0732 Three Kinds of Poverty

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Haggai 1:2-8

1. Have a prosperous mind

- Don’t bring your mind to the level of your wallet (3 John 1:2) Shepherd, provider, delivers out of all afflictions…

- Maintain positive attitude in the face of hardships (Numbers 14:24) Attitude determines altitude. Bad attitude is flat tire, you can’t go far until you change it.

- Speak what you believe, not what you feel (Joel 3:10) Your words can either describe your situation or change it. Your words are material that Holy Spirit will use to build your life.

2. Repent from financial sins

Mistakes - impulse buying, co-signing, borrowing, buying what you don’t need, no savings

- Love of money (1 Timothy 6:10; Mark 10:25 Money is terrible master. Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven.

- Wrong way of getting money (James 5:4 Zacchaeus) Robbery, shoplifting, dishonest business practice, employees stealing, citizens stealing, first sin was one of theft, and last person Jesus forgave was thief.

- - taking what’s not yours

- - not giving to others what’s rightful theirs

Examples: Achan, Saul, Gehazi, Judas, Ananias

Leader of HGY! When tax collector decided to give half, and return - Jesus did not stop!

3. Build God’s kingdom

If we build God’s house, God will build ours (2 Samuel 7:11)

Don’t use your house as an excuse to not build God’s

Whole tribe was focused, Jesus’ disciples were focused on spreading message. (1 Tim.5:17-18; 1 Cor.9:14)

Church lacks vision, leaders are burned out, church suffers!

Pay the bills. Staffing. Programs - youtube, website, tv show. Studio.

Trips where Pastors can be renewed in vision. Missionaries, orphanges, muntyan miistry. Sow to ministries where work is done.

Consistent giving (percentage, priority, persistence)

Spontaneous sacrifices (David 21 billion, Solomon 1k bulls, widow 2 pennies; it’s the amount but amount of sacrifice in that gift, Mary gave years of wages - Jesus did not say it’s waste)

Rewards of giving: Reward, protection, ideas, people will give you

Poverty as attack for stealing from God and people. (Mal.3:9-10)

Adam took what was not his - curse on finances.

Egypt stole from others - paid for it.

Judas stole - committed suicide.

When you steal from God and people, you are giving satan permission to steal from you.

STORY: Stealing tv shows!

Poverty as affliction while serving God. (Psalm 34:19)

Job suffered but bounced back.

You can’t call your hardship affliction if you are not right in your dealings.

Poverty as an act of love. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

The love of money is root of all evil, the love of people is the root of all giving.

You have to be blessed to become this poor.

Rick Warren story and mother Teresa.

You will never be as poor as you were when you were born and as you will be when you die.

STORY: Armando story

Poverty as an attack - it’s a curse.

Poverty as an affliction - it’s a test.

Poverty as an act of love - it’s a blessing.

Prosperity is not what you have, it’s who you are.

You can’t be rich if you make poor decisions. (Meditate on God’s word)

Poor decisions: Laziness. Withholding tithes. Hating correction. Loving sleep. Addictive behavior. Stealing. Hastening to be rich quick.

To prosper you must apply yourself to some form of income-producing activity. (Peter fish, Joseph management, Abraham farming, Paul tents) He gives power to get wealth. He blesses the works of your hands.

Prosperity will come after you handle your hard times with care.

Poverty comes when we handle our good times carelessly.

Hardships, don't quit! If not through the door it will be through the roof.