I speak to Christian groups on multiple biblical financial topics. One such topic is the difference between a Cain and Able offering. About a year ago, I felt like God was asking me to take an offering to one of the local food pantries. My wife and I went to Costco and piled up one of those big push carts with food. I was excited to make the delivery. On the way I was analyzing how many families the offering would feed. A couple days after I delivered the food, God impressed upon me that I was a hypocrite. I then realized that I gave a Cain offering. I gave God food that I don’t eat or even like. My offering should be between God and me. God doesn’t need my offering. He can feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. God wants our first and our best, not leftovers out of our abundance.
About a month ago I felt like God was telling me to feed people. Our pastor mentioned that he felt the same thing. We put a down payment on a trailer we found with a commercial kitchen in it. We’re not sure how God will pay for all of this but He will. It takes courage to have faith quite often. What makes this operation unique to other such ministries is that we will be feeding people in need gourmet meals. No charge of course. Now I know a lot of people will say we are wasting money and being irresponsible. My thoughts are that I don’t want to make the same Cain offering mistake again. We represent God and He loves the people who will be served. What would He feed them? Broth and bread that’s about to be thrown away?
People who have heard about what is about to happen are in shock and disbelief starting with the health department. They commented that they have never seen such a high quality kitchen on wheels in our little town. When they were told what was going to be done with it, they were shocked.
A couple weeks ago a woman approached me and asked if she could talk to the pastor and me. She stated that we have had a big impact on her life. The story she told set me back. She mentioned that she eats at soup kitchens and at the time was homeless. She also mentioned that she had just received a check and wanted to contribute the whole thing to help feed people because she knows God will take care of her. The check was $2,000. That’s right, 2 grand and that is how you demonstrate faith.
This woman was homeless because she was escaping an abusive husband. Last week the judge in her divorce case was reviewing her files. All of them. As he reviewed the files, it appears that his blood began to boil. Her ex-husband had everything. In a court appearance last week the judge made a few adjustments. He removed her ex-husband from the home and separated him for all their bank accounts. All of this was awarded to this homeless woman.
I can’t wait to see what happens next with this project.
I am hearing some supposedly smart people criticize Herman Cain’s 999 plan. They are saying that the 9% sales tax will cause the poorest among us to pay more in taxes and more for the products and services they need. This is absolutely NOT true. They will pay LESS.
Here is the simple explanation. Corporations will save 26% on their tax bill. That is 35% – 9%. This will cause a 26% reduction in prices to the consumer. Companies that don’t lower prices will not be competitive. The consumer will pay 26% less for products and services then pay the 9% sales tax. This means the consumer will pay 17% less than they are paying now without a national sales tax.
Corporations pay 35% tax right now. That is not including payroll and Medicare taxes which are about another 9% on all wages. Let’s just stick with the 35% number again. Coca Cola and Pepsi pay 35% tax for every dollar earned. Out of every dollar earned they pay 35 cents in taxes. This means they get to keep 65 cents. On the Cain plan they will pay 9% which means they will get to keep 91 cents. Coke and Pepsi are obviously competitors. The two companies will have to lower their prices significantly in order to remain competitive.
I just returned from a family reunion in Colorado. As I spoke to the 60 people in the room that all came from my grandparents on my mother’s side, I realized that my grandparents were the richest poor people I had ever met. They lived in my great grandmother’s basement. Their love and walk with Christ affected everyone in that room. Because of this I also realized where my first ministry should be. That is my 2 children.
We are often tempted to run off and concur the world when what we should be concurring is right in front of us.
The jobs report was not good today. That should not come as a surprise do to government policy. There seems to be a stalemate in the debt ceiling discussions. Talk of raising revenue through tax increases is foolish. When the government increases taxes they get less revenue because it kills more jobs. More jobs gone means less people paying taxes. It really is pretty simple. Anything that takes money out of the consumers pocket reduces tax revenue. We all know once the money is taken by the government, at least half of it is wasted. This is not stimulus.
Current policies are killing jobs and destroying industries. The more jobs that are lost the less government revenue. The lower government revenue is, the more non-business-like politicians talk about raising taxes to increase revenue and there you have the downward spiral.
Leaders have great responsibility. They are responsible for success and failure. They must take responsibility for all actions under their authority. If a front desk employee in a health club is rude to a member it might not be the club operator’s fault but it is the operator’s responsibility. The operator or leader must address and rectify the situation. Many actions which occur in a health club might be unknown by the leader and are not the leader’s fault but everything is the leaders responsibility. Fault and responsibility are not the same. The most effective leaders take responsibility without blaming, but give credit for success to others. A leader should never say it is “not my fault”, or make excuses. This will set an example of what is expected of others.
A leader is someone who has followers. People follow leaders for a number of reasons. Some people follow because of fear. They fear that the consequences of going against the leader could be detrimental to them. It could get them fired. The problem with leading through intimidation is that the followers will leave the organization or will become hostile toward the leader when it is safe. A loss of power on the part of the leader can make followers feel safer and begin to challenge the leader. When leading through intimidation, it is just a matter of time before the leader loses effectiveness.
Some people follow leaders because they believe it is temporarily in their best interest. Followers will choose a different leader when a better opportunity presents itself with another organization. A leader will be most effective if he or she paints a vision of hope and opportunity. Followers who buy into the vision will be onboard for the long-run.
Once the leader paints a vision followers can get excited about, she must lay out a plan for the vision. Leading by example will demonstrate the leader’s belief in the vision and be an example of what is expected of followers. Without leading by example the leader will come across as just a boss. If the leader takes her turn cleaning the toilets the followers will follow when it is their turn.
A leader must always do what he says he will do. Tasks which are the leader’s responsibility must be completed on time. Leaders who do not keep their commitments cannot expect followers to keep their commitments. A leader who keeps his commitments will increase production in the whole organization through leading by example. Leaders who always do what they say they will do earn respect and trust. If a leader always does what he says he will do, followers know they can take that to the bank. Followers will also feel confident and secure. Leaders who do not do what they have committed to will just be seen as hypocrites when they project expectations on followers. This will cause followers to doubt the vision and feel insecure.
Followers will lose hope and faith in the vision if progress is not tracked. Progress is tracked through setting and obtaining goals. As goals are obtained, followers will get more excited about the vision and positive energy will be spread throughout the organization. If a leader is consistently positive about the vision, that positive attitude will trickle down.
Leaders must help the organization and followers in setting goals. “A goal without a plan is just a dream. A goal that is not obtainable is impossible. A goal that is too easy is not a goal.” (Main, 2006. p 9) Setting goals is a basis for evaluation. Goals should be a part of every health club business every day. Goals should be set at every level of a business. Goals must have timelines set for them or the organization will always be working toward the goal. It is easy for procrastination to set in without a timeline for every goal. The club operator or leader’s vision directs the goals. A goal’s feasibility is tested by working backwards from the goal. If the goal is to sell $30,000 in new memberships in one month, objectives are built in order to meet that goal.
The first objective will be to gross a minimum of $1,000 in new membership sales per day. If the average dues membership is $39 for first and last with a $129 processing fee that is $207 received for a dues membership. If the average paid in full membership is $400 then the club must sell three dues memberships and one paid in full each day. That is the second objective, three dues memberships and one paid in full each day. The feasibility of the goal is now coming into view. If a club has three sales reps working each day we must then set tasks that will help obtain the objectives.
The first task for each sales rep is to set six appointments for each day. Additional tasks are added that will help each sales rep obtain six appointments each day. Each sales rep has six appointments for a club total of eighteen. This should yield a 40% show ratio on appointment. That means seven appointments show up for a tour of the club each day. Each sales rep should have at least a 60 % closing ratio. This equates to four memberships each day. It is very important to emphasize that required tasks are not goals or objectives. They are requirements. Each person in the organization chooses to complete their tasks every day starting with the leader. When the tasks are performed at the required skill level the objectives and goals will be obtained. If a sales rep is not accomplishing an average of six appointments per day with a 40% show ratio and a 60% close ratio one of two things is occurring: a) the sales rep is choosing not to perform the daily required tasks or b) he does not possess the required skill level to perform the tasks. It is the leader’s responsibility to motivate the rep by re-emphasizing the vision and the rep’s future. If the rep is unable to perform the tasks it is the leader’s responsibility to lead the sales rep in increasing his skill level in the needed area. The leader must positively motivate and train the rep in order to increase the skill level of that person. If the rep continually chooses not to perform daily tasks it can jeopardize the positive environment of the business and undermine the leader’s authority.
The most important thing for a leader to remember is that leaders that perform to the level of their own expectations will earn respect and set a positive example. If a leader goes left but expects their followers to go right that is pushing not leading.
Reference:
Main, S. (2006). Total Health Club Management.
Main, S. (2006). Club Success Magazine, November
When investing I believe it is crucial to evaluate the potential risk versus reward. It is one thing to read this on paper and think, “How basic!”, it is an entirely different thing to learn it from the “University of Life.” I have made more failed investment decisions then successful ones! The key is that fortunately all the failed investments have had very small consequences. In other words, the losses have been small comparatively. Whatever you do, do not bet your first-born child on number seven at the roulette table. Make sure the odds are in your favor. If the odds are not in your favor then make sure the potential loss will be small while the upside potential is large. There is nothing wrong with swinging for the fence, just make sure you get the right pitch.
I have evaluated a new opportunity called “The Customer Advantage. This is a brilliant concept. I completely dislike multi-level marketing schemes. This concept is like an opposite multi-level structure. The reason multi-level marketing programs don’t work is because the members are trying to sell a positions in the group. They are basically selling air. The second and biggest reason they don’t work is because the products are overpriced. No one will consistently buy an overpriced product. These products are overpriced so commissions can be paid out down the line.
The Customer Advantage is in its very early stages. It hasn’t even been launched yet. The reason this will work is because it combines social media with a coupon program. Anyone who signs up will have the opportunity to buy products and services in their area at a 50 to 90% discount. It works like GroupOn if you are familiar with that. What makes this different is that a 5% commission is paid each time someone in your group buys a discounted product.
This is brilliant because people are offered products at a deep discount which they might or might not choose to purchase. This means there is absolutely no reason not to do this. IT’S FREE!
You can check it out here. http://stevemain.thecustomeradvantage.com It’s worth a look!
I believe what caused our economic downturn in 2008 was higher gasoline prices. Higher gasoline prices are like increasing taxes. When families have to put an extra $100 in their gas tank every month, that’s $100 they can’t spend at their favorite local restaurant. This causes the local restaurant to lay off workers who now can’t pay their mortgages. When so many people can’t pay their mortgage, real estate crashes and affects everyone connected to that industry. That would be employees of mortgage companies, banks, property owners, developers, contractors and so on. This causes more job loss. When more jobs are lost tax revenue goes down putting pressure on government entitlements. When more people are out of work, more people look for government handouts. This increases the deficit and hinders growth. This is magnified by liberal thinking politicians. Liberal political policies are like raising gasoline prices and increasing taxes at the same time.
If oil prices remain where they are, or increase for an extended period of time, get ready for round two while we are still in round one. We are still in round one because of liberal political policies.
I have been yelling at my television quite a bit in the last few days because of one of the most moronic statements I have ever heard. That statement is “Oil speculators are driving up the price of oil”. Anyone who says this, repeats this, or thinks this is a complete NIT-WIT. Oil speculators DO NOT drive up the price of oil or anything else. I will explain this so even an illiterate economical dunce can understand this.
Oil is a commodity. It is sold on the futures market. This means people who purchase oil will have that oil delivered to them sometime in the future. Oil futures contracts are how oil is purchased. The contracts expire in each month. If I want the oil delivered in October, I would buy the appropriate oil contract.
Oil speculators do buy oil contracts. They buy oil from other speculators who are selling it. Oil speculators SELL oil. They have to. If oil speculators don’t sell the oil they have purchased, it will get delivered to them. Selling drives down the price of whatever is being sold. Buying drives up the price of whatever is being bought. For every oil contract buyer, there is a seller. For every oil contract transferred between speculators, there is a winner and a loser. Every oil speculator who buys oil also sells it. That’s a wash.
Supply and demand are the underlying factors that determine the price of oil. This means the amount of oil and how much of it is being used are the major driving factors of the price of oil. Oil and all other products also cost more for people with a devalued currency. In other words, a week dollar causes prices to go up. Blaming the price of oil or gasoline on market speculators is laughable.
So what will make oil prices go down? The answer is drill for oil and stop printing dollars. An increased oil supply will drive down the price of oil and gasoline. Fewer dollars will make them more valuable and increase buying power.
An exploratory committee formed to investigate speculators is pathetic. I guess this is just too complicated for politicians. Especially stupid ones.
Many in the United States have become lazy, self-indulgent gluttons who are devoid of any form of discipline. Many people seek a quick fix for the lusts of their flesh, fears, and desires. Doctors do not hesitate to prescribe drugs for almost anything regardless of need, and our culture gobbles them up in order to fix depression, anxiety, or whatever acronym identified condition they or their children have been loosely diagnosed with.
It seems to have become a contest between trendy restaurants to see which one can pile the most food on a plate. These plates seem to get bigger every year. A family of four is served enough food to sustain a family of twelve. I fear that our country has become nothing but a country full of idols. All a person has to do is follow their fear, greed, selfishness, and anxiety to the end of the trail and they will find the hidden idol. It needs to be said here that just because someone is a believer in Christ does not mean that they are following and serving Him. Even demons believe in Christ.
Many say it is never too early to start talking to your kids about the dangers of drugs. Similarly, it is never too early to start teaching your children that money is not green air. Kids are notorious for always wanting something every time they enter a store. My daughter Kamryn is no different. She points to a toy and tells me she wants it. I ask her if she has any money. The answer is no, so I tell her she cannot buy it without money. In her little mind, it always ends up being my fault she does not have any money. I don’t care if she is only four. It is not my fault she does not have any money to buy a toy. The sooner I teach my kids solid financial principles the better. If kids do not learn money is not green air then when they grow up someone else will always “be lucky” and it will be someone else’s fault they do not have any money. Some people think this is a little harsh. My daughter can cry about not getting a toy when she’s four, fourteen, or forty. Sooner or later she is going to cry about not having money to buy something. It is normal for a four year old to cry about this but not a forty year old. The problem is that many forty year olds cry because someone will not give them money!
Which would you rather have, bondage to fear or freedom and joy? You may not have realized that true contentment is actually the key to freedom and joy. People who are content are not in need. People who want are actually the ones in need – no matter how much they have!
Anyone who is content with food and clothes will have no fear of loss. The bottom line is this: fearless people are free to chase the dreams God gives them. When you possess this freedom it is so much more meaningful than how many square-feet your house has or what type of restaurants you frequent. This kind of freedom serves as the antidote to the fear that I have observed in people
Contentment is the key to wealth:
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
If you read the above verse in Hebrews carefully, it does not read, “Keep your lives free from money.” Rather, it reads this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money” (italics mine). As you have no doubt already figured out from the previous chapter, this is an important distinction! Read also what Paul writes in 1 Timothy:
“But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:8).
This verse does not say God only wants to give us food and clothing. Godliness with contentment is great gain. The fact is this: if we are content with little, we will avoid the pitfalls of the love of money. When God pays us well and gives us wealth we will feel incredibly rich and blessed. The author of Ecclesiastes knew this all too well:
“There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless— a miserable business!” (Ecclesiastes 4:8)
The man described in this story was not content with his wealth. No matter how much money or possessions you might own you will never be truly “rich” without contentment. Like the man described above, we will only want more – and be miserable.
When we have fears over money, it is an idol in our lives. More specifically, fears of not having enough or fears of losing money, makes it an idol in our lives. God promises He will take care of us. Therefore, if we worry about money, we are not trusting God.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25-27)
Contentment is the key to wealth:
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
If you read the above verse in Hebrews carefully, it does not read, “Keep your lives free from money.” Rather, it reads this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money” (italics mine). As you have no doubt already figured out from the previous chapter, this is an important distinction! Read also what Paul writes in 1 Timothy:
“But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:8).
This verse does not say God only wants to give us food and clothing. Godliness with contentment is great gain. The fact is this: if we are content with little, we will avoid the pitfalls of the love of money. When God pays us well and gives us wealth we will feel incredibly rich and blessed.
People with the “poor mentality” think that money is green air. Let’s look at some of the ways they think. They think that the “haves” are hogging up all of the green air. The “haves” are breathing up all of the green air and leaving nothing for the “have-nots”. On top of this, the “haves” are causing global warming with all the green carbon monoxide they are exhaling and killing polar bears. This sounds stupid because it is. God controls the climate, not people.
In “A God Made Millionaire” I discuss behaviors and ways of thinking. I wrote about the “haves”, the “have-nots”, a “wealthy mindset”, and a “poor mindset”. I use these terms to describe attitudes. When I use these terms, they have absolutely nothing to do with how many material possessions or how much money a person has or lacks. There are people with a lot of “stuff” who have a “poor mindset”. You can be certain that the reverse is also true as there are people with less stuff who have a “wealthy mindset”. People who want more stuff have a poor mindset because they do not have enough. Simply put, people who have a poor mindset are not content. Those with a “wealthy mindset” trust God while those with a “poor mindset” do not. The “have-nots” make excuses for their situation and they blame everything and everyone including those people they see as the “haves”. The “have-nots” think they are owed something from others; they think the “haves” are lucky.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you?” “He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46).
“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).
God does not have a plan to make us poor. In contrast, the more money God gives us to manage the more we can help the poor. Helping the poor often starts with material help – with food, clothing, health care, micro-loans and meeting other basic needs. It does not end there, but it often starts there. God wants us to help the poor and that is much easier with a significant amount of money.
Many in the United States have become lazy, self-indulgent gluttons who are devoid of any form of discipline. Many people seek a quick fix for the lusts of their flesh, fears, and desires. Doctors do not hesitate to prescribe drugs for almost anything regardless of need, and our culture gobbles them up in order to fix depression, anxiety, or whatever acronym identified condition they or their children have been loosely diagnosed with.
If we do everything God wants us to do with money I do not believe we will be poor. If our hearts’ desires are the same as God’s desires, He will give us those desires.
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him” (1 John 3:21-22).
I believe this principle and have found it true in my life and in the lives of others I know: if we do what pleases God with money He will only give us more. In fact, in time He will pour out so many blessings we will not have enough room to store them!
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
God does not want us to be poor, but He has a greater concern for helping us avoid the love and unhealthy desire for money. God is not going to give us something that will destroy us!
Being a parent helps me understand this concept so much better. When my son was two years old he was very rambunctious. He was always drawn to exciting, dangerous tools and activities. But as his dad I had a huge responsibility
to care for him and his rambunctiousness. I didn’t let him play with knives or buzz saws no mater how much he wanted to play with them!
Looking down on wealthy individuals is a popular pastime
in our country. Many people look down their noses at people
with money and make accusations about their character.
Many of the people who do this are insecure, lack faith and
are afraid. Fear racks them and causes them to rationalize why
money is bad.
There are some who say that God actually wants people to
be poor! To answer the question of whether God wants people
to be poor, look no further than a handful of Bible verses and a
dose of common sense:
“All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10).
“Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor” (Acts 10:31).
If God wanted people to be poor these verses would read something like this:
“All they asked was that we should leave the poor to fend for themselves.”
“Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor so He is going to ignore your request.”
If God wanted people to be poor He would not have instructed us to help them!
My Financial statement showed multimillions
in net worth by the age of 38 but here I will actually
suggest that there really is no such thing as a millionaire! Every
human being comes into this world with absolutely nothing
and that is exactly how they leave. Even the Bible teaches this
reality: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can
take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7). No one would argue the
fact that we all end up with nothing from this earth as far as
material possessions go. We don’t even get to keep the body
we used on earth!
For any of you who are on LinkedIn, check out the group LION Christians. It is a group for open networking Christians to connect on LinkedIn.
If you are not on LinkedIn, I recommend it. Find me there and invite me to connect. http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevermain
In the financial planning process, it is important to set goals. Financial goals must be specific and contain a time frame. If goals are set without a time frame they are just dreams. A goal might be to establish a $30,000 account for a child’s education in 12 years.
Realistic objectives must be set in order to accomplish the goals. In order to establish objectives that are realistic, a person must have a grasp of how fast an investment can grow, the time value of money, and how much money can be invested or saved each month. Of course these are just a few variables.
Once the objectives are set, a person must set and perform monthly tasks that will allow the person to reach the objectives and accomplish the goals. It is important to understand that a task is a choice, not an objective or goal. A task is something we choose to do.
I was reading Job chapter 9 and realizing something new. Job is proclaiming the need for an advocate. This puts us and Job in two very different scenarios. We are under the new covenant. The blood of Jesus Christ makes us part of His heritage. This changes everything.
I’d like to congratulate my good friend Pastor Victor Brodt on the completion of his new book “Jack the Dog: And His boy. I’m sure my readers will love this book.
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Prov 3:1-10 (NIV)
I have heard that most winners of the lottery waste the money in short order. Proverbs 17:16 says “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?”
“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow”. (Proverbs 13:11)
If you could plan your financial future, how would it end up? Would you be a billionaire? What ever plan you can dream up for yourself, God can do better. He has a plan better than you can think of. It might not have anything to do with money but it is better than your biggest money dream.
If we always knew exactly what our financial future held, we wouldn’t have to trust God. God often waits until the last moment to pull us out of a financial crisis but He always does.
If God has given you a vision, He will provide the resources. Move forward in that vision and you will find the resources are there.
If we ask for the desires of God’s heart, we receive them. Then if we ask for the desires of our heart, we are asking for God’s desires. A sincere desire for God’s heart will allow us to die to our flesh.
God prunes His branches in order to help them bear more fruit. Being pruned can be uncomfortable but think of the result it brings. See John 15:2
If God’s Word says you have it, you have it. If God’s Word doesn’t say you have it, you don’t have it.
If I fill a pitcher with water all the way to the top and God fill a pitcher one inch full of water, which one will run out of water first if they are poured out at the same time?
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” (Psalms 37:3-5).
My new book, “Managing And Growing God’s Resources” is now available at the Amazon Kindle Store for $3.95.
There is a powerful biblical secret to great gain found in this book. You can find valuable truths about financial faith that will change your life. A simple “Content Point” and “Budget Formula” will put your mind at ease. You might relate to the rich man who ran to Jesus more than you think. Just how rich was he?
If you don’t have a Kindle, all you have to do is go to this link and download the free Kindle version for your PC. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4464247375&ref=pd_sl_93kmqfanj8_e
If you want to read it on you iPhone go to this link and download the free app. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000301301
“A God Made Millionaire” is also available in eBook form at Amazon.com for a limited time at $1.95.
Here are the links for the books.
Anyone who lack faith in their financial situation can receive a needed boost by picking up God’s Word and reading His promises.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalms 1:1-3).
Luke 5:1-11 tells of Jesus getting into Peter’s boat. Peter had work all night fishing and had caught nothing. Jesus told him to drop his nets for a catch. This defied all the experience and expertise Peter had as a fisherman. When he did what Jesus said, he found great success. Listening to God can save us a lot of time and trouble.
I believe the Christian family unit has slowly become out of whack over time. The divorce rate in Christian homes is about the same as it is in non-Christian homes. It has become politically correct to over emphasize how a husband is to behave toward his wife instead of what his role is. Maybe this is because men are afraid of being accused of being chauvinist control freaks if we discuss the issue of submission.
Many men hand over the leadership role to women from the time of their first date. This is not biblical and not God’s way. It is our culture’s way. Our culture says men should be in touch with their feminine side. Maybe, but God never intended for men and women to switch roles. How has right become wrong and wrong become right in so many areas of our culture?
My motive in writing this is not to diminish the fact that husbands are called to give their lives for their wives just as Christ gave His life for the church. On the contrary, I want to evaluate how a husband should give his life for his wife. I want to examine some issues that I believe have slowly fallen through the cracks. I will try to do this by leaving out political correctness and the psychology of the day.
In 1 Samuel chapter 3, the Lord tells Samuel that He will judge Eli’s family for the sins in his family that Eli new about. Eli failed to restrain his family. Eli was responsible for his family but just stuck his head in the sand.
In Ephesians chapter 5, wives are called to submit to their husbands in all things and respect their husbands. The husband is the head of the wife. Husbands are to do like Christ did for the church by giving themselves for their wives in order to present them as holy and blameless.
1 Peter chapter 3 talks about how Sarah submitted to Abraham, obeyed him, and called him master. Wives are Sarah’s daughters if they do what is right and do not give way to FEAR. This is one of those biblical truths that is not politically correct. Husbands are to be considerate and respect their wives as the weaker partner. They are heirs with their husbands of the gracious gift of life. Husbands should be considerate and respectful of their wives so their prayers will not be hindered. The beginning of this chapter also says that husbands who do not believe the Word may be won over by the actions of their wives, NOT words.
Colossians 1:22 proclaims that we are reconciled by Christ’s death so we can be presented holy, without blemish, and free from accusation. The only way husbands can present their wives holy and free from accusation is by completely submitting to God and being led by Him. Before husbands hassle their wives about not completely submitting to them, they might want to evaluate how well they are completely submitting to Christ.
Colossians 3 starting in verse 18 also discusses some guidelines for Christian households. The fact that wives are to submit is repeated here as it is in many places in the bible. However, one thing that stands out to me here is that husbands are not to be harsh with their wives. To me this means husbands should not boss their wives around or use an unloving tone.
In Genesis 2 verse 18, God gave Adam a helper suitable for him. That was Eve. The wife is the husband’s helper. Before God gave Adam his helper, He told him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam this. He was leading and directing Adam not Adam’s helper. Adam’s leadership obviously failed. He followed Eve instead of God. Adam let Eve lead.
I do not know of anywhere in the bible where God instructs the wife to lead the husband. I can’t find anywhere where it says the husband should ask the wife’s permission for anything. I can’t find a single place in God’s word where He says everyone in the family gets an equal vote.
I own a number of businesses. My vote is the only one that counts and that vote carries tremendous responsibility. I have managers in those businesses. I never contradict the manager or diminish his or her role. I respect the manager’s position but I lead the manager. They don’t lead me. The proverbs 31 woman is an amazing manager of the home who is more valuable than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her. That’s cool because she doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be micro managed. She only needs to be led. In many Christian homes the men are not leading. Why? The wife begins to FEAR and tries to be the leader. The husband lets the wife lead because he is afraid he will get nagged if he doesn’t let the wife have the control she wants. She wants the control because in her mind that will help to remove the fear. It makes sense that an enemy would attack at the weakest link. That is the wife. This is exactly what the serpent did with Adam and Eve.
If we meditate on the scripture mentioned in this blog, it becomes obvious to me that the husband should lead and the wife should submit. That doesn’t mean everything will be perfect but at least if these two things are done the Christian home will be in line with God’s order.
Many men are not leading their families. That is the husbands fault not the wife’s. It is the husband’s responsibility to lead and the wife’s responsibility to submit in ALL things. If a husband will lead his wife in a godly way, he is giving his life for her and protecting her. A husband throwing the submission issue in his wife’s face is not respecting her. I really believe if husbands will LOVINGLY lead, wives will happily and fearlessly submit to that leadership.
It will be given to us according to the measure we give. See Luke 6:38
The poor widow in Luke 21:1-4 gave a good measure.
Faith is more valuable than gold. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Guarding the tongue brings blessing. “For, ‘whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil’”(1 Peter 3:10).
A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him (Proverbs 28:22).
People often discuss with me the legalism of tithing. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. We are not under the curse of the law. This is all true. However; I think a lot of Christians use this as an excuse not to tithe. These arguments are often made to defend a person’s fear or greed when it comes to money. Most Christian can agree that we are not cursed. Therefore; we certainly are not cursed if we pay tithes and offerings. I also believe there is a blessing for those who tithe and pay offerings to God.
Putting God first with our tithes and offerings is the right thing to do.This shows our trust and love for God. James 4:17 says “Anyone then, who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it sins”. Just because we are not cursed if we don’t tithe doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Just because we are saved by grace doesn’t mean we should make a habit of not doing good things. I believe we pleases God when we tithe. It certainly doesn’t anger Him and He will not penalize us for tithing.
Many have asked me why some people who do not follow biblical financial principles or even any kind of ethical principles have so much money. My response is, they don’t. They can’t take it with them. I like this verse. “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22).
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).
If we believe the Word of God, we will do this.
Whoever loves money, never has money enough; Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Once we commit whatever we do to God, our plans will succeed. We shouldn’t judge success. Just believe.
Anyone who wants to be trusted with much, must first be trusted with little. Luke 16:10 discusses this.
In Deuteronomy chapter 14 verse 22, the tithe is discussed. Tithing will help us to revere the LORD always. I really don’t think God asks us to tithe just to have a rule to follow. I think it helps bring us and keep us in relationship with Him by acknowledging that God provides for us.
In 1 Kings chapter 17, a widow had a handful of flour and a little oil. She thought it would run out that very day. She trusted God and did as Elijah said. The flour and oil did not run out.
Does God want people to be poor? I don’t think so because of what it says in Galatians 2:10. If God wanted people to be poor He wouldn’t instruct us to help the poor in so many places in His Word.
When Christians celebrate Christmas, what are they celebrating? Everyone knows they are celebrating the birth of Christ. When Christians celebrate Easter, what are they celebrating? Everyone knows they are celebrating the resurrection of Christ. Many non-believers celebrate Christmas and Easter. They can pretend that they are celebrating something else but they are partaking in Christian celebrations.
When Christians celebrate Halloween, what are they celebrating? Of course they don’t think they are celebrating the “Roman feast of Pomona”, which is the goddess of fruits and seeds. Of course they don’t think they are celebrating “The festival of the dead” called “Parentalia”. They don’t think they are acknowledging harmless or harmful spirits. They aren’t practising harmless divination. Christians are just pretending that Halloween is just a fun time for the kids to eat sugar and scare each other.
I wonder what God thinks about Christians who celebrate a holiday that represents pagan idols, witchcraft, and spirits? I wonder if He thinks it’s okay if we dress the kids up as angels in order to celebrate these things? I wonder if this grieves the Holy Spirit?
In Deuteronomy chapter 8 starting in verse 10, the bible says to remember God when things are good. It is God who gives us the ability to build wealth. If we become proud and forget God when things are good by following idols (stuff), well, let’s just say it isn’t good.
Many believers in Christ have become hung up on their stuff. If you are afraid to lose it, you are hung up on it.
When I fear losing what I have, it helps to remember how what I have got there in the first place. God put it there. God can put more resources under my management just like He always has.
Contentment is easier to find when we review all the blessings we have. Focusing on what we have instead of what we don’t have or might lose is a benefit.
There is a debate in the church about whether God wants people to be rich. The only people who are really rich are the ones who are rich toward God and have put their treasures in heaven. No one is truly rich with earthly materials. I believe there are many people who think they are rich who really are not. God wants all earthly possessions to be used for Him. They belong to Him and should be used to help others gain the riches of heaven. We shouldn’t waste material resources on ourselves. That is often easier said than done.
People who want more stuff are not content and have a poor mindset. People who have enough are content and have a wealthy mindset.
In Luke 14:33, Jesus said we must give up everything in order to be His disciples. In Matthew 19:21, Jesus was talking to a rich man. He told him to sell everything and he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus also said it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Why did this amaze His disciples? I think it is because many people in the time of Jesus believed that Godliness was a means to gain. Paul refutes this in 1 Timothy chapter 6.
I wonder just how rich this rich man in Matthew chapter 19 was. We don’t know what he had but we do know what he didn’t have. He didn’t have a computer, automobile, cell phone, plasma TV, electricity, or running water. I would estimate that most people in the U.S. have more luxuries than the rich man I have discussed.
I believe God owns everything. If we take ownership of our stuff we are taking ownership of things that won’t last. We need to put everything in God’s hands. Once we realize it belongs to God, we can manage it for Him. I believe the parable of the talents demonstrates that God wants what He puts under our management to grow. It belongs to Him though. If He tells us to sell the car, that is what we should do. If He tells us to buy a car, we should do that.
In John chapter 6, Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves of bread. Then He instructed His disciples to pick up the leftover pieces so nothing would be wasted. Jesus does not want us to waste anything. I think that includes wasting things on ourselves also.
A person with $100 who gives $20 gives ten times as much as someone with $10 million who gives $200,000.
Just because someone has little does not mean they are not rich. Just because someone has much does not mean they are not poor.
In John chapter 6 verse 12, Jesus asked His disciples to gather up the scraps of bread that were left over after feeding 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread. Jesus said not to let anything be wasted. They picked up 12 basketfuls of scraps. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus didn’t want any of the increase wasted? Did He need the bread or was He just concerned about leaving a mess? I wonder what He did with the leftovers.
In Mark chapter 8 verse 15, Jesus warned of the yeast of Pharisees and of Herod. We often don’t think of Herod in this passage, but who was Herod? He was the government.
The Forbes list of the riches people is out. The richest people in the world have lost billions of dollars. I have a question. Where did it go? Do they have less stuff?
One of my favorite and efficient ways to evaluate a company and its management is to look at insider trading. Insiders are officers and directors of the company. These are the leaders and decision makers in a business. They hold titles such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Director, President, and Chairman of the board. When they are buying up the stock of the company they own and manage this is an indication they are confident in themselves and their company. They would not be buying stock unless they believe it is undervalued and will increase in value sometime in the future. I especially like it when the CEO (the top executive) buys large amounts of stock in his company consistently. The CEO has more knowledge of himself or herself and of the company than anyone. If the CEO is selling stock on a regular basis, this is a huge red flag. If multiple insiders are selling stock, this is also a huge red flag. There is no explanation insiders can give me for multiple insiders selling. I am skeptical of everything people say. Sometimes insiders paint a rosy picture of the company while they are selling and give reasons why they are selling. I prefer to look at people’s actions. If insiders are buying, I am buying. If they are selling, I am selling.
When I buy stock, I am buying a piece of a business. I transfer money into the form of business assets. Business assets have many forms. Office furniture, inventory, cash, labor, branding, management, and technology are some of the forms. If I am able to transfer the business assets in the form of stock, back into money at a higher value, I just bought low and sold high. Every time a stock is purchased, either the buyer or seller made a good choice. The other made a bad choice.
Stock values go up and down due to the value of the underlying business and supply and demand for the stock. The value of a business is determined by its ability or potential to earn income and turn that income into increasing profits. Supply and demand is determined by the number of stock shares available for purchase and the number of buyers willing to purchase stock.
The Bible gives the secret to great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6
Now you don’t have to watch late-night infomercials about real estate.
In Mark chapter 8, Jesus fed 4,000 men with 7 loaves of bread and a few fish. He instructed His disciples to set the food before the people. What would have happened if His disciples didn’t begin handing out the food? NOTHING! They would have been standing there without enough food to feed everyone. When they finished giving, there was 7 baskets full of scraps left over.
If we believe the Word of God, our behavior should demonstrate that. Jesus fed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread. There were 12 baskets of scraps picked up afterwords. Then He fed 4,000 with 7 loaves.There were 7 baskets of scraps left over. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern here. If we believe Jesus did this, then we don’t have to figure out how to make the food in the food pantry last longer. He is never out of food. He just moves it around. Our offering should be to God. He will take care of the rest.
Why do we bring Spam and noodles to food pantries at our churches when we eat steak? I have nothing against Spam or noodles. A lot of people like Spam and noodles. If you eat Spam and noodles, take that to the food pantry at your church. That will please God. If you don’t eat that, take what you eat. God wants your first and best. He does not want leftovers.
God doesn’t need quantity. He wants quality.
Recently I have had conversations with a couple friends who like some of the concepts of communism. These are just concepts which have been proven not to work. The reason communism fails is because there is no motivation for success and no penalties for poor production. It simply promotes inefficiency and laziness. Hard productive work is not rewarded so there is no reason to work hard. Laziness is not penalized. Some people may think the theory is beautiful but it is simple to figure out why communism does not work and never will.
If inflation is cause by government actions, government tax revenue will go up without an increase in tax rates. However, everyone will pay more taxes. How? Inflation causes everything to go up which will move people into a higher tax bracket. Think about this.
If the Federal Government prints money in order to buy it’s own debt, it is monetizing the debt. This is basically borrowing air and pretending like it has some type of value. This has the potential to cause serious inflation.
The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
The Pharisees wanted to see proof before they would believe. That’s not how it works.
The disciples where looking at what they saw, not what Jesus showed them He could do. Jesus wanted His disciples to act and behave like they were walking with God.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ”Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. ”And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Mark 8:11-21 (NIV)
Notice that when 5 loaves fed 5,000 there were 12 basketfuls of pieces after everyone had eaten. When 7 loaves fed 4,000 there were 7 basketfuls of pieces. The disciples trusted Jesus and began dispersing the bread. They didn’t know how much bread they really had. The only pattern I see here is that they ended up with more each time.
What would have happened if the disciples didn’t feed the crowd like Jesus requested? The answer is nothing. The disciples would have been standing there with not nearly enough food to feed even a few people. If they would have held the food long enough, it would have spoiled and they would have had nothing.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:1 (NKJV)
As long as we believe truth, faith is the proof of what we don’t see yet. The Word of God is truth. Believing something that is not truth will not make it true no matter how much we believe it.
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
Mal 3:8-12 (NIV)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17 (NIV)
Faith is what we do. We all drive to the grocery store because we believe it is there. If we didn’t think it was there we wouldn’t go there for groceries. No one would get in a boat and sail west if he or she thought the earth was flat. If you thought the earth was round you might try it.
I believe trusting God and acting like you trust God are two different things. If you just hold onto your resources they are NOT going to increase. Remember, our motive should not be to increase our stuff. It should be win the lost for Jesus Christ
Dealing with auto unions goes something like this…
Auto Union: Give us $20
Management: We don’t have any money.
Auto Union: Okay, just give us $10 then.
Here is a question asked and answered at www.biblemoneymanagement.com
Steve, I have been paying 10% and having my stuff turned off. I stopped and now I have my bills almost caught up. I have started giving what I can now. I am worried if I go back to 10% my stuff might be turned off again. What do you think?
Answer
Great question! Here are my thoughts. Malachi 3:10 says to pay the whole tithe. I believe if we don’t we are robbing God. Jesus himself also says not to neglect the tithe in Matthew 23:23.
It matters what we believe. I believe the Word of God is truer than what we see. What we do demonstrates what we believe. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus says not to worry about our stuff. If we worry, we lack faith. When we worry about losing something we have made it an idol in our lives. Our stuff doesn’t really belong to us anyway. God owns everything and can move it wherever He wants. The bible says when you give; it will be given to us.
Luke 14:33 says if someone want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, that person must give up all their stuff. I believe we should all realize we are just managing stuff God has put under our management. We should manage it for His glory. Since it’s His, He can do what He wants with it. Once we have this sincere attitude, what is under our management will increase.
Be faithful with little and it will increase.
Raising taxes is about government control, not generating revenue. I own and operate health clubs. The lower our rates, the more members we get. The higher our rates, the fewer members we get. Taxes work the same way. When they are low, more people pay them. This is because there are more people working. Higher taxes put people out of work and lower taxes put people to work.
Here is an example I use. If I raise everyone dues $100 per month and spend what I think is coming in next month on credit, things won’t fall apart right away. But don’t think they won’t. They will!
It amazes me that people can’t understand that if they demand a wage higher than the market will bare, they will not have a job. Money is not green air. Why can’t people get this. Unions get this but union members don’t. The unions have other motives. They don’t care about members. Sad!
Here is an excellent question asked of me and answered at www.biblemoneymanagement.com
I’m looking to start a small group for Christian men who have interests in being called by God to become millionaires for the kingdom. Got any ideas on a DVD series to watch and learn?
I am not aware of any Christian DVDs teaching on growing resources. Starting a small group on this topic is an awesome calling.
Here is what I recommend for your small group. Bring the group together and start talking about each man’s passion. How can you tap the passion God has given each one of you in order to form businesses? Each man will have ideas and insight that will help the group. Have each man research different topics and bring it back to the group. These topics could be Business plans, grants, SBA loans, demographic studies, and raising capital.
You can have NO fear of loss. The third servant in the parable of the talents had fear. Teach the men to trust God for all their daily needs. He will provide. Teach them to surrender all of their resources to God. Your homes must become the servant’s quarters.
Give big. When you give it demonstrates your faith in God. His Word is true. Don’t judge the resources each man has under his management at this point. God can make a lot out of what appears to be nothing.
Remember, whatever you commit to God will succeed. Commit what you do to God and don’t judge success. If it is committed to God, it is succeeding. (Proverbs 16:3)
Here is an easy business that I am involved in. www.fitnessfor10.com
Charge the giant fearlessly just as David did. God will do miracles.
A goal without a plan or time frame is just a dream. A goal that is not obtainable is impossible. A goal that is too easy is not a worthy goal to begin with.
Leadership is not hand holding or telling people what to do. It is creating a platform where the vision God has given you can thrive.
Check out these Tea Party links. Americans are waking up.
http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2488056%3AVideo%3A24070
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/
Free markets are forward thinking. They go down when they believe current and future policy is not stimulative. They go up when they think current and future policy will stimulate the economy.
The Government’s proposal to reduce the mortgage interest rate and charitable contribution deductions is a very interesting proposition. It is extremely peculiar if this is an attempt to stimulate the economy, benefit the housing market, and help the needy. Does anyone wonder like I do what the real agenda is here?
I won’t even get into the carbon tax. I wonder if we will get taxed for breathing.
The important thing for Christians to remember is to trust God. God is the one who redistributes wealth. “A good Man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous”. (Prov. 13:22) NIV
What is the American Dream? I’m afraid many Americans are beginning to think it is something they dream about and then it is just handed to them. Our dreams are not rights. An entitlement attitude is dangerous. The dreams God gives one person are not necessarily supposed to pay for others in the name of fairness.
Remember the concept of hard work? Fault and responsibility are often two different things. It might not be my fault if I can’t pay my mortgage, but it is my responsibility.
Money is not green air. All labor is not equal. When an individuals labor produces more of something that is in demand and short supply, it is worth more. That person earns more.
Many people in this country think they should get portions of something for nothing. They are depending on government instead of God. We all have talents. That talent should be used for God. If we use our talents for God, we won’t need to hold our hands out.
God said “let there be light”. If God can make light out of darkness, why do we put Him in a box. He can speak words and make anything happen.
A pastor friend of mine said something to me today that is very profound. “If you can be a real Christian at church, you can be a real Christian just about anywhere”.
How often do we judge others by what they wear or the car they drive? We often make assumptions about people by what we think might be in their bank account instead of what might be in their spiritual account. In James chapter 2, God says when we do this we are discriminating and have become judges with evil thoughts. God can do anything and He can use anyone to accomplish His purpose.
I want to discuss tithing in what appears to be a difficult time. It just appears to be a difficult time. Not for believers in Christ. God’s Word is true.
Since God’s Word is true, what He says about tithing and giving is true. Giving to God first demonstrates who our first love is and our faith in God. He will do what He says He will do. For anyone who thinks tithing was just an Old Testament thing, please study Matthew 23:23. This is a hard one to spin. Jesus Christ Himself says not to neglect the tithe.
I believe any believer in Chist who does not tithe might as well flush their head down the toilet. They are robbing God. Many people have asked me, “what about people who have a lot of money who don’t tithe?” My response is, “they don’t have what they think they have”.
The tithe is 10% of the gross pay.
Charge the giant.
Bernard Madoff has pulled probably the biggest Ponzi scheme ever. A Ponzi scheme takes new cash invested by investors and gives a supposed return to previous investors who think they have invested their money in real assets. There are no assets. This is a perfect example of treating money like it is green air. Everyone is breathing some in a scheme like this. When enough people want to turn the green air into real assets, the scheme is exposed because there are no assets.
As I discuss in “A God-Made Millionaire”, money is not green air. Money must be backed my labor. That is a fair wage for honest work. Our government and financial institutions are playing games with money. Eventually, guess what will happen? Economies all over the world have become smoke and mirrors. What do you think the eventual outcome will be?
I recently saw employees protesting layoff on the news. This backs up one of the points I make in the book “A God-Made Millionaire”. The point is, many people think money is green air. Many people have no idea where money comes from or how it works. Money is labor. People’s labor produces a certain amount of value. Labor is not worth need or want. It has nothing to do with that. Many people think they should get paid what they want or need.
People protest layoffs because they don’t understand that their labor is not producing a profit. When people get laid off it is because their labor is producing a deficit. All these people know is that they are not getting what they want or need. That has nothing to do with a job. That is not how it works. These people think money is green air so they should have their fair share.
In the next few month, I have a feeling many more people are going to learn that money does not grow on trees. Every person who owns a business and works for a business is in it together. If a businesses pooled labor does not produce a profit, jobs will be lost.
Sooner or later supply and demand will rule in the economy. If the government buys dirt for $5,000 per pound, it will not stimulate the economy. It will just be a band-aid hiding smoke and mirrors. The supply of dirt does not warrant a demand that would equal the price of a pound of dirt at $5,000.
Compare this to what the little three American auto makers are asking for. I am not saying the automobiles made by these companies are dirt. I drive American made cars. I am saying you can’t sell them for $500,000. This is the comparison to my dirt example. The auto industry has knocked supply and demand out of whack. They have done this by paying employees 5 times what their labor is worth. Remember, money equals labor. Sooner or later supply and demand balance cannot be avoided.
If I make cars why wouldn’t I make them in a country where I can pay employees a fair wage instead of giving them charity? You have heard me say it many times. Need or want has absolutely nothing to do with the value of labor. If we want to keep seeing jobs go bye-bye, all we have to do is buy dirt for $5,000 per pound.
No matter how you spin it, unions are asking tax payers to pay the wages of their employees. In other words, they are asking you and me to use our labor to pay for ineffective labor just because union workers need money. This is called stealing.
The term “other people’s money” does not mean people receiving money from other people are taking advantage. Money is labor. People who invest are investing labor in the form of money. They are receiving a benefit from the people they invest with. One invests labor in the form of money and the other invests labor in the form of sweat.
Bailing out the auto industry is a welfare program. It would be foolish for the government to give billions of dollars to the auto industry. When a company loses billions of dollars, management is not running a wise and competitive business. Auto workers who make over $160,000 a year in wages and benefits, does not match supply and demand. Why should Americans who earn money give it to a company that does not? Even worse, why should Americans give money to companies and then let politicians, who know nothing about running a business, tell them what to do?
No one can tell me with a straight face that the auto industry in Detroit is run well or doesn’t over pay employees. The numbers don’t lie. You can’t pay people money you don’t have just because unions say they need it. Need has nothing to do with the value of someones labor. How will giving these companies money change their efficiency? A company that loses billions of dollars a year is a poorly run company. How will giving companies like this change anything in the long run?
As mentioned in “A God-Made Millionaire”, I would be very cautious of 401K plans. Money in most of these plans is trapped in company selected mutual funds or other investments. This money is often not managed. That is a problem and many are finding that out now.
I don’t hide money under a rock in this manner for a later day. I just feel like it is not trusting God.
The economy has been artificially stimulated in the past number of years. People have spent their labor that they have not performed yet. This is call buying on credit. The economy is going through an adjustment. People must work now and for years to come for purchases they have made years ago. When buying stops to catch up with past purchases, the economy stops.
Lenders are forcing borrowers to work now for what they received in the past. The borrowers are being cut off which will contract the economy until the future becomes less leveraged.
One of the points in the book “A God-Made Millionaire”, is that money is labor. Labor and money is interchangeable.
General Motors must be allowed to crash. This country was not founded on socialism. If GM and the others in the auto industry fail, we can start over without unions and $85 an hour wages. Why should every United States tax payer pay for such ridiculous wages. This country was not founded on welfare. It was founded on hard work and freedom, not free money.
The plants and equipment will be sitting there for smart management to pick up for pennies on the dollar and run the auto industry right.
Now that we know who our next President will be, many people might stop making pie and just eat their neighbor’s pie. This will go on until the neighbors figure out what is going on
A reoccurring theme in the book “A God-Made Millionaire” is that money is not green air. People with the poor mentality think money is green air. All you have to do is breathe it, right? You should give me some of yours because you hogged up all the air. Wrong, money must be supported by labor. GM employees make approxametly $85 per hour when you factor in all the benefits and perks. And we wonder why education is not popular in the areas where these high wages occur. These wage are not supported by supply and demand. They are supported by what unions believe someone needs. Need has nothing to do with the value of someones labor. I know nothing about building cars. I do know how to turn a bolt with a wrench though. How many people do you think would be happy to turn a bolt for $85 an hour in this world? I’m sure I just offended a few people, but we must all look at reality. Businesses cannot pay ridiculous wages like this. Unions had their place but they are no ones friend now. If you demand too much you will end up with nothing.
I wonder why GM is in trouble? Do you think the government could bail them out in the long run even if they wanted to? You figure it out.
Many people are saying what we are going through with the economy is scary. I know this is easy to say but, people who are scarred have fear. People who have fear can just follow that emotion to see where it ends up. It will end up at an idol. Jesus says he knows what we need and He will take care of it.
If we want to serve God with our resources, we cannot serve money. We can only have one Master. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)
We can only be devoted to one master. Any master other than God is an idol. Dictionary.com defines an idol as: “Any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion. Or, a false conception or notion; a fallacy.” The notion that money gives us security is a fallacy. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Even atheists have faith. They just believe something different than believers in Christ.
They believe the wind blow from no where and stops where we cannot see it. They believe trees grow magically. They believe the sun will come up tomorrow without any proof except historical observation. They believe these things occur without the existence of God. That is faith!
It does matter what we believe. The Word of God is the only thing that is true. What we can see is without substance. What is not seen has substance.
I believe the country of Benin exists even though I have not seen it.
What God says in His Word about finances and money is true. You can take that to the bank. I am more confident that the Word of God is true than I am of the existence of Benin.
Christians should not let fear over their financial situation creep into their lives. God says He will take care of us. We should just trust Him even if things do not always make sence to us.
Abel trusted God but Cain did not. Genesis 4:3-5 and Hebrews 11:4 are evidence of this. Cain and Able both brought God an offering. Over time Cain brought an offering of some of his fruits from the soil. Abel brought large portions of the first born of his flock. A key word here is “first”. Cain gave out of his abundance. He gave God leftovers. Able gave to God first and trusted Him for the rest.
The economy may be worse than it appears. I believe one of the reasons for this is that too many Americans do not save money and live hand to mouth. Americans are in debt. When gas prices rise like they have, people’s budgets or should I say lack of a budget crumbles like a house of cards.
Many people do not even have an extra $100 per month which means they can’t afford gasoline. Without gasoline they can’t get to work. This means the economy could crumble because individuals must choose which bills they will pay.
Being a good steward of the resources God has put under our management takes discipline, wisdom, and prayer. Luke 16:10 is a key to being able to manage wealth. It says that a person who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much. If we are not trustworthy with worldly wealth, how can we be trusted with true riches?
Some CEOs of publicly held companies make tens of millions of dollars a year. Most pastors make peanuts. Personally I think a many pastors are worth more. Most people expect pastors to make very little.
Here is something I would encourage church goers to do. Give a $20 offering to each pastor at your church. This is above the tithe. Just make the check out to the church and ear-mark it for the pastor in the memo section. Our pastors serve us and work for us. They are Gods servants. If we can’t trust our pastors with with our money/labor we should find another church. If we all do this maybe our pastors will be paid at least 1/10th of what they should.
An offering is a gift in addition to or above the tithe. The tithe is paid to the church that servers the tither. It is used to operate the church, serve church members, and minister to the community.
Giving offerings is exciting but it should be taken seriously. We are called to be a good steward of the resources God puts under our management. If we are good stewards, those resources will increase. Being a good steward of our offerings is not as easy as handing out money to needy people or even buying them things they need. God owns everything. He can put it wherever He wants it. Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish and there would be a coin in the mouth of the fish. God could hand out money to everyone if He wanted to. He doesn’t do that so neither should we. The love of money can do us great harm. Giving money can often hurt the receiver.
We must seek God in how and where to give. If we put it in the place He wants it, He will trust us with more. Here is something to keep in mind. We are called to spread the Gospel and make disciples of others. We are also called to help the poor. Just be careful on how you help the poor. Make sure God is leading so what is intended for good will not be harmful.
Many in the American culture have become lazy self indulgent gluttons devoid of all discipline. Many people seek a quick fix for the lusts of their flesh, fears, and desires. Doctors do not hesitate to prescribe drugs for almost anything and our culture gobbles them up in order to fix depression, anxiety, or whatever acronym they or their children have been loosely diagnosed with.
It has become a contest between trendy restaurants to see which one can pile the most food on a plate. The plates seem to get bigger every year. A family of four is served enough food to sustain a family of twelve.
We are called to take up our cross and follow Christ, not ourselves.
Who is as sick as I am of hearing politicians blurt nonsense out of their mouths? These people are really dumb or think the people they are talking to are really dumb. Personally I think it is both.
Here is the latest coming from Washington. “Speculators are driving up the price of oil”. Once again I am surprised that no one is articulating common sense. Here is mine. I have not heard anyone say this.
Anyone that understands the futures markets knows how a commodity like oil is purchased. Anyone speculating that the price of oil will go up, must buy oil contracts and sell them before the oil is actually delivered to their doorstep. The only way to affect the price of oil is to affect supply or demand. People who consume oil or store it indefinitely affect the supply. They have taken supply out of the market. If demand remains constant or increases, this will drive the price up.
Speculators are not consuming or storing oil because they have to sell it back into the market before the contract expires. If they do not sell it, the barrels of oil will be deliver to their doorstep. When a speculator buys, the price goes up. When a speculator sells, the price goes down. Speculators must buy and sell before the contract expires. 1 – 1 = 0. GET THE PICTURE WASHINGTON?
“All In” is a term used in poker. It means a player is putting all the chips they have, in the pot. They do this because they believe they have the best hand.
My hand is Jesus. I have the best hand. Nothing can beat my hand. I want to be “All In” for Jesus. That means every chip.
I wonder just how rich the rich man described in Mark chapter 10 was. Jesus said it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. I am not sure what this man had, but I do know some things he did not have. He did not have a television, ipod, mp3 player, computer, cell phone, automobile, or central air in his home. This man did not even have running water or electricity.
In today’s age we have many more luxuries than he did. We also know from 1 Timothy chapter 6 that there were people rich in this present world who were believers. So what determines who will have a more difficult time entering the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle?
In my view it is not how much we have. Most Americans obviously have more than the rich man described in Mark chapter 10. The question is not how much do we have, but is it an idol in our lives? If we take ownership of our stuff and put our trust in it, “stuff” becomes an idol and a god in our lives. If we put stuff before God, it is harder to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Does it matter what we believe? If I believe something enough and with all my heart, will that make it true? I think some people believe if they believe something enough, that makes it true. Will my beliefs change truth? If I believe something enough, will that change wrong to right? What if I believe rocks are chocolate? What will happen if I bite and chew rocks? Will I taste milky chocolate or will I break my teeth? If I believe rocks are gods, does that make them gods? Can rocks save me? Is there multiple ways to God or is there only one way? Can we use a combination of religions or ones that make sense to our little pea brains? Can we make up our own financial rules outside of what God’s Word says and be truly blessed by them. When we act on our belief in what God says, our actions work with our faith. Then we see what we believe. I believed the country of Mexico existed. When I acted on that belief by going there, I saw it.
I believe that just because someone has little, does not mean they are not givers with a wealthy mindset.There are also people with much who are takers. A person with $100 who gives $20 gives ten times as much as someone with $10 million who gives $200,000.This is exciting! People with less can easily give more than people with much.The people giving large dollar amounts are the ones who often get the attention from men but God notices the ones who give the bigger portion of recourses they have under management.
In “A God Made Millionaire” I discuss behaviors and ways of thinking. I wrote about the “haves”, the “have-nots”, a “wealthy mindset”, and a “poor mindset”. I use these terms to describe attitudes. When I use these terms, they have absolutely nothing to do with how much stuff or money someone does or does not have. There are people with a lot of stuff who have a poor mindset. There are people with less stuff who have a wealthy mindset. People who want more stuff have a poor mindset because they do not have enough. People who have a poor mindset are not content. People with a wealthy mindset trust God while people with a poor mindset do not. The “have-nots” make excuses for their situation. They blame everything and everyone including people they see as the “haves”. The “have-nots” think they are owed something from others. They think the “haves” are lucky. People with a poor mindset have an entitlement attitude. The “have-nots” have a tendency to white knuckle their money because they are afraid they do not have enough. They say things like “money is not important”. If this was really the case they would not be holding on to what they have so tightly. The “have-nots” are takers and fearful. The “haves” are givers and rich toward God.
In Managing and Growing God’s Resources, you will learn the secret of great gain. It is clearly stated in the Bible. Should members of the New Testament Church tithe? You will hear what Jesus Himself says about this. What can we learn from God’s Word on His economic policies?
Imagine what it would be like to be completely free from the fear of loss and from the desires associated with craving more. This book can deliver it. Managing And Growing God’s Resources will be out before the end of 2009. Look for it at Amazon.com