The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it (Psalm 68:11 NKJ)
Bob from ChristianPF.com will assume the management of WealthFromTheBible.com effective immediately. Many of us have enjoyed the ministry of ChristianPF while saving a buck or two in the process.
You may also have noticed that I have not been adding content as of late. There are multiple reasons for this but the bottom line is that I do not have the resources to maintain this ministry with the quality that it deserves. While I will no longer manage WealthFromTheBible.com, I still believe in its ministry and know that Bob will do an outstanding job in providing the solid Bible-based content that will enable us to apply divine wisdom to our temporal resources.
Bob has been an enthusiastic supporter of WealthFromTheBible.com since before day one. I remember emailing him for some advice as I began to assemble this humble blog. He has the vision and the expertise to take WealthFromTheBible to the next level while, at the same time, maintaining its integrity.
I’m excited about this transition and look forward to following Bob’s progress. Please join me in welcoming Bob to WealthFromTheBible.
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]]>When Moses encountered God at Mount Horeb (Exodus chapters 3 and 4), the course of history was changed forever. In the midst of the burning bush, God directed Moses’ on a path that would directly affect the immediate future of nations. What is not often emphasized in Bible commentaries, however, is that during this discussion God is revealing His plan, purpose, and tools as they relate to our vocation.
God Visits Moses at Work
1. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (Exodus 3:1-4; KJV).
During the time of God’s appearance, Moses was in his exile from Egypt (Exodus 2:11-15). He had fled from a position of privilege among Egyptian royalty to the wilderness of Midian where he tended the sheep of his father-in-law for 40 years. His flight arose because of his intervention on behalf of a Hebrew that resulted in the death of an Egyptian. Moses professional sacrifice as a result of taking a principled (if, perhaps, overly zealous!) stand against his oppressed kinsmen did not go unnoticed by God. The Lord used the intervening period to prepare Moses and to set in place the circumstances that would result in the liberation of a people and the beginnings of a nation that would be the source of blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:2-3).
When Moses encounters the presence of God, he makes a determined effort to draw closer to Him (“I will turn aside …”) and makes himself available (“Here am I”). Also noteworthy is that Moses was not seeking a job change but it came to him. God has designed you on purpose for a purpose. You are uniquely qualified to do His will in a mind-blowing way here on Earth even in an ostensibly dead-end job.
Seek God and make yourself available to Him. Who knows? As in the case of Moses, you may be setting yourself up for the ultimate job interview.
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]]>1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the earlier famine of Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar. (Genesis 26:1-6; NIV)
These were difficult economic times to say the least. Yet during this very time, the Lord appears to Isaac with a promise of incomprehensible blessing to Isaac and his family. It is instructive to examine this turning point experience and see what wisdom we can take from it. (When the Lord appears on the scene, wisdom is right there with him.)
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
The grass will not be greener in Egypt. Too often we want to run away from our difficulties rather than deal with them. Sure, occasionally the Lord will tell you to go as he told Isaac’s dad Abram (Abraham) with a similar promise of incomprehensible blessing. In both cases God was commanding them in regard to their current dwelling that was outside their comfort zone. We need to follow the Lord’s direction rather than conventional wisdom. It’s not so much “where you are at” as much as “is the Lord there with you.”
Another insight we can draw from this is that God will give you the revelation to make you succeed. This is quite often different from the advice He gives to others. While the Bible applies to us all, a regular time of prayer (fellowship) with the Lord will enable Him to help you with your next step (Psalm 32:8; Isaiah 30:21). When you obey the Lord, he will bless you coming or going.
Your Father Abraham & The Power of Obedience
Abraham was a very blessed man. He was rich and powerful. Isaac had seen firsthand the God’s Hand at work in his father’s life. He had been a participant of these blessings. Isaac knew the benefits of serving God. When God reminded Isaac of the covenant He made with his dad, it got his attention.
Isaac had an intimate knowledge of his dad Abraham’s devotion to God and the blessings that accompanied his obedience. That is why God reminded him of Abraham’s devotion as He offered the promise of His presence and His blessing (You can’t really separate these two as His blessing inevitably follows a relationship with Him.).
You can be a blessing to those around you. As those around you see how blessed you are by your lifestyle, you can testify to the goodness of God without even saying a word.
The Lord’s blessing is a responsibility as well as a benefit. So, don’t just follow an example – be an example too!
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]]>As iron sharpens iron so a person sharpens his friend. (Proverbs 27:17, NET)
And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. (Acts 2:44, MSG)
We're among "Top 20 Christian Financial Websites"!!
ChristianPF.com just announced that WealthFromTheBible.com is listed among the Top 20 Christian Financial Websites of 2009! We are very humbled to be listed among these excellent resources. It’s been almost exactly a year since this site began development. It’s been tough going but with all the craziness surrounding the financial community and the overwhelming financial challenges before us, we REALLY need to draw from the wisdom of scripture to enable us to cut through the mess and lead us into the right decisions.
Bob (creative force behind ChristianPF.com) says that he wishes that I could update more often. I wish I could too! Maintaining the site has a myriad of challenges and chief among these is regularly creating good content. Pray for Divine ability in this arena.
I encourage readers to check out these resources listed in Bob’s article. I’m sure you can find great advice. Be sure to visit, congratulate, support, and encourage the webmasters and visitors (through comments). Take full advantage of what they have to offer. We’re all in this together!
Thanks to all of you for making this possible.
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]]>Part 10 of the “Parable of the Talents” Series
28″ ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. (Matthew 25: 28-29, NIV)
Serve the Master & Reap
Here we come full circle. Servant # 3 acknowledged that the Master could harvest without even sowing (Matthew 
25:24). The first two servants enjoyed great returns on their investment, promotions, AND were invited to join in the Master’s happiness. Their relationship with the Master grew more intimate AND they prospered. Servant #1, however, prospered to the extent that he reaped a harvest where he did not even sow seed. Time spent serving the Master resulted in him taking on the qualities of the Master and reaping the benefits (Matthew 25:26).
Receive It or Leave It
Take note of the wisdom we have derived from this parable. If we ignore the power of this message, we may lose it all — and more! The Master does not suffer fools. If we do not use what is entrusted to us for His glory, we are guaranteed failure and, worse, His wrath. On the other hand, if we develop a relationship with Him, learn from Him, and faithfully utilize what he has entrusted to us; we will automatically succeed.
“God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.” Mother Teresa.
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]]>Part 7 of the “Parable of the Talents” Series
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (Matthew 25:24 KJV)
Forget the Money, Show me the Relationship
This third servant had a considerably worse performance review than his two co-workers. Their efforts brought forth handsome returns. Upon reading the text, you get the sense that they were eager to show the Master the fruit of their labor.
Such was definitely not the case with the third servant. “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man …” indicates that the
depth of relationship that was present with the other laborers was absent with Number Three. His very words describe a successful Master who was generous to the point of allowing His servants to invest assets on His behalf (…I … hid your talent in the ground.).
If Servant Number Three had cultivated a relationship with his Master, His investment know-how would have rubbed off on him. This, no doubt, was the secret to the other servants’ investment accomplishments. It’s about enjoying relationship with the Master. This is the true key to success.
Can You Relate?
If you — or anyone — desire success in this world, you will have to nurture relationships with other inhabitants of this planet. The Lord has set it up so that you can not make it on your own. Making money, for example, involves the exchange of goods and services between people and/or institutions (groups of people). You may be really good at setting up barriers between you and everyone else but by doing so you are building walls that hinder you from the fulfillment that your spirit craves. The Lord has set the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6). There are probably people around you that can help you (and vice versa). Make the effort to develop relationships with others. Be friendly! (Proverbs 18:24)
It has been said that those involved in friendships tend to be healthier. I think we can make the case that friendships also help us become wealthier. When you come right down to it, regardless of the size of your bank account, our friends enrich us.
How are you getting along with the Master and His servants?
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