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Lesson
Forty Nine |
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Heaven also has a bank
In Your Bible Read This
Genesis 41
Here Is Your Memory Verse
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves,
so that when
it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Luke 16.9
Afterwards Talk About
This
The effect of debts upon a person, a family, a church and a
nation.
Weigh up the benefits against the costs and the loss of freedom.
Is there any better way of borrowing money?
Something To Do Before
Next Time
Read Deut. 15, 6-11 and together formulate a proposal to open
a ‘Christian Bank’. How would you attract capital in
order to lend small
amounts to the poor at no or low interest? The borrowers would
use
the money to open their own small businesses and become stable.
Written Diploma Work
Consider seedtime and harvest, sowing and reaping. Write a
page
of natural and spiritual illustrations where this principle
has to be applied to release abundance.
Meditate Word By Word On
This Verse
Proverbs 14.23
- Spend a Minute to Change the World
- Pray For Georgia - 5,600,000 Caucasians and Slavs
- Tension and ruins after independence, 57% Orthodox, 0.43% evangelicals
- Be sure to teach this lesson to others.
- Always pray and prepare well adding your own verses and stories to bring it to life.
The economy of your nation whether it is thriving, stagnant or declining is not an accident. It is the result of decisions taken on the basis of economic pressures and political beliefs at home and abroad. Some nations choose capitalism, others prefer socialism or communism. Some nations keep their market and currency to themselves, others flow with world market forces. It is all a matter of policy and decisions by the government and banks.
The Kingdom Economy
Not surprisingly the kingdom of God also has an economic policy designed in love and wisdom by the master financier of the universe. Discovering the principles of the Godly kingdom economy and applying them to life will lead to blessing, peace and prosperity. Failing to take account of the kingdom principles, or knowing them but failing to put them in to practice leaves you at the mercy of the world’s system which impoverishes most of the human race, and only benefits a minority. What are those economic policies, practices and principles of the Kingdom of God?
1. The Earth Is The Lord’s.
God is the Creator, and the rightful owner. His ownership has a definite, declared purpose and a known future. The Creator has announced, published and fixed forever beneficial spiritual and natural laws in the universe which man breaks at his peril. Genesis chap. 1; Psalm 24, 1-2.2. The Earth Is Delegated To Man.
God as the ultimate owner has given the responsibility for daily development of the earth to men and women. We are expected to rule as good stewards, to care for the earth, to discover and manage it’s riches well so that benefit is produced for all. We abuse the earth at our very great risk. Gen. 1, 26-31, Psalms 8.6; 115.16.3. Responsibility Means Accountability.
All responsibility and support automatically brings with it a demand to give account to the owner for the development of that responsibility. God holds man to account for his actions, and man also holds his fellow man accountable in work and in church. The tree of life tested man’s loyalty in Eden, and in failure Adam had to give account. Gen. 2.16, 3, 4-6.4. Work Is A Blessing Not A Curse.
Work is God’s way to prosperity. Adam was given a responsible job before the fall and Jesus said that, "My Father works and I also work," Laziness only leads to poverty. Gen. 1, 31-2.3; John 5.17; Proverbs 12.24; 14.23.5. Excellence Is God’s Only Standard.
It is God’s own example to us from the beginning. We work for man as if God were our inspector and physical boss. Genesis 1.31; Psalm 8; Ephesians 6.7.6. Family Is God’s Economic Unit.
A family functions when skills are used for the common good. Passing on a trade to children brings reward to elderly parents. The patriarchs protected their economy by living, working and travelling together.7. Faithfulness Is God’s Measure.
Man looks for success but God looks for faithfulness. He tests us with small things to do and we test others in the same way. Faithfulness brings promotion. I Cor .4.2; Luke 19.11-26; Luke 16, 9-12.8. Money Is An Exchange For Life.
The fruit of hours at work is money in our pockets, so it is not just money we give back to God as tithes and offerings it is life. How much we give is a measure of how much our life truly belongs to Jesus. Luke 16.11, Matthew 6, 19-21; Mal. 3.8.9. Apprenticeship Means Prosperity.
Learning spiritual and natural lessons from others leads to new creativity, development and prosperity. Christ’s chosen way of discipleship, another word for apprenticeship, means showing and releasing others. Luke 5.10; Mat. 28.19.10. Growth Means God First.
The Bible teaches that seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness is the foundation for meeting the needs of man. Political systems are only preferred structures to apply the wisdom that man receives either from God or Satan. Matthew 6.33; Colossians 2.8.11. Obedience Is The Way Forward
Obedience to God’s ways in the face of worldly pressures is the key to releasing prosperity. Deut. 8.18, 6-10; Deut. 28.1; Psalm 1; Joshua 1.8; all Deut. 28.
12. Partnership Means Prosperity.
Partnership brings ‘iron sharpening iron,’ extra creativity and multiplied benefits. Have Christ the master economist as your senior partner, then like minded believers. 1 Cor. 3.9, 2 Cor. 6.15, Ecc. 4, 9-12.13. Seedtime And Harvest Is A Fixed Law.
Generous sowing comes before any abundant reaping with ample patience, trust and faith in between the two actions. Genesis 8.22; 1 Cor. 15, 42-58; Luke 6.38; 2 Corinthians 9.6.14. Wealth Has To Be Managed.
Wealth is protected by wise spending, budgets, saving, keeping reserves, sensible investments and by being prepared. Deut. 6, 10-16; Gen. 41, 25-40.15. Debts Are Dangerous.
They are often incurred because of pride or impatience. They deceive, disappoint and in recession, destroy entire families. Deut. 28.44; Romans 13.8.16. Money Is Not True Wealth.
True wealth comes through the right use of money to win souls for heaven and to bless needy people on earth through faithfulness, gratefulness and generosity. Luke 12.15; 48; 16, 9-13; Prov. 11.24-26.17. Work And Rest Must Be Balanced.
To maintain health and family without which prosperity is meaningless God has given the Sabbath principle of days of rest to remember him and his blessings, and to be renewed. Deut. 5, 12-15, Ex. 31, 12-17.
- To Close Pray For The
- World's Most Unreached Peoples By Name
- Taken from the Joshua Project 2000 Unreached Peoples List
- at www.ad2000.org these people have no church and as yet
- no cell, church or mission has committed themselves
- to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.
Mongolia |
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| People Name | Language | Population |
| Uzbek | Uzbek, Northern | 20,000 |
- This page is modified by SEAMIST from the original page with permission
- © Dr Les Norman | www.worldchristians.org,
UK
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