Notes

God and the Lessons of Money - Part 1
We are in the beginning of the second decade of the brand new millennium. In the initial few years of the new century, we've witnessed a number of the greatest accumulations of wealth of all time. The currency markets was raging, real estate markets were rising and even after the Internet Stock bubble burst, it seemed that all America continued to sing that old song from the 30's, "We're In The Money".

But as time continued, the real estate market along with the currency markets showed themselves to be the Emperor without clothes. As companies went from having defined benefit pension plans where retirees would understand how much they might get when they retired, to defined contribution plans where in fact the employees took in the marketplace risk, what appeared to be a great idea suddenly has become an albatross, a sign of evil and foreboding of bad times ahead.

Regardless of what index you look at, the markets have all dropped beyond anyone's worse expectation. But what's worse is the effect that a loss of 28, 35 or 40% means to those who have no other liquid asset base.

The most notable 1% of the wealthy in America control 33% of all privately held wealth in the country. The next 19% which consists of professional, managerial and small enterprises control 51% of the wealth. That leaves the rest of the 80 percent of American workers to talk about a paltry 16% of the wealth of the nation's economy. That means that salaried and wage employees, while making up the largest portion of the American workforce, have very little control of their own destiny.

This is why that I've chosen to utilize the Book of Ecclesiastes for the text today. The timelessness of the Bible speaks to all generations concerning the realities of life and what is truly important in the bigger scheme of things.

We twenty-first century Americans can learn something from the ancient Israelites. Utilizing the principles of the Bible as set up a baseline we can understand how the current situation can be overcome on a person basis. Because in the same way in Israel, salvation is made from the average person not of the nation. And like Israel we should figure out how to live, what things we can control and what things we can not.

Regardless of what prosperity preachers teach, the Bible will not say that everyone will be rich. The Smith-Barney brokerage commercials tells the message of what many churchgoers believe about money AND salvation. "We earn money the old fashioned way; we EARN it."

God's message is quite different than what is said on Wall Street-He provides to those that don't deserve it, giving in their mind something they will have no capacity to earn and gives it in their mind without expectation of repayment. He's got adopted us into his family as joint heirs with the privileges of being a natural-born child.

The Lure of Money

Verses 1-. read more whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent, what I am going to say applies equally to all or any the members of your affiliated party. Many of them are going to bust hell spacious.

I don't say that because of what policies one or the other party has tried or is wanting to enforce, or what platform they will have or what legislative agenda they will have tried to enact. The fact is, while I don't know any of them personally, the Bible says that "There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who seek after God." Rom. 3:10

A lot of the legislators in both houses of congress are there to get paid. Or even while in office, then after.

It really is little wonder that ordinary American's have little say in what happens in the world. There is no lobby for Ordinary Folk. You can find no Senator's who are going to go to work to push for legislation that benefits Average Jane and Joe.

But there comes a cost for having wealth. The more you have, the more you want. Back the 60's, reporter asked him how much money will do. John D. replied, "Just a little bit more."
A FRESH York survey of these making over $200,000 each year showed that while they were much better off than most American's, they felt more aware of their relative lack of wealth in comparison with those earning more than they. Quite simply, that they had more anxiety because of not earning millions each year than those who earned under $100,000 per year.

We believe that if we have additional money, everything will be alright. If only I possibly could make an extra $5,000, $10,000 each year, we'd be ok. We believe, just like John D. Rockefeller that if we just had a bit more, everything would be alright.

For this reason Solomon says, "There is an evil which I have seen beneath the sun, in fact it is common among men: A man to whom God Has given riches and wealth and honor, in order that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God will not give him the power to consume of it, but a foreigner consumes it. That is vanity, in fact it is an evil affliction."

The quest for wealth has been the hallmark of the American experiment. Again and again, those who were willing to risk much have already been able to reward themselves and their families with a higher quality lifestyle and the betterment of society.

But the Protestant Work Ethic that was instilled by our Puritan forebears that allowed America to end up being the envy of the planet in wealth and prosperity has been corrupted and misplaced.

Rather than placing focus on a genuine day's wage for a genuine day's work, and the truth that every person's vocation, no matter how trivial or mundane, had worth in and of itself, we discover that those that lead a corporation by elimination of the workforce will be the most highly compensated, instead of those whose effort allows the product to be brought to market.

The Puritans felt that work, regardless of what it involved, had worth so long as the individual realized that he was doing it as "unto the Lord". From the Garden of Eden, humans have the need to DO, to cultivate, to work.

Now, those that do minimal will opt to lower expenses by laying off those that assemble, distribute and sell the things that cause them to manage to be compensated.

What has happened? How did the machine become corrupt?

Simply stated, it had been because while most people were not Christian before the Puritans, but they at least held from what was a nominally Christian worldview that viewed God as in charge and that all things were under his providence.

The Puritans understood that God created everything on the planet, everything in the universe and that people are all going just how of all flesh. Quite simply, no matter just how much wealth is accumulated in this life, if you don't have Jesus Christ as savior, there is no amount of money that may allow you to get into heaven, there is not enough money in the planet to keep you from likely to hell, and that everything nowadays is eventually going to pass away.

The Rich man in Luke 16:19-31 could have foregone all of his wealth if he could only have a drop of water to be put upon his tongue to quench the torment he felt. But rather of the ease he had in this life, he could only wish he could send warning to his family of the reality of hell.

Now, we are in Post-Christian America, where even churchgoing Christians are likely not to understand the essential principles of Orthodox Christianity, that the word, "God helps those that help themselves" is not in the Bible, but was a quote from Benjamin Franklin. That wealth is not a symbol of God's blessing, but more regularly an indicator of personal spiritual apathy and a declaration of independence FROM God.

In study after study it's been shown that there is an inverse relationship between income and interest in God. Put simply, generally speaking the more money you make, the not as likely you are to go to church regularly, to pray regularly also to be concerned about God in general.

The Love of Money

What is it that people are to love? How are we to respond to love when we receive it? Why do people sometimes don't look out for the needs of others? God reaches the center of each of those questions.

In the first place, we are to love God with our whole core and might. There's to be no-one or nor any thing that comes between our relationship with ourselves and our creator, sustainer and redeemer. For unless our relationship with God is to be able, our relationship with this families, our neighbors and co-workers can't be right.

But how many people do we know who boast of what earthly possessions they will have or their ability to do that or that, or to click here or there.

In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he compares the life of godliness to that of seeking money for its own sake. (1Tim 6:6-12)-What Paul is getting across to Timothy is that while there is nothing wrong with wealth in and of itself, much too often wealth, the need to be wealthy and/or the quest for it becomes a snare and trap for those who become enamored by its allure. Wealth is really a desire that's difficult to satisfy also it becomes a obstacle to those who seek to serve Christ.

In the Book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira tried to attend some of what the proceeds of a sale of real estate that they owned from the Apostles to their own destruction. (Acts 5:1-10). It was not that they were wealthy, but that they were wanting to deceive God by declaring they had given their all, if they only gave a portion.

Look, God owns everything anyway. He doesn't need everything you have. But if you want the best He's got, you must be willing to turn over control of everything you perceive as yours to Him. As Americans, we have a tendency to look at things and feel that we can accomplish anything on our own.

But as Jesus said in Luke 12:48, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..." or as is in some translations "much is expected".

But far too many of us have already been guilty of answering the question that writer Denis Brogan asked in the mid-forties; if God was to be replaced..."What would replace Him? Could anything replace Him but 'Democracy' converted to an object of worship, or business or success?"

And the business enterprise of business would be to advance SELF interest. That's, the determination to make money is the overriding principle in the advance of the capitalistic ideal. Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko in "Wall Street" purring, "Greed is good", is now being transplanted into the real life by Bernie Madoff.

Compare the existing hand wringing over our current status of the economy with what Jesus thought to his disciples in Matt. 6:25-33. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you eat or what you will drink; nor about your system, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you be worried about clothing? Think about the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I tell you that even Solomon in every his glory had not been arrayed like one of these brilliant.

"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He very little more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore usually do not worry, saying 'What shall we consume?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

"For after all these exact things the Gentiles seek. For the heavenly Father knows that you'll require all these things. But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS shall be put into you."

And for the reason that last line is encapsulated the entirety of the desire of the Christian; to get the righteousness that God graciously gives to his subjects in His Kingdom, the gift that none can work for, earn, buy or deserve.

And when we submit to the authority of the only real wise God, to whom be honor, glory power and majesty, now and forevermore, just about everyone has our needs cared for.

The Labor of Money

If we are perfectly honest, not only are we all doing work for the Lord, ME! You want to be on the throne of our lives, you want to have control of our households and we wish control of our pocketbooks and billfolds.

In other words, we want a small 'g' god that people can control, one we are able to dictate our wants, desires and needs to and also have the expectation that, just like a genie of the magic lamp he will grant us our wishes and the desires of our hearts.

Which leads to the next quote; "Show me a person's checkbook, and I demonstrate what is important in their mind." Your spending habits tell more about you as well as your personality and desire than anything else.

Today, when you get home, I want you to do something for me. Take your check book, online bank statements or just the receipts for the past three months. Go back and look at how much you spent on YOU, how much you spent on your loved ones and then just how much you allocated to GOD. Then break that into percentages to see what is important to you.

Now, when I say what you allocated to God, I don't only mean what you put into the offering plate, although that's important. I also mean what you allocated to developing your relationship with God. You know, music, cd's, books, movies, dvd's, magazines. Whatever would enhance and strengthen your connection, knowledge and love of God.

Then, how much time did you may spend within the last month at the job. 40, 50, 60 hours? And what were your wages for that time. Then how much of your time was spent together with your family? And just how much of this time was spent in meaningful communication?

Then how much of the rest of the time was spent with God? Counting church services. And of that time, just how much was spent in "meaningful communication"?

Someday, when I'm ready I'll write an essay that could become a book. It's about my cousin who died this January. I already have the title for this; it's called "Buddha and the Cross".

You see Artie was what I and the household called him, but also for 26 years he was on the Michigan State Police, he was referred to as Buddha.

Now, long story short, Buddha was a profane, drunken, womanizing poor excuse for a individual. But as well, he was a caring, devoted father, loving son and kind police officer who would help others and think of them before thinking of himself.

After he died, his wife asked me to speak at his funeral. And, as my mentor, companion and Father-in-law once told me, "You can't preach anyone into heaven or hell. That's all in God's hands."

As I stood and began to speak to his brothers, his wife, daughters, friends and former co-workers, I spoke what I know to function as truth from the Bible. Artie will make you as mad as anything, but he could also make you break out in the largest smile and heartiest laugh. He could try your patience and he'd take the best care of you. He would can get on your last nerve, but he would go out of his way to take action good for you.

He knew that he was a sinner; he knew he deserved punishment. But he also knew that Jesus died for him. And I leave all of the answers to all or any the questions anyone ever has about his fate in the Hands of God, who found seek and save the lost, to provide a means of salvation not for the righteous, but for sinners.

What does that have related to the labor of money? Without a doubt. In Isaiah 55, the Lord says, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who've no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

"Why do you spend money for what's not bread, and your wages for what will not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what's good, and let your soul take pleasure in abundance. Incline your ear, and arrived at me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I am going to make an everlasting covenant with you-the sure mercies of David.

"Seek god, the father while he might be found, call upon him while he could be near. Allow wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He'll abundantly pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your ideas, nor are your ways my ways' says god, the father. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so can be my ways greater than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God is not a guy he should lie. Consider yourself. Think about your life. Think about what money cannot buy and seek the Lord while he might be found.

Rev. Adrian Powell can be an ordained minister in the Church of God (Anderson, IN). He is an experienced church planter, pastor, speaker and seminar resource, having served and ministered in churches in the Midwest, Eastern and Southern USA.

A solid expositional speaker, Adrian is named to bring the Church the "Whole Counsel of God" in the regions of Evangelism, Apologetics, Grace, Christ and Culture, Unity, Reality and Racial Reconciliation and submission to the truth of Scripture. "The Church must remain true to the saying, 'Reformed and Always Reforming'".

A favorite preacher of the Gospel, he's got also had articles published in the Columbus Dispatch, Urban Trendsetters and national magazines such as for example Vital Christianity and Purpose Magazine.

A bi-vocational minister, he's got over 15 years experience in the Financial Services industry. He could be a member of the Society of Financial Services Professionals, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, has received his Fraternal Insurance Counsellor designation from the National Association of Fraternal Insurance Counsellors and is currently seeking the Charter Life Underwriter (CLU) from the American College. He could be also available to speak in chuches on Biblical Economics, Stewardship and Finances, THE REALITY About Tithing and Real Prosperity.

For questions about speaking schedules and availability, contact him at [email protected]. His website for Biblical Finances is
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