Showing posts with label A Different Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Different Economy. Show all posts

Friday, July 29, 2011

The Source of Your Supply

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:21-34)

The way the economy is looking, with the unemployment rate, and the housing market, and the continuing debt crisis, many people are getting more and more worried. “What shall we eat?” “What shall we drink?” “What shall we wear?” “Where shall we live?” “How shall we pay the bills, the mortgage, the debt?”

You can tell what people are worrying about by what they say. It is heavy on their hearts, and it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Do not worry about these things, Jesus says. Do not let them become your focus and fill your heart. Do not speak them over and over to yourself.

The Gentiles, that is, the surrounding nations, who had no covenant with the God of Israel, sought after these things. But Jesus speaks of God as the “heavenly Father” who “knows you have need of all these things.” Not only knows but has the means to take care of all those needs.

Jesus’ answer to these questions, then, is “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” The kingdom of God is His rule and reign in all the world, which had long been promised in the Old Testament. It is what Jesus came to announce in the good news of the gospel: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The righteousness of God is His goodness, the faithfulness of God to His people and to keep His covenant promises. Jesus the Messiah came not only to announce the kingdom of God but to institute a new covenant based on even better promises (Hebrews 8:6), a covenant cut with His own blood (Luke 22:20).

Many people, even many Christians, look to the world, to the government, to their jobs, their bank accounts and their credit cards as their source and supply. But Jesus did not say, “Seek first the government check,” or “Seek first a good job,” or “Seek first a sound investment or a solid bank.” If we put our trust in these, we will always be let down. They may be viable channels but do not look to them as your source.

Jesus calls us to something radically different: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Look to your Father in heaven as your source. He has all kinds of ways of getting your supply to you, ways you can’t even imagine.

Everything you need is not a goal but a by-product. Search for them and you will come up short. But seek out God’s kingdom and righteousness — His rule and reign, His goodness and faithfulness, His way of doing and being — and everything you need will “be added to you,” thrown into the bargain. “My God,” Paul says, “shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

In this time of financial crisis it is vitally important to understand who your source is and where your supply comes from. Seek God and His kingdom in everything you do, watch for His faithfulness and His provision, and He will take care of you in every way.

(See also Not to Worry.)

Monday, March 2, 2009

How to Prosper in Everything

He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
That bears its fruit in season
And whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 1:3 HCSB)
True prosperity is not a function of the economy. It does not come from Wall Street. It cannot be guaranteed by the president or Congress. Therefore, it cannot be taken away by Wall Street, by the president or Congress. It does not arise because of an “up” economy, so it cannot be lost because of a “down” one.

True prosperity comes from God.

It does not come by following the advice of the world, acting the way the world acts, thinking what the world thinks (v. 1). It comes by a radically different path, rooted in a completely different source. It comes by delighting in the instruction of the Lord, the “law” of the Lord. The Hebrew word for “law” is torah and means instruction. God wants to instruct you, to teach you how to prosper.

If you will delight in His ways and let His instruction saturate your heart, fill your thought and direct your path, you will be like the man in Psalm 1:3.
  • You will be like trees planted beside streams of water. This is stability, even in a drought season, because the streams of God do not dry up.
  • You will bear fruit in season. When the season for bearing fruit comes around, you will not miss it. You will not cast off your fruit early, in the unripe stage, nor will it come too late to be any good. It will come in its proper time.
  • You will not wither away. Your supply will not dry up. God is your source and will keep you fresh and green to keep on bearing fruit in His courts (Psalm 92:12-15).
  • Whatever you do will prosper. When you follow the direction of the Lord, your efforts will not be in vain but will produce good things.
Whatever you do will prosper. God makes a similar promise in Deuteronomy 28:8, “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand.” This, of course, assumes that you are setting your hand to something. Some people focus on their circumstances and let that keep them from doing anything. But if you are not putting your hand to something, there is nothing there for the Lord to command the blessing on. When you sow seed, He can multiply it for the harvest, but when you sow nothing, there is nothing to multiply.

Now, notice that God says, “Whatever he does shall prosper.” It would be wrong to make this just about finances — it is about so much more than that. It is about everything in your life. By the same token, although it might sound very pious and spiritual, it is just as wrong to think that financial prosperity is somehow excluded from the promise of God — whatever includes everything!

This is not just an Old Testament promise, as some have supposed, as if God does not want to do the same thing for us under the New Testament. The apostle John demonstrates the will of God for us when He says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). The blessing of God on those who love Him is for every area of life today, just as it has always been.

Do not focus on the circumstances, the drought, the famine, the “down” economy. These do not determine the prosperity of your soul or even of your finances. But love the Lord with all your heart, delight in His ways and look to Him for instruction and direction in your life. Focus on Him as your source and supply, and whatever you do will prosper.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

How to Have a Blessed Economy

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1)
“Blessed” speaks of great happiness and bliss. What is the cause of such an exceedingly happy condition? The fear of the Lord, and delighting in His commandments.

The fear of the Lord speaks of living in supreme awe of Him. It is loving what He loves and hating what He hates. It is recognizing that His displeasure is greatly to be avoided but His favor is greatly to be desired. To delight in something is to have a desire for it, to take pleasure in it. Here, it is modified by the word “greatly,” which speaks of exceeding abundance, completeness, and diligence. This delight, desire and pleasure is wholehearted and intense. When we start to understand how awesome God is, how great His love and how marvelous His favor, we begin to take intense pleasure in His ways — and that leads to bliss, as this psalm describes.

What does the fear of the Lord look like in the everyday life of a person who has it?
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion. (vv. 4-5)
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (v. 7)
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor. (v. 9)
  • He has received grace and favor from the Lord, so he shows grace and favor to others.
  • He has experienced compassion and mercy from God, so he knows how to extend compassion and mercy to others.
  • He is not stingy with what is his, but generously lends to others.
  • He shows good judgment in all his dealings. The HCSB has, “conducts his business fairly.” He makes sound business decisions that are equitable and promote what is good.
  • His trust is in the Lord and he lets that settle all the worries and concerns of his heart.
  • He not only lends freely, He gives generously to the poor. The Hebrew for “disperse” literally means to scatter. He understands the paradox of Proverbs 11:24, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”
That’s a short sketch of how the fear of the Lord gets lived out. Now, let’s take a brief look at what the blessing — the bliss — of such a person looks like.
  • “His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed’ (v. 2). His descendants will receive a spiritual inheritance that, if they will follow it, will lead them into a life of blessing, abundance and significance.
  • “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (v. 3). Because he is making good decisions and doing what is right, which leads to prosperity, prosperity will fill his house. The results of living well will endure for the next generations. As Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.”
  • “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness” (v. 4). This does not mean that he will never have to go through dark times (or poor economies), but that when he does, there will light to lead him through it to the other side. The surrounding darkness will not cause him to fear because he is focused on the light that comes from the Lord.
  • “Good will come to a man who lends generously” (v. 5, HCSB). Because he does what is good, goodness comes back to him. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. Jesus put it this way, “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 measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). This is not just about money, as some think, but about how we deal with each other in general: When we show goodness to others, it will come back around to us.
  • “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance” (v. 6). Living in awe of God brings him into a place of stability. There may be earthquakes, but when the dust clears, he will still be standing. He will have a testimony and the significance of his life will remain.
  • “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD” (v. 7). Bad news, failing economies, and financial disasters will not strike fear in him because his life and prosperity — his blessing — is founded upon God. His focus and trust are in the Lord.
  • “His heart is established; he will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies” (v. 8; the HCSB has, “In the end he will look in triumph on his foes”). He does not focus his heart on the adversarial circumstances that surround him, but on the Lord. He does not fear when leaders forecast gloom or threaten catastrophe. The peace of his heart is settled on God and nothing can disturb the calm state of his soul.
  • “His righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor” (v. 9). His influence and honor will increase and the effect of living God’s way will continue to make him a blessing to others.
  • “The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish” (v. 10). The wicked are those who are at odds with God’s way of doing things. Great blessing will come to those who live in awe of Him and walk in His ways, but for the wicked there is only grief, despair and frustration of purpose. They will fade away, therefore do not let your heart be troubled by them.
The psalm writer gives us just some of what it means to live in awe and delight of God and to know His blessing. Jesus puts it all very succinctly: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

When you live in the fear of the Lord you do not have to fear anything else. Live your life in awe of Him and follow His ways. Let these be the economic indicators of your life, and you will not be troubled by the current panic in the world — you will know the blessing.

Pray for our country, that God will raise up godly leaders who will live in the fear and awe of Him, to love what He loves, hate what He hates, and do what is wise and good. Then the whole nation can enjoy a blessed economy.

Friday, February 20, 2009

A Different Priority

Yesterday, I wrote about living in an economy that is different from that of the world. An economy that is one of increase, abundance, prosperity, fulfillment and peace. It is not an end in itself but the byproduct of something else. It comes, not as the result of seeking it, but of seeking something else. Jesus put it this way (don’t let the familiarity of this passage cause you to miss what He is saying  — let it soak in):
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:30-33)
No doubt, we need food to eat and drink, clothes to wear, a place to live, the means to travel wherever we need to go, and other things. The world worries — even gets into a downright panic—about these things. But God knows we have need of them. It has not escaped His attention. However, the way we get all these needs met is not by worrying about them. Worrying will get you nowhere. Jesus said, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Worry is just another name for fear, and fear does not change anything. Someone described worry as “meditating on the devil’s lies.” Someone else defined fear by the acronym F.E.A.R., “False Evidence Appearing Real.”

See, the “Gentiles” worry about all these things. The word “Gentiles” refers to all those who do not have a covenant with the Lord God. But God has made a covenant with His people in which He has promised to take care of us if we will trust Him. The essence of covenant is exchange: He gives us all He is and has; we give Him all we are and have.

So the Gentiles, the world outside of covenant with God, is seeking frantically after all the necessities of life. In this current economic crisis, some are suggesting that we need to do something drastic, but that is far too vague. Anything is something, so the advice to do something drastic translates into a plea to do anything drastic. That is not the response of wisdom but the reaction of panic, and doing it quickly does not make the results of foolish action any less foolish.

Jesus gives us different counsel: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” It is a priority very different from that of the world. In fact, it seems counter-intuitive in the world’s way of thinking. But it is the only way to lasting peace and prosperity. It is not the way of fear but the way of faith.

The kingdom of God is His rule and reign in the world. The righteousness of God is His way of doing things, which is always right and always brings the right results. If we make it our priority to seek after His kingdom and rightness, the promise is that “all these things shall be added to you.” Everything else will be well taken care of and all our needs will be met. For “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 9:8).

To live in a different economy, one where everything is taken care of, you must have a different priority — the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Different Economy

The economies of the world are not doing too well these days, but God has a different economy for His people. It is an economy of increase, abundance and prosperity.
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you. You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.
(Leviticus 26:1-10)
When you know the Lord and walk in His ways, you are not bound by the economies of the world. You can partake of the economy of heaven, in which there is no lack, no debt, no late payments, no late fees, no doing without. You will get full measure from your old harvests and full measure in your new.

You will have all your needs met and plenty more besides for every good work: “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 9:8).

Your source and supply is not limited by the current economic distresses of the world. Trust in the Lord and follow His ways. Be generous with what you have and give to those in need. God will take care of you. Seek His kingdom and His way of doing and being right in everything you do, and all you need will be added to you.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Blessing-Based Living

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
(Proverbs 10:22)
Listening to Kenneth Copeland preach this morning on the Believer's Voice of Victory, I was struck by the difference between blessing-based decisions and toil-based decisions. This gives me an important new way to evaluate my thoughts, choices and actions: Is this based on the blessing of the LORD, or on the toil of the world?

See, the world operates by toil, scratching and scraping just to get by. But God intends for His people to operate by His blessing. It makes life rich and brings no regrets.

Psalm 127, attributed to Solomon, puts it this way:
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
(Psalms 127:2)
Solomon was talking about operating in the blessing instead of by toil. He did not ask God for wealth, but for wisdom — and ended up with riches as well.

The world has it backwards. They think that if you add riches to yourself, you will then be blessed. But God says it is His blessing that makes one rich. Not toil, but blessing.

Toil is different from work. When God created Adam, He gave him an assignment — to be fruitful, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion (Genesis 1:26-2). Adam was given a work to do, but it was not toil. It was a blessed work. It would be effective, an efficient and productive use of all his efforts. Toil did not enter the picture until Adam rebelled against God as disconnected from Him. God said,
Cursed is the ground for your sake [i.e., because of you];
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.
(Genesis 3:17-19)
Operating under a curse, full of thorns and thistles, eating by the sweat of your face — that’s toil! It was never what God planned for us. Jesus came to deliver us from the curse, so that we might enjoy the blessing (Galatians 3:13-14).

Right now the world is all in a twitter, full of fear about the economy. Many Christians are, too. They are operating in a toil-based mentality, thinking that it all comes down to them and what they can do. But we have the promise of God, and it is the promise of blessing. It is not based on toil, or even on work, but on faith in what He has said. When we take God at His Word, receive His wisdom and believe His promise, our work will be effective and productive, not toil. Riches will then be added to us, with no regrets.

Let your thinking be changed by the promise of God. Examine your choices and actions to see whether you are making toil-based decisions, or decisions based on God’s blessing.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Therefore We Will Not Fear

In the LORD I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain?
For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’s throne is in heaven.
(Psalm 11:14)

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah.
(Psalm 46:1-3)
Do not let the economy throw you into fear. God has not gone anywhere. He is still enthroned in heaven. He still rules over the earth. Indeed, as David said,
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous.
(Psalm 11:4-5)
God sees everything that is going on. He is testing us, proving us. Not to see where our hearts are and in whom is our trust—but to reveal it.

The enemy of our souls is trying to get us worked up and overwrought. “Ah, no, look at what is happening,” he says. “The foundations are destroyed — what can the righteous do?”

The righteous can keep their cool and remain seated. See, God is on His throne in heaven. Jesus is seated at His right hand, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every named that is named” (Ephesians 1:20-21).

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, the Dow and every other name you can think of — Jesus is seated far above them all, and so are we! God has already raised us up together with Jesus and seated us with Him in the heavenlies, at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Jesus is not rattled, and we have no reason to be, either. Why? David said it very well:
For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.
(Psalm 11:7)
We have His promises and He has already made every provision for us. He not only beholds us, He upholds us.

In Psalm 46, David sings of God, who is our refuge and strength. He is a “very present” help in the time of trouble—literally, abundantly available help.

Therefore, we will not fear.
  • Though the earth shakes, rattles and rolls, we will not fear. Our foundation, both for this life and next, is secure in God.
  • Though the mountains be carried out to sea, we will not fear. Jesus taught us to “have faith in God” and speak to the mountain (Mark 11:22-23).
  • Though the waters rush and roar, we will not fear. Jesus is in the boat and He will speak His calm to the wind and the waves, if we will trust Him and say, “Peace, be still.”
Selah.

No matter what is going on in the world right now, make the choice and determine that you will not fear. Put your trust in God and let His love be perfected in you and cast out all fear. (1 John 4:18).

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.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Recession? No Thanks

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
There has recently been a lot of talk about recession. Well, I don’t know whether or not one is coming. All is know is that my wife and I have decided that we are not going to be taking part in it, thank you very much. Of course, when I tell people this, I get some very confused looks: “How can you not be a part of it? Everyone is gonna be part of it. You gotta be part of it — you have no choice!”

Now, if the economy was our source and supply, I guess they would have a point; when the economy goes south, we would just have to go south with it. Fortunately, though, we no longer look to the economy to be our supply. Our supply is from God, and He is not in recession. Never has been; never will be.

God will never have say to us, “Well, I’d like to help you out with your need, but things are kinda tight right now, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe next quarter I’ll be a bit more flush, but right now, I’m just strapped.” Nope. There are never any shortages with God; He always has plenty enough to go around. The promise is always “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” When we look to Him as our Shepherd, we shall never be in lack or want of anything (Psalm 23:1).

Remember what happened to Isaac in Genesis 26. There was a famine in the land, and the Lord told him not to go down into Egypt, but to dwell in a land He would show him, and God would take care of him just as He had taken care of his father Abraham. Isaac obeyed, trusting in the Lord. Though he was surrounded by a hard famine, he chose not to participate in it. Rather, he sowed his seed as if there had been no famine at all.
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 26:12-14)
He received a hundredfold harvest — maximum return on his investment — so much so that the Philistines, who had no covenant with God, who did not know Him as their Shepherd, their source of supply, envied him greatly.

The Bible says that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), which means that what God has done for others, He will do for all who come to Him in faith. Just as He blessed and prospered Isaac, even in famine, He will also do the same for you and me. So my wife and I have decided that we are not going to take part in any recession, but in the blessing and provision of God who supplies all we need according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ.

God’s promises do not change with the state of the economy. He is still our Shepherd, and there is never any lack with Him.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
Here is the heart of God revealed in the prayer of the apostle John. God wants His people to be healthy, wealthy and wise.


HEALTHY. “I pray that you may … be in health.” Jesus came to remove our infirmities and bear our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17), and by His stripes—the penalty He suffered in our place — we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). He did that so that we could be in health.

WEALTHY. “I pray that you may prosper in all things.” To prosper is to do well, to have success in whatever you do. In Deuteronomy 28:8, God gives this promise to all those who walk in His ways:
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.
For those who delight in His ways and continually meditate on His Word, He says,
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
(Psalm 1:3)
Prosperity and wealth are not just about finances and success in material things, but they are included.
 
WISE. “Just as your soul prospers.” This is the true measure of prosperity. You may have a lot of money, and success in many things, but if you miss it here, you have missed it all. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). In God’s economy, as you prosper in your soul, that is how you will prosper in life.

In this letter, which the apostle John wrote to his disciple, Gaius, we see what soul prosperity looks like.
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 3-4)
Did you spot the key? Prosperity of soul is about walking in truth; that is, walking in the ways of God. It is walking in the wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit, as Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit and wisdom of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

But John also speaks of another key in his letter.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. (3 John 5-6)
Prosperity of soul is about walking in love. Paul tells us that faith works “through love” (Galatians 5:6). Gaius believed the truth. He was “faithful” to it, or we might say that he was full of faith in it. Because he was full of faith in it, he lived it out, expressing it through love and hospitality. As John wrote in his first letter, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:1 8).

This may come as a surprise, but God wants you to be healthy, wealth and wise; to walk in His ways, be set free by His truth and experience the flow of His love filling you up and blessing others. That’s why Jesus came.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Go with Going, Come with Coming

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seeds for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
(Psalm 126:5-6)
In the economy of God, those who sow shall invariably reap:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sow 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)

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. (2 Corinthians 9:6)
We may sow in tears, as Isaac did in a time of famine, but that will not hinder the harvest or the joy: “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him” (Genesis 26:12).
So Jesus answered them and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house of brothers or sisters of 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)
Jesus wept, and Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11:35-44). That is sowing in tears and reaping in joy.

Notice that, in this psalm, there is a purposefulness and consistency in sowing. It is he who “continually goes forth” sowing who will come back rejoicing in the harvest. The Hebrew for “continually goes forth” is the same verb repeated twice. It is an idiomatic device used for emphasizing a point. We might read it this way: He who “goes with going.” There is a single-mindedness to this kind of sowing. Tears do not impede it; adversity cannot hold it back.

This kind of sowing brings dramatic results. For he who “continually goes forth” sowing shall “doubtless come again” with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves (his harvest) with him. He shall “doubtless come again.” This is the same Hebrew idiom again, for the verb for come is used twice in succession. He who goes with going with seed to sow, shall come with coming, rejoicing in the harvest. There is no question about it; it is assured from the beginning.

Jesus talked about faith as a seed, about the Word of God as a seed, and about the kingdom of God as a seed. Our job is to continually go sowing them and all our resources. When we get serious about planting seed with great purposefulness and faith, even in the midst of adversity, then it is quite certain that we will come back with a rich harvest that will have us shouting with joy.

When we go with going, we shall come with coming. When we sow in tears, we shall reap in joy.