0737 Prosperous Soul

Family and Tribes ruled the world – from Adam until Israel crossing the promise land

Armies ruled the world – from Joshua until the crucifixion of Christ

Religion ruled the world – from Rome until of Age of Enlightment

Politics ruled the world – from the Age of Enlightment until the fall of Communism

Business rules the world – from Fall of Berlin Wall until now

(Anything that makes money do it. Golden rule - whoever has gold makes the rules)

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.

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

1. Prosperous soul will make prosperous life.

*Poverty is not money issue but a mind issue. Mind is the magnet for money.

For sale: TV all is working. I am the only one that’s broke.

2. Prosperous life does not create prosperous mind.

*Cailie Rogers - $3 mil in a lottery. 6 years, single mom with 2 jobs as a maid, ends meet.

*Ken Proxmire won a million dollars. Years later, his wife left him and he filed for bankruptcy.

*William Post won $16.2 million in a lottery. Within a decade, he declared bankruptcy, his brother ordered a contract killing on his life, his girlfriend dumped him and sued him, and he lives on Social Security.

*Jack Whitaker won $315 million in the lottery. Within a decade, his wife divorced him, his daughter and granddaughter both died of consumption-related issues, his property was broken into repeatedly, and he wound up bouncing checks in casinos because he no longer had the cash to cover them.

*Whether we win $500 million or $1 million, about 70 percent of us lose or spend all our money in five years or less.

Blind beggar (Mark 10:51-53)

He was asking for money. Poverty was symptom of lack of vision.

Jesus did not give him money but vision.

God gives POWER to get wealth. (Deut.8:18; Hosea 4:6)

1. Move from fear to faith.

Psalm 23:1 (I will not lack), Psalm 23:4 (walk through stuff - no fear), Psalm 23:5 (cup runs over)

As long as you are afraid, you can’t walk through - you get stuck in.

Don’t feed what you feel. Feed what you believe.

God prepares table, make sure you show up for the dinner!

Grasshopper mentality is more dangerous than giants.

Loss of focus. Negative confession. Panic and anxiety.

Dreams become a reality. Choose them carefully. Not right away to give you a chance to change it.

You can’t control what you feel, you control what you feed!

2. Move from tipping to tithing.

Blind man first saw Jesus and followed Jesus on the road!

Failure to give Jesus His proper place in finances is catastrophic.

God gave His first and best, He will settle for nothing less!

Busyness and lack of money are excuses for failure to put Jesus as Lord. Jesus is healer, Jesus is Lord!

God is the source, job is the channel.

Some help comes by trust, rest of things comes by obedience.

Having a vision is one thing but giving God proper place must follow.

God wants first, not left overs. (Cut somethings out)

Don’t listen to the devil - I can do so much with it. (What I could do with 1k mortgage) Jesus wants to replace, not remove the devil.

*My story…about 200.

Give it to God’s house. Not to needy or pastor.

3. Move from greed to generosity.

Greed is love of money. Stealing. (shoplifting, burglary) Dishonesty. (not disclosing info)

Story: Withdraw 1000…

Like Judas started stealing, unnoticed by Jesus, no consequences - no repentance. Brings demons, deeper issues - suicide.

No one has become rich by stealing and lying in long run.

We all are like moon - dark circle who reflect light.

Same measure you use to give, God will use to give back!

Wedding and Internship. Conference sowing.

“What I spend I had, what I saved I lost, what I gave I have”