assures them, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Notice that Paul did not simply say, “and God,” or “our God,” or “your God,” but “my God.” For through their assistance they had become partners with Paul in the gospel ministry; they shared in a joint account with Paul.

Peter experienced this principle while he was still a fisher of fish. He partnered with Jesus, lending his boat as a pulpit. Afterward, Jesus told him to “launch out into the deep and let down you nets for a catch.” Peter obeyed and caught an astonishing number of fish, even though he had already toiled all night with nothing to show for it (Luke 5:1-11).

Ministering to the Saints. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul was receiving an offering to minister to the saints who were in financial need, and offered this encouragement to give generously:
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. (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
Notice that there is an accounting going on here: As one sows, that is how they will reap. Sow bountifully, reap bountifully. It is in the context of sowing — of making deposits — that Paul assures them of an abundant return: Always having all sufficiency in all things, plus plenty more for giving to every good work. It is impossible to give to God without receiving more in return.

Give to the Lord in every way. Honor Him with all you are and have. You will be making deposits into a divine account and He will take care of you in all things, and the abundance of heaven will be manifest on the earth.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Banking on the Economy of Heaven

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures 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. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life*. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

*Textual note on “eternal life” in 1 Timothy 6:19: Alternate renderings include “life that is truly life” (NIV), “that which is life indeed” (NASB and AMP), “life that is truly life” (The Message), “that which is truly life” (ESV). The difference is more a matter of variations in the early manuscripts than of differences in translation.
Many Christians think that “laying up treasure” in heaven is about providing for the next life—kiss it goodbye because you are not going to see it anymore in this one. But I don’t think that is at all what Jesus or Paul were talking about. Rather, I think it is about basing the provision we need for this life on the economy of heaven.

Note first, that we are to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. It is about the meeting of our needs. Second, in the Greek text of Matthew 6:19, the words “lay up” and “treasures” are forms of the same word, so that it literally reads, “treasure up treasures” (this follows the Hebrew way of saying things). Third, these words refer to a storehouse, so that it literally means “store up storehouses.” In 1 Timothy 6:19, the word for “storing up” is the same root word translated as “treasure” (as other versions show). Quinn and Wacker, in their translation and commentary on 1 Timothy 6:19, offer this interesting rendition: “Making their deposits in an excellent fund for the future” (Jerome D. Quinn and William C. Wacker, The First and Second Letters to Timothy: A New Translation with Notes and Commentary, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999).

Both passages speak of storing up storehouses for ourselves, but what is a storehouse and what is its purpose? It is a place where resources and materials are kept until they are needed. Having a storehouse is a prudent plan for the future. However, the future in view is not about when we depart this life and enter the next. We do not need to store up anything for that life, where everything has already been taken care of. It is in this life that we still experience need.

This was not a new concept, not even in New Testament days; it had long been a part of Jewish understanding. Compare the words of Jesus and Paul with these verses from ancient Hebrew writings of the Old Testament era.
Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold. Store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from every disaster. (Sirach 29:11-12 NRSV)

Give alms from your possession, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. (Tobit 4:7-10 NRSV)
It was common in those days for people to store up their supply in jars and bury them in the ground until needed. The problem, as Jesus pointed out, was that such materials could become corrupted or stolen. Ancient Jewish wisdom, therefore, reminded people to hedge themselves against disaster and necessity by a very counterintuitive means: Giving to the poor. Those who give alms are, in the economy of God, filling up storehouses for themselves. God does not forget, but rewards those who do, taking care of them in their time of need.

The Scriptures speak similarly: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given” (Proverbs 19:17). When we give to the poor, we are actually lending to the Lord. That is, an obligation of debt is created, and God graciously allows Himself to be so obligated, as this Scripture clearly shows. When we give to the poor, we are opening up an account with God and making deposits. God honors that and commits Himself to pay it back, and when He pays it back, He always does so with interest.
Blessed is he who considers poor;
The LORD will preserve him in time of trouble
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
(Psalm 41:1-3)
Now, remember what Jesus said to the rich young man? “Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). But the young man went away sad because he had many possessions. He was banking on the economy of earth, trusting in his wealth and riches to care for him in the day of disaster and necessity. But if he followed Jesus’ words, he would have stored up storehouses for himself in heaven, and his goods would have done double duty; they would have provided for the poor, and for himself as well. No wonder Jesus said in another place that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Banking on the economy of heaven brings great returns and benefits.

Do not let the economies of earth intimidate or fill you with fear. Invest yourself heavily in the economy of heaven. Give freely to the poor, and God will certainly repay, especially in the time of need.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Treasure in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures 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)
Jesus is not just talking about what you do with your disposable income, the money left over after you have paid all your bills. He’s not making an appeal at offering time (though that is how many preachers use this verse). No, He is doing something far more reaching; something radical, in fact. He is getting down to the root of how we live our lives — our priorities and the things we value.

“STOP laying up for yourselves treasures on earth” (that is the force of His statement). There is to be no more of it — at all. Why? Because it does not last. It is easily corrupted and fades away quickly, and in the end, we will find that we have been robbed.

The Greek word for “treasure” is thesauros. The Septuagint, which is a very early Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses thesauros to translate the Hebrew word for “storehouse.” Jesus is literally saying, “Stop storing up for yourselves storehouses on earth.”

Now, it is also important to notice what Jesus is not saying. He is not telling us to stop laying up treasure for ourselves, for He goes on to say, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” He wants us to have storehouses, and God promises to “command the blessing” on the storehouses of those who honor Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 28:8). Rather, it is the purpose of our storehouses that needs to change. We need to start operating in the purpose of the kingdom heaven, the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven. It requires everything we are and have, but it brings great reward, as Jesus shows us in this brief parable:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, a storehouse full of wonderful things. But notice where it is hidden: “in a field,” that is, on earth. This treasury is from heaven, but it is on earth.

“Laying up treasure” all comes down to the heart, for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The priorities of your life and the things you value will be reflected in everything you do and all you have. Will they reveal the corruptions of earth, or the glories of the kingdom of heaven on earth?

Store up your treasures in the kingdom of heaven, and it will be a blessing on earth.



The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew

by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Riches Stored in Secret Places

I will give you the treasures of darkness
Riches stored in secret places,
So that you may know that I am the Lord,
The God of Israel, who summons you by name.
(Isaiah 45:3 NIV)
God has hidden depositories and secret storehouses filled with riches, and He wants to give them to His anointed. Who are His anointed? Those He has established to do His will.
  • The Lord Jesus is His anointed, for He is the “Christ,” which means “Anointed One.”
  • Every believer in Jesus Christ is anointed. He is our Shepherd who prepares a table before us and anoints us with oil (Psalm 23:5).
  • Sometimes God even anoints people who do not know Him to do something that benefits His kingdom. Isaiah 45 presents us with such an example: Cyrus was a Persian king, but God anointed him for a purpose that helped His people.
Here is what the Lord will do for His anointed:
I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches in secret places.
(Isaiah 45:2-3)
To “make the crooked places straight” means to bring down the mountains, to “level the playing field.” Jesus taught the disciples how to move mountains out of the way: “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:22-23).

God will also break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, the plates that cover the gates. These are all completely destroyed. In Cyrus' case, this described the gates of Babylon, which he would destroy. For us, Jesus has promised that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18). They cannot withstand His purposes. Jesus also taught us to ask, and it shall be given to us, to seek and we shall find, to knock and the door shall be opened unto us (Luke 11:9).

The way to hidden treasure and riches stored in secret places has been opened up to us in Jesus Christ. All that remains is for them to be revealed. Wisdom and revelation is given to us by the Holy Spirit, so that we may know the joyful anticipation of our calling, the riches of the glory of the inheritance God has for us, and the greatness of His power on behalf of those who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19). James said that if we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask God and He will give it to us, without rebuke, if we ask in faith (James 1:5-6).

God has given us the keys for moving mountains, opening doors and revealing riches in secret places. Ask Him for wisdom and revelation of where those treasures are stored, which mountains need to be removed, which gates need to be destroyed and which doors need to be opened.

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.