We've been dealing with unprecedented living.
And so last week we dealt with what it is to live in life more abundant.
And I've said that life more abundant applies to different areas of our lives.
And we talked about healing last week.
And this week we begin to talk about wealth or money.
That's what we're going to talk about this week.
And this may be one of maybe two or three such topics on wealth or resources.
But we begin here. This is the foundation for it.
So we've often talked about us being priest-kings.
And because we are priest-kings, we often talk about reigning and ruling.
So here's my question to you.
Is there a difference between reigning and ruling?
Is there a difference between reigning and ruling or is it just semantics?
Priest-kings are called to reign and rule. Is there a difference?
Since I heard so many...
Sorry?
There is probably a difference.
You could probably be right.
There is a difference.
And the difference is reigning is our privilege.
Reigning is our privilege.
And ruling is our responsibility.
Nearly there.
Reigning is our privilege. Ruling is our responsibility.
Rulership is our responsibility.
Reigning is locating yourself in the position of a ruler.
So if someone asks you to reign, they would not ask you to reign if you were a priest.
They would not ask you to reign if you did not have the privilege of moving into a location as a ruler.
So to reign, one has to be given the privilege of rulership.
But rulership in itself is the execution of your responsibilities from that position.
There's a difference.
So let's assume there's a king who has a son.
He will reign after the king has died.
But if one were to comment on his rulership, that would be based solely on whether the son executed the responsibilities of his position properly.
And in the Kingdom of God, it's the same.
Because as we go today, we'll see different parables where Jesus invited people to reign and gave them things to do.
But then he judged them on the way they ruled from that position he gave them.
And accordingly, he would compliment them or he would say, you squandered the reign I gave you.
Time and time again you see this in the ways of the Kingdom of God.
For instance, if you go to Matthew 24, verse 45 to 47, you see a theme like that being developed there.
It doesn't put it in the same words as I did, but Matthew 24, verses 45 to 47.
Matthew 24, verse 45 to 47.
Am I loud enough?
Okay.
Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge?
The put in charge is the reign.
Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food and at the proper time?
It would be good for that servant whose master finds them doing so much for the sake of the kingdom.
If the master finds the servant whose master finds them doing so when he returns, I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
It carries two conditions there.
One that the master has now appointed a servant to rule from a position.
But then the second question is, was this servant faithful in his rulership?
And as priest-kings, it is insufficient to just reign.
Because we've talked so much about priest-kings and we can think about we will reign, but rulership is determined by a responsibility over the resources given to you to reign over.
Let me say that again.
I think it's worth writing down because it's one of the primary principles in stewardship and in the management of resources.
So, rulership is determined by your responsibility over resources given to you to reign over.
If you notice the title of the teaching is, what is it?
Ruling over resources in Babylon.
Folks, like it or not, the system that we earn wealth in, spend wealth in at present is a Babylonian system.
So, it's a system that we have to use to make money.
So, the system that we earn wealth in, spend wealth in at present is a Babylonian system.
We're not living in heaven right now.
We're surrounded by a Babylonian system and all our trading and everything that happens in terms of money happens within the context of the Babylonian system.
But kingdom people know how to manage the resources in the Babylonian system and that's what we're going to talk about today.
If you don't fully comprehend the Babylonian system, you can ask for a tape and we can give it to you because we did four weeks on Babylon.
So, rulership is determined by your responsibility over the resources given to you to reign over.
And we need to learn how to manage these resources.
Because folks, be it you as a person or be it us as a church, first God gives us a vision and then God gives us his provision.
Okay, first he gives you a vision and then God will supply you provision so that we'll be able to carry out the vision.
Money has been around for ages.
It's the love of money that is evil.
But if you look at the parables God has, God has plenty of parables on money.
He has no problems with money.
But we need to understand that first God will give you a vision, be it for you as an individual or be it for us as a house.
And then he wants to supply us the provision so that now that we have the vision and we have the provision to execute that vision,
we can allow God to help us model how we can be people who know how to rule over the resources given us.
Questions?
No, that's why I call it resources.
If it was money I'd probably call it wealth perhaps.
Resources is more encompassing so it includes wealth but it's more than wealth.
Yeah, it can include people too.
Any questions?
Okay, in which case let's turn to Matthew 25.
Because we're going to take the parable of the talents and draw some principles out of it in terms of how we need to rule over resources in a Babylonian system.
Matthew 25.
Hey Tina, did you clean this?
Yeah, it does feel good.
Matthew 25, let's read from 15 or 16.
The parable of the talents, depending on which Bible you're reading.
Again it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
Then he went on his journey, the man who gave five talents of money, to another two talents and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
Then he went on his journey, the man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
So also with the one with the two talents gained two more.
But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received the five talents brought the other five.
Master he said, You entrusted me with five talents see I've gained five more.
His master replied, Well done good and faithful servant, you've been faithful with a few things, I'll put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness.
The man with the two talents also came.
Master he said, You entrusted me with two talents see I've gained two more.
His master replied, Well done good and faithful servant, You've been faithful with a few things, I'll put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness.
Then the man who had received the one talent came.
Master, he said, I knew that you're a hard man,
harvesting where you've not sown and gathering where you've not scattered seeds.
So I was afraid and went over and hid your talents in the ground.
See, here is what belongs to you.
His master replied, you wicked lazy servant.
So you knew that I harvest where I've not sown and gather where I've not scattered seed.
Well, then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers
so that when I returned I'd have received it back with interest.
Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
For everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him.
And throw the worthless servant outside into the darkness
where they will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Folks, last week we talked about the mindset of life more abundant.
And we'll see how it's a mindset.
And once we change our mindset, we see things very differently.
When we look at this story, if you notice each person is trusted by the master
with wealth according to what?
Ability.
Yeah.
So the first thing we need to understand is God trusts you with wealth
according to your ability.
OK.
So if I am able to handle a certain amount,
he is willing to trust me with that certain amount.
Which doesn't mean I get stuck there.
It means that as I show myself faithful, things begin to expand.
So know this for sure that God knows the ability of every human being
on the face of the earth in terms of handling money, especially his children.
And so God will give you resources and wealth according to your ability.
And what is he talking about when he talks about ability?
What is this ability he's talking about?
True.
I'd like you to be a little more specific,
because I'm not able to understand what you mean by handle.
True.
Anything else you can add to that?
If you were to give me some money, and you said,
Jacob, I'm giving this money to you according to your ability,
what do you expect?
Use it wisely.
So tell me what using it wisely would look like.
And finally, use it wisely.
Okay, Jacob, now that's on me.
I think that would mean if you don't pay your rent, then you spend it all.
Okay, here's the thing.
Since asking questions is dangerous in this church.
Stay out of debt?
What else?
You have given me some money.
Now we've established that one, don't spend it ridiculously.
Be faithful.
Stay out of debt.
What else?
Give.
Give?
What else?
You're still missing one big element.
Multiply.
Money is not given to us for just keeping folks, or just playing safe, or just being
careful with it and not spending it on hockey.
Money is given to us so that we trade with it.
Multiply it.
Trade with it.
The word used in the Bible is trade or gain.
And the sense of this word is an intrinsic ability to bring into existence
what God has mandated or planned with that money.
Mandated or planned with that money.
Okay?
So when this master gave his servant money, he said, go trade with it, or go invest it,
or go gain something with it, go sow it.
So the sense is that God knows your intrinsic ability to take that money he's given you
and now begin to create with it or bring into existence with it what he knows you can do
with it.
Some are business people.
God gives them money knowing that they have an ability for business, and God then expects
them to multiply that.
Some are givers.
God gives them money knowing that these guys can give like nobody's business and he can
trust them to.
So they give like crazy and are usually always giving and they have nothing in their pocket,
but out of one pocket as it goes into the other pocket money keeps coming.
Some are people who save, and some have that intrinsic ability to save without being stingy
or miserly.
And they store up wealth that they then begin to give to.
Others, it depends on what God thinks you can do.
Some have ideas.
Some are creative in ideas.
God gives them money and he gives them ideas now to take the money and practically put
that idea into actual work.
Money was given to us to do with our intrinsic ability something that would bring into existence
what God has mandated.
No, because most of our thinking about money is I'm earning, I receive, it feeds me, I
put some in the bank because there might be rainy days.
That's the beginning and the end of money for most of us.
But Christians, we don't think so.
You would hope so, but I would say most Christians do.
It's a whole different way of viewing it.
God gave these three people money according to their abilities.
He was right about their abilities, but two of them proved their ability and one did not.
Two of them doubled their money.
Now, can you say one had more ability than the other?
Not really, because one doubled five to ten and one doubled two to four.
In terms of excellence, maybe one's excellence was better than the others, but both did the same thing.
So, but there was one guy who did not.
And if you notice, what did God punish him or call him up for?
Was it embezzlement?
No.
Was it moral failure?
No.
It was because he kept the money safe.
Imagine that.
A guy gets called up and God says you did wrong, not because he embezzled, not because he took or gave bribes,
not because of moral failure, but simply because he decided he would take the money and keep it safe.
The one who was punished was not punished for moral failure or embezzlement, but for returning the money safely.
What do you say that the difference between two and five was the difference of responsibility?
Yeah, but both of them did excellently.
It's just that our degrees of excellence may vary.
So if you get $10,000 to do it, you can do it.
It's just that our degrees of excellence may vary.
So if you get $10,000 to build a house and I get $5,000, we may both build excellently to the degree we can.
But your $10,000 house will look better than a $5,000 house.
What about the responsibility?
It could be responsibility too.
That God knew that this person was responsible with a larger amount and this person at present is not responsible with that amount, but is good with this amount.
But the two can go to five because you see him increasing in his rulership towards the end of the story.
But the mismanagement of resources in this case was just keeping it safe.
Saving, right?
Saving would be different.
Here he was not keeping it safe for saving.
Here, this is the beauty of it, Valentina.
He operated not with the wealth that was given to him, but by the principle of fear that was not given to him.
That's what is the problem.
Here the problem is not that he saved the money.
He was given wealth to operate with.
He began to operate with the principle of fear instead.
The fear was what would happen to him.
Yeah, what would happen to him?
What if I lost this money?
These things came.
You know why he dug and put it in?
Because if you kept it in your house and someone robbed it, you were still responsible.
But if you dug it and put it in and someone dug it out, according to Jewish law, you didn't have to pay it.
He went so far that he dug it and put it so that if it gets lost, he will not be held accountable.
Because the law was if it's in your house and it's taken, you will have to pay.
But if you dig it and put it, then someone has to go dig it out, pull it out, take it.
You're not responsible.
They didn't have banks in.
It's the way of talking for us in English.
Meaning they didn't have actual banks in.
Banking.
Yeah.
That's the easiest way we would understand it.
Yeah.
Well, at least he should have borrowed it.
Maybe it made interest on him.
Yeah.
What he was trying to say, what Jesus was trying to say is you should have given it as usury to someone so that they would return it with a little bit of interest added on.
That's what he's saying.
Yeah.
We will come to that later.
But here the point is that here was a man who was given money to wealth to operate with, but he operated by the principle of fear.
And I would suggest to you without any hesitation that most of us have at some point or perhaps still are often operating in fear when it comes to money.
It is part of the poverty mentality that we talked about when we talked about Cheddo Laumer, the king who met Abraham in Genesis 14.
But many of us operate with this idea of fear.
It is one thing to be prudent, but prudence comes out of wisdom.
There is another thing that we call prudence today, which is something that is spawned out of fear.
And it's two different things.
And I know when I'm afraid about money and I know when I'm not afraid about money.
Yeah, I would personally.
Yeah, yeah.
If you were to come to me and ask me, Jacob, what do you think about speculating in the market?
I'd suggest not.
And that's perhaps partly due to my lack of knowledge about it, partly because I sometimes think one, I go to that promise which says one who tries to make to make money quickly usually ends up with money that is not worth it.
And usually ends up with money getting wings and flying away.
So it is better to know what you're doing to like if you want to invest with Warren Buffett, that may be a good idea.
Because he does not take risks.
He only goes into stocks that are a certain kind.
But if it's speculating, I'd suggest that it's a little like gambling.
And I've won tremendously in gambling and I've lost greater in gambling.
Just be aware of that.
So, go ahead.
In 30 minutes, 27 minutes and 42 minutes, and then two weeks from now to.
So, fear forces you to bury your talent, not so it fear forces you to bury your talent and not so it.
And when that happens, you go into that cheddar Lammer that whole handful of sheeps mentality that we talked about two weeks ago.
Folks, I know what it is to live like this. I have lived in fear of losing what I have.
It would. You just have to know that there are people who just go take what they don't have and hope that the markets will climb.
I'm saying that kind of risk is dangerous.
But if you know what you're doing and you studied and go and it's not it's not based on dice, that's different.
But I don't know anything about markets.
So if you come and ask me for investment, this thing you'll have to find sign a disclaimer first.
Disclaimer will say if you lose all your investment, you're not to blame.
Jacob, if you win 20 percent, you'll have to give me three.
Yeah, no, I'm not sure losing on that.
That I'd go three.
I have lived in fear of losing what I have.
And what happens when you have fear is your fist is tight and you cannot give freely.
And unfortunately, your hand is not open to receive either.
There's two ways, guys.
On one hand, the fear of losing keeps me keeps my fist tight.
So now I can't give freely.
And the other thing is because my fist is tight, I can't even receive freely.
That's a sad part.
And Satan keeps touching money then because he knows that this is an area that Jacob is afraid of.
So keep keep touching it.
Keep just elbowing him in this area because he'll always live in the fear and his fist will get tighter and tighter till you got rheumatoid financial fists.
I mean, that's how it works, folks, because he keeps touching you in that area because he knows your area of fear.
So just remember that.
The other thing that this man had, the third servant had, was he had a wrong perception of the master.
He had a wrong perception of the master.
Instead of seeing God as continuously gracious, continuously kind, continuously giving, continuously blessing.
Instead of seeing God as a blesser, he says, I knew you were a harsh man who harvests where he has not sown.
And he had a completely wrong perception of God.
And because of the wrong perception of God, his attitude with money was warped.
And I'd suggest to you again that sometimes we have a warped perception of God when it comes to money.
We somehow think that in that area, he is not as generous as other areas.
He will be generous in healing.
He'll be generous in worship and all this stuff.
But when it comes to money, he doesn't seem to have the same generosity.
And my warped thinking of God then begins to affect my receiving resources, my spending resources,
and my whole attitude of either being a prosperity adherent or a poverty adherent.
Both are perversions of the Godhead.
So this man had a wrong concept of God.
And so he could all the more reason why he had to bury his talent because he was living with a completely distorted image of God.
He saw him as hard, miserly, unwilling, partial, unjust.
Now we may not say God is miserly, but we sometimes think of him as unwilling or partial or unjust.
Unwilling, partial or unjust.
That we often think of when money doesn't come through.
Folks, it's vital to correct our mindset because wealth was taken away from one and was transferred to the other.
When our mindset changes as we approach money, we'll see that we can end up ruling over more or we cannot end up having even what we actually had.
It says there, take away from him who had and give it to the one who had an abundance, give it to him.
The one who had a little will now have nothing. Why?
Because there is a mindset that is wrong there.
When money is driven by fear, when money is driven by a distorted image of God,
then what happens is what you have is also taken away and it goes into someone else's hands.
So we have to be careful about that.
And so we have to be careful about that.
When money is driven by fear, when money is driven by a distorted image of God,
then what happens is what you have is also taken away and it goes into someone else's hands.
Questions?
Yeah, because it's a resource that's given.
Go ahead, Laureen.
She's saying why did he give it to the guy who had 10 and not to the five?
The guy who had five doubled it, right?
Yeah.
So he gave it to him.
He also doubled it, who had two?
Yeah, maybe according to his ability again.
But the, yeah, to him who has more has been given because he's been found trustworthy with it.
So now he knows he can handle some more.
Laureen was saying something else I just said.
Good husband there.
Laureen's thinking what's he saying?
Okay, the next bit we deal with is kingdom perspective on work in the Babylonian system.
Kingdom perspective on work in the Babylonian system.
Like I said, we work in a Babylonian system.
We need to understand first that sometimes the opposite of God is not the devil.
The opposite of God is mammon.
Okay, the Bible says do not serve God and mammon.
Mammon.
So sometimes the opposite of God is not the devil.
The opposite of God is mammon.
And mammon is basically need and greed that is satisfied at the altar of money.
Need and greed that is satisfied at the altar of money.
That's kind of not the definition but the concept behind mammon.
A system of need and greed that captures the heart and is satisfied at the altar of money.
Matthew 6 24, if you want to turn to Matthew 6 24.
Money.
Matthew 6 24.
No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.
So understand that that sometimes the devil is not the enemy.
Sometimes the enemy of God is mammon or money.
The love of God and the love of money.
Yeah, the love of God and the love of money.
Yeah, it's the root of all evil.
Understand that we live in the Babylonian system but can thrive in it without becoming part of it.
We live in a Babylonian system, we work in it but we can thrive in it without becoming a part of it.
I mean if you check Genesis 26 verse 12 you can do that later.
Isaac went into Philistine territory in a time of famine and sowed and he reaped a hundredfold.
Isaac went into Philistine territory during a famine into a hostile territory.
He sowed and he reaped a hundredfold.
Genesis 26 verse 12.
So it's possible to live in a hostile place called Babylon and thrive without becoming part of it.
It is possible.
Of this world.
The Babylonian and folks here's the rub, okay.
The Babylonian system works on the premise of buying and selling.
That's what it works on.
The Babylonian system works on the premise of buying and selling.
If you want to go to Ezekiel 28 verse 5 you'll see that there.
That right off the bat the one who runs the Babylonian system had this as one of his major qualifications.
Ezekiel 28 verse 5.
Ezekiel 28 verse 5 says this is a prophecy against the king of Tyre or against Lucifer.
And it says that you buy your great, buy your wisdom and understanding you've gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
Satan runs the Babylonian system.
He knows what it is to indulge in trade.
Buying and selling is the premise on which Babylon operates.
And I'll tell you why we need to talk about it because then we'll talk about how the kingdom works.
If you go to Revelation 13 verse 12 you'll see that towards the end of the day the story is the same.
Revelation 13 verse 12.
Ezekiel 28 verse 5 talks about the beginning.
Revelation 13 verse 16.
Sorry, not 12.
Revelation 13 verse 16 talks about the end.
Revelation 13 and 16.
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark which is the name of the beast or the number of the name.
So the same thing continues.
Buying and selling has been a premise of Babylon through which it controls people's nations, corporations, everything.
It's controlled by this one premise.
Revelation 13 and 16 talks about it.
And we'll talk about the forehead and the right hand when we do the Book of Revelation chapter 13.
Come and listen because it may not be what you think it is.
The other thing Babylon does is it demands work.
It instills a fear of losing work.
And it elevates the curse of Genesis 3 that you shall eat by the toil, by the sweat, eat by the sweat of your brow.
So that's another thing Babylon does.
Babylon demands work, meaning have you noticed how work is demanded of you?
Very often it's not even a voluntary offering.
I mean here in church, work is not demanded of you, but I've seen how wonderfully you work.
But work is demanded of you by a system.
It's not a person, it's a whole system that has been growing on the earth for thousands and thousands of years.
It demands work of you.
It instills a fear of losing work.
What is the thing that panics us most?
Losing work, losing a job.
And it elevates to a status that it should not be elevated to, that you shall earn bread or eat by the toil of your, by the sweat of your brow.
That is elevated, the curse is elevated.
I've got to work, I've got to go.
No, no, this is not enough.
I have to work more, I have to work more.
It's a constant by the sweat of your brow.
The thing is it's so pervasive and all-pervading, if I may use that word, that we haven't even realized that it's happening.
We think it's the natural system of life.
This is life.
But it's not really life, folks.
As you know, in a Christian religion, there's a certain belief that you should work, you need to work hard.
Yeah, I'll talk about that.
But it's a complete distinction that God makes about work as with Babylon.
Babylon demands work.
God does not demand work.
God places value on work.
Let's go straight there.
God places value on work.
He esteems work.
But it is never demanded as a slave driver demands, nor is it ever at the threat of the fear of work.
God never put that in.
He didn't put it in Eden when God gave him stewardship over the garden.
He didn't appreciate it in Egypt when they had to work to produce a quota of bricks.
So God places value on work.
Like Gizli is saying in 1st Thessalonians or 2nd Thessalonians, it says,
He who is idle should be told to work, otherwise he shall not eat.
So it's not that he despises work, but work was supposed to be something that Adam was supposed to enjoy in the garden,
and that's what God still wants to bring back.
But these are the things that Babylon elevates.
So what is the principle in the kingdom?
The kingdom principle is Deuteronomy 8.18.
One of the kingdom principles is Deuteronomy 8.18.
Folks, if we begin to actually first wrap our minds around this,
it will begin to change our way of living in a Babylonian system, even at the age you are.
Meaning that you are only 30 or 35, that's what I meant.
Deuteronomy 8.18.
Very simple.
But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce or gain wealth.
That is one of the foundational principles of the kingdom in terms of work.
The kingdom perspective on work is I can work my fingers to the bone, which in my case may take long.
But the point is that at the end of the day,
God gives me the ability to gain wealth.
That's where not by the sweat of my brow, not by any other things,
simply by God giving me the ability to gain wealth.
Once this begins to settle in, it begins to change our thinking that this is life.
This was not supposed to be life.
And then here's the second principle that will rock your boat because it did mine.
The kingdom works on the premise, this is just ridiculous, but God does such ridiculous things.
This is the principle of Babylon, buying and selling.
And now look at the kingdom principle.
Giving and receiving.
I'm telling you guys, it's a completely opposite thing.
And here we will struggle to prosper, here we will struggle not to.
But we've been crafted by the Babylonian system for so long that the change has to happen here first.
This is not about a token giving off of tight in the church for one month that will change things.
Or it's not picking up the phone when you see that TV Vandal is asking for a donation that's a multiple of seven.
That's not what makes this happen.
It's a mindset that I have to change.
It's a lifestyle which becomes my breathing way of living.
That one, God gives me the ability to gain wealth.
Two, I do not work by Babylon system, which is buying and selling,
which is elevating the curse and saying by the sweat of my brow, I operate by a different system,
which says God gives me the ability to gain wealth and I amass resources by giving it away and receiving it.
God so loved the world that he sold his only son.
No, God so loved the world that he gave his only son.
It's an old, old principle.
Just as Ezekiel 28, 5 says, Lucifer knew how to buy and sell right from the beginning to amass wealth.
God forever has been saying, I know how to amass wealth.
I've always been giving and I'm receiving.
He bruised Jesus and gave him up as a sacrifice and now has seen a huge return in terms of us.
Isaiah 53.
Yeah, it says so.
And he has seen the travail of his soul and he has seen how much he has gotten back through that one giving.
Folks, this is a...
Yeah, I agree.
I agree.
I'm not taking away from what Gisela is saying, but I'm saying this is a mind shift.
It is not about Christian generosity of giving.
I'm talking about a completely different way of living in a system that is hostile to you and your God.
I agree with what Gisela is saying.
Yeah, no, no, I'm not disagreeing with you, Gisela.
I'm just saying take the principles she's saying about giving and apply it to changing our very mindset.
Because we are not talking about...
Right now I'm not interested in us giving to the church, which is part of it.
But that's not what the focus is.
The focus is on mindset.
And then we'll talk about giving to different situations and churches and stuff like that.
What has happened to Christians is that they...
See, if you want to prosper in the Babylonian system, you've got only two choices, folks.
Either live corruptly or position yourself in the principles of giving and receiving and Deuteronomy 8.18.
Those are your choices if you want to prosper in Babylon.
And Joseph prospered, Daniel prospered, people prospered, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego prospered.
If you want to prosper in Babylon, live corruptly.
All live by these principles and you'll see amazing things happen.
Go ahead.
I think that statement will rule out all the people who are doing well, who are believers, who are trying and trying and are not corrupt.
No, I'm not talking about doing well, folks.
I'm talking about rulership over the resources of God.
God, this is not about me doing well.
When I talk about amassing wealth, I'm not talking about my bank account.
I'm talking about living a different way in a system that operates by buying, selling, buying, selling.
When God says, let me show you a different way that will help you live a completely different lifestyle.
It's a giving and receiving is completely contrary to the way the world lives.
I'm not saying that people who do not live corruptly will not do well.
No, but let me tell you this.
When you're dealing with millions of dollars, I am yet to come and I met a few, not too many.
I am yet to come across millionaires who have been able to stay completely clean in terms of God and them.
There always has to be some give and take with Babylon to make millions.
It is a very sad fact.
But the after effects are going to be like Galatians and Abraham and...
Yes, I have met millionaire Christians, man.
I can show you my phone right now with text messages from some millionaire Christians who are texting me saying,
I have to bribe this man, otherwise I won't have the money released.
I'm not kidding you.
And these are men who are trying very hard to live clean.
Who want to collect the PST, who want to collect the GST, who don't want to give anything under,
but who sometimes will have stuff stuck in the port and cannot trust God to release it from the port
and therefore have to go give someone something to make it happen.
Or a lawyer who won't clear papers and has the paper stuck because he asked for a larger commission.
So going back to what Diana was saying, it is possible, folks.
I'm not saying it's not possible, but I'm saying usually what happens is Christians end up either siding a little with the world
or living by the principles.
And I'm saying living by the principles is a much easier option.
Now, Diana, what you're saying holds good.
There are many who are doing well without being corrupt.
But I'm talking about a degree of let's go to amassing wealth where that kind of amassing wealth does not happen
except through corruption, unfortunately.
Because Babylon will not release money without amassing wealth.
Because Babylon will not release money until you play their way
or you have to play by the rules of a kingdom that is completely different.
12 minutes.
We'll come to that.
Do you want to add to that?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
The problem is...
Sure, go ahead.
I'm not bribing him, but it's a fee and whatever receipt I have to take out.
Are you asking me whether you can look at it that way?
Yeah.
Then my response is no, you can't.
Because it would be a bribe, really.
I've been in situations like that where I was in a train in India and I had my ticket and everything.
But I didn't know that if you wanted to sit there, you got to pay him extra 15 bucks.
And thinking of standing for the next 12 hours, I took out 15 bucks and gave him.
And I was paying him a bribe that I knew it.
I justified it, but I did pay him.
Yeah.
I somehow find that I'm still indulging in something.
Oh, you're getting a receipt for it?
Oh, I didn't know you said you got a receipt for it.
Yeah, bribe is underhand.
If it is legal, it's different.
But if it's illegal and I'm doing it, then the Bible very clearly says, sorry, Jacob, you know what you're doing.
Unfortunately, the Bible...
Not unfortunately.
The Bible says that he who asks for a bribe and he who gives bribe, both are as guilty as the other.
Yeah.
I would say each situation would have to be judged.
But I would say many times we justify it, but often I know what I'm doing.
As far as I know, if I'm the waiter, your tip is not a bribe.
You're just paying me for my services.
Sorry.
Bribe is not always money.
Yeah, bribe is not always money.
So just be aware of it.
Hey, they bribe pastors, man.
Do you know how they bribe pastors?
They give you some extra cash so that you'll come and do an extra blessing or an extra prayer,
or you will overlook the fact that people are getting drunk at your son's wedding.
Just give him...
Pastor, we want to give you a love offering.
Here.
So now you get the love offering and people are getting drunk at their son's wedding and...
Oh, but that's okay, Father, forgive them for they have just given me $10,000.
So that's the way you bribe pastors.
So there are lots of ways, man.
It just goes by...
Rose by any other name is what?
It smells different.
Yeah.
So what has happened to us Christians is we know enough not to live corruptly,
but we don't know enough to position ourselves in these principles.
So, see...
Yeah, but it will have to be clarified because he was not saying that if you grow rich, you can't enter the kingdom of God.
And then my question would be, where does the line come in terms of rich
by the standards of every 80% of India, you are filthy rich.
So where is the line?
Most of us are.
Yeah, no, no.
What I mean?
Yeah, most of us are.
If you take Italian liras.
Oh, if you take Italian liras.
So we wouldn't know where to put the line in terms of rich.
So we'll come back to that.
You can't just lie to us.
Yeah.
What has happened to Christians is that they know enough not to live corruptly,
but don't know enough to position themselves in principles of favor.
We therefore end up working 20 years in two jobs with 10 wage cuts for Uncle Leban.
Okay.
How many years did Jacob work for Leban?
You think 14, right?
He worked 7 for Rachel, 7 for Leah, and then he spent another 6 years.
He worked 20 years.
He worked 20 years at two jobs for Uncle Leban and had his wages cut 10 times.
Genesis 31, verse 41, you'll see that.
And many of us will end up doing that, folks.
Unless we operate by these other principles.
Hey, I just want to apologize if I came out rudely to you, Gisela,
and saying that filthy rich, I didn't mean it in a rude way, so I apologize.
Sorry?
We know enough to not live corruptly, but we don't know enough to live by these principles.
So we are caught in the middle.
Giving and receiving requires the grace to part with money, folks.
Which requires the renewing of my secular mindset.
Giving and receiving requires a grace because it's not our natural human nature to give and receive.
And if you notice, I've said give and receive.
Some of us are excellent at giving but not good at receiving.
So we've got to think of that too.
This is human nature not to do it.
Giving and receiving requires grace to part with money.
Okay, so let's turn the page over.
Go ahead.
I would say that every time I receive money, I know when there's a catch attached and when there is not.
I always know.
Yeah, you will know it.
Whenever you receive money, you know what the Lord is saying.
That son, this is not good seed.
There are times when I don't take money because I know it's not good seed.
That the crop demanded of you later will be wrong.
True, that's that too.
But I would rather not if the intent is wrong.
So just be aware of that.
So if you turn to the next page, principles for generating wealth.
One of the principles for generating wealth is wealth distribution, which is basically giving.
So let's talk about, I don't know if we'll finish this today.
If not, I'll come back and finish it.
But let's just talk about wealth distribution.
Then we can talk about wealth creation and wealth transfer another time if we don't finish it.
Wealth distribution.
Wealth distribution is a trait of apostolic people, folks.
Let's go back and remember what apostolic is.
What's apostolic?
Send people to do what?
To represent the character of Christ.
Yeah, we are sent to represent the accurate character of Christ.
And giving is a very natural trait of sent people.
If you go to Acts 423, you'll see that the church would bring things so that it could be distributed among the people.
I mean, one of the things I liked about the email that was sent out last week with regard to Anne's stuff that was being sold at the garage sale was this little note at the bottom.
It said, if anyone from Acts 29 wants it, feel free to come and take it.
Not buy it. Feel free to come and take it.
I got it.
Maybe there's something wrong with the tellers account.
No, others got it. James got it.
Quite a few didn't get it.
Okay, well, because she was moving, there was a lot of stuff that was sent out.
There was a lot of stuff that was put on a garage sale, and there was a note on the email saying, for those from Acts 29, if you want it, just come and take it.
I put that down in my notes because apostolic houses are like that.
A house that is sent to accurately represent Christ, which is what it means to be apostolic, are like that.
It should be natural between us to give and receive folks.
Both to give and receive.
We were recipients of that today because when I got that email, my parents are going to be moving from the place that they're into a new, independent, assisted living.
One of the things that we had to downtime was their big entertainment center.
It was suggested that we look for a small TV stand to put their TV on, but their TV is a really old one, 12, 13 years old, and it's a smaller one.
When I saw Anne, 32 inches in the stand, I emailed her right away and talked her over the phone.
Today we went and we picked it up.
One of the things that I was struggling with was I wanted to pay her for it because it wasn't for us, it was for my parents.
I told her it was for my parents, but then I realized, no, I'm going to steal her blessing if I don't receive it because that's what's in her heart.
Right on. And this is the way it should be.
Never feel hesitant to come here if you have something to give and tell the church that I want to give it away.
And if you have a need for it, never feel hesitant to stand up in the middle of the congregation and say, I want it.
Because sometimes there's a difficulty in receiving folks.
I may not want to say it in front, so just as Anne is getting into the van, I'll run to her and tell her.
Feel free to let it be known because sometimes my difficulty in receiving is not because of anything else but sheer pride.
Sheer pride. Just be aware of that.
Do not hesitate to distribute, glean, give and receive. It creates room.
It creates room. Do not hesitate to give, glean.
Do you know what gleaning is?
In the Old Testament, they used to have these trees in their farm and the trees after it was harvested, after all the apples were plucked, the trees will still bear apples after that.
And so God told the Israelites, guys, when the tree you've harvested it and there's some apples left, don't go try to get every apple from the tree.
Leave those apples for people who come walking by and they see an apple and they want to take it.
Anything. Yeah.
Ruth went around gleaning.
And even then, when they finished gleaning it, and then there was some left, then they were supposed to leave it for the birds.
Leave it. Yeah. Leave it for the birds.
I mean, that's the principle of gleaning. I'm telling you, there have been times when I practiced gleaning and there has never been a time when I have not received something new for what I've gleaned.
Gleaning is giving away your old china. Gleaning is giving away your brand new china.
Gleaning is giving away that which you are not using that has been there since your father's 30th birthday.
Time to give it away, because as you give it away, it creates more room.
Shirts that you were given in Indonesia that would perhaps brand you as something else if you wore it here.
Things should not go on tape like this.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we have gleaned toys to each other.
I gave him one toy last week. The week before that he gave me another toy.
Electronic toys.
Electronic toys. Toys that someone gave him and he's not using. Go ahead.
Yeah, but I'm the one who's giving it away. I'm not going harvesting everything.
Yeah. So you wouldn't know the shirts in my cupboard unless I brought them out and display because I would not allow you in.
So, cleaning is, cleaning is giving away. Do that because you'll create room. Giving always creates room, folks. Always creates room.
The opposing spirit is the spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel is the one who wants to keep the keys of Ahab in her pocket so that the royal resources that are Ahabs will never be given away.
That's the spirit of Jezebel. That's one of the functions of the spirit of Jezebel. Go against it.
Because our kingdom works by this amazing, amazing, ridiculous, illogical, upside down principle. Give, receive.
So, reap. So generously, reap generously. So sparingly, reap sparingly.
It's a, it's a, I'm telling you it's a foolproof way of living. You will always win.
Here's, I mean the reason we don't take up an offering here is not because I'm scared of taking up an offering.
Just because we want you to hilariously give without obligation or compulsion. And praise God you are.
I pray God that next time you go there we'll put a tape, little tape recorder there. Put it on so that when you go you should go ha ha ha ha and throw your money in.
There you go. Give joyfully. Joyful giver, cheerful giver. Hilariously give.
Because I sometimes think we should occasionally do an offering just so we remember what it was like.
But the point is so that there's no compulsion or obligation or necessity. But give joyfully. When you go there to drop your envelope do it joyfully.
Know that there's no little plate or ashtray going around. But I suggest four ways of giving.
And these are four ways that I do practice and I've seen tremendous benefits from it.
One when it comes to giving, give to the needs of the house. So the first one is give to the needs of the house.
Because one of the things when you teach something like this is usually the ones who teach this are the ones who probably don't do it.
Because somehow when pastors teach this they think they have a free ride for two months not giving.
Because I did teach it, at least they will give. No, I'd like to say to you that I practice these.
Give to the needs of the house.
Give to the sowing of the word.
Give to Melchizedek's.
And I'll explain what that means.
I think we'll have to stop with just the first part we'll do.
Well, I'll explain what that means.
Give to help.
These are four different ways of giving.
Hey Ryan, can I ask you to just do a hot water thingy please?
These are four different ways of giving.
The first one is give to the house. Why house?
Because if I were to quote Proverbs 5.26 to suit my purpose in a sense of speaking, this is the wife of my youth.
This house is the wife of my youth. Why should I go distribute the springs and the fountains of my life elsewhere first?
Proverbs 5.26 says, give to the house.
I would rather give my resources first here.
I'm not saying it should only be here. But I'm saying this should be something here.
This is the wife of my youth.
This is the wife of my youth. This body is that which I'm connected to.
So rather than give my resources first somewhere else, I would rather give my resources first here.
It should only be here. But I'm saying this should be something that I first give to.
Fed.
Actually that scripture is not right when it says bring your food into the storehouse.
The storehouse was never where you got fed. The storehouse was a place that would take grain so that the immigrants are poor and the Levites would be fed.
It was never for your feeding.
So in a sense that scripture is wonkyly interpreted.
It was never meant to be a place where you get fed. It was supposed to be a place where you bring so that others get fed.
So we'll deal with that another time.
Give to help.
Food in my house.
Yeah, in my house to give to the poor, the immigrant and the others, not necessarily the place where you are fed.
But that's a whole different teaching on tithing, which we did ages ago, but we might have to visit again.
So give to the house that you are a part of because God uses me to supply his promotion.
Sorry, God, God uses me to supply his provision to provide, promote his vision for his house.
God uses me to supply his provision for his vision for his house.
So one of the places you give is you give to the needs of the house.
I mean, a lot of the money that is given here goes for rent and for the salary that is not salary for what is paid to me because I'm not really salaried.
What is paid to me? But you know, one thing, let me just put this simply.
And I know Heidi is here. So if I'm not telling the truth, she can just raise her hands slightly because because the money is given here will come to me.
I don't necessarily give the monies as something that is receded to my advantage.
I give the monies to what we have called the Benevolent Fund so that if there is a need in the church, the church can be helped.
Otherwise, in a sense, I'm paying my own.
I'm paying my own self and that is I'm not saying it's wrong, but there are better ways.
If there is a better way of doing things, do it the better way, because you have to do whatever it takes to give like crazy because your God is extravagant.
So that's one of the things I just want to throw in there just to show you that there is a way we can operate by giving and receiving that is mind blowing.
Any questions with regard to giving to the house?
God uses you to supply his provision to promote his vision for his house.
That's what he's doing. God uses you to provide for his vision in his house.
That's what he's doing when you give money.
I'm reading the whole Bible now.
Thanks Ryan.
He said to the people, he should bring the offering of God towards the feast.
To give it to God was to let the breeze through into the home.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The second reason I give is the second reason we give, we give to the sowing of the word.
Folks, this is where you may not be able to go across, but then you go and sow in places where the word will go across because the word has to go free folks.
You know the reason we don't charge for CDs?
There are far richer churches than us that charge for CDs and stuff like that.
We can't charge for stuff that, I mean, Jesus said, do the sons pay tax?
No, we can't charge the sons of the house money for listening to the word of God.
The word of God, as far as possible, has to keep going free.
You think anyone in this church who has gone on trips was paid by the church?
You should ask Anne whether we gave her a cent out of this church or Heidi or Sue or Elmer or myself.
That has to be done free.
That's your giving.
Give and I guarantee you it will come back.
Guarantee you it will come back.
And you don't have to be a pastor for that.
God is no respecter of pastors, folks.
I have been struggling with that one for a long time.
He just gives, man.
Because faith was not the realm of full-time or part-time workers of God because there's nothing like that.
All of us are priests, folks, and he's got to provide.
For kingdom purpose, kingdom king provides.
It may not come in a day, but it'll come.
I mean, let me give you a ridiculous example.
You know how much I spent on air travel last year?
$18,000.
I just did my taxes.
$18,000 for air travel.
You know how long it took me to get it back?
One and a half days.
Out of the blue, someone came and said, I would like to give you $20,000.
Doesn't come to this church.
None of you know him.
Or maybe he's...
Yeah.
The point is, God does it ridiculously.
So never hesitate to give to the sowing of the word.
And folks, we have four methods here.
We usually decide that if we have a pizza called Moneys, that this slice is what I will give away.
Now, if we have four methods, the slice gets smaller.
No, no, no, no.
The slice should get bigger.
Because as you make the slice bigger, the pizza gets getting bigger too.
What we do is we now decide, I've got to take 10% and divide it by four.
If you're like me in math, it'll take you a little while, but you end up getting 2.5% each to all these four.
No, no, no.
Why not try and say, Father, here are four things that I would like to begin giving to as you show me.
And as you show me, I want to give as much as you tell me to.
Because it is not 10% that belongs to God.
All your money belongs to him.
It's not just 10%.
Ask him.
Like I said, this is the most beautiful way to part with money.
It is so helpful when you think like this.
Father, it's your money.
What do you want to do with it?
I'm telling you, man, it takes a burden off your shoulders.
Because suddenly you're not saying, Father, it's my money.
How much of it do you want me to give away?
Father, it's your money.
How much do you want to give away?
Because now when he tells you a figure, be it small or big, you may react in shock or delight.
But the point is you'll give it away because it's not yours to begin with.
I loved giving my dad's money away when he used to give me money.
He could never understand.
Any church would ask for money.
I'd write out checks.
Why? Because it wasn't coming out of my wallet.
It was my dad's money.
And then I'd say, I need some more money.
What happened to the last amount?
I said, oh, a church needed.
And he would look at me like, what's wrong with you?
I mean, when you start earning, you'll know what it feels like.
But it felt good to write away checks of my dad's money away.
I agree with you.
Yeah.
Don't look at me.
I'm not going to give you checks.
I often think this man will prosper because of what the Lord did at that coffee shop.
Remember when we took up an offering and the Lord said, give it to him?
And it was just a token to show you that all throughout your life you will be provided for well, by God.
You're the only one to receive an offering in the church.
You know that?
And it was not because your parents didn't have money.
They had enough money.
Crazy what God did that day.
Yeah.
And we didn't even know why we were collecting it.
All we knew was God saying, take up an offering.
We'd taken up an offering and now we don't know what to do with it.
And the Lord says, give it to Ryan.
Folks, why Melchizedeks?
Who are Melchizedeks?
Melchizedeks are those who bring you bread and wine.
And sometimes when you have extra money, give it to the Melchizedeks in your life.
For instance, when I got some extra money recently, I was able to buy a new house.
And I got some extra money recently.
I took a chunk of it and sent it to Eddie.
Eddie isn't part of this church, but he's a Melchizedek in my life where he has brought me bread and wine.
And I have benefited from it.
So I took that money and sent it to Eddie.
And then there's another guy I met in Switzerland on this last trip called Segi,
whose teachings I have benefited from and you have benefited as a result of that.
I've gained tremendously from his teachings and from his tapes.
And a lot of what I have talked over the last seven or eight weeks came from what he input into my life.
He brought me bread and wine.
So after sending Eddie, I sent that man a part of what I wanted to.
Both are in South Africa.
I don't even know whether he knows it.
I don't know whether he'll even know where it came from, but that doesn't matter.
I'm giving to Melchizedek because they gave me bread and wine for my life.
And what is the benefit?
Suddenly you're not just honoring the gift, you're honoring the giver of the gift.
And that's how you keep your bread and wine vibrant instead of it turning into mold and vinegar.
Because sometimes bread and wine can turn stale when we only aspire after the gift
and do not recognize the grace that is in the person who is giving the gift.
Pardon?
Someone who you are receiving bread and wine from.
Spiritually.
And you don't have to do this on a regular basis.
Do it when you sense the Lord saying it and when you have some extra cash to spare.
Because if you realize, what did Abraham give Melchizedek?
He gave him out of the spoils of war or he gave him out of his victory.
So whenever you suddenly have an influx or a sudden extra surge because it's something that God has given,
give it to Melchizedek. It'll benefit you folks.
I know that I will benefit.
And that's why I said I practice this, therefore I'm okay about talking about it too.
And on top, the Lord can use it to spread the kingdom of God in the other part of the world.
Or he can use that to buy the guy good food and a brand new TV and a Wii.
And some hockey cards.
Or don't, see Gisela, she's talking about hockey cards.
I must have won.
You can't give up.
No, she's bringing it up again.
So because they have sold in my life, because you are benefiting because of what I have benefited from this guy called Segi,
very humble man, many other things, Aaron's rod.
This is the same guy who was talking about the Lord's Supper when my tailbone got healed.
Same guy.
So I see him as someone who's given me bread and wine.
And so the least I can do is honor this thing.
This is just another thing.
And the last one is give to help.
I think this is the principle that we need to identify because there are biblical scriptures and then there are principles we derive out of them.
The two have to be seen separately.
There are tons and tons of scripture and then there are principles you draw out of them.
Because the first one is the second one is the third one.
separately.
There are tons and tons of scripture and then there are principles you draw out of them.
Because I, for instance, this has been in the Bible always, right?
But I'd suggest to you that this is one of the first times we are hearing about it.
So it was not because of the lack of scripture, but because now out of the scriptures, the principle has been drawn.
So that's how we need to see it.
Yeah, that could perhaps.
Yeah, I'm not arguing, but these are different ways we can give.
And the last one is give to help.
Help is I have received in my lack and now I can give because I have more to give.
Folks, you have no idea how much lack I was in.
I won't even go into it.
But you have also no idea of how many people helped me when I was in lack.
Just would give me without without holding back.
They would give me.
And now that I have, I should be in a position to help someone else's lack.
And I've seen it work when you suddenly respond to God asking you to go give somebody.
It's nuts. The timing is just perfect, man.
I remember a certain situation where the Lord told me to give to somebody who used to give to me when I was in lack.
And I go give to the person.
And two hours before I went to give the person this large amount of money,
the person had received a note from EI saying that his EI was denied.
And two hours later, I'm going there and the amount was about the same as the EI.
And it blew his mind.
But suddenly that morning, the Lord said, remember how he used to give you when you had nothing?
You need to go and give him right now.
When we do it when he wants and the timing is perfect, if we do it not in timing, it will still be great.
But sometimes an adventure is missed out on.
So go ahead.
Sometimes, yes, sometimes, sometimes generosity becomes so natural sometimes for some people that they give even just because that's the nature of God.
Sometimes you need to ask.
I'm almost done, folks.
So we won't finish the rest.
Pardon?
Yeah.
I can never say no to that.
It depends on.
Yeah, then make the make a judgment call.
My usual way is to ask if they ask for money, I say, why don't you come out, sit with you and let's have some food.
So I take and if they say no, then I don't know what to do.
But usually if a person is hungry, they'll respond to wanting food and to sit with the person in need.
Yeah, I know you do.
But I'm saying sometimes you have to make that judgment call.
Yeah, that's why emotional giving is not always a smart idea.
A fifth concept that if you want to throw in, you can throw in is that pay your debts if you're able to.
To hold back when you have, regardless of whether the person is well off or not, is stealing.
If you have debts, all these giving may be fine, but if you add a fifth one, it's my debt.
If I give all this, but I hold back from people that I owe money to, regardless of how well off they are, I need to give to them.
Yeah, I mean, let me go to a hockey story.
Recently, about 12 years ago, someone gave me row three hockey tickets to the Canucks.
Yeah, that's right up front.
And those tickets cost 120 bucks.
And I was so desperate to go see the game that I said, yeah, yeah, I'll take the ticket.
And about four days ago, the Lord reminded me that I hadn't paid them for 12 years.
So now, I know they won't, but they'll be shocked to even think that where this money has come from.
But I have to pay them 120 bucks because four days ago, very clearly, the Lord said, you owe them 120 for a ticket.
You haven't paid them for 12 years.
No, they didn't give it to me.
I just didn't pay them and they were nice enough not to run after me.
No, I haven't.
No, because I didn't know how to break it to them.
It would look a little ridiculous, but I have found a way.
Yeah, because I thought of that.
Kingdom principles are giving and receiving are vital to propel you into Kingdom provision.
It goes against the grain of Babylon.
All this has to be done with free will, without legislation, to the degree you have faith for it.
So generously, you'll reap abundantly.
And don't divide your pie into smaller pieces.
Instead, enlarge the portions.
And we'll deal with wealth creation and wealth transfer another time.
Any questions on these folks?
Folks, please understand these are not meant to take advantage of you.
These are meant to prosper you.
But the mentality has to change here first.
It's here that it has to change.
Any questions?
Wealth creation is interesting.
I mean, do you know, for instance, that if Tino stays around in this church forever, that we will see him create some kind of thing that will be used in farms and agriculture?
And agricultural areas in South America.
Right?
That's the word on you.
God gives ideas for wealth creation, man.
That's something he'll do.
Did you know that Pastor Jerry, who was here, that he has a patent or patent that will run out this year on a simple piping that is used in toilet pipes all over the world?
And that suddenly the Lord gave him the idea.
And when he first started it, he and his children and four of them would sit and with their hand, they would put it together.
That's how they started.
And then they patented it.
And he's been getting a patent royalty on it for the last hundreds of years.