Several years ago, I had to make a car trip from northern Indiana to Indianapolis in the center of the state. As I drove down, I was listening to some teaching tapes that ended just about the time I reached the city. When I ejected the tapes, the car radio came on...
We can approach many of the motivational ideas in life -- such as setting goals, making or setting standards, and accomplishing things for the kingdom of God -- in somewhat of an academic attitude. We can say, “Yea, that’s the way it ought to be done. Somebody ought...
Let’s take a new look at the parable of the unjust steward that we find recorded in Luke 16:1-13. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him,...
In recent times, the parable of the sower has become almost exclusively associated with the principle of financial giving and receiving; however, I’d like to revisit that basic passage long enough to rethink some of its foundational truths. First of all, let’s notice...
We often say that there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. We are reminded of taxes not only on April 15, but on every payday and every time we make a purchase. However, human mortality is one of those inevitable truths we wish to sweep under the...
I suggested earlier that the crucifixion ordeal actually began the prior night as Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let’s take one further step backwards so that we can more fully comprehend what really transpired at the cross. I hate to commit to paper and...
As Jesus hung dying on Calvary’s cruel cross, He called out four agonizing words which have perplexed the world ever since. How easy it is to misunderstand these words is immediately apparent in that some thought that they heard Jesus call for Elias the prophet to...
To really understand the resurrection, we need to fully comprehend the crucifixion that led up to it. The Apostle Paul was so adamant that we needed to fully understand what happened on Good Friday that he declared his intent to know nothing except Christ and Him...
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He gave them two special -- likely, supernatural -- trees in addition to all the normal fruit-bearing trees to tend. Concerning these two trees, He gave them a special command, “Do not eat of the fruit on the Tree...
Standing in the Bible denotes a position or posture of victory, power, authority, and blessing. On at least three occasions, the people of God were directed to stand still and watch God work on their behalf. When they were between the “devil and the deep blue sea”...
I’ve already suggested in the last chapter that the New Testament message about walking is essentially the story of walking in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:25, the Apostle Paul admonished us, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” There is a...
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21) Except in the gospels and the book of Acts where the verb “walk” is generally used in a narrative to...
In the first psalm, David talked about “the man.” Although I have applied the psalm to the life of Job, the truth is that “the man” is actually a hypothetical character with no specific identity. Yet as we read the rest of the book of psalms, we can see that – no...
Psalm One Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like...
IN and Out receiving and giving coming and going not stagnant fluid Remember the macroeconomics “in” factor of inertia? Well, it applies exactly to God’s financial plan for believers. For money to have value, it must remain in motion. There is an old expression...
INhibit hinder restrain prevent obstruct There are many factors that inhibit us from being able to partake fully of the benefits of God’s financial plan for us. What could be called “stinking thinking” is a major inhibitor. Solomon taught us that what we think...
INclude make part of a whole or setcomprise or contain as part of a whole And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with...
INdebtedness in the red in the hole something owed to another A cartoon showed two onlookers commenting as a man passed by holding a sign that read, “The End is Near.” One of the bystanders remarked to the other one, “Hey, isn’t that Joe from the accounting...
INflation increase in prices fall in the purchasing value In our studies so far, we have made some introductory mention of one of the most aggressive enemies of increase -- inflation. As the prophet Haggai described it, inflation is like putting all our hard earned...
INcome money received for work remuneration salary wages There are many avenues through which God intends to bring increase into our lives. One of the most obvious ones is through our wages earned from our physical jobs. The scriptures teach that we increase by...