WEALTH IN THE WORD BY T. R. Post

A $100 bill, a $50 bill, a $10 bill and a $1 bill were discussing their lives one day.  The $100 bill said he spent a lot of time with investment people.  The $50 bill had been on cruises and tours to exotic places.  The $10 bill enjoyed frequent visits to Target and Wal-Mart.  But the $1 bill confessed, "I have had a boring life.  All I have gone is from one church to another."

One of the most talked about and misunderstood subjects in the Bible is money.  Some Christians get nervous when they hear prosperity preaching because of financial abuses by a few ministers.  Critics of the so-called “health and wealth gospel” think that promotes greediness.  But you can be guilty of that sin and still be broke.  The Bible does give warnings regarding wrong motives for acquiring wealth.   1 Timothy 6:9 in The Message translation reads, "But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time.”  It also says in Proverbs 1:32, "...the prosperity of fools shall destroy them."

On the other hand, religious people have gone the other extreme by taking “vows of poverty” believing that will lead to justice, peace, and sainthood.  Some folks try to defend their right to be poor by quoting Scripture out of context such as, “Money is the root of all evil!”  1 Timothy 6:10 actually says, “…the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

One person emailed me about Jesus saying, “Blessed are the poor.”  Jesus actually said in Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  God is certainly compassionate towards poor people.  But it is not His will for them to stay that way.

People have also claimed Jesus was poor because “...the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:20)  At that time Jesus was a traveling minister talking to someone who wanted to follow Him wherever He went.  As a missionary, I can testify God has tested my trust in Him by sending me places without my knowing where I would stay until I got there.

Consider this: Would a poor man need a treasurer?  No!  Jesus’ earthly ministry was prosperous enough to where Judas held the moneybox and even embezzled from it (John 12:6).  Jesus only became poor when He was crucified so “...that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). 

Then there are ministers who say, “God will meet your needs but not your wants.”  Jesus told us in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  The Lord doesn’t mind us having things as long as the things don’t have us.

Many churches struggle financially because of a poverty mindset by both its leaders and the congregation.  Some churches pray for their pastor by saying, “Lord, if You keep him humble, we will surely keep him poor.”  Yet Psalm 35:27 says, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”  Here are more examples of “wealth in the word”...

• “The LORD has blessed my master [Abraham] greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.” - Genesis 24:35

• “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 this day.” - Deuteronomy 8:18

• “I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah.  And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!” - 2 Samuel 12:8 (God speaking to King David)

• “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4

• “...No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  -  Psalm 84:11

· “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

•  “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10

•  “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19

• “God gives us richly all things to enjoy.” - 1 Timothy 6:17

• “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” - 3 John 2

CONDITIONS FOR PROSPERITY

Why does God want His people to prosper?  It’s not so we can retire early and sit around on our “blessed assurance.”  God wants to meet not only our needs but “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3)  Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham and “…heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

But divine prosperity doesn’t happen automatically.  Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”  God requires our obedience in a few areas…

Tithing – “Tithe” means “a tenth,” meaning we should give back at least 10% of our income to the Lord.  It’s beyond belief how a few Christians try to persuade others not to tithe.  I once saw a web site with a directory of “non-tithing churches.”  Yet Malachi 3:8 says we “rob God” if we don’t tithe.  It’s not because He needs our money.  The Lord commands us to give the first fruits of our increase to avoid covetousness.  As I heard one preacher say, “What you hoard is your lord.” 

Offerings – "The generous soul will be made rich,” says Proverbs 11:25.  Once a person is settled in his heart about tithing, he’d be wise to gradually increase his giving.  But some people treat offerings like pulling teeth.  2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Meditating on the Word – If you are facing serious financial challenges, don’t mull over that stack of bills.  Keep your mind on God’s promises of provision; “Blessed is the man who walks not 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...and whatever he does shall prosper.”  (Psalm 1:1-3)

Speaking the Word – God has angels to work on our behalf if we speak what His word says (see Psalm 103:20).  Negative talking will pull them off the job.  Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night...For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Diligence – Proverbs 10:4 says, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”  Too many people nowadays want something for nothing.  Once I saw a church sign that read, “You cannot fulfill your purpose without work.”  Farmers do not expect their crops to grow automatically.  They have to plant and water their seeds plus get rid of the weeds.  Even Adam had to tend and keep the Garden of Eden.  Whatever vocation God has called you to, be faithful at it and eventually God will “make you ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:21, 23) 

Integrity – “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,” says Psalm 25:21.  God expects us to maintain a good witness especially concerning finances.  Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.  One day a pastor was riding the bus downtown when he discovered that the driver had given him a quarter too much in change.  The pastor first thought about giving the quarter back.  Then he considered keeping it figuring the bus company would never miss it.  When his stop came, the pastor paused momentarily at the door, and then handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver replied with a smile, "Aren't you the new preacher in town?  I have been thinking about going to worship somewhere.  I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

When the pastor stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter!"

There is a financial inversion coming (see Proverbs 13:22 and Isaiah 45:3) and God wants His people ready for funding the end time harvest.  But He will occasionally test us to see if we can handle larger sums of money.  One time someone gave me $500 for a trip to Germany.  Not long afterwards the Lord instructed me to give the $500 to a friend of mine who was moving back to Alaska.  I obeyed the Lord’s instructions and eventually another $1000 was given to me.

One person in the Bible who failed a divine financial test was the rich young ruler in Luke 18.  He didn’t obey the Lord in giving a sacrificial offering because money had a hold on him.

PAID IN FULL

We can miss out on diverse ways God brings increase to us if they are packaged in ways we do not expect.  That’s what happened with one young man getting ready to graduate from college.  For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could afford it, the young man said that was all he wanted for a graduation gift.

Finally on Graduation Day, his father called the son into his private study.  He told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.  Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.  He responded angrily, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man turned out to be very successful in business with a beautiful home and wonderful family.  Realizing his father had become very old; he thought he should go see him for he had not done so since that graduation day.  But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.  He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When the young man arrived at his father's house, he searched through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.  With tears in his eyes, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages, noticing that his father had carefully underlined Matthew 7:11.  Suddenly a car key fell from the back of the Bible.  It had a tag from the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired.  On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words “PAID IN FULL.”

The greatest blessing God has for you is eternal life.  All your sins have been paid for by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  However, there is a price to pay if you choose to live in sin.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  If you reject God’s free gift of salvation, no amount of money will get you out of hell.  But if you want to be sure you are going to heaven when your life ends, then please say this prayer out loud:

"God in Heaven, I know I'm a sinner and I need Your help.  I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead.  Jesus, come into my heart, make Yourself real to me, fill me with the Holy Spirit, keep me away from sin, make me a soul winner, be my Lord and Savior.  Amen."