There is a powerful biblical secret to great gain found in this book.  You can find valuable truths about financial faith that will change your life.  A simple “Content Point” and “Budget Formula” will put your mind at ease.  You might relate to the rich man who ran to Jesus more than you think.  Just how rich was he? 

If you don’t have a Kindle, all you have to do is go to this link and download the free Kindle version for your PC.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4464247375&ref=pd_sl_93kmqfanj8_e

If you want to read it on you iPhone go to this link and download the free app. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000301301

“A God Made Millionaire” is also available in eBook form at Amazon.com for a limited time at $1.95.  

Here are the links for the books.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D133141011&field-keywords=Managing+and+growing+gods+resources&x=0&y=0

 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D133141011&field-keywords=A+God+Made+Millionaire&x=11&y=18  

Many men hand over the leadership role to women from the time of their first date.  This is not biblical and not God’s way.  It is our culture’s way.  Our culture says men should be in touch with their feminine side.  Maybe, but God never intended for men and women to switch roles.  How has right become wrong and wrong become right in so many areas of our culture?    

My motive in writing this is not to diminish the fact that husbands are called to give their lives for their wives just as Christ gave His life for the church.  On the contrary, I want to evaluate how a husband should give his life for his wife.  I want to examine some issues that I believe have slowly fallen through the cracks.  I will try to do this by leaving out political correctness and the psychology of the day. 

In 1 Samuel chapter 3, the Lord tells Samuel that He will judge Eli’s family for the sins in his family that Eli new about.  Eli failed to restrain his family.  Eli was responsible for his family but just stuck his head in the sand. 

In Ephesians chapter 5, wives are called to submit to their husbands in all things and respect their husbands.  The husband is the head of the wife.  Husbands are to do like Christ did for the church by giving themselves for their wives in order to present them as holy and blameless.

1 Peter chapter 3 talks about how Sarah submitted to Abraham, obeyed him, and called him master.  Wives are Sarah’s daughters if they do what is right and do not give way to FEAR.  This is one of those biblical truths that is not politically correct.  Husbands are to be considerate and respect their wives as the weaker partner.  They are heirs with their husbands of the gracious gift of life.  Husbands should be considerate and respectful of their wives so their prayers will not be hindered.   The beginning of this chapter also says that husbands who do not believe the Word may be won over by the actions of their wives, NOT words.

Colossians 1:22 proclaims that we are reconciled by Christ’s death so we can be presented holy, without blemish, and free from accusation.   The only way husbands can present their wives holy and free from accusation is by completely submitting to God and being led by Him.  Before husbands hassle their wives about not completely submitting to them, they might want to evaluate how well they are completely submitting to Christ.

Colossians 3 starting in verse 18 also discusses some guidelines for Christian households.  The fact that wives are to submit is repeated here as it is in many places in the bible.  However, one thing that stands out to me here is that husbands are not to be harsh with their wives.  To me this means husbands should not boss their wives around or use an unloving tone.

In Genesis 2 verse 18, God gave Adam a helper suitable for him.  That was Eve.  The wife is the husband’s helper.  Before God gave Adam his helper, He told him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God told Adam this.  He was leading and directing Adam not Adam’s helper.  Adam’s leadership obviously failed.  He followed Eve instead of God.  Adam let Eve lead. 

I do not know of anywhere in the bible where God instructs the wife to lead the husband.  I can’t find anywhere where it says the husband should ask the wife’s permission for anything.  I can’t find a single place in God’s word where He says everyone in the family gets an equal vote.

I own a number of businesses.  My vote is the only one that counts and that vote carries tremendous responsibility.  I have managers in those businesses.  I never contradict the manager or diminish his or her role.  I respect the manager’s position but I lead the manager.  They don’t lead me.  The proverbs 31 woman is an amazing manager of the home who is more valuable than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her.  That’s cool because she doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be micro managed.  She only needs to be led.  In many Christian homes the men are not leading.  Why?  The wife begins to FEAR and tries to be the leader.  The husband lets the wife lead because he is afraid he will get nagged if he doesn’t let the wife have the control she wants.  She wants the control because in her mind that will help to remove the fear.   It makes sense that an enemy would attack at the weakest link.  That is the wife.  This is exactly what the serpent did with Adam and Eve.   

If we meditate on the scripture mentioned in this blog, it becomes obvious to me that the husband should lead and the wife should submit.  That doesn’t mean everything will be perfect but at least if these two things are done the Christian home will be in line with God’s order.

Many men are not leading their families.  That is the husbands fault not the wife’s.  It is the husband’s responsibility to lead and the wife’s responsibility to submit in ALL things.  If a husband will lead his wife in a godly way, he is giving his life for her and protecting her.  A husband throwing the submission issue in his wife’s face is not respecting her.  I really believe if husbands will LOVINGLY lead, wives will happily and fearlessly submit to that leadership.                   

The poor widow in Luke 21:1-4 gave a good measure.

Putting God first with our tithes and offerings is the right thing to do.This shows our trust and love for God.  James 4:17 says “Anyone then, who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it sins”.  Just because we are not cursed if we don’t tithe doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.  Just because we are saved by grace doesn’t mean we should make a habit of not doing good things.  I believe we pleases God when we tithe.  It certainly doesn’t anger Him and He will not penalize us for tithing.     

If we believe the Word of God, we will do this.

Once we commit whatever we do to God, our plans will succeed.  We shouldn’t judge success.  Just believe. 

When Christians celebrate Halloween, what are they celebrating?  Of course they don’t think they are celebrating the “Roman feast of Pomona”, which is the goddess of fruits and seeds.  Of course they don’t think they are celebrating “The festival of the dead” called “Parentalia”.  They don’t think they are acknowledging harmless or harmful spirits.  They aren’t practising harmless divination.  Christians are just pretending that Halloween is just a fun time for the kids to eat sugar and scare each other.

I wonder what God thinks about Christians who celebrate a holiday that represents pagan idols, witchcraft, and spirits?  I wonder if He thinks it’s okay if we dress the kids up as angels in order to celebrate these things?  I wonder if this grieves the Holy Spirit?            

Many believers in Christ have become hung up on their stuff.  If you are afraid to lose it, you are hung up on it.    

I wonder just how rich this rich man in Matthew chapter 19 was.  We don’t know what he had but we do know what he didn’t have.  He didn’t have a computer, automobile, cell phone, plasma TV, electricity, or running water.  I would estimate that most people in the U.S. have more luxuries than the rich man I have discussed. 

I believe God owns everything.  If we take ownership of our stuff we are taking ownership of things that won’t last.  We need to put everything in God’s hands.  Once we realize it belongs to God, we can manage it for Him.  I believe the parable of the talents demonstrates that God wants what He puts under our management to grow.  It belongs to Him though.  If He tells us to sell the car, that is what we should do.  If He tells us to buy a car, we should do that. 

In John chapter 6, Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves of bread.  Then He instructed His disciples to pick up the leftover pieces so nothing would be wasted.  Jesus does not want us to waste anything.  I think that includes wasting things on ourselves also.         

Stock values go up and down due to the value of the underlying business and supply and demand for the stock.  The value of a business is determined by its ability or potential to earn income and turn that income into increasing profits.  Supply and demand is determined by the number of stock shares available for purchase and the number of buyers willing to purchase stock. 

Now you don’t have to watch late-night infomercials about real estate. 

God doesn’t need quantity.  He wants quality.

The Pharisees wanted to see proof before they would believe.  That’s not how it works.

The disciples where looking at what they saw, not what Jesus showed them He could do.  Jesus wanted His disciples to act and behave like they were walking with God.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.  ”Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”  They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”  Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?  Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied.  ”And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Mark 8:11-21 (NIV)

Notice that when 5 loaves fed 5,000 there were 12 basketfuls of pieces after everyone had eaten.  When 7 loaves fed 4,000 there were 7 basketfuls of pieces.  The disciples trusted Jesus and began dispersing the bread.  They didn’t know how much bread they really had.  The only pattern I see here is that they ended up with more each time.

What would have happened if the disciples didn’t feed the crowd like Jesus requested?  The answer is nothing.  The disciples would have been standing there with not nearly enough food to feed even a few people.  If they would have held the food long enough, it would have spoiled and they would have had nothing.    

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Heb 11:1 (NKJV)

As long as we believe truth, faith is the proof of what we don’t see yet.  The Word of God is truth.  Believing something that is not truth will not make it true no matter how much we believe it.

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

Mal 3:8-12 (NIV)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-17 (NIV)

 Faith is what we do.  We all drive to the grocery store because we believe it is there.  If we didn’t think it was there we wouldn’t go there for groceries.  No one would get in a boat and sail west if he or she thought the earth was flat.  If you thought the earth was round you might try it.

I believe trusting God and acting like you trust God are two different things.  If you just hold onto your resources they are NOT going to increase.   Remember, our motive should not be to increase our stuff.  It should be win the lost for Jesus Christ

 Interesting! 

Auto Union:  Give us $20

Management:  We don’t have any money.

Auto Union:  Okay, just give us $10 then.

Steve, I have been paying 10% and having my stuff turned off.  I stopped and now I have my bills almost caught up.  I have started giving what I can now.  I am worried if I go back to 10% my stuff might be turned off again.  What do you think?

Answer

Great question!  Here are my thoughts.  Malachi 3:10 says to pay the whole tithe.  I believe if we don’t we are robbing God.  Jesus himself also says not to neglect the tithe in Matthew 23:23.

It matters what we believe.  I believe the Word of God is truer than what we see.  What we do demonstrates what we believe.  In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus says not to worry about our stuff.  If we worry, we lack faith.  When we worry about losing something we have made it an idol in our lives.  Our stuff doesn’t really belong to us anyway.  God owns everything and can move it wherever He wants.  The bible says when you give; it will be given to us. 

Luke 14:33 says if someone want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, that person must give up all their stuff.  I believe we should all realize we are just managing stuff God has put under our management.  We should manage it for His glory.  Since it’s His, He can do what He wants with it.  Once we have this sincere attitude, what is under our management will increase.  

Be faithful with little and it will increase. 

 Here is an example I use.  If I raise everyone dues $100 per month and spend what I think is coming in next month on credit, things won’t fall apart right away.  But don’t think they won’t.  They will!

I’m looking to start a small group for Christian men who have interests in being called by God to become millionaires for the kingdom.  Got any ideas on a DVD series to watch and learn?

I am not aware of any Christian DVDs teaching on growing resources.  Starting a small group on this topic is an awesome calling.

Here is what I recommend for your small group.  Bring the group together and start talking about each man’s passion.  How can you tap the passion God has given each one of you in order to form businesses?  Each man will have ideas and insight that will help the group.  Have each man research different topics and bring it back to the group.  These topics could be Business plans, grants, SBA loans, demographic studies, and raising capital.

You can have NO fear of loss.  The third servant in the parable of the talents had fear.  Teach the men to trust God for all their daily needs.  He will provide.  Teach them to surrender all of their resources to God.  Your homes must become the servant’s quarters.

Give big.  When you give it demonstrates your faith in God.  His Word is true.  Don’t judge the resources each man has under his management at this point.  God can make a lot out of what appears to be nothing. 

Remember, whatever you commit to God will succeed.  Commit what you do to God and don’t judge success.  If it is committed to God, it is succeeding. (Proverbs 16:3)

Here is an easy business that I am involved in.  www.fitnessfor10.com

Charge the giant fearlessly just as David did.  God will do miracles. 

http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2488056%3AVideo%3A24070

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/

 I won’t even get into the carbon tax.  I wonder if we will get taxed for breathing. 

The important thing for Christians to remember is to trust God.  God is the one who redistributes wealth.  “A good Man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous”.  (Prov. 13:22) NIV

Remember the concept of hard work?  Fault and responsibility are often two different things.  It might not be my fault if I can’t pay my mortgage, but it is my responsibility.   

Many people in this country think they should get portions of something for nothing.  They are depending on government instead of God.  We all have talents.  That talent should be used for God.  If we use our talents for God, we won’t need to hold our hands out.

How often do we judge others by what they wear or the car they drive?  We often make assumptions about people by what we think might be in their bank account instead of what might be in their spiritual account.  In James chapter 2, God says when we do this we are discriminating and have become judges with evil thoughts.  God can do anything and He can use anyone to accomplish His purpose. 

Since God’s Word is true, what He says about tithing and giving is true.  Giving to God first demonstrates who our first love is and our faith in God.  He will do what He says He will do.  For anyone who thinks tithing was just an Old Testament thing, please study Matthew 23:23.  This is a hard one to spin.  Jesus Christ Himself says not to neglect the tithe. 

I believe any believer in Chist who does not tithe might as well flush their head down the toilet.  They are robbing God.  Many people have asked me, “what about people who have a lot of money who don’t tithe?” My response is, “they don’t have what they think they have”.

The tithe is 10% of the gross pay.  

Charge the giant.  

As I discuss in “A God-Made Millionaire”, money is not green air.  Money must be backed my labor.  That is a fair wage for honest work.  Our government and financial institutions are playing games with money.  Eventually, guess what will happen?  Economies all over the world have become smoke and mirrors. What do you think the eventual outcome will be?            

People protest layoffs because they don’t understand that their labor is not producing a profit.  When people get laid off it is because their labor is producing a deficit.  All these people know is that they are not getting what they want or need.  That has nothing to do with a job.  That is not how it works.  These people think money is green air so they should have their fair share. 

In the next few month, I have a feeling many more people are going to learn that money does not grow on trees.  Every person who owns a business and works for a business is in it together.  If a businesses pooled labor does not produce a profit, jobs will be lost.        

Compare this to what the little three American auto makers are asking for.  I am not saying the automobiles made by these companies are dirt.  I drive American made cars.  I am saying you can’t sell them for $500,000.  This is the comparison to my dirt example.  The auto industry has knocked supply and demand out of whack.  They have done this by paying employees 5 times what their labor is worth.  Remember, money equals labor.  Sooner or later supply and demand balance cannot be avoided.

If I make cars why wouldn’t I make them in a country where I can pay employees a fair wage instead of giving them charity?  You have heard me say it many times.  Need or want has absolutely nothing to do with the value of labor.  If we want to keep seeing jobs go bye-bye, all we have to do is buy dirt for $5,000 per pound.

No one can tell me with a straight face that the auto industry in Detroit is run well or doesn’t over pay employees.  The numbers don’t lie.  You can’t pay people money you don’t have just because unions say they need it.  Need has nothing to do with the value of someones labor.  How will giving these companies money change their efficiency?  A company that loses billions of dollars a year is a poorly run company.  How will giving companies like this change anything in the long run?     

I don’t hide money under a rock in this manner for a later day.  I just feel like it is not trusting God.

Lenders are forcing borrowers to work now for what they received in the past.  The borrowers are being cut off which will contract the economy until the future becomes less leveraged.       

One of the points in the book “A God-Made Millionaire”, is that money is labor.  Labor and money is interchangeable. 

The plants and equipment will be sitting there for smart management to pick up for pennies on the dollar and run the auto industry right.       

I wonder why GM is in trouble?  Do you think the government could bail them out in the long run even if they wanted to?  You figure it out.   

We can only be devoted to one master.  Any master other than God is an idol.  Dictionary.com defines an idol as:  “Any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.  Or, a false conception or notion; a fallacy.”  The notion that money gives us security is a fallacy.  “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17).  

They believe the wind blow from no where and stops where we cannot see it.  They believe trees grow magically.  They believe the sun will come up tomorrow without any proof except historical observation.  They believe these things occur without the existence of God.  That is faith!

It does matter what we believe.  The Word of God is the only thing that is true.  What we can see is without substance.  What is not seen has substance.

I believe the country of Benin exists even though I have not seen it. 

What God says in His Word about finances and money is true.  You can take that to the bank.  I am more confident that the Word of God is true than I am of the existence of Benin.

Abel trusted God but Cain did not.  Genesis 4:3-5 and Hebrews 11:4 are evidence of this.  Cain and Able both brought God an offering.  Over time Cain brought an offering of some of his fruits from the soil.  Abel brought large portions of the first born of his flock.  A key word here is “first”.  Cain gave out of his abundance.  He gave God leftovers.  Able gave to God first and trusted Him for the rest.

 Many people do not even have an extra $100 per month which means they can’t afford gasoline.  Without gasoline they can’t get to work.  This means the economy could crumble because individuals must choose which bills they will pay.   

Here is something I would encourage church goers to do.  Give a $20 offering to each pastor at your church.  This is above the tithe.  Just make the check out to the church and ear-mark it for the pastor in the memo section.  Our pastors serve us and work for us.  They are Gods servants.  If we can’t trust our pastors with with our money/labor we should find another church.  If we all do this maybe our pastors will be paid at least 1/10th of what they should.   

Giving offerings is exciting but it should be taken seriously.  We are called to be a good steward of the resources God puts under our management.  If we are good stewards, those resources will increase.  Being a good steward of our offerings is not as easy as handing out money to needy people or even buying them things they need.  God owns everything.  He can put it wherever He wants it.  Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish and there would be a coin in the mouth of the fish.  God could hand out money to everyone if He wanted to.  He doesn’t do that so neither should we.  The love of money can do us great harm.  Giving money can often hurt the receiver.

We must seek God in how and where to give.  If we put it in the place He wants it, He will trust us with more.  Here is something to keep in mind.  We are called to spread the Gospel and make disciples of others.  We are also called to help the poor.  Just be careful on how you help the poor.  Make sure God is leading so what is intended for good will not be harmful.

It has become a contest between trendy restaurants to see which one can pile the most food on a plate.  The plates seem to get bigger every year.  A family of four is served enough food to sustain a family of twelve. 

We are called to take up our cross and follow Christ, not ourselves.   

Here is the latest coming from Washington.  “Speculators are driving up the price of oil”.  Once again I am surprised that no one is articulating common sense.  Here is mine.  I have not heard anyone say this.

Anyone that understands the futures markets knows how a commodity like oil is purchased.  Anyone speculating that the price of oil will go up, must buy oil contracts and sell them before the oil is actually delivered to their doorstep.  The only way to affect the price of oil is to affect supply or demand.  People who consume oil or store it indefinitely affect the supply.  They have taken supply out of the market.  If demand remains constant or increases, this will drive the price up.

Speculators are not consuming or storing oil because they have to sell it back into the market before the contract expires.  If they do not sell it, the barrels of oil will be deliver to their doorstep.  When a speculator buys, the price goes up.  When a speculator sells, the price goes down.  Speculators must buy and sell before the contract expires.  1 – 1 = 0.  GET THE PICTURE WASHINGTON?

My hand is Jesus.  I have the best hand.  Nothing can beat my hand.  I want to be “All In” for Jesus.  That means every chip.

In today’s age we have many more luxuries than he did.  We also know from 1 Timothy chapter 6 that there were people rich in this present world who were believers.  So what determines who will have a more difficult time entering the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? 

In my view it is not how much we have.  Most Americans obviously have more than the rich man described in Mark chapter 10.  The question is not how much do we have, but is it an idol in our lives?  If we take ownership of our stuff and put our trust in it, “stuff” becomes an idol and a god in our lives.  If we put stuff before God, it is harder to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.      

Imagine what it would be like to be completely free from the fear of loss and from the desires associated with craving more.  This book can deliver it.  Managing And Growing God’s Resources will be out before the end of 2009.  Look for it at Amazon.com