BIBLICAL ECONOMICS AND SUCCESS IN FINANCES
By Tommy Franks
Copyright @ 2007 Tommy Franks
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Author.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Due to the Author's prerogative, some words are in small letters and some are capitalized for clarity and emphasis and not necessarily in accordance with standard grammatical
practice.
Unless otherwise stated, whenever the masculine gender is used, it applies to both men and women.
Second Revised Edition 2007.
DEDICATION
I dedicate these writings BIBLICAL ECONOMICS AND SUCCESS IN FINANCES to the faithful members of All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, Florida. I thank God for your faithfulness, witness, and example of "Making A Difference" in your community. Certainly, YOU are on the cutting edge of society and may the Word of God continue to dwell in you mightily.
CONTENTS
Introduction
1. The Secret to Biblical Economics
2. Money…Money
3. Success in Tithing
4. Success in The Law of Giving
5. Godly Success in Finances
6. The Power of Agreement in Finances
7. The Blessings of Abraham
8. God Wants You Wealthy!
9. Think Big!
10. You Were Born to Spend Money!
11. Winners
12. Debt Free at Last
13. Last Words
INTRODUCTION
YOU deserve the very BEST that our Father God has to offer. He wants you to have the necessary resources to “put you over in life”. He wants YOU to be happy and healthy. Our Lord wants you to have plenty. After all, YOU are the BEST product that the Father has ever made. He made YOU in His class!
MONEY...WEALTH...PROSPERITY...HARD ASSETS...are yours in accordance with the Holy Scriptures. God wants you to have plenty in order to fulfill HIS covenant. "The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the JUST" (Pr.13:22). Who are the Just Ones? The Just are the righteous ones on Planet Earth. They are the ones that should have plenty of money. "HE has given us (you and me) the power to get WEALTH that HE may establish His covenant" (Author’s version of Deut.8:18). GOD wants us to be a part of something BIG…fulfilling His covenant on Planet Earth. As Christians, we should have more than enough so that we in turn…can give to our local church, share with others, and give to various ministries.
God owns all the gold and silver there is. Our Father owns ALL the cattle. He owns all the oil and mineral resources. This earth belongs to God and HIS children. We are HIS sons and daughters and God Himself wants to share this wealth with us. The Word says, "Though the wicked shall heap up silver as the dust...the innocent shall divide the silver" (Job 27:16‑17). We are the innocent ones (God's children).
Biblical prosperity is for EVERY Believer. We as children of the light need to commit ourselves to receive God's wealth and to assist Him in establishing His covenant (Will and Word) across this land. We must start seeing ourselves as God sees us...healed, whole, wealthy, full of faith, bold, powerful, more than a conqueror with GIANT faith. We must begin to think BIG. God is not a small God. He does not think small.
These writings are not for the individual who wants to continue to be timid, poor, just barely getting by, inferior, shy, powerless, or traditional. BUT they are for the Believer who desires to have the abundant provisions that God has given to His children. I am talking about plenty. I am talking about “more than enough”.
The problem with so many Christians today is...we think TOO small! Did you know there is enough wealth right now in this earth for every living human being on the face of this planet to be a millionaire with money to spare? Where is this money? It is laid up for the just ones for this time in history.
You see, the enemy (satan) is not as smart as some people think. He is a LOSER! He has made people (sinners) greedy. They have selfishly horded gobs of money (billions) of dollars upon themselves. For what, you ask? So that you and I can receive these monies freely and then rightly disperse them to the needy, poor, hungry, benevolent ministries, and third world countries for the furtherance of the Gospel!
Jesus wants us involved in finances. The devil and the world's system have had it long enough. They are both bankrupt. NOW is the time for YOU and I to get wealth! The Word has already given us the POWER to appropriate this wealth! We have the POWER! However, God leaves the choice up to us.
MONEY is certainly a very dear subject to all of us. It is even more important to God. Now, some of you may say, "Let me pray about this." Some things we do not have to pray about. For example, the Word says for us to pay tithes. We do not have to pray to find out if it is the Will of God for us to pay tithes. Neither do we have to pray to find out if it is God's will for us to be holy. We do not have to pray to find out if it is the Will of God for us to be baptized. Was Jesus baptized? Yes. If the Word says for us to do or be something, then we simply need to do it. Let us not waste God's time by asking Him something that His Word has already commanded us to do. We can and should fulfill God's covenant by being a channel of His wealth and resources on Planet Earth.
The Gospel is GOOD NEWS. It says a lot about Biblical Economics. The Gospel will EXCITE you! It will make you rich if you OBEY it! If taken seriously, the WORD will make YOU a real SUCCESS IN FINANCES! Not only does God love YOU, but He also desires for you to “have plenty”!
As Christians, we are on Divine Assignment while on this planet. The Commander‑in‑Chief of the Universe (Jesus) has given us a combat mission (operational order). Our mission...if we choose to accept it, is to establish His covenant. YOU are a Christian Soldier filled with the dynamic ability of God and can make such a difference in your community, especially in the area of finances!
We are the BEST product that heaven has ever produced. We are the APPLE of God's eye. The Bible says, “The violent take it by force” (Mt.11:12). The abundance of God will come to you as you accept your responsibility in the Kingdom of God. Freedom of lack…Freedom of worry…Freedom to excel has come to you and your family through Jesus Christ. God has anointed you by His Holy Spirit. Man can not stop you. No devil can stop you. You are the only person that can stop you from God's best. In Jesus, you are strong! YOU are in the hollow of God's hand! The yoke of bondage has been destroyed from your life! Period!
FINANCES in abundance belong to YOU NOW!
Chapter 1
The Secret to Biblical Economics
We were “born again” to tear down the works of satan and be a true Success on this earth! We do not have to be poor or just barely getting by. Greater is Jesus that is in us than all the works on this earth! YOU have the power to loose your finances (Mt.18:18). The WEALTH of God is yours. TAKE IT! God has already given it to you! Reach out and receive it today. The abundance of God belongs to YOU!
"The blessing of the Lord makes YOU RICH and He adds no sorrow with it" (Literal version of Pr.10:22). Money and riches, when given to you by the Lord, do NOT bring grief, sorrow, worry, suffering, sadness, regret, trouble, or affliction. God's gifts are holy and pure! His riches bring blessings to us, NOT grief or sorrow. Sin brings sorrow, suffering, sadness, and grief...not God's blessings of finances!
Someone once said, "Well, if I were rich with a lot of money, I would probably go back into sin!" The only thing is...there is no Scripture for this fable. What does the Word say? The Word says that God will add no sorrow with His riches that He bestows upon you! His wealth is pure and holy. We should desire it because He wants us to have it!
In the past thirty years, I have learned that we as Christians should be the examples of God’s blessings and abundance. After all, we have the "mind of Christ" and KNOW what to do with His gifts and resources! The world does NOT know how to use money and wealth. They have wasted it for thousands of years!
These writings hopefully, will give you a balanced and Biblical approach to financial economics based upon God's Holy Word. I believe you will develop a keen awareness of God's laws pertaining to finances and your authority (POWER) to become financially blessed. Understanding these principles will assist you in your ABILITY of becoming an extraordinary winner in today's world. YOU will become a tremendous asset in the Kingdom of God and become a POWERFUL threat to the kingdom of darkness. You are not here by chance, but by the Divine appointment of the Holy Ghost. God will impart His knowledge and wisdom to you as you receive it and use it. His Word is final!
God has made YOU. You are a part of the Family of God. You have Divine purpose. God wants you to be successful, happy, and productive. The GREATEST insurance in all the world is to get hooked up with Jesus. When He is your Senior Partner, YOU cannot fail. The stock market may crash, wars may rage, famines may come, and crises may assail, but YOU will NOT fail as you ride with HIM! His Blood Covenant guarantees the very BEST for YOU. Not only do YOU have "fire insurance", but YOU also have recession and depression insurance NOW on this earth with at least a 30, 60, or hundred‑fold return.
Joy, love, peace, contentment, health, abundance, money, and success are yours through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Expect GOOD things to happen to you and they will. Abundance belongs to you. God is extravagant, but not wasteful. We walk in the Presence of an extraordinary EXTRAVAGANT Father. He loves us so much until He sent us His only begotten Son‑‑Jesus Christ. And God was so extravagant that He spared not His only Son. Now, you can begin to walk in His extravagance and enjoy PLENTY because Jesus has already paid for everything. NOW, it is up to us to possess it! And who says there are no more "free rides"? What Jesus did for us is free for the asking! The title deed is already ours!
Always reject the limitation complex (sometimes known as the grasshopper complex). Walk in the God‑Complex. Act like God! Be God‑conscious and NOT sin‑conscious. See yourself as God sees you...a powerful, dynamic, talented, gifted, SPECIAL, warm, patient, wealthy, and BEAUTIFUL child of the MOST HIGH.
This beautiful green earth was made for us to ENJOY. God’s resources were also made for us to enjoy. God made this earth a paradise for us. God created all the gold, silver, diamonds, and wealth for His children. We are His children! We are the WINNERS! Winners come in first, NOT second. There is no such thing as a good loser. If you are a loser, you are LOSER and there is nothing good about it. Show me a good loser and I'll show you a defeated person! We do not have to settle for second best. Does God?
Our Father has given us a First Class Ticket with all the trimmings. We NOW go forth in power, influence, prestige, money and dignity. The world is saying, "These men and women have been with Jesus." Total victory is ours now and FOREVER!
Godly success brings greatness into your life because YOU were created for GREATNESS. YOU were created for abundant living. YOU need not lack because the Good Shepherd takes excellent care of you. He lives in your house. And no bank or financial institution can take your house (home) until they evict HIM. As long as He is living there as your Guest, no one can take that dwelling from YOU! Thank God! You are NEVER alone! YOU are safe! YOU are financially solvent with resources to spare. You are healed in His Name (Jesus). You are NOT defeated! ALL THE RESOURCES OF HEAVEN ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL! God has given YOU true SUCCESS! In Him, you never have to lack another day!
Our Father says, "If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land (YOU shall be RICH)" (Is.1:19). Oh, how our Father loves us! He will NEVER withhold any GOOD thing (His resources) from us...NEVER. His 32,000 promises are yes and AMEN! He is extremely EXTRAVAGANT! One promise...eternal life would have been enough, but not with Him. He wants us riding in high cotton. He wants us in clover up to our elbows. He wants us to soar with eagles!
Jesus has made us FREE from financial poverty. We are FREE from failure. We are FREE from fear (false effects appearing real). We are FREE from doubt. We are FREE from weakness...defeat...ignorance, sin, lack, bondage, condemnation! WE ARE FREE! Period! Christ paid our debt. He suffered death for two purposes...to set mankind free and to DESTROY the devil who HAD the power of death (Heb.2:14‑15). Today, we have incredible POWER too (Lk.10:19, 1 Jn.4:17).
Was Jesus poor? Think about it. Was He poor? No! Jesus did have humble beginnings, but this is what the Word says, "...Though He was RICH, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be RICH (increased in goods, made wealthy, to have abundance such as money)" (2 Cor.8:9). Jesus came to make us rich! This is what this Scripture says! Jesus was a tremendous Success while He was on this earth. He was NOT POOR! He was in heaven with the Father enjoying His heavenly wealth. But the Bible says that He (for our welfare) became poor (for only a short time) that we might be RICH!
Even while Jesus was on this earth, He fed multitudes (thousands) and even had plenty left over. Have you ever fed 5000 men (and their wives and children) at one setting? Or 4000 men (and their wives and children) at another setting? He had a full time treasurer. They had so much MONEY until the treasurer was stealing from Him. They had so much until Jesus commanded Peter to go pay their taxes. Yes, even Jesus had to pay taxes! If Jesus was so poor, why did He talk so much about MONEY?
Now, it is our turn to do the same things that He did and even GREATER works. He has given us the same identical POWER to do the same things that He did. All POWER has been given to us (Mt.28:18‑19, Lk.10:19) and that includes the POWER to appropriate His resources and get wealth (Deut.8:18). We have no excuse for being POOR...NONE! I know that Jesus said…“that we would always have the poor with us”. Why? Because they have not acted on God’s Word about finances. We will also always have sinners on this earth until Jesus comes. Do they have to remain sinners? No! Do people have to remain poor? No!
Some Christians are always talking about "when we get to heaven, we will be rich". Of course, you will be wealthy in heaven, but God also wants us to have abundance NOW. He has already given it to us. Let's reach out and possess it!
BOTTOMLINE: The secret to Biblical Economics is to know that our Father God wants us to be rich because we are His children. His resources are ours for the taking. We must tear down the strongholds of poverty in our lives and the poverty around us. We must refuse the enemy any foothold in our finances or our family's. We do not have to put up with the devil's evil schemes and devices. He has no power over our finances except the power that we give to him. Let us choose to give him NONE.
Chapter 2
Money…Money
Now days, we hear a lot about money. Contrary to what some may say, money is not the root of all evil. Money is neutral. It does what we tell it to do. It buys what we tell it to buy. We can spend it for good or for evil. The choice is ours. The Bible says that the "love of money is the root of all evil", not money. Because you are a special creation of God, YOU can have MONEY and great SUCCESS at the same time! YOU have all the POWER in the universe wrapped up within YOU right now to assist you in this venture. You have God the Father living within you. You have Jesus Christ abiding within you. You have the Holy Spirit living within you! What other power do you need? You now have the power to take control of your life and finances. YOU can pull down the strongholds or cast down anything that would exalt itself against your finances (2 Cor.10:4‑5). Why? Because YOU are made in the direct image of God. Is God poor? Or is God WEALTHY? Success and money are YOURS!
In the Kingdom of God, it is true that there are many things better than money, such as the Word of God, your good name, your wonderful spouse, your children, your eternal soul, the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life, and the precious BLOOD of JESUS. These blessings cannot be purchased with money. It is self evident that money is not the most important thing in Scripture. However, the bottom-line is this: It takes money to propagate the world with the Gospel and proclaim the good news of eternal life to this sinful and dying generation. It takes money to pay our just and honest debts. It takes money for our education, homes, automobiles, clothes, food, and other important needs. It takes money to build churches in America and other nations. Money can answer a lot of needs on this earth (Eccl. 10:19).
God has given you dominion (the right and power to govern and control) over everything that creeps, crawls, swims, flies, or walks (Gen.1:28). You have the POWER and RIGHT to govern and control your financial circumstances. YOU have the ability to make money. God has made you able.
Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto YOU power (correctly translated authority) over ALL the power of the enemy: and nothing (not one little or big thing) shall by any means hurt YOU" (Lk.10:19). Authority means the right to exercise power. You have the right to take authority over your finances! God’s resources and money belong to YOU!
"...They marveled and glorified God, which had given such power (delegated authority) unto men" (Mt.9:8). Jesus had the right to use the full power of attorney of God. He acted in the Father's stead. He took His Divine orders from His Father God. He did the will of the Father. He and God were One. They thought alike. God thought it and Jesus did it! Today, you have the same right. You are a son/daughter of God. You deserve to have money and PLENTY of it! Poverty does not belong to a king! Money belongs to kings!
Jesus said, "And I will give unto YOU the keys (power and authority) of the kingdom..." (Mt.16:19). These were the keys of the kingdom which gave us all power and authority, even to make money. They also gave us the abilities of binding and loosing (Mt.18:18). These KEYS will work miracles in your FINANCES!
Again, Jesus said, "...ALL power (and authority) is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. (YOU) go therefore..." (Mt.28: 18‑19). How do we go? We go as winners in the area of finances; we go in His power and authority. The Bible gives us the power and authority we need through the finished work of Jesus Christ. "...As He (Jesus) is (present tense), so are we (YOU and I) in this world" (1 Jn.4:17). Is Jesus poor right NOW?
Many Christians have formed the opinion that God is against His children having material wealth for fear that they would lose their souls. However, the Bible is full of accounts of God blessing men/women with prosperity (Gen.13:3-9, 26:12; 1 Kgs.10:29; Job 1:3; Ps.35:27). God has promised in the Old and New Testaments…riches and blessings untold to those who will serve and obey Him (Deut.28:1-15, 29:9; Josh.1:7-9; 2 Cor.8:9, 9:6-11). God Himself is the richest Person in the universe; so if it is a sin to be rich, then He is the greatest sinner of all! Of course, we know that God is NOT a sinner and is the Righteous One of the universe! In Heaven, the streets are even paved with gold. The foundation is garnished with all kinds of jewels. Every house is a mansion and the gates are solid pearls! If God has promised us these things in the next life, why would it be a sin to have some of these things now in this present life?
Wall Street, NASDAC, and the National Treasury spend billions of dollars proving that…“Security” is elusive at best, absent on most occasions, and limited more often than desired. However, we do not need to fear! In our fast-paced society today, many well intentioned individuals have often fallen prey and victim to fear and failure…in the area of finances because…“Their gage of security was provision and not the Provider.” Only Jehovah Jireh is our every Provider. God has a principle of economic security that cannot fail. It is called “FAITH”. What does faith have to do with it?
Faith, the one-word formula of confidence allows us to trust in God for our well-being, especially in finances. The Bible is actually a historical account of how faithful God is to those who live by faith. Faith is “knowing that God is able” before we pray…and then maintaining that He is able…Until the fruition and completion of the partition. In the seasons of life when His abundance overtakes us, faith still means that He is our Provider.
"But You shall receive power (inherent power and ability) after that the Holy Ghost is come upon YOU..." (Acts 1:8). God has given you His power and ability and strength. He has given you the best He has to offer. USE it and become a resourceful BELIEVER in His Kingdom! Use it and make a lot of money…money! Greater is the wealth that is in YOU than the poverty that is in the world. You have more riches within YOU than you will ever need or use. To make or have money, you must have faith in God! Doubt will steal you blind! Doubt will kill you financially. Doubt will create bills when there are none. Doubt will wipe out a whole family financially. Doubt is a KILLER. In Caleb's day, doubt wiped out a whole generation of wealthy people (hundreds of thousands) and their bodies fell dead in the wilderness (Nu.14: 29). They had money, but they allowed the enemy to steal it from them...and rip them off!
We must take our eyes off the problem. We must quit speaking the problem. We must not speak lack. Remember Caleb? He was a GIANT of a man in faith. Even though doubt was all around, he did not speak it. He spoke of "an EXCEEDING good land...flowing with milk and honey. The people are bread for us. Their defense is gone. The Lord is with us...fear them not. They are only wimps. Their money is ours for the taking" (Author’s version Nu. 14:7‑9).
What ever happened to Caleb? Payday came to his house! God promised General Caleb and his children the very land that he had trodden upon when he had spied out the land (De.1:36). As a big SUCCESS in finances, Caleb was not shy. To have money in today's world, you cannot afford to be shy. The spirit of timidity is not of God. YOU must be BOLD. Caleb reminded Joshua that he had "WHOLLY followed the Lord" (Jos.14:8) and he wanted what was coming to him. Caleb wanted his MOUNTAIN of finances. It was payday! Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him the mountain that had been promised to him. This particular payday was also Caleb's birthday (85 years old). WHAT A PRESENT! General Caleb had certainly earned it. At last he could go in and enjoy his success in finances! Caleb had faith! No devil or giant was going to rob or steal it from him. He had a made up mind to succeed! Our minds must be made up! Do YOU want to succeed in finances? If the answer is YES, then YOU shall!
In short, although we have been given everything in this life to put us over, we still must go in and possess our money. Christ has equipped us with gifts, spiritual weapons, wisdom, warfare plans (Bible), and POWER through the Holy Ghost. He has commissioned us to go forth and use His POWER to be successes in finances! Money belongs to us! But we must PRESS OUR WAY IN! Poverty has to bow at the Name of Jesus. Our bills will be paid in the mighty Name of Jesus. We are MIGHTY conquerors, not the conquered. We are the MIGHTY victors, not the victims. Poverty is not our master. We master poverty by rendering it powerless and paralyzed in the Name of Jesus.
Get ready. Get EXCITED. You are God's success for this generation. You are a winner. You are equipped with God's power, authority, ability, prosperity, and anointing. God watches over His Word to perform it and make it happen. No devil, fool, imp, demon, or person can stop the 32,000 promises of God. You are a WINNER! God is FOR you. He is on your side. You are the VICTOR! You cannot go under for going OVER!" You deserve the very best that God has to offer. The LORD will make sure that you have MONEY because you belong to His Family. Go out now and use the power and authority that He has given to you to get WEALTH. You will NOT fail in Jesus' Name.
Chapter 3
Success in Tithing
If you are going to tear down strongholds and level to the ground the ambushes of satan that he has placed against your finances, then you MUST be armed with the Word of God concerning finances, especially "tithing". Biblical Economics dictates that you should study the Word regularly on prosperity. You will then be knowledgeable and well versed about what God says concerning money. You should also KNOW the blessings of TITHING.
I know that some Christians do not believe in tithing! They need the Word of God. They need instruction from God’s Word. There was a time in my life that I did not pay tithes. That was the only time in my life that I was in a desert…a desert of dearth…a desert of lack!
Since then, I have learned the true value of tithing! I have learned to STAND on my OWN TWO FEET and give up no ground when it comes to tithing. Give up nothing! Do not compromise! Be tenacious and persistent. Give up no ground. Never compromise on the issue of tithing. Tithing means giving ten percent of your income to God. It is not 20 percent, 30 percent, or 50 percent. It is simply 10 percent! Whatever else you give beyond the 10 percent is simply offerings. And oh by the way, your tithes belong to your local church…no exceptions! Period! I find no Scripture that gives you permission to pay your tithes to some other ministry…other than where you worship locally. It is called the “storehouse”. Oh, I know all the excuses, but they have no merit when it comes to Scripture!
The enemy has NO power today over your tithes. As a matter of fact, he has NO power over you at all. He is NOT alive and well. He is sick and can only roar as a lion. He is not a lion. The true Lion of Judah is Jesus Christ. If power could be equated to gasoline, he would not have enough for a red ant's motorcycle to drive around a BB. The only power he has is the power that we give to him. Let us choose to give him NONE!
As a prosperous Christian, you MUST pay your tithes. If you fail to pay your tithes, you will be walking under a curse. You will be headed straight for financial disaster. Poverty will be your self‑made, man‑made cross...which has nothing to do with God. When you fail to pay tithes, your financial door is WIDE open for the enemy to play havoc with your money!
You must DECIDE...DECREE...and DECLARE (Job 22:28) that the first 10 percent of your income will go to God as your tithe:
1. Make that decision. Determine that you are going to pay your tithe. DECIDE to pay your tithe.
2. Decree it (Ps.2:7). Decree means to appoint, note, print, set, to order, ordain, command, or establish. DECREE to pay your tithe.
3. Declare it. Declare in the Hebrew means "to dig, as one would dig a well." Declaring is like digging a well. If you dig long enough and deep enough, you will get water, oil, or gas. RESOURCES will come as you pay your tithe. DECLARE that YOU WILL pay your tithe!
As a tithe payer, you must have enthusiasm which means in the Greek: in God violently involved. Tithing must become a lifestyle with you. Remember, that 10 percent of your paycheck is God's money, not yours. If you spend God's money, you are a thief. Thieves are LOSERS! They seldom ever prosper! Payday for them will come someday...and it will not be a good payday!
Abraham paid tithes 430 years before the law of Moses (Gen.14:20). Jacob said, "...I will surely give the tenth" (Gen.28:22). The Leviticus law said, "ALL THE TITHE BELONGS TO THE LORD...IT IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD" (Lev.27:30).
In the New Testament, Christ taught Tithing (Mt.23:23, Lk.18:11‑12, 42; Mt. 5:20, Lk.10:7). Read these Scriptures in the Living Bible.
The Book of Hebrews taught tithing (7:1‑8).
Paul taught tithing (1Tim.5:18,1 Cor. 9:14, Gal.6:6).
Tithing is NOT optional. I have heard some Christians say, “Well, tithing is optional”. This is NOT scriptural. Tithing is NOT optional! Period! It is necessary for EVERY BORN AGAIN BELIEVER! The TITHE (1/10) BELONGS TO GOD. He gave us 9/10's to live on. If we become greedy and spend HIS money, we will be stealing and will place ourselves back under the curse. Being under the curse is non‑productive and also (for lack of better words) reckless, irresponsible, and extremely unwise.
Tithing brings wealth to the GODLY (Ps. 112).
Many saints of God are tithing in accordance with the Scriptures found in Malachi 3:8-10, but still have empty pockets. Why? Read on…
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that THERE SHALL not BE ROOM enough TO RECEIVE IT."
Tommy Franks says, “Paying tithes is not enough to be successful in money matters and Biblical Economics.” The other side to the coin is "offerings". Many saints are tithing, but have empty pockets, empty wallets, and empty purses. Why? Because they do not understand that tithing only opens the windows of heaven. It does not determine the 30/60/100 fold return. Our offerings do...not the tithe. The tithe already belongs to God. It is not ours. It belongs to God! He allows us to determine our offerings, not our tithe. The more generous our offerings (seed), greater will be the harvest. See the next chapter (chapter 4) for more information on this topic.
As we pay our tithe, things will begin to happen. YOU see, as we stand in the Father's presence without the sense of guilt or inferiority, we will begin to be God conscious, Son conscious, Victor conscious, Faith conscious, and Love conscious. Locked up in each of us (the inner man or hidden man of the heart, 1 Pet. 3:4) is the ABILTIY OF GOD to make money. You will begin to have faith in your own faith as you believe the Word of God on tithing. As you are obedient in tithing, YOU will have His ability and wealth. You will have His wisdom. You will have His love. You will have His righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).
What does tithing have to do with it? God loves us so much! As we are OBEDIENT to the Word, the following will begin to take place in our lives:
We will run through a troop (Ps. 18:29).
We will leap over a wall (Ps. 18:29).
We will chase a thousand (Deut. 32:30).
Two of us will chase 10,000 (Jos. 23:10).
No one shall be able to stand before us (Deut. 11:25).
Our enemies shall flee before us SEVEN ways (Deut.28:7).
We are the VERY CHILDREN (SONS AND DAUGHTERS) OF GOD ALMIGHTY (Jn.1:12).
YOU HAVE POWER TODAY. "Where the Word of a King is, there is Power" (Eccl.8:4). YOU ARE THE SONS OF ABRAHAM, the Spiritual Race called the SEED OF CHRIST (Gal 3:26). YOU were BORN TO destroy, tear down completely, level to the ground, demolish, pull down the strongholds of the enemy against your finances (2 Cor 10:4‑5). Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn.3:8).
You are the head and not the tail (Deut.28:13).
Some day real soon, we will see Jesus! He will be coming on the scene for the entire world to see. I can tell you now…He will have His own global system of finances. He will be a Ruler with supreme authority…a ruler with absolute power and authority (Rev 19:15; Ps 2:9; Rev 12:5, 2:27). His Name is Jesus. He will rule with a rod of iron. We will then have a BALANCED BUDGET.
As a saint of God, YOU are called into fellowship with Jesus Christ with RESTORED RIGHTEOUSNESS, LIBERTY, FREEDOM, and your INHERITANCE. YOU are indwelt by God's Holy Spirit. YOU ARE BLESSED! Continue to pay your tithe! When the enemy tries to get you to discontinue tithing, read him the following poem. Some of you may wonder what in the world is this. I assure you, this poem is Biblical:
The Dust Eater
By Tommy Franks
Mr Sluefoot, on the bottom of my shoe you will find
A favorite line of mine.
Since you are the low‑level dustball that you are
And a total ignoramus by far,
I don't have to say, "Make my day,"
But I would simply like to convey
Three choking words...Eat my dust,
Because dancing on your head, I must.
You are a dumb defeated foe,
And where you are going is not too cold.
You are indeed so uncouth,
And by far the world's worst nincompoop.
You will spend all eternity in the Lake of Fire,
While we are with the Father and those we admire.
Chapter 4
Success in the Law of Giving
The price for our healing, prosperity, joy, self‑esteem, and forgiveness of sins has been paid in full. Jesus paid our bills in full. Jesus was a Giver. We are also givers. Givers never lose. Selfishness never wins!
A successful person does more than just talk. He also demonstrates his actions through love. LOVE always means giving! YOU as a Believer are guaranteed SUCCESS in Life if YOU do the following:
1. BELIEVE that it is God's will for you to prosper (3 Jn 2, Prov. 13:22, Deut. 8:18, Ps. 112).
2. Make God your SENIOR PARTNER (Ps. 37:3‑6, Isa. 58:14, MT. 6:33, Jn. 10:10).
3. DREAM...DREAM...DREAM. NEVER STOP DREAMING!!! Have a VISION. Think BIG. Dream BIG. Have a vision of ABUNDANCE (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17, Gen. 37:5, 1 Kg. 3:5, 18:41; 2 Cor.12:1, Prov. 29:18).
4. Recognize God as the SOURCE of YOUR Supply (Lk.6:38, Deut. 8:18, Prov. 10:22, 2 Pet. 1:3, Ps. 75:6‑7, Isa. 48:17‑18, Ps. 1:3).
5. You do not have to lack (Mt. 11:12, Gen. 1:26‑28, Ps. 8:4‑9, Heb. 2:6‑16, Eph. 1:22). The enemy is under your feet.
6. GIVE...GIVE...GIVE (Lk. 6:38, Prov. 3:9‑10, 2 Cor. 8:7). You MUST be a giver in order to be a success in finances.
7. Begin to think big! You are His very own child MADE IN HIS IMAGE (Ps. 82:6, Jn. 10:34‑36, Eph. 5:30).
8. GET READY for His Blessings (Job 27:16‑17,Prov.28:8, Eccl. 2:26, Jn.8:32, Deut.8:18, Isa. 61:6, Eccl. 6:1‑2). As you become a giver, success will come to you and your house.
Laws of God are for our welfare. There is a law of giving that is absolute. "For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being), has freed me from the law of sin and death" (Amp. Rom. 8:2). "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you are spirit and life" (Jn.6:32).
These writings will not be an in‑depth or exhaustive study on the law of giving or Biblical Economics due to the time element involved; however, if you will use these principles as a springboard, YOU WILL HAVE a good solid foundation for future studies and research on these topics. My thoughts and concepts will serve only as instruments and tools to assist you in studying the WORD for YOURSELF.
As you get into this particular LAW of God, you will find yourself getting wiser, more successful, prosperous, happy, joyous, admired, and feeling good about yourself. Bottomline: Get REAL with God concerning your finances.
Jesus said to give (Lk. 6:38). He said to give first. THEN..."it shall be given unto you Good (beautiful, valuable, honest, worthy, virtuous) MEASURE." Measure means: quantity, degree, proportion. Jesus said the measure would be "Pressed down, shaken together, RUNNING OVER (above, beyond, to overflow, exceeding abundantly, to GUSH out, a belly gusher)."
Do you KNOW what Jesus was actually saying? "If you give, you will receive! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give‑large or small‑will be used to measure what is given back to you" (Living Bible).
If you give a teaspoon full, you will get the reward of a teaspoon back to you. If you give a coffee can full, you will be rewarded back a coffee can full...or bucket...wheelbarrow...dump truck...drag line...or a box car full. If you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly! Of the 35 parables found in the gospels in which Christ taught, more than a third deal either directly or indirectly with money or the law of giving.
I (Tommy Franks) remember in 1971 when I was bankrupt in every area of my life. I did not have two nickels to rub together. I didn't have a job. I was a loser. They even came and repossessed my old car. At that time in my life, I decided to file for bankruptcy; however, I did not have the $50 filing fee. I was so poor until I could not even file for bankruptcy. My life was in shambles! I owed thousands of dollars and I was penniless. Then, I began to get angry at the devil for stealing from me. But I was ignorant of the Word, so I did not know how to combat the enemy. Most Christians that I knew at that time did not know either. So I got ANGRY at the devil!
I was sick and tired of LOSING. I cried and wept, but to no avail. Things just got worse. What was I to do? Finally, one day as I was soul searching and praying, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Tommy, you can get out of debt." I opened my eyes. I looked around. I knew it was God speaking to me. I responded, "But God, how?"
This time it was as clear as a bell. He said, "Give your way out." I felt like asking, "Is there someone else up there?" I mean...I had nothing to give or at least it seemed that way. The devil will oftentimes tell you that you have nothing to give. God always says to give what you have. If an offering plate passes before you, GIVE SOMETHING, even if it is only your spare change. I am SERIOUS!
Anyway, that was all that the Lord said to me that day about finances. I began to search the Scriptures on finances. When I got to Malachi 3:8‑9, I immediately saw my financial problem. I was under a curse. I had been stealing from God. I was a thief and a robber against God. I asked Him for forgiveness and began to give something (sometimes, it was ever so small) whenever the offering plate was passed. I began to pay my tithe and give in offerings. It takes both to prosper...TITHING and OFFERINGS! Let me repeat that. It takes both tithing and offerings to prosper. Why? Because His Word says so.
Many saints of God are tithing in accordance with the Scriptures found in Malachi 3:8-10, but still have empty pockets. It is called open windows with empty pockets.
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that THERE SHALL not BE ROOM enough TO RECEIVE IT."
As we said in Chapter 3, paying tithes is not enough to be successful in money matters and Biblical Economics. We must also give in offerings. Many saints are tithing, but have empty pockets, empty wallets, and empty purses. Why? Because they do not understand that tithing only opens the windows of heaven. It does not determine the 30/60/100 fold return. Our offerings do...not the tithe. The tithe is God's. It is not ours. He allows us to determine our offerings, not our tithe. The tithe is set by God. Our offerings are set by us as we respond to the Holy Spirit. The more generous our offerings (seed), greater will be the harvest.
Notice the words in italics in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that THERE SHALL not BE ROOM enough TO RECEIVE IT."
Tithing is not enough. We must give in offerings. Tithing opens the windows of heaven. Our offerings determine the measure of God's blessings that flow back to us...sometimes 30...60...100 fold. Remember, the tithe you PAY because it belongs to God. But the offering you GIVE because it is yours to give as the Spirit leads you. Your offering determines the size or measure that God will return to you through the open windows. After you have tithed and responded to the open windows in giving your offering, then your blessings begin to be poured out upon you in whatever measure you have given.
As I stated earlier, if you give a teaspoon full, you will get the reward of a teaspoon back to you. If you give a coffee can full, you will be rewarded back a coffee can full...or bucket...wheelbarrow...dump truck...drag line...or a box car full. If you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly! This is Biblical Economics!
I decided that tithes and offerings would become my lifestyle in the area of finances. Let us take a closer look at Malachi 3:8‑12:
‑God said to prove (test) Him.
‑Then He would open the windows of heaven...
‑And pour YOU out a blessing...
‑That YOU would not have room enough to receive it.
‑ALL nations will call you blessed.
‑YOU shall be a delightsome land.
Delightsome means: acceptable, desirable, pleasant, valuable, favored, well‑liked, charming land. Do I need to say anything about land? LAND IS EXPENSIVE. Land grows crops and produces fruit. All the gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, minerals, OIL, and wine come from the land.
One day, we, the Saints of God will realize our RIGHTFUL POSITION of AUTHORITY, POWER, DOMINION, and GLORY under the leadership of JESUS CHRIST.
Giving is the key! Every time an offering plate is passed in front of us, we should give. The Lord told Moses that "every man" should give with his heart willingly (Ex.25:2).
In 1972 I began to give every time an offering was taken. In 1975 the Lord told me to triple my offerings. Two years later, He told me to double my giving in offerings again. About three years later, He again told me to increase my offerings. As I responded in obedience each time, the Lord added abundantly to my finances. TODAY, I can buy anything I want or need. Thank God for Jesus and His Word!
Twelve Thousand Israelites fought against the Midianites and won. $30 Million was the booty (spoils). Not one single Israelite was lost in battle. They gave a special thanksgiving offering of $10,000 beyond the $331,580 they had already given (Nu.31:50).
WHO GAVE? Every man...Every man...Every man gave. The Word says, "They shall not appear before the Lord EMPTY" (Deut.16:16, Ex.23:15, 34:20). He was not talking about being empty headed. He was talking about money or gifts.
WHO SHALL GIVE? Every man...Every man...How shall he give? As he is able..."And none shall appear before ME Empty." When we give, we need to give our first fruits, not our leftovers (Prov. 3:9‑10). Some misguided saints are trying to give God their leftovers and then wondering, "Why the Lord is not blessing them". God wants His portion right off the TOP!
Some Christians even say that giving was only under the law. I have news for you. The New Testament Scriptures also propagate and command giving. Look at 1 Cor. 16:1‑3. WHO WAS SUPPOSE TO GIVE? Everyone...Everyone. HOW? As God prospered them...
Another scripture found in 2 Cor. 9:7 says EVERY MAN...EVERY MAN. What happens when we give cheerfully? Acts 4:34 says, "Neither was there any among them that lacked..." Pr. 11:25 says, "The liberal soul shall be made FAT..."
Again, Acts 11:29 says EVERY MAN...EVERY MAN...according to his ability. He (Jesus) was so very rich, yet He became poor so that you and I could be RICH (2 Cor.8:9). Our Lord is rich unto us (Rom.10:12). RICH means: to be increased in goods, to make wealthy such as $$$, possessions, abundance, riches.
IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO "do not have to give in offerings." WHY? Because Jesus said to give and then it would be given unto you. The reason that some people do not have is: They have not given. What does the WORD say? "...that person who does not have, even the little he has shall be taken from him..." (Mt.13:12, Mk.4:25). That really seems harsh to some people, but it is not harsh. God's Word is NOT grievous.
Jesus also bears this principle out when He says, "Give and it shall be given unto you..." (Lk. 6:38). Jesus has never lied and He never will. He said that if you would give (something) then you would have more. That's Biblical Economics.
What did bold Elijah have to say about Giving FIRST (1 Kings 17:8‑16)? Elijah told the widow to make him a cake FIRST! Even though the widow was reluctant about sharing her meal with a prophet, she gave and then it was given unto her. Today, in our society the religious ones would back bite Elijah and blame God for not assisting the widow in a timely manner!
If we obey God's Law on Giving, the returns on our deposits will be fantastic. When will we get to enjoy these returns? The Word says, "NOW in this life..." (Mk.10:28‑30, Lk. 18:30, Mt.19:29). What type of return will it be? It will be the best in the universe...30/60/100‑fold.
When I was just a small child, my father took us to a tent meeting. That night the Reverend T.L. Lowery was speaking about giving. He said, "Prove God. See what God will do when you give to Him. Give tonight out of your need. He will bless you abundantly."
My father had ten dollars to his name and had been laid off from his job for several days. He also had nine mouths to feed; nonetheless, he obeyed the man of God. He gave his last ten dollars...the only money between his family and starvation. Yet, he obeyed God!
After the service, we all got in that old car and traveled back to Zolfo Springs, Florida. As my father opened the front door of our home, the old black telephone was ringing. It was his business agent wanting to know if he would accept another job the next morning. My father was overwhelmed! He immediately said, "Yes, of course, I will." After he hung up the receiver, he praised the Lord and then afterwards shared what had happened with my mother.
That last $10 of my father's certainly brought in more than a hundred‑fold return. He made thousands of dollars on that next job. You see, my father was also a carpenter that patterned his life after the carpenter's Son who lived in Nazareth.
Isaac sowed in FAMINE (Gen. 26:1‑16). There was a famine in the land of Canaan. God had said, "Go not down to Egypt..." The Word says that Isaac sowed in famine and received in the same year 100 FOLD. Even the Philistines envied him. You can sow in famine or during your need and reap a harvest the same year. My father sowed $10 out of his need and received over 100 fold the same year! You can too if you obey God and act on His Word.
Have you ever tried to out give God? Have you ever proved Him at His Word on "giving"? I challenge you to do so. Many times in the past, I have given my last dime. I can even remember borrowing a car, buying gas on credit, driving a good distance, and then speaking at a large church...and not receiving a cent for my teaching of the Gospel! That type of negligence concerned me, but it did NOT steal my joy! However, God would always send someone to meet my every need. TODAY, friend, He will not only meet your needs, but He will also give you your heart's desire (Ps.37:4, Mk.11:24).
In the summer of 1974, I told the Lord, "I am going to prove you according to Malachi 3:10. I have a particular need that must be paid soon." I told the Lord the amount of money needed to pay the bill. Three days later, I received a phone call from out of state. The voice on the other end said, "Tommy, we have been thinking about sending you some money. As a matter of fact, we are going to send it immediately."
They sent the money. The amount was almost identical (within a few cents) of the amount that I had told the Lord about a few days earlier. Now, some may say, "Well, if that had been God, it would have been the exact amount." Do not think like a fool. Fools allow the letter of the law to rob and kill them. The Spirit gives life. If I remember correctly, I believe it was more than enough to take care of the bill! And it was sent from another state. If God has to send MONEY ($$$) to you from another country (even Africa), your needs and desires will be met.
Thank God for His Word about money! As long as you give according to the Law of Giving, you will super abundantly be BLESSED by God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Chapter 5
Godly Success in Finances
What is Godly success? What does the Word say about Godly success? Let us take a look at Psalm 112 at the blessings of the Just (the righteous ones...the Godly).
Psalm 112 says this about YOU and me:
1. YOU shall praise HIM and be blessed.
2. YOU shall fear (respect) God and be blessed. We have the power to get wealth (Deut.8:18).
3. YOU shall delight greatly in His WORD. Observe the WORD, do all the WORD, then you will be prosperous. You will have good success (Jos.1:8).
4. Your seed (children) shall be mighty (powerful, like warriors, GIANT MEN/ WOMEN, chief champions, STRONG, valiant, full of courage). They shall do exploits (Dan.11:12).
5. WHERE will your children be mighty? ON THE EARTH!
6. Your entire generation shall be blessed.
7. WEALTH and RICHES shall be in your house. Do you have a house yet? Get one and then God will fill it up with riches. Not only will you (the righteous one) have wealth and riches in your HOUSE, but your righteousness will be forever.
8. YOU shall walk in light and not darkness. You are GRACIOUS (kind, courteous, popular, merciful, and full of Divine favor; having pleasing qualities, attractive; characterized by taste, and social ease associated with prosperity).
9. YOU are full of compassion (love, mercy, having pity upon others, sympathy, to bear the sorrows or troubles of another accompanied with an urge to help).
10. YOU are righteous (as though you have never sinned; right standing with God; no feeling of inferiority, fear, or condemnation).
11. YOU are JUST (righteous) with no sense of:
a. Guilt.
b. Sin‑consciousness.
c. Weakness.
12. YOU have a legal right to stand in the Father's presence just as if YOU have NEVER sinned and sin had NEVER been (1 Cor.1:30, 2 Cor.5:21, Rom. 5:1, 8:1).
13. YOU will show favor to others. YOU will lend if necessary (Deut. 28, Prov. 19:17). YOU will guide your affairs with justice and fairness (discretion). YOU will use good judgment.
14. As a prosperous saint, YOU SHALL NOT BE MOVED (Ps.30:6, 16:8, 62:6). "Moved" means: slip, shake, fall, to be carried, slide, to waver. YOUR faith in God shall not waver.
Let us correct an old fable right now. Perhaps, YOU have heard the statement, "I'm not moved by what I see, hear, feel, touch, or taste." THINK about this for a moment. If this were true, YOU would be as dead as a door nail. We would need to plant you six feet under.
Read this before you shut me down or turn me off. God was moved by what HE saw, heard, and felt. He destroyed the earth with water because of what He saw and heard. He destroyed the Israelites in the wilderness because of what He saw and heard. Jesus was moved by what He felt and saw. He wept over Jerusalem. Another time, a woman touched His garment. Jesus said, "Who touched My clothes?" He had been TOUCHED. Jesus had feelings. YOU too HAVE FEELINGS. We ALL do. We need our senses or God would never have given them to us!
Jesus went to a wedding. They needed wine. He made them some GOOD wine. Jesus had good taste. Did He not? JESUS HAD FEELINGS. He was moved with compassion. HE had COMPASSION on THEM and TOUCHED THEM (Mt. 20:34). He had compassion because of what He saw, heard, and felt (Mt. 8:2).
I know that faith is certainly involved in our Godly Success in Finances. The Bible says, "For we walk by faith. We regulate our lives and conduct by our conviction...to God...thus we walk not by sight or by appearance" (Amp. 2 Cor. 5:7).
Yes, we do live by faith, but our GOD‑given senses assist us in living this life. Do not neglect your senses. Our sight comes from God. Our hearing comes from God. The wonderful gift of taste comes from God. Smell comes from God. We need to use what He has given us...to be touched by the Master!
Continuing now with Psalm 112, the godly Christian will not be afraid of bad news. He will anticipate GOOD NEWS and NOT bad news. He will confess good news. He will not have an evil report (words of doubt). WHY? Because his heart is fixed on God. His heart is established (Vs. 7‑8). The Christian shall not be afraid while his enemies are being destroyed or paralyzed. "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered..." (Ps. 68:1).
Can we actually desire vengeance upon our enemy? Who is our enemy? It is satan the stupid one or lucifer the LOSER. He will be cast into the lake of fire forever. Yes, we can desire vengeance upon him…the biggest FOOL of the universe!
After You accept God's wealth for your life, what do YOU do then (V.9)? Start, by giving it away. "He is no fool to give up that which he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose." Begin to GIVE:
1. To the House of God (Pr. 3:9, Ex. 23:15, Lk.6:38, Deut. 16:16).
2. To the poor.
3. To Godly men and women (ministries).
Your righteousness shall be forever. Your horn (strength, power) will be honored. The wicked loser will see YOU being honored and will:
1. Be grieved (troubled, indignant, angry, provoked, filled with sorrow, rage, madness, and go crazy).
2. After satan the stupid one goes bananas, he will gnash his teeth, disappear from the scene into an everlasting hell (Lake of Fire) (Lk.12:5, Rev. 21:8).
YOU WERE BORN TO RULE:
1. It is your God given right.
2. It is inherent within you.
3. YOU were born to govern and control.
4. YOU are either ruling or being ruled.
5. YOU are either dominating or being dominated.
6. Satan the evil one has no power over YOU.
7. YOU have the power to rule.
8. It is not white power...It is not black power...It is not woman power.
9. It is Holy Spirit power! "Where the WORD of a king is, there is power" (Eccl. 8:4). YOU ARE FREE. YOU have the resources of God. YOU are a SUCCESS. YOU ARE WHOLE. May the good LORD BLESS EVERYTHING YOU PUT YOUR HAND TO DO. PROSPERITY IS YOURS. God’s blessings are yours! ALL THINGS ARE YOURS!
What is Godly success in life? Is it GAMBLING? Yet, some Christians have thought that they would hit the lottery! Shame on them for wasting their hard earned money on some non-productive lottery somewhere! Some have said, "Well after all, I'm bound to win it eventually. All I have to do is purchase enough tickets. And when I do hit it, I am going to give some of it to the Church."
Let me tell YOU something. The enemy is laughing at this type of logic! Gambling is wrong. Gambling is putting our trust, faith, and confidence to CHANCE (to the wind), instead of putting our faith in God. Whatsoever is NOT of faith is SIN (Rom.14:23). Besides, if we are NOT giving to God NOW, we would not give even if we did win the multi-million dollar lottery. The devil would steal it from us quicker than grease lightning.
There is a balance to Godly success. Certainly, God wants us all to have money and plenty of it, but money received through ungodly means normally ruins the individual. Most of the time, it leads to a downfall! Read the following:
SUCCESS
By Tommy Franks
What is SUCCESS in everyday action?
Is it having self‑pity of dissatisfaction?
Is it feeling sorry for our reaction?
Is it having a LONG face?
Is it crying the blues in disgrace?
NO...NO...NO...NO!
SUCCESS is laughing in the face of desperation.
SUCCESS is laughing in the face of devastation.
SUCCESS is loving even the belligerent dissident.
SUCCESS is loving even the most impenitent.
Even our critics will inquire
And we will be admired.
Some church goers and Christians vacillate.
They seem to find all kinds of ways to procrastinate!
Some have their heads in the clouds
Looking for the “rapture” as their shroud.
But true SUCCESS is appreciating BEAUTY that is NOW,
The mountains, streams, waterfalls or even a brown cow!
SUCCESS is edifying others.
SUCCESS is comforting others.
SUCCESS is Kingdom Living TODAY...
And will never be far away.
You can Heal the sick, cast out devils, and captives deliver…
Because Jesus is the Healer and Forgiver!
SUCCESS is enthusiasm.
SUCCESS is being in God violently involved…
And seeing SUCCESS as a problem resolved.
Go, set people free from the bondage of fear.
Go, activate people and put them in gear.
Go, see them laugh, play, work, and persevere.
True SUCCESS is to die to self and give your self away.
True SUCCESS is having brought someone into the Kingdom to stay.
True SUCCESS is a living CREATION who is no longer a prey.
Because YOU shared...
Because YOU cared...
This is indeed TRUE SUCCESS without despair!
Chapter 6
The Power of Agreement in Finances
The power of agreement cannot be over emphasized (Mt.18:19). If you are married, you KNOW that a good marriage is of the utmost importance in FINANCES! The home is where thousands of decisions are made, especially in the area of money. Money talks...and it definitely matters in any marriage.
QUESTION? How can two LIVE together unless they agree on FINANCES? A man that takes a wife should be in the position of providing and caring for her. The Bible says that a man (it does not say man and wife) that will NOT provide for his household is worse than an INFIDEL. Did you KNOW that we have some infidels running around calling themselves Christians? In a Christian home, if you have a lot of “money” problems, it does not take very long until you find out that you have a “man” problem! Don’t shut me down for speaking the truth! Finances begin at home with the HUSBAND...then the wife...and later the children as they grow to maturity. The following Eleven Keys will assist you in having harmony and a good Financial Family in Biblical Economics:
1. Recognize MARRIAGE as a Holy Institution of God ordained for SUCCESS. God wants you to succeed in your relationships, especially in money matters.
2. When YOU can agree on finances in the home, then money will begin to flow in your direction as never before! Recognize that the enemy hates a Christian marriage. He hates a good financial Christian marriage even MORE. A good solid financial Christian HOME is a POWERFUL FORCE against the diabolical and dastardly devil.
3. Protect YOUR home against negative influences. This may include certain friends, TV programs, certain types of music, shady magazines, negative books, and pornographic videos. Believe me, all of these will affect your money making judgment and abilities!
4. Get involved in a good BIBLE BELIEVING and BIBLE TEACHING church. Get to know your pastor! Get to know your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Good Christian fellowship is so vital to your maturity and Christian development. Your money making mental ability will become even sharper and keener as you fellowship and associate with God's kids.
5. Value the opinions of your spouse and other family members. Listen to them! YOU need them for growth. LOVE them. CARE for them. Pray with them. Learn from them. LEAN on them. Let them lean on YOU! Communication and interaction will benefit your whole family money wise.
6. Admire and brag on your mate and children (even when they do not measure up to your standards). TELL them that YOU LOVE them and how IMPORTANT they are to you.
7. When the enemy tries to come in against your finances, LIKE A FLOOD GOD WILL RAISE UP A STANDARD AGAINST him. YOU must take authority over the enemy (Mt.18:18) and REMOVE him from your presence and territory. Tell him that he is a LOSER and that he is trespassing on God's property. The VIOLENT not only take it by FORCE, but they also KEEP it by force! YOUR HOME is HOLY. Your MARRIAGE is HOLY! Do not let the weasel face enemy play with your finances because he is a THIEF!
8. DO NOT rehearse financial failures in your home or anywhere. Use the financial past as a stepping stone. Accentuate your successes. Allow your Chief Financial Advisor (Jesus Christ) to assist you in your ability to make money! Always see the possibilities, not the problems. FOCUS on the solution. NEVER ALLOW YOUR MOUTH TO TALK LACK! If you talk LACK (what you do not have), that is exactly what you will have...LACK and plenty of it! NEVER say, "Well, I just can't afford it. I just can't afford that." This statement will KILL you financially quicker than dying a physical death. The moment you say that kind of statement, satan will come on the scene to carry out YOUR WORDS of DOUBT. It is called self‑fulfilling prophecy or more accurately "...you shall HAVE what you SAY" (Mk.11:23).
9. Keep some information confidential between you and your mate. Sometimes, it is just nobody's business how much you paid or did NOT pay for something. Tell them that you would rather NOT divulge that information to them. Try to do it in a tactful way. Neither is it anyone's business how much money you have in your various bank accounts. USE DISCRETION.
10. Make investments in one another in the home. Educate each other. BUY GOOD BOOKS! Give gifts to each other in the HOME! If YOU can give in the home, YOU ARE a GIVER! Charity (love) truly begins in the HOME! INVEST time in each other. INVEST time in your children. GO PLACES TOGETHER. Do things TOGETHER! ENJOY each other. SPOIL each other!
11. NEVER QUIT...NEVER GIVE UP...YOU CAN MAKE IT TOGETHER as a happy, prosperous, productive family. Minimize the problems and Maximize the opportunities. You are the APPLE of God's Eye. He wants you to PROSPER in every area of your life, especially in family finances. If you can prosper on the home front...you can prosper anywhere! This is good Biblical Economics.
"My people are (broke, destroyed financially) for lack of knowledge" (Hos.4:6).
"Give, and it shall be given unto you..." (Lk. 6:38).
"...he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6).
"Wealth and riches shall be in YOUR house..." (Ps. 112:3).
"...whatever you do shall prosper" (Ps.1:3).
"Be ye doers of the WORD..." (James 1:22).
REMEMBER the following when in agreement for finances:
1. KNOW that God wants YOU to prosper.
2. Desire to prosper.
3. Use God's system (not man's).
4. SEE YOURSELF prospering.
5. Speak God's WORD.
6. It takes a prosperous attitude to reap a financial HARVEST.
7. Jesus became poor so that YOU could be RICH.
8. God wants you to walk in victory in all areas of your life.
9. PRAY YOUR DESIRE, NOT YOUR PROBLEM !!!
10. Meditate on and speak your desire.
11. Believe God's WORD and speak it out of your MOUTH.
12. God created man/woman to have dominion (right and power to govern and control) over their finances.
13. We have an everlasting covenant with our FATHER.
14. SEEK THE SOURCE, NOT THE THINGS.
15. LOVE PEOPLE and USE THINGS.
16. Choose to serve God and make riches serve YOU!
17. Words are seeds in the spirit world. They bring to pass the things spoken.
18. Words are powerful because your tongue governs your heart. To prosper in any area, you must practice tongue control.
19. God's WORD is supernatural ability.
20. God considers any STATEMENT that DISAGREES with HIS WORD TO BE AN EVIL REPORT.
21. IDLE words usually contradict God's WORD.
22. Never speak anything that is not YOUR will.
23. Learn the vocabulary of silence. Practice speaking only what God says and only what YOU desire to come to pass.
25. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DETERMINES YOUR SUCCESS !!!
26. Speak abundance before the need arises.
27. Resist lack like YOU would resist the devil. The words YOU speak are powerful.
In 1977, I was living in Huntsville, Alabama. I had $12 to my name! That was it. God spoke to me and said, "Tommy, go out and celebrate tonight. Celebrate the breakthrough of MONEY that I will give to YOU shortly." I went out to one of the best restaurants in town and had a steak with all the trimmings. My stomach was full. My pockets were empty. My heart was full. My bank accounts were depleted. My faith was high. My money was low. But I believed God! Three days later I received a phone call which was an advance notice that "over $4,000 would be sent to me within a few days." And it was so! Within five days, we received approximately $4400. Praise God forever!
Chapter 7
The Blessings of Abraham
We have the Blessings of Abraham! As we are obedient in the law of giving as required by God in Malachi 3:8‑10, God will rebuke the devourer (satan) for our sake (V.11). When we involve ourselves in the Word of God and become a true giver in accordance with His concepts, we will be blessed immeasurably and God will take care of the devil for us. Our resources will grow and we will continue to give more and more. As we pay our tithes and give our offerings, we will be BLESSED and not CURSED financially because God watches over His Word to protect it and perform it (Jer.1:12). Look at the following concepts:
1. Christ has redeemed US from the curse of the law (Gal.3:13).
2. The sinful curse of poverty was placed upon Jesus just like all of our sins were placed upon Him (2Cor. 8:9, 5:21).
3. Poverty was and is under the curse (Deut. 28:16‑68). We have been REDEEMED from POVERTY. Redeemed means: to buy back, ransom, rescue from, to purchase, recover, to pay off a debt, to set free, to deliver from sin and its penalties, to restore to favor, justify.
Jesus paid a debt HE did not owe. We owed a debt we could not pay. He made Himself poor so that YOU and I could be RICH. Word of caution: In God’s economy of things, if we decide to be selfish with what God has given to us, our greed and avarice will take us further than we want to go…keep us longer than we want to stay…and charge us more than we want to pay! That’s it in a nutshell!
However, as we practice the habit of “giving”, the devourer will become very fearful and frustrated because the CHURCH (the Body of Christ) will become the spiritual GIANT she should be. The following are three reasons that lucifer the LOSER is losing control over the Believer:
1. The Believer is getting smart. She is no longer unlearned about money! She is outgrowing “lack” through reading and hearing the WORD. God's people are no longer being destroyed by the lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6). The Believer wants answers. She is searching the scriptures and becoming experienced in the area of Biblical Economics. The present day Believer wants substance to preaching, teaching, and exhortation. She wants the REAL WORD taught instead of opinions.
2. Christians are tired of being sick and tired. They are tired of being broke. They are tired of being sick. They are too smart to go backwards. They are tired of namby‑pamby, wishy‑washy opinions from negative individuals! They are getting into the Word. They are becoming spiritual Giants. They are developing a Winner’s attitude! The true BELIEVER is DANGEROUS to the kingdom of darkness! The enemy fears and trembles when he sees a Believer decked out in her full armor with money in her pockets and bank accounts. The enemy (devourer) goes bananas!
3. The Believer is starting to BELIEVE. He is now taking Heb. 11:6 and Phil. 4:13 to heart. He is believing the WORD and acting upon it. Instead of devils chasing him, he is chasing devils and running them out of town. The Body of Christ is becoming the MOST DYNAMIC FORCE upon the face of the earth. The Church is INDEED DANGEROUS to the ENEMY (devourer).
4. The Believer is starting to obey and walk in complete obedience to the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Col. 3:23, Joshua 1:8, and Mt. 6:33 are becoming a reality to the Saint. The Believer knows that walking in obedience brings prosperity. Therefore, he is now in the midst of a great harvest. The Believer is now heir and joint‑heir to everything the Father owns. He does not have to wait until he dies to enjoy it. He is learning that he can afford anything that his FATHER has in His Kingdom! Consequently, because the devourer has been totally defeated, YOU are allowing GOD to PROSPER YOU on this earth NOW! God wants YOU to:
1. Be Fruitful (Gen. 1:27‑28).
2. Increase.
3. Fill the earth.
4. Subdue the earth (take dominion over).
5. Rule (be a leader and ruler).
6. Be careful what YOU hear (Mk. 4:23‑25).
7. Be careful HOW YOU hear (Lk.8:18).
8. Obey HIM (Ex.15:26, Deut.28:1‑2, Jer.7:22‑23, Jn.14:21 & 23, Jn.15:14).
9. HAVE HIS BEST (Lk.12:32).
If YOU need FINANCES, confess the following DAILY:
"Blessed be the LORD God forever. I have given and it is given unto me in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. I have abundance. I DO NOT LACK. Our God meets my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The Lord is my Shepherd and I do NOT want. Whatever I do shall prosper. The Lord has restored to me what the devourer has stolen. I shall eat in plenty and be satisfied. Praise be Jesus Christ! And I shall never be put to shame. Whatever my Father has belongs to me because I am His child and whatever belongs to me belongs to HIM because WE are ONE. I am an heir of God and joint‑heir with Jesus Christ. I'm a WINNER, NOT a loser. I am SUCCESS. I talk SUCCESS. I live SUCCESS. WHY? Because the WORD says that I am. I believe the WORD rather than lucifer the loser and all of his lies. The WORD says that whatever I do shall PROSPER. Thank you JESUS. I receive God’s blessings NOW...in the Name of Jesus. AMEN."
The devourer has no power over your finances. God has given YOU RICHES (Deut. 28:1‑13) because You are a son of Abraham (Gal. 3:7). The word "children" in this verse is “huios” (Gk.) which means "sons." I believe the difference between the children of Abraham and the sons of Abraham is this: The children of Abraham are the physical Jews. The sons are those who have put their trust and faith in Christ. In accordance with Scripture, we are the spiritual sons and daughters (seed) of Abraham (Gal. 3:29).
You are blessed through Abraham (Gal. 3:8). YOU are blessed WITH Abraham (Gal. 3:9). Abraham was rich....in cattle, silver, and gold. He was extremely numerous in goods. Abraham's blessings are present tense…ours NOW (Gal. 3:14). The Blessings of Abraham are conditional (Deut.28). What are the conditions? "Obey and be doers of the Word" (Vs. 1‑2). These blessings shall overtake you. "Overtake" means: to take hold of, reach, attain, to SURELY grow and expand in these blessings!
The 18 Blessings of Abraham (Deut.28:3‑13, Gal. 3:13) are FOR every Christian who truly believes in the Kingdom of God:
1. God has set you on high above all the nations of the earth (V.1).
2. YOU are blessed (an act of adoration, enjoying great happiness, blissful, bringing comfort or joy) in the city (V.3).
3. YOU are blessed in the field (V.3).
4. Your children are blessed (V.4). Your Crops, Cattle, and Flocks...are blessed.
5. Basket and storehouses of bread...are blessed (V.5).
6. You are blessed when YOU go out and when YOU come in (V.6, Ps. 121:8).
7. Your enemy (the devourer) shall flee before you seven ways. He is smitten and defeated (V.7).
8. The Lord Himself shall COMMAND blessings upon your storehouses (barns, bank accounts) (V.8).
9. The Lord shall COMMAND blessings upon ALL that YOU set YOUR Hand to do (V8, Ps. 1:3).
10. You are BLESSED in the Land (V8).
11. God has established YOU as holy unto Himself (V.9).
12. People respect you (V.10; Deut. 11:25).
13. God shall make YOU plenteous in children, goods, cattle, and crops (V. 11).
14. YOU would think that the above would be enough, wouldn't you? But God is extravagant! He is never wasteful, but He is extravagant! He says in V.12 that HE will open unto YOU HIS GOOD TREASURE. Do you know what this treasure is…in the Hebrew? It is a…depository (a place where things are kept for safekeeping, an armory, storehouse for weapons, arsenal, an aggregate of resources, cellar (a room below ground level used for storing provisions, wines, storage items), store (God has a store just for YOU and me. And it is open 24 hours a day. Isn't that great?)
15. He will give YOU rain (V.12).
16. YOU shall lend and not borrow (V.12). YOU are the HEAD and not the tail (V.13).
17. You are above and not beneath (V.13). YOU can't go under for going over. The devourer is destroyed!
God has made us ABLE ministers in finances. He has given us sufficient power, skill, and resources to accomplish our goals. He has marked and provided us with intelligence, knowledge, skill, and competence. We are capable, qualified, worthy, and strong. The LORD has given us freedom to act on His 32,000 promises. We are indeed RICH in and through Him! As we become better versed in SUCCESS and FINANCES, we will know more about our FINANCIAL position in Christ (2 Pet.1:3). We have so many beautiful BLESSINGS in CHRIST:
· God has blessed us with ALL kinds of financial blessings (2 Peter 1:3, 3 Jn.2).
· Our Financial Advisor has chosen us (1:4, Jn.15:16, 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
· He has predestinated us to be saved, free, whole, and wealthy (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet.1:2‑5).
· God wants ALL men and women everywhere to be saved, healed, filled with His Spirit and receive His Blessings! He foreordained that all who would come to Him would be saved and blessed. HE is a GOOD GOD!
· We are redeemed from sin and poverty by His Blood (1:7, Mt.26:28, Col. 1:14, Rom.3:24, 2 Cor.8:9).
· The Father has abounded toward us all wisdom and prudence (1:8, 1 Cor. 30). He has lavished upon us every kind of wisdom and understanding...practical insight and prudence. We have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
· He has made known to us His will (3:4‑12, Mt. 11:25, 1 Cor. 2:10). This mystery is that the Gentiles should be partakers of Christ through what Jesus did at Calvary. We do not need to observe the Mosaic law nor circumcision. The Christian's circumcision is of the heart.
· God has given us an inheritance (1:11‑12, Rom. 8:17, 1 Pet. 1:3‑5). We now possess that inheritance by faith in Jesus Christ. We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (1:13‑14, 4:30, Titus 3:5). We are stamped with the seal (approval) of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance, the first fruit, the down payment on our heritage until the physical kingdom is ushered into complete manifestation upon the return of Jesus.
The devourer is defeated. We are IN CHRIST (Eph.2:13‑22). We are made nigh to GOD by the BLOOD of JESUS. We have PEACE with GOD. We are ONE with God. We are the CHURCH. We are reconciled to GOD. We have ACCESS to GOD by the HOLY SPIRIT. We are built upon the TRUE FOUNDATION. We are built as a HABITATION of GOD. The Christian has become the very dwelling place of GOD. We are now joint heirs, companions, and partners with Christians everywhere (Rom. 8:17). We now have BOLDNESS and ACCESS to the throne room of God with the full assurance that our prayers are being answered, and FAITH in Christ that He is ever making intercession for us (Heb. 7:25, 12:2, 10:19). We are filled with His Spirit and we walk in the Spirit. We give thanks always to God. We submit ourselves one to another. We have the Blessings of Abraham.
Chapter 8
God Wants You Wealthy!
God wants YOU to have money and LOTS of it (Mt.6:32‑33, 7:9, 2 Chr. 1:12, Ps. 35:27). HE takes pleasure in your prosperity (3 Jn.2, Deut. 8:18). Wealth is simply: having enough in which to do...what God intends for YOU to do...with your life.
Expect to have wealth. Talk wealthy. Cut yourself loose from losers. Surround yourself with winners. Winners and people of wealth walk their talk. They expect a return on their giving. They are givers and they KNOW how to receive. The wealthy Christian is HAPPY. She feels good about herself. She does good things and the LORD rewards her (Eph.6:8). She is NOT afraid to ask for advice (Prov. 24:6). She is merciful and forgiving. She spends money wisely, saves wisely, and gives wisely.
Likewise, as a Christian of Godly means, you should expect financial Miracles. Miracles of financial wealth happen to people who need them, want them, and reach out for them. They are all around YOU...yours for the taking. Define the financial miracle you want and then go for it. YOU will receive if you faint not.
You were born to be wealthy! God made you to have wealth. You were born to taste the honey and drink the refreshing cold milk that God has already given to you. You were born to love, to live forever, and to be financially wealthy.
Be persistent. Do not let the wealth of God go. Seize it. God will not let you fail. YOU are Heaven's favorite product. You are the apple of GOD's eye. You are bone of His bone, body of His body, flesh of His flesh, and His Spirit is within you (Eph. 5:30). The money is yours for the taking. YOU can make it, receive it, and spend it. It's YOURS! YOU ARE linked up with God. You are God‑conscious instead sin‑conscious. You are aware of faith‑filled words and what they will do for you!
YOU have become a super Christian! You dominate the circumstances around you. You heal the sick through Jesus and are followed by signs confirming the Word that you speak. You are a lover just like Jesus. You are obedient to the WORD. You:
1. Look important.
2. Encourage yourself (1Sam. 30:6).
3. Believe in yourself.
4. Listen.
5. Accept differences in other people.
6. Are not afraid to stick your neck out.
7. Are BOLD as a lion (Pr.28:1).
8. Have a legal right to use HIS NAME.
9. Look like Jesus.
10. Are clothed in His righteousness.
11. Are filled with His love.
12. Are filled with His life.
13. Have the Greater one in YOU...
14. Are free!
15. Have been restored.
16. Have the ability of God.
17. PROSPER in whatever YOU do (Ps.1:3).
God teaches YOU to profit (Isa. 48:17). WHAT YOU MAKE HAPPEN FOR OTHERS, GOD WILL MAKE HAPPEN FOR YOU. YOU WERE BORN TO RULE (DOMINATE). The enemy is in BIG trouble. He has been paralyzed by JESUS. Let us NOW take a look at Psalm 8:1‑6.
V1: His Name is excellent throughout the whole earth and the heavens. He is the Commander‑in‑Chief of the universe! He has placed His Word above His Name (Ps. 138:2).
V2: God has ordained STRENGTH for us. In this verse, it means:
a. Praise(Ps.108:7) "Oh that men would praise the LORD..."
b. Security(Ps.112:2) "Our children shall be mighty upon the earth..."
c. Majesty (1 Chr. 29:11).
d. Boldness (holy) (Heb. 4:16).
e. Loud (Ps.98:4).
f. Power (Lk.10:19) "Behold I give unto YOU..."
g. To be strong (Dan.11:32) "...but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits (mighty acts or deeds of achievement)."
STILL the enemy means:
a. Cause to cease.
b. Cause to leave.
c. To rid yourself of.
d. To put to silence.
e. The absence of agitation or movement (Mt.17:20).
V3, 4: What is man? I'll tell YOU who man is. He is the APPLE of God's eye. He is the express image of God...bone of His bone...flesh of His flesh...body of His Body and the blood of Jesus flows within his life. He is a shade lower than God! He is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE...a person OF DISTINCTION (Ps. 139:14).
Did YOU KNOW that: Your Heart pumps enough blood every 24 hours to fill a railway tank car? It exerts enough energy every 24 hours to shovel 20 tons (40,000 lbs.) of coal onto a platform three feet high. Your Body contains all kinds of chemicals such as iron, sugar, salt, carbon, iodine, phosphorus, lime, and calcium? Your Body has:
263 bones
600 muscles
970 miles of blood vessels
400 taste buds
20,000 hairs in the ears for sounds
10,000,000 nerves & nerve endings
600,000,000 air cells to the lungs that inhale 2400 gallons of air daily
A heart that beats 4200 times per hour!
YOU are the MASTERPIECE and CREATION of GOD ALMIGHTY! You are the best product that Heaven ever produced.
V5: YOU were created a little "lower than God..." (Jn. 10:34). You are crowned with glory and honor. CROWNED means:
a. To encircle (protect) (Ps. 33:20; 18:2).
b. A reward given to champions (Rom. 8:37).
c. Headgear worn by individuals of power, position, and dominion such as kings and queens.
d. To be at the TOP.
e. To complete successfully.
GLORY means: splendor, promote to honor, to be rich (prosperity), important and valuable, radiant beauty, magnificence, at one's best.
Honor means: beauty, goodly, majesty, dignity, high regard, great respect, high rank, special distinction.
V6: DOMINION means: to rule, govern, power, control, the right and power to govern and control. All things are under your feet (Eph. 1:22‑23). You are seated with him (Eph. 2:6). You have dominion over every thing that walks, crawls, creeps, swims, or moves (Gen. 1:26).
God wants you WEALTHY! The Word says, "Be ye DOERS of the Word and NOT hearers only..." (Ja.1:22). God (with all of His Heart) wants YOU to prosper.
"The blessing of the Lord makes YOU rich, and He adds no sorrow with it" (Pr.10:22). This verse contradicts tradition. Tradition says, "Wealth and riches bring all kinds of problems and adverse conditions." This type of tradition is not true. The Word says riches bring NO SORROW with it. It is quite the contrary. The blessing of God is Divine FAVOR, Divine GIFTS, and Divine BENEFITS. And these benefits make us rich. The lack of money brings sorrow, pain, agony, and hunger.
As a Christian, you must KNOW that it is God's will for you to prosper. You must desire to prosper. You must use God's system, not the world's. The world's system is bankrupt. God's system has hardly even been tapped. As BELIEVERS, we have hardly touched the wealth of God. Learn to speak your financial desire and not your need. Visualize your desire, meditate on it, and speak it out of your MOUTH. SERVE God and riches will serve YOU.
To be wealthy, YOU must practice tongue control. Words are seeds in the spirit realm. They bring to pass what you speak (lack or plenty). Words are powerful because your tongue governs your heart. Your tongue should be the pen of a ready writer (Ps.45:1). To obtain wealth...practice tongue control.
YOU and YOU alone determine the money in your pocket or bank accounts. Speak wealth and it will find its way to your house. Speak abundance and no devil in hell can keep you broke. Wealth and riches will be in your home. Speak abundance and your needs will dissipate. Resist lack like you resist the devil. Remember, your words are powerful. They determine your success or failure. Agree with the Word of God. Agree with what God says about YOU. GOD wants YOU to be WEALTHY!
Think BIG!
THINK BIG even when certain people try to drive YOU crazy. Be B I G. Pray for them. Wish them well. It takes a BIG man or woman to pray for someone who is trying to slow you down or get in your way! The enemy does not want you to prosper and neither do some people! Normally, the person who says that it cannot be done is the very person standing in the way. The reason that many Christians have a little instead of a lot is "they think too small". Learn to think BIG!
YOU are who YOU think YOU are. If you think you are weak, you are. If you think YOU are strong, you are. If you think you are a winner, you are. If you think you are a loser, you are. If you think you are broke, you are. "As You think in YOUR heart...(Prov.23:7)." To think BIG, YOU must:
1. Look the part.
2. Concentrate on your assets and strong points…not your weaknesses!
3. Be real enough to recognize how good YOU really are.
4. Know that YOU are Blessed by God.
5. Be B I G enough to realize that quarrels, arguments, feuds, and fusses will not help YOU to arrive at the door of riches, wealth, and abundance.
6. Do not think defeat. Think BIG. Setbacks are only temporary…never permanent. They are STEPPING STONES.
7. Be persistent. Be tenacious. HANG TOUGH. A quitter never wins. A winner never quits. YOU are a SUCCESS. NOW, look like it!
8. SMILE...Notify your face that you are excited and on your way to heaven; and in the meantime, YOU are going to bring a lot of heaven down to this earth to enjoy and share with others because it's the Father's good pleasure to give YOU the kingdom. You are SOMEBODY. God has never made a “nobody”. He loves YOU. YOU are the APPLE of His Eye. His Divine Favor is upon YOU. YOU are a WINNER. Therefore, SMILE B I G.
Learn the following and learn it well because YOU CAN WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET WITH GOD through Biblical Economics:
1. SAY IT (Mk. 11:23).
2. DO IT (James 1:22).
3. RECEIVE IT (Mk. 11:24).
4. TELL IT (Mk. 5:19‑20, Rev. 12:11, 1 Sam. 17:32).
To think BIG, an important WORD to remember is: "GOOD" (James 4:17). "Therefore to him that knows to do GOOD, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." The word "GOOD" (in the Greek) has over 50 different meanings. THINK on the following definitions of the word "good":
1. Beautiful, valuable, honest
2. Virtuous (moral, righteous, worthy)
3. Well, worth, better
4. Fair (attractive, lovely, just, impartial, promising)
5. Meet (united, proper, fit, suitable)
6. Effective, favorable, beneficial
7. Fertile (good soil)
8. Valid, genuine, real, healthy, strong, vigorous
9. Worthy, respectable, honorable
10. Enjoyable, desirable, pleasant, happy, dependable
11. Reliable, right, complete, sufficient, satisfying
12. Generous, kind, sympathetic, morally sound, devout
13. FINANCIALLY SAFE OR SOUND
14. SOMETHING GOOD (DESIRABLE OR PROFITABLE)
15. Complete, full, excellent, able, skilled, expert.
The Bible says, "SUBMIT Yourself therefore to God. (YOU) RESIST the devil, and he (the loser) will FLEE from YOU" (Ja.4:7).
1. SUBMIT means: to yield to, to commit to another, yield yourself to the authority or will of another, total surrender to another.
2. RESIST means: to take a stand, to withstand the force or effect of, TO EXERT (put yourself into action and to thrust out) oneself so as to counteract or defeat, exert FORCE in opposition to, OPPOSE.
3. FLEE means: RUN AWAY FROM, to pass away QUICKLY and SWIFTLY, vanish, shun.
First, yield and surrender your total being (will, mind, body, and spirit) to God our Father. Second, YOU take an active stand against poverty in your life. Third, defeat lack by thrusting it out of your face through violent force in the spirit realm. Lack and want will then run away from YOU swiftly and vanish out of your life!
Chapter 10
You Were Born to Spend Money!
Over one‑third of the 35 parables of Christ deal either directly or indirectly with money ($$$) or material possessions. Jesus was not against money. Actually, it was quite the contrary. He Himself even had a full time treasurer to keep track of their money. Money was and always has been a means or medium of exchange. People without money are most miserable. Have you ever seen a person without money or resources…who cannot pay his just bills…happy or high on life? I have not! I have seen a lot of them “singing the blues” though! We were created to make money and spend money!
Money is used to buy and sell. Buying and selling has been going on for thousands of years. "And all the countries came...to buy corn; because the famine was so sore in all lands" (Gen.41:57). The Word also says, "Men shall buy fields for MONEY..." (Jer.32:44). Ezra said, "That you may BUY speedily with MONEY..." (Ez.7:17). "...But go rather to them that SELL, and BUY for yourselves" (Mt.25:9). Jesus advocated buying and selling (Lk.22:36, Jn.4:8, Mt.13:44). To buy or sell, money ($$$) is needed.
Money is not our problem. The lack of it is. There is NOT one thing wrong with MONEY! Money is neutral! Money does what we tell it to do! Money is NOT the root of all evil! The "love of money" is the root of ALL evil. God has given YOU and me the POWER to get wealth (goods, riches, substance, resources). Now, once you have received wealth (MONEY), what do you do with it? YOU SPEND IT! Amen! Money is made to spend. It is not made to horde or to hide! Yes, we should all save and invest for our future. That is NOT what I am talking about. We should be responsible and invest a certain portion of our assets for our golden years or for legitimate goals. However, we need not miserly horde away money because we are fearful of the unexpected. We need to use our money wisely and for good! Read on…
Then Jesus said, "Beware! Don't be greedy…” (TLB, Lk.12:15). And Jesus gave an illustration: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, `I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry' (TLB, Lk.12:16-19). "But God said to him, `You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God" (TLB, Lk.12”20-21).
Some people will inevitably say, "Well, what about all those people in India, Africa, or Haiti? Should we have money when they have none and are hungry?" Are you a sinner just because the man in jail is a sinner or the drug addict down the street? No! Are you sick just because someone else is sick? No. Should you go around hungry just because the homeless person is hungry? No. Should you be broke just because others are broke? Will your hunger, sickness, poverty, or sin bring deliverance to anyone? NO...NO! It takes Jesus and it takes money (lots of it)…to propagate the Gospel and feed the hungry in a dying world! The Bible says to “guide your affairs with discretion”.
Let me tell you something…The world needs JESUS! We need to give the world the Gospel. I thank God that CHRISTIANS everywhere around the globe are becoming TRUE givers to the Church and to missions. A servant of Jesus Christ is a giver. He gives to others. He pays his tithes. He gives in offerings. Thus, he will ALWAYS have. He will ride the high places on this earth. Christians who complain about other Christians having money are often envious and jealous of the person who has money.
Remember: Think BIG. Think about God’s provision. You were created and designed to have plenty. You were programmed by God Himself to taste the fruit of your labor. YOU were BORN to have plenty of MONEY in order to assist in fulfilling God’s covenant. Without resources, missionaries cannot function. Churches will not be built. The hungry will not be fed. The Gospel will not be printed, preached, or administrated. It takes MONEY...and lots of it.
The wealth of MONEY comes from God. The lack of it comes from the enemy. POVERTY shall not prevail against the CHURCH (Mt.16:18, 18:18‑19, Lk.6:38). The Church is now kicking down the strongholds of poverty. Our command should be, "Gates of poverty, you must fall in JESUS' Name. Poverty, you do not lord it over me anymore! I am whole. I am well financially…in Jesus' Name."
To be a money spender for God, it helps to be extravagant…and EXTREMELY unselfish! God has always been extravagant, but not wasteful. Look at His creativity, resourcefulness, ingenuity, inspiration, vision, and imagination. When considering His most important creation of all…man…He wouldn’t even spare His own Son! That is how extravagant God is…You are the “Apple of His Eye”. You are anointed to spend money! That’s right. God wants you to have money so that you can spend it on Godly things…and on your family…and on things that are important to you. Your Father wants you to be happy!
You and I are channels for God's wealth. We are reservoirs and conduits of money. Jesus was a reservoir of His Father's wealth. Paul was a reservoir of God's blessings. Peter was an instrument of the Father's benefits. We need to be channels of God's money and wealth.
You are God's ANOINTED. You are SPECIAL. God is on your side. His money is for YOU…not against you. You are redeemed. He paid the highest price in the universe so that you could enjoy His wealth, blessings, and especially money! Lack has no authority or power over you. YOU are in the family of God. What the Father has is yours! Famine and lack are under YOUR feet. All you have to do is walk in obedience and command the gates of poverty and lack to fall. As you are obedient, they must fall. God owns it all…and He wants to share His wealth with you and me! Our responsibility is to speak and receive abundance and set the poor FREE. This is not asking too much when we already KNOW that wealth and riches are ours through Jesus Christ!
Remember, lack is an enemy to God and His people. Lack and dearth must bow to YOU in that Name…JESUS. You possess the gates of your enemy and that includes lack or want. In brief, you have the legal right to stand in the Father's presence with the same authority as Jesus. Did Jesus have a money problem? Did He destroy poverty? Absolutely! You have His ability working within you 24 hours a day, even in your sleep. You are rich beyond measure! You are MORE than a conqueror. Is a conqueror poor? Your name is synonymous with Jesus and His abundance! When your name is mentioned and associated with Jesus, the devils begin to back away because they see you and Jesus as one.
Does money talk? Does money build structures? Does money buy food for the hungry? Does money pay for Bibles around the world? Does money build churches? Is the Word published? Is the Gospel preached? As you give, you are doing the very works of Jesus. The enemy knows that you will damage his kingdom as you give to God’s Kingdom!
My word to you as a Christian is to go forth and spend money on Godly things! The door of poverty will come down. You and your money have been liberated and set FREE. Poverty will NOT prevail against YOU, but YOU will prevail against POVERTY. The devil is a LIAR. He has lied to you about money. Money is not evil. Money is a powerful tool that you can use to bring glory to God! God wants you to have money and plenty of it. He invented it.
Gates of poverty that did assail...will no longer prevail.
You now reign with Christ. You are His child.
Jesus, the Divine says…“Come and dine!"
Money be...lack flee.
Poverty must fall...because Jesus has called.
In Jesus’ Name, you are His acclaimed!
You were born to spend money! Who are you? You belong to Christ. You are worth more than the whole world. Think about this…How much money did God pay for you? He paid the ransom that is priceless…His only Son. He was extravagant! You are worth more than the entire world! You are His most expensive gift. NOTHING is too GOOD for YOU, His child.
Making money is one thing...but, oh, the joy of spending it! Spending money is exciting. GIVING money away is exciting! Seek God and He will tell you how to spend it. I do not know about you, but spending money EXCITES me to no end! God's people are becoming the wealthiest people on this earth. Praise to You, Lord Christ!
God's Money Is Here
By Tommy Franks
God's money is here
And His mercy is so dear.
We are His children so near,
And His love is simple without fear.
He spoke of money, it is quite clear,
It is His way of giving earthly cheer!
God's money is here
Somewhat like a crystal chandelier.
It brings light that will appear,
Especially on the dark frontier.
God loves money for He is the Great Financier;
He wants you to revere and ENJOY His atmosphere
Chapter 11
Winners
YOU and I were BORN to be a Winner and a Success! Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God's children are losers. The Word says that we are the APPLE of His EYE. GOD HAS made US to ride upon the HIGH PLACES of the EARTH. GOD IS for YOU! HE HAS GIVEN YOU ABUNDANT LIFE NOW...NOW in this LIFE. GOD MADE YOU A SOMEBODY (Mt.17, Ps.17,56,59,62, 118, Deut.32, Jn.10, Mk.10).
WINNERS have plans. LOSERS have excuses. WINNERS find the answer. LOSERS seek out the problem. WINNERS are part of the answer. LOSERS are normally the problem. WINNERS say that it is highly possible. LOSERS say that it is definitely impossible.
TWO Christians LOOKED out FROM the Church windows. ONE SAW debt, lack, needs...THE OTHER SAW the super abundance of God's wealth.
In the spring of 1977, I bought my first Mercedes. It was a used Mercedes. When I brought it home for my wife to see, she went bananas on me. She thought I had flipped out! She thought I had gone over the edge! She said, "What have you done? What has come over you? Are you nuts? Tommy, that's a lot of money to spend on a used car. What are we going to do with a Mercedes?"
I answered, "Drive it! That's why I bought it. Besides, we will make a lot of money on this car when I do sell it."
Needless to say, we went to bed that evening with tension in the air!
Within just a few short days, I sold the car for a hefty 39% profit. Then, she realized that I was not out of my mind! Since then, I have personally owned over 40 Mercedes'. The Lord is GOOD!
JESUS CAME TO SET YOU and YOUR FAMILY FREE and TO MAKE YOU a Success. JESUS has set you free from: FAILURE (Phil.4:13), POVERTY (Phil.4:19), FEAR (2 Tim.1:7), DOUBT (Rom.12:3), WEAKNESS (Ps.27:1, Dan.11:32), DEFEAT (2 Cor.2:14), IGNORANCE (1 Cor.1:30), SIN (1 Jn.1:7), WORRY (1 Pet.5:7), BONDAGE (2 Cor.3:17), and CONDEMNATION (Rom.8:1).
As a Winner, you will have an APPRECIATION for others and a Positive Attitude. You will make COMMITMENTS and have GOOD COMMUNICATION with other Christians. You will have a greater LOVE and SENSITIVITY for others. Your SENSE of HUMOR, PATIENCE, and TOLERANCE for the weakness in fellow Christians will expand.
MONEY will be manifested in your life as you constantly demonstrate the following:
1. LOVE (1 Cor.13).
2. POWER (Lk.10:19).
3. WISDOM (1 Cor.1:30, Pr.4:5‑13).
4. MERCY (Pr.28:13, Mt.5:7, Lk.1:50).
5. WEALTH (Deut.8:18, Lk.6:38, Mal.3:10).
6. FORGIVENESS (Mt.6:14, Mk.11:25, Lk.11:4).
7. FAITHFULNESS (Pr.28:20, Mt.24:45‑47, Rev.2:10).
As a successful husband in Godly finances, YOU will:
1. Love your wife as your OWN body (Eph.5:28).
2. LOVE your wife WITH AFFECTION (Col.3:19).
3. GIVE honor to your wife so that your prayers are not HINDERED (1 Pet.3:7).
4. Provide for YOUR family (1Tim.5:8).
5. Leave your mother and father and cleave to your wife (Gen.2:24).
6. CHERISH your wife, even as JESUS cherishes the Church (Eph.5:29).
7. Be faithful to your wife and be ready to forgive her when she burns the toast or goes on an all day shopping spree (Mt.5:27‑28, Eph.4:32).
As a successful Christian wife in finances, you will: Esteem, admire, and LOVE your husband (1 Pet.3:1‑4, Eph.5:33). Did you notice how short your list is?
Regardless of whether you are the husband or the wife, Success will come to you as you FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF. You will have goals. You will study the WORD! YOU will attend Church faithfully. You will spend quality time with quality people. You will INVEST in your mind and spirit by reading GOOD books (such as the one you are NOW reading). And you will listen to GOOD preaching to help you grow and renew your mind. You will use TIME wisely. YOU will be teachable!
YOU were made for Greatness and Success. YOU were made for prominence You were made to soar like an eagle, not as a chicken in the barnyard eating chicken feed! YOU were made for excellence. YOU were made to:
1. DOMINATE...not to be dominated.
2. Have dominion (right and power to govern and control).
3. Be the VICTOR...not the victim.
4. Be a GIVER...not a taker.
5. LOVE...and to be loved.
6. Be happy...and filled with JOY.
7. Fellowship with God...and HIS children.
Pray this prayer with me right NOW. "Father, I thank you that I am PRECIOUS in Your Eyes...that You LOVE me...that You CARE about ME. You want me to PROSPER. Thank You, LORD. I KNOW that I am the APPLE of Your Eye...that You will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I am SPECIAL to You and Your Kingdom. You have made me a Winner! I am a SUCCESS! I am Your CHILD and part of Your Family FOREVER! Thank You, Lord...in Jesus' Name."
SUCCESS is NOW yours. Doesn’t it feel GOOD to take back what the devil has stolen from you? You will never be the same again! You will become a mighty Christian Soldier in the combat zone of financial wealth. You will seize and rightfully take the MONEY that belongs to you and your family. "...The violent take it by force" (Mt.11:12).
Joel said to be glad and rejoice in the Lord. He said that our floors (storage areas in our homes and throughout the earth) and vats (containers for liquids) would overflow (Joel 2:24). God also said through Prophet Joel, "I will restore to YOU the years that the locusts have eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm...which I sent (allowed) among you" (Joel 2:25). ALL of God's 32,000 promises apply to you and me as the children of God. RECEIVE! You can take back what the enemy has stolen. And this is only the beginning! Thank You Lord Christ!
"And YOU shall eat in PLENTY, and be SATISFIED, and praise the Name of the Lord..." (Joel 2:26). There is no hunger for you because you belong to the family of God. Abundance is YOURS. You will not lack. The Lord is your Shepherd. God has been so GOOD to you. He will never let you down. You will not be put to shame. God loves you so very much!
Friend, I am so excited! You and I are Winners! Period! We do not follow the crowd. The crowd follows us. We take an independent stand that does not go along with tradition. Some people say that you cannot live for God and be wealthy, but they do not KNOW our God! The resources of God belong to you and me today! We no longer have the “loser syndrome”. Poverty has lost his power over us. Riches and MONEY are ours!
We command poverty to leave and it leaves. We refuse to be broke ever again! Our bank accounts are overflow with money in order that we may GIVE to the Kingdom of God as never before. We refuse to be bound. Religious demons of lack and poverty have tried unsuccessfully to bind us up and make us bankrupt like the world's system. But we serve a Greater One…Jesus!
Jesus won the war with satan the Loser! Jesus won the war on poverty! Jesus won the war on sin! As Winners, when we speak, people listen! We are NOT arrogant, but humble. We know where we have been. We were once in sin, miry clay, and even poverty, but now we are on our way to Planet Heaven. We refuse mediocrity! Our plans are in place. They were initiated 2000 years ago by our Commander‑in‑Chief, Jesus. He has taught us WELL about finances.
Our mission (since we have chosen to accept it) is to go in and possess the land, finances, money, territory, community, county, state, nation, and world for Jesus Christ! God has given us the Kingdom. SUCCESS is ours. We are Winners!
We give up NO GROUND! We continue to march. We are dressed for combat duty to demolish the strongholds of the enemy against our wealth that the Father has already given us. We seize our finances and possess them for this is the Father's will. Why? To establish His Covenant!
We are tearing down the strongholds of the forces of darkness. We walk in and set the captive free! We take back what the devil has stolen from us. As Winners, we are bold and fearless! We are armed with the Word of God and are dangerous to the kingdom of darkness. Why? Because JESUS totally defeated him 2000 years ago. When the enemy attempts to attack us, he will have to flee SEVEN different ways. There is no place for him to hide. He is a doomed and defeated foe!
Even though the war of good and evil has been fought and won by our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church is still in SPIRITUAL COMBAT…taking territories for the Kingdom of God. The enemy does not stand a chance. WE are the VICTORS! THERE is no WAY that WE can LOSE. The Bible says that ANYTHING that WE DO will PROSPER! PRAISE to You Lord Christ!
You and I are in the same class as God. Please do not misunderstand me. We are NOT God, but we are His kids. The Bible says that we are body of His Body…bone of His bone…flesh of His flesh (Eph.5:30). And we have His Spirit!. We were made (created) in His direct image! You and I are members of the highest social class and social order either on this earth or in heaven. We are in the same CLASS as God! Think about it. We are made in His direct image. God will never die and neither will we. We will live forever either in heaven or hell! We are part God. Please do not misquote me, now. I did not say that we are God, but we are part God. We have Divine status. We are bone of His Bone...flesh of His Flesh...body of His Body, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son flows through our veins. I’m excited!
The real YOU lives inside you. When I look at you from the outside, I do not see the real YOU. YOU are on the inside. You are the INNER MAN…the inner person! When God looks at YOU, He looks on the inside, not on the surface. God sees the REAL BEAUTY in YOU! The Bible says that even your feet are beautiful. When God looks at you, He sees a Winner and an incredible Success! You are a Holy Ghost Success in Finances through Jesus Christ!
Being a Winner is now second nature to you. You are bold! You are successful! The Word says, "...Be strong in the Lord, and in the POWER of His might" (Eph.6:10). "For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in POWER" (1 Cor.4:20). "Behold I give unto YOU POWER..." (Lk.10:19). “God has not given you the spirit of fear; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a sound MIND" (2 Tim.1:7).
Finances come to you. Money is attracted to you! YOU and I are anointed and ordained to bring SUCCESS to our communities. That is part of the covenant. The ANOINTING brings prosperity. The anointing DESTROYS the yoke of bondage, disease, sin, oppression, poverty, and the curse (Isa.10:27). The Word says that you are anointed. YOU have the anointing (1 Jn.2:20,27; 1Jn.3:7). God has anointed YOU (2 Cor.1:21) to be free in every area of your life and that includes finances.
David prayed, "Restore unto me the JOY of Thy salvation (protection, healing, prosperity, preservation from afflictions, wholeness, and complete deliverance)" (Ps.51:12). Jesus was indeed a Winner because everywhere He went, He brought revival by destroying poverty, disease, infirmities, pains, sickness, and death. He wanted people to be wealthy and healthy. Jesus destroyed and demolished disease, poverty, and death. He literally brought heaven to earth.
You asked, "Well, why are people still poor?" Fair enough...now let me ask you a question. Why are people still unsaved?
He told us that we could NOW do anything (Mt.17:20). He told us that we NOW have all power over the enemy and that includes power over our finances. Jesus said that it is the Father's GOOD PLEASURE to give us the kingdom (Lk.12:32). As long as we are obedient, He told us that we could have what we say and desire.
Jesus gave us a positive mental, spiritual, and physical attitude. No longer are we inferior. We are well! The Word says that someday, we will even judge the angels (1 Cor.6:3). That’s how important we are to God!
Jesus brought FINANCES and gave us back our dignity, self‑esteem, and righteousness (right standing with God). He gave us the Holy Spirit to comfort and assist us at all times. He did it all for us. Oh, the mercy of the Lord is so great and everlasting! He has set us FREE indeed!
Many times the Lord will say, "Tommy, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Do NOT fear. I am with you. Be not afraid. The battle is not yours, but Mine. Cast ALL your cares, anxieties, and reservations upon Me. I am God and will smite and destroy the enemy before your face. Be obedient and you shall eat the fat of the land. No good thing will I withhold from YOU, MY CHILD." This type of thing excites me!
Today, we take Jesus' place on this earth as the Church. We go forth and erase darkness and sin through His blood. We destroy poverty, disease, sickness, and pain throughout the earth. As Jesus RAZED (tore down) hell 2000 years ago, we raze (demolish) hell today through His Name. WE have BECOME Winners in FINANCES!
Chapter 12
Debt Free at Last
You do not have to be in debt! YOU were born from your mother's womb to have wealth! Begin to SEE yourself out of debt and wealthy. Think BIG. Broaden your horizons. Jesus looks at you as a precious jewel in His treasury. You are priceless to Him. He also sees you filled with His power and your pockets filled with His resources…to include MONEY ($$$). HE LOVES YOU so MUCH. He has commissioned you to go forth and do His will on this earth. Jesus said, "...All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and..." (Mt.28:18‑19).
Remember, the word "RAZE" means: to tear down completely, demolish, leave destitute, uncover, make naked, erase, and destroy. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (to include poverty)" (1 Jn.3:8).
Jesus came to destroy poverty, sin, sickness, disease, darkness, fear, hate, greed, murder, drug addiction, adultery, death, demon possession, and anything that would hinder us from being totally FREE, wealthy, and WHOLE.
I remember the first bicycle that I ever owned. It was a 24 inch, blue in color, used bicycle. I did not have any money, but my father did; therefore, I talked him into loaning me the green backs ($20) to buy it. As an eight year old boy in 1954, that was a lot of money for me. It took me about six months to repay him. I sold newspapers, watermelons, mowed lawns, and did other menial jobs to earn the money. Finally, when the bike was paid off, I felt so good inside. I actually felt successful...and free...free from that "large debt" that I had owed. Even today, I still feel good when a debt is paid in full.
Jesus wants you financially FREE...today! You can and should pay your just debts. A Christian that has bill collectors calling all the time is NOT a good example to the world of a person who bears the name of "Christian". To strive toward paying all of your just debts is a good thing…being debt free is even better!
When Jesus was upon this earth in the flesh, He went about doing GOOD which included paying His just debts (Mt.17:27). Jesus was ANOINTED. YOU are ANOINTED. You are equipped to do the same works that Jesus did. You are part of the Body of Jesus Christ and the great Family of God. You are important to God! Whatever Jesus did, you can do it too. Nothing is impossible to YOU. YOU can and will pay your just debts. Success in Finances is yours for the taking!
"Behold, I give unto YOU Power to tread on serpents (devils) and scorpions (demons and imps), and over ALL the power of the enemy (to include poverty): and NOTHING (disease, sickness, infirmities, poverty, oppression, inferiority, spiritual death, sin, mental disorders, and weakness) shall by any means hurt YOU" (Lk.10:19). NOTHING shall HURT YOU!
Paul said that our weapons are "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY thought to the OBEDIENCE of Christ" (2 Cor.10:4‑5).
Is poverty (lack), sickness or disease a stronghold in your life? Is hunger a stronghold? We have spiritual weapons to combat these diabolical fortresses (Eph.6:13‑17) and we have the Power of Attorney of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His Name will bring down poverty in our lives and those around us. Praise be to You, Lord Christ!
However, when you begin tearing down poverty, be prepared. You will OFFEND many people by the Word that you teach and implement. "The sower sows the Word...And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who...afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended" (Mk.4:14‑17).
The ones SOWN upon STONY GROUND are THOSE WHO, WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORD, RECEIVE, ACCEPT, and WELCOME it WITH JOY...AND they HAVE NO REAL ROOT IN THEMSELVES, so THEY ENDURE for a LITTLE WHILE. THEN, WHEN TROUBLE OR PERSECUTION ARISES on ACCOUNT of the WORD, THEY IMMEDIATELY ARE OFFENDED. THEY become DISPLEASED, INDIGNANT, RESENTFUL and STUMBLE and FALL AWAY (Amplified).
People will become offended when prosperity is fervently preached or taught. Please do not be alarmed when this happens. And it will happen! Love them. Pray for them. Be nice to them! Say nice things about them!
JESUS BEGAN to TEACH in the SYNAGOGUE on the SABBATH day. "IS NOT THIS the CARPENTER, the SON of MARY, the BROTHER of JAMES, and JOSEPH, and of JUDAS, and SIMON? Are not HIS SISTERS here with US? And THEY were OFFENDED at HIM" (Mk.6:2‑3).
Jesus offended them. Sometimes you will offend individuals by the Word that you teach and live, especially when you start becoming a Success! They will accuse you of all types of things for the Gospel's sake. They will even accuse you of being WEALTHY! Praise the Lord!
In my previous book Sweet Anointing, I said, "The Sweet Anointing gives YOU the God given right to rule, govern, control, defeat the devil, and have dominion over every circumstance of your life...YOU are a soldier in the Lord's Army. The Sweet Anointing gives YOU the right to tear down strongholds."
Therefore, I say, "Go ahead and offend them. Offend them! That’s right! Offend them for Jesus. If He were here in Person on this earth physically, He would OFFEND them!" Be firm, but gentle through LOVE!
"HE that eats My FLESH, and drinks MY BLOOD, dwells in ME, and I in HIM...I AM the LIVING BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN from HEAVEN: If any MAN eat of this BREAD, He shall LIVE FOREVER...(JESUS) said unto (HIS DISCIPLES), 'DOES THIS OFFEND YOU?'...FROM that time MANY of His DISCIPLES WENT BACK, and WALKED no MORE with HIM" (Jn.6:56, 51, 61, 66).
Many times Jesus offended the people through the Truth (Word of God). So will you…if you teach the truth of the Gospel! Therefore, when persecution comes, do not be alarmed about it. Keep on keeping on for the Kingdom of God. Tommy Franks says OFFEND them! Why? It is better to be offended and go to heaven and NOT be offended and go to Hell!
"(IT IS) not that WHICH goes INTO the MOUTH (that) DEFILES a MAN; but THAT WHICH comes OUT of the MOUTH, this defiles a MAN. Then CAME His DISCIPLES and SAID unto HIM, KNOWEST Thou that the PHARISEES were OFFENDED, AFTER they HEARD this SAYING? But HE answered and SAID…LET THEM ALONE (disregard them, ignore them)..." (Mt.15: 11‑12, 14).
As a result of the Word that Jesus preached and taught, people were offended. Believe me, if YOU try to pussyfoot around and please everybody with the message of Jesus Christ, water it down, allow it to be polluted with the world's system, tickle the people's ears with a weak message, and compromise the Word, you will be ineffective as a dynamic Winner and Success for Jesus Christ! Again, I say to YOU, OFFEND them.
I had rather see individuals offended now in this world, than to teach and NOT offend them and see them go to a fiery hell. Let us face the truth. The Word offends! Period!
"And BLESSED is he, WHOSOEVER shall NOT be OFFENDED in ME" (Mt.11:6). The man that is not offended in Jesus or His Word is a happy person. He does not stumble around. He studies the Bible and sees the Truth for himself.
Jesus taught as One that had power and authority. He did not teach a namby‑pamby Gospel. He was not a secret agent representative of God. He went public with His words and character! He did not believe in “closet” living! He wanted to make some important statements to society. "And they were offended in Him..." (MT.13:57).
Hence, if you really want to be a SUCCESS, you must go public. Closet Christians are constantly having all kinds of problems. Some are sick. Some are oppressed. Some are poverty stricken. And Some of them are even ashamed of the Gospel. Secret agent Christians are WIMPS!
If alcoholics, drug addicts, homosexuals, wife beaters, and child abusers can go public, then I certainly believe that it is high time for all combat Christians to go public. If this offends you, then talk to Jesus! He was definitely NOT a secret agent of God. For this, they killed Him.
I know that some people get offended by the Word. In my younger years, if a person told me that he was offended because of my teaching on tithing, I would respond…“That makes two of you. The devil is too!” But since those early years, I have attempted to use more diplomacy, finesse, and poise. I do not believe that we should go around deliberately offending people, but the Word of God will offend occasionally.
Jesus said one time, "All (of you) shall be OFFENDED because of Me..." (Mt.26:31). People are not offended because of you. They are offended because of Jesus within you. You could not offend a flea within yourself. It takes the Word of God to offend someone! That should make you want to rejoice forever! Read John 16:1.
"GREAT PEACE have they WHICH LOVE Thy law (WORD): and NOTHING shall OFFEND them (CAUSE THEM to STUMBLE or FALL)" (Ps.119:165). If you truly LOVE the Word of God, you will have great peace and you will not be offended to the point of stumbling, falling, and getting all bent out of shape over some issue in the game of life.
Even if you do stumble occasionally, get up, dust yourself off, get forgiveness, and keep right on going. Do NOT even look back. Don't worry. Be happy!
You are now a Winner and a true SUCCESS in Finances! YOU were born to be successful. YOU were born for such a time as this. God's combat Christians are beginning to walk in the realm of wealth. You as a dynamic soldier are living in your FINEST hour...invading the impossible and doing things that most people and wimps only dream about. YOU are destined for GREATNESS. YOU are a WINNER and war zone soldier! If God be for YOU, who would be so stupid as to come against you? YOU are now in God's class. How SWEET it is!
You have more POWER locked up in you than you will ever need or use. The Greater One lives within. He is all powerful and will put you over. Go forth in courage and be fearless as the Lion you serve. He will never fail you. Think SUCCESS! Be a Winner!
True Winners are not those who always struggle to be first, but they are the first to attempt to do their very best when it comes to success! They are the first to see the needs of others, envision a plan to help others…are the first to commit to others…and are the first to motivate others to unleash God’s power within them!
Some of YOU reading this book have the gift of finances inside you, but you have never released or unleashed that gift. I say to you right now, let go and let God use you in the area of finances.
You determine your own Success. Man does not. You do! God made you for success, but your destiny is in your own hands. Without God, we cannot. Without us, He will not! He needs us. We need Him! Period! You can choose prosperity or poverty. Some people blame everybody else for their failures and problems. Some blame their parents for their own shortcomings. Some blame their wives for their shortcomings. Some blame their husbands for their shortcomings. Some blame their employer for their shortcomings. Unfortunately, until an individual accepts responsibility for his or her own life, forward progress in the success arena will cease!
Some will even say, "Well, my business failed..." Let me share something with you, my friend. THERE are no BUSINESS FAILURES...only PEOPLE FAILURES. Businesses do what you and I tell them to do. If we make bad management decisions, we cannot blame the business or God, only ourselves. Therefore, if you make a bad business decision, get forgiveness and keep on trucking! I have been there. I know.
Success is indeed yours! Therefore, continue to tear down the devil's territory. Gratification will come, as you level to the ground, such evil as sickness, abortion, poverty, infanticide, euthanasia, and disease. You were born for SUCCESS. Financial Success will come! You will feel much better about yourself and your accomplishments in the Kingdom of God. Wealth will follow you as you obey the Word.
The fresh oil and wine from heaven are being poured out upon you to assist you in making money! The Sweet Anointing is upon your life. Praise Jesus! YOU were indeed BORN to be a Success in Finances! DO IT! Now that you have begun to accept your tremendous responsibilities in the Kingdom of God, you KNOW that you are a combat SUCCESS in Finances. You are on Divine Assignment to be wealthy. You now go forth CHARGED in the POWER and AUTHORITY of God. His ability is yours. Your very words are filled with faith, SUCCESS, love, hope, mercy, compassion, and energy. People now come to you for answers. You speak forth the oracles of God. Miracles and financial wonders happen all around you in the Name of Jesus. Poverty hides from you! It runs from YOU! It fears you!
You give and it is given back to you in abundance. Finances and material blessings are yours because of your obedience in giving. You have given and now the harvest is coming into your bank accounts. Even though you have learned who you are and Who your Father is, you are humble and meek in spirit. YOU will inherit the earth. As a giver, you will never lack. Everything you touch prospers! Being successful has become a lifestyle for YOU. It is not a chore, job, or sacrifice, but a lifestyle.
You NOW speak and people listen. You speak to mountains (diseases, sicknesses, poverty, sin) and they move and melt away. People KNOW that you are special and different. They do not know how to explain it, but they KNOW that there is greatness within you. You are filled with financial greatness! You are a POWERFUL force in Jesus. You are now a channel of God's blessings to others. You have become a powerful threat to the diabolical enemy. You now walk into the devil's territory and knock down the very gates of lack and set captives FREE. The hungry are fed. Needs are met. Money is given! You are in the powerful Army of God marching across this land lending a helping hand! I thank God for you!
A mighty explosion of SUCCESS is currently taking place within the center of God's people everywhere! Since the Church is learning how to tear down strongholds, it is part of the solution and no longer the problem! Respect, once again, is returning to the Church.
Now that you have read this book, you are responsible for its contents. Pass this knowledge on to others. Allow others to see the power of Jesus Christ. Share this wealth with others! Do not be selfish. Give this knowledge to others and you will see them set FREE from poverty. YOU are a Winner and SUCCESS in FINANCES! I love you and appreciate what you are doing in the Kingdom of God. May our Lord Jesus Christ Bless you and keep you FOREVER! May His Face always shine upon you! Amen!
Last Words
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "The time is always right to do what is right." As the world is winding down and we are getting ready for the future, we need to think in terms of doing the right thing on a daily basis. And doing what is right requires change. As we grow, we change. Growth requires some risk. Risk requires a venture of faith. Faith requires hope. And hope requires trust and confidence in our Maker. Therefore, the decision is ours! We have a vital choice to make. Either we continue in the same old rut...boring as it may be, or we may opt for change in our lives to facilitate and expedite growth. We need to watch our thoughts because our thoughts become words and our words become actions. Our actions become habits and our habits display our character. Our character becomes our destiny. This is reality!
Hopefully, new paradigms are beginning to germinate within us. What is a paradigm? It's a different way of looking at something, perhaps in the most logical and ideal way for the first time. Sometimes, we look at something the same old way all of our lives and just maybe, we could be mistaken about our conclusion.
Case in point: Some time ago, I was traveling down a short road in Lakeland, Florida. All at once, a little maroon convertible car came around the corner in front of me...swerving and going from side to side...sort of out of control. As the car went by, the driver (a beautiful green eyed blonde) shouted out the window, "Pig."
This made me angry. How dare her call me a pig. She was the one losing control of her vehicle...not me! Therefore, I immediately rolled down my window and shouted back, "You big old cow, you. Get out of my way!"
As I continued driving, I said to myself, "I guess I told her." I accelerated and then, as I rounded the same curve that she had just negotiated, I saw a great big pig in the middle of the road. There was simply no where to go. I avoided hitting the pig; however, I ran off the road and wrecked my beautiful black Mercedes. It was awful...Dirt, rocks, sand, gravel, and grass went everywhere! By now, I felt like a jerk. The lady (Karen) was trying to warn me of the imminent danger of the pig being in the road.
The green eyed blonde (whom I later fell in love with) returned to the scene of the accident and gave me first aid until the ambulance arrived. She was so sweet. I just had to get to know this angel. I eventually married her in June of 2003.
The Paradigm: I should have looked at the situation much differently. What I thought…was distinctly different from the real facts and true reality! As you perhaps know by now, only a portion of the above story is true, but I got your attention, didn't I? We all need to change and look at things through a different window of our minds occasionally. This will bring about growth!
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