10 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs for 2017

As we embark on a new year, I am struck by two things: Faith is an essential

ingredient in success and that the more we love, the more we are given. The
common name for what we all do is called business, but its bigger than
exchanging good and services for money, its our calling. If you have determined
your God-given purpose and you use it to serve others through your business,
then you have a winning combination. God speaks to us through vision and
dreams. You are not given a dream that you do not have the capacity to fulfill.
Now that doesnt mean you know everything you need to know on day one. But
it does mean that if God gave it to you, hell also send you who and what you
need to manifest the vision. I have learned to be patient and faithful after nearly
17 years in business. I now know that Gods will is what is best for me. God has
three answers for us: Yes, Not yet, and I have something even better for you. I
declare this year of 2017 the year of gratitude and abundance. Thats right,
Gratitude is the new black. If you are grateful for every little thing, hell give
you bigger things. Meditate on this: one who has conquered failure and
transcends fear, carries an undeniable power from within. As I share my 10 bible
verses ever small business needs to know in 2016, carry with you the knowledge
that its about finding the joy in the journey.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Every step in life and in business had already been ordered for us before we were
even born. God does not reveal his plans to us all at once because we could not
handle it. He gives us just glimpse through visions and dreams, but his plans for
us all is to live a prosperous life.
Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my
requests before you and wait expectantly.
Begin your day in prayer and meditation, so that you can maintain a peaceful
outlook and not start your day in a race. Ask the Lord for the desires of your
heart and believe that he will answer.
Romans 8:18 (NIV)
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the
glory that will be revealed in us.
You cant have a testimony without a test. In business, its all about upfront
sacrifice for long-term gain. What God requires of us is present suffering for
future glory in heaven. God wants us to have confidence that he knows the
desires of our hearts and he will resolve our issues in his perfect time.
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Proverbs 18:13 (NIV)

To answer before listening that is folly and shame.
We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Its always best to listen first in
any situation and speak last after youve had time to consider fully what has
been said.
1 Thessalonians 2:12 (NIV)
Encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God,
who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
No matter how successful we become in business, we must always seek to be
shining examples of Gods light and love.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of
it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
It is very important that we as Christians remember always, that we love a God
who is a God of first, second, third, forth, and one hundred or more chances if we
need his forgiveness. It is important that we forgive ourselves quickly, and not
dwell on our past mistakes.
II Corinthians 12:9-11 (NIV)
But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about
my weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christs sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
It is in our weakness that God makes us strong. So we will always have
challenges because it is in those times God wants us to lean on him for strength.
Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV)
The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though
he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his
hand.
Running your business will challenge you in ways you never considered. There
will be days when you stumble, but God will always be there to catch you and lift
you back up.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV)
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which
you were called when you made your good confession in the presence
of many witnesses.
Faith is key in business and in a lifetime of happiness. For those of us who are
believers, it is important that we witness to non-believers what God has done for
us. He died for us on the cross, so that all sin is forgiven, and that we would have
everlasting life.
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Psalm 23: 5-6 (KJV)

.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the LORD forever.
When you are in business you will develop haters, but it is important that you
realize that you dont have to handle your detractors yourself. God will bless you
right in front of them. All you can do with your haters is pray for them.

When I think about how good God has been to me, my family, and my business I
could cry tears of joy for hours. I hope that these words from the Bible and my
translation have blessed you in your business. I know the road is rough at times,
but Gods got your back. He loves you. and if you give your heart him and let him
use you to bless others, he will give you the desires of your heart.
God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

7 Biblical Secrets to Business Success

Everything I needed to be successful in business I learned in Jewish Day
SchooL
After graduating law school and practicing for two years, I launched an airline
ticket business which was quickly profitable. I sold that business in 1991 and
then launched Hotel Reservations Network which became hotels.com. I sold the
balance of my interest in hotels.com in 2003 and after a five year non-compete
launched getaroom.com. Recently during our weekly Friday night dinner
discussion, I mentioned that getaroom.com is growing and profitable and
reached some new milestones.
My mother asked me, How did you know what to do at this company and the
others to make them succeed? You didnt go to business school or work in a big
company.
She was right. I didnt have any formal business training other than a basic
course in accounting and finance. No work experience in a business. No
internships. No mentors.
My answer surprised her. I owe all of my business success to you and Dad for
sending me to a Jewish Day School for 12 years. Thats where I learned best
guide book to running a successful business ever written the Bible.
Here are the most important biblical principles that led to my success.
1. Do your homework.
I learned the principle of due diligence through Talmudic study. For years, I
studied debates among rabbinical scholars on various topics. Nothing was taken
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for granted all arguments were considered and debated. I learned to ask why
and to make sure I understood the issues. Studying alone was not enough. We
were paired with other students and spent much of our time discussing the
issues with the classmate we were paired with before the next class. We learned
to tear each others arguments apart. We read every commentary on the topic
we could find.
I approached business the same way. I did my homework. I researched the
competition. I tested the market. I argued the other side. There is no shortcut for
doing your homework in a business and understanding the competitive
landscape. Major mistakes can often be avoided and opportunities found by
speaking to experts and analysts, tearing apart business plans, doing market
studies and focus groups, analyzing expenses and doing your homework due
diligence.
2. Treat your employees fairly.
One of the most difficult parts of running a business is dealing with employee
issues. Employees can be demanding: raises, time off, expenses, conflicts and
more. When confronted with these issues, I just thought about the principle of
paying employees on time: The wages of a worker shall not remain with you all
night until the morning (Lev 19:13). The Torah also commands us not to take
advantage of your employees: You shall not abuse a needy and destitute
laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger (Deut, 24:14). This taught
me to always treat employees equally and fairly. I applied an absolute level of
fairness among all our employees when it came to pay and all other issues. Race,
age, gender, religion, color these had no bearing. It is always difficult to say no,
but when you develop a reputation for fairness to your employees, they respect
you more and know that they were treated properly.
3. Have the highest level of customer service.
There is a high level of customer service issues in the travel business. Flight
delays, lost luggage, noisy rooms, housekeeping issues and more. There are also
many that try to take advantage of the system. I employed a very simple
standard for customer care: Love your neighbor like yourself (Lev. 19:18) put
yourself in the shoes of the customer and treat them as you want to be treated.
While many companies struggle with how to handle customer service, following
this standard is the best way to build a long term loyal customer base.
We all prefer to patronize businesses that are fair on returns/exchanges and that
treat us well. We refer our friends there. When we launched getaroom.com, top
customer service was a great competitive advantage in a marketplace of foreign
outsourcing and cost cutting. The high level of customer service has
differentiated us in the marketplace and enabled us to build a loyal customer
base. Treat your customers the way youd want to be treated.
4. Be honest with customers.
I was constantly confronted with dilemmas: How much do we disclose to
customers? Do we deliver exactly what was ordered or something inferior to
make a higher profit? Do we put in slightly less weight than the amount the
customer believes they are paying for? Do we charge the customer more than
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we agreed to charge? Do we refund them less? These answers are easy when
you follow the Bibles guidance: You shall have just balances and just weights
(Lev. 19:36).
Even if your customer wont find out dont cheat them. Do not put a
stumbling block before the blind (Lev. 19:14) means do not take advantage
when the other party doesnt know or see what you are doing to their
disadvantage. We are often confronted with situations where we can increase
profits by cutting corners or otherwise take advantage of the customer in a way
that they wont know about. Why not increase profits by using a cheaper
material or a second hand product? Use lower cost components even though the
customer believes you are using high end components. When confronted with
these dilemmas, the answer is easy when following the biblical principle of not
putting a stumbling block before the blind. Dont cheat your customers, even if
they dont know about it.
5. Always act as if you are being watched.
Your customer overpays you. You receive a refund twice. You are at the cash
register and are given a $100 bill instead of a $10 bill. Do you keep the funds
that were mistakenly given you or do you give it back? Who will know?
The Sages say, Know what is above you: An eye that sees (Ethics of the
Fathers, 2:1). When you realize that someone above is always watching you, the
answer is easy. You act differently and work under a higher standard. You run
your business and personal life honestly all the time.
6. Build a reputation for integrity and honesty.
The Talmud discusses the questions one is asked in the heavenly court at the end
of ones life (Shabbat 31a). The first question asked is: Were you honest in your
business dealings? This is the first question because its the true measure of
ones success in life. There is no greater temptation to cheat than is a business
setting where one can earn more profits. If you can overcome this great
temptation, you will reach a high level of character that others esteem. Your
customers, employees and those you do business with want to patronize your
business. When you are honest, your business grows. You also have the right
answer in the heavenly court. As the Medrash says, If one is honest in his
business dealings and people esteem him, it is accounted to him as though he
had fulfilled the whole Torah (Mechilta BShalach 1).
7. Be humble: accept and encourage criticism.
He who loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is
stupid (Proverbs 12:1). Judaism teaches us to be humble. Pride gets in the way
of success. We all make mistakes. Never think you are always right. Accept and
encourage criticism, especially from your employees that understand the
business better than anyone. My best ideas came from customers and
employees. We read every customer and employee suggestion carefully. I see so
many managers and CEOs that dont listen to their employee suggestions. This is
a big mistake. By creating an environment that allows suggestions and criticism,
you can greatly improve your business and allow employees and customers to
feel more part of the business.
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What to do once you are profitable

The Torah teaches us not only how to build a successful business, but also what
to do once it is successful. The Bible teaches us to be socially responsible and
not forget about those that dont have food to eat. We have a social
responsibility to our communities. We are obligated to donate a portion of our
profits to the needy. Encourage your employees, partners and customers to also
be charitable through incentive, matching and other programs. Donate a portion
of your profits to charity. Run promotions that contribute a portion of every sale
to charity. Match your employee charitable giving to encourage them to be
charitable. Encourage your employees to do community service. Use your
business as a vehicle for community improvement. The generous soul will be
made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself (Proverbs 11:24).
View your work as a means, not an end. When we help others, we feel fulfilled
and accomplished. When you leverage your business to improve the community
around you, you wake up every day and appreciate what you have accomplished
for the community. As King Solomon said, Our work is meaningless unless it is to
do good (Ecclesiastes 3:1213). Lets use our success to be socially responsible
and we will live much more meaningful lives.

PROSPERITY IS THERE A BIBLE WAY?

By Stephen Green
First published in Christian Voice February 2012

What is loosely known as prosperity preaching seems to be loved and loathed in

equal measure today. With my usual delicacy I thought I should wade into this
fight and see if I could string together some thoughts on the matter, which, if
they are of the Lord, will be by his grace alone, and if they are of the flesh, no
doubt members and friends of Christian Voice will put me right.
I think I can do no better than to start with the 1st Psalm:
Psa 1:1 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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law
doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth
away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

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6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the
ungodly shall perish.
It cannot be by accident that such a definite affirmation of the determination of
God to bless the faithful is placed right at the start of the book of Psalms. We are
meant to take notice of it. It is a divine principle.
I believe that God is involved with the whole of life, and that his blessings should
be seen in the material as well as in the spiritual dimension. I reject the atheist
taunt that Christianity is just pie in the sky when you die. I long and believe to
see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psa 27:13).
I believe that the very fact that God became one of us shows that he is involved
in our material existence and that he longs to pour out a blessing on the faithful
which is as relevant to this life as our eternal reward is to the next.
After all, the ministry of Christian Voice would make no sense if God were not
actively involved in the affairs of men in this temporal realm. We have said, for
example, that Tesco cannot expect to be blessed while following the paths of
wickedness. We constantly urge Her Majestys Government to lead the nation in
repentance back to faith in the living God that the nation might be blessed.
BALANCING CONTENTMENT AND AMBITION
Some of us may be reluctant to ask God for his blessing. I know I am slow to ask
God for the material resources that both I and the ministry of Christian Voice
need in order to function. When I do, I make it clear to the Lord that we need
these things not for our own glory or material advancement, and in the case of
the Christian Voice ministry, not for any empire building, but for Gods glory, for
his kingdom and to see his will done on earth as it is in heaven.
While it is wrong to place our trust in our possessions, Ecclesiastes says that
there is nothing better at the end of the day than to sit down and enjoy the fruits
of our labours. It also says:
Eccl 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little
or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
The words of the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul come to mind:
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul?
Matt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the
one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
1Tim 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.
It is the love of money rather than the wealth in itself which places both the rich
mans sleep and his eternal destiny in peril.
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We do not read that Abraham had any trouble sleeping. The ministry of the Lord
himself was financed by a group of prosperous women who provided for him out
of their substance (Luke 8:3). At one time in Israel the entire counter-cultural
prophetic movement was financed and protected by one wealthy individual, king
Ahabs prime minister, Obadiah (1Kgs 18:4).
The Bible shows God transforming lives, and if he can save a sinner like me,
make a shepherd boy the king of Israel or make a barren woman to be a joyful
mother of children, then there is room for the ambition of Jabez:
1Chr 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou
wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand
might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it
may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
The Bible says:
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be
content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee.
Clearly we need a degree of balance between ambition and contentment. In the
more recent past, I have erred too much to the contentment end of the
spectrum. These days I have rediscovered ambition both for myself and for the
Christian Voice ministry. We can and must do things better. There is a lesson
from Jabez, and from Jacob before him, striving all night with God and refusing to
end the struggle save on one condition:
Gen 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I
will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
There appear to me to be very few churches, certainly in the West, which devote
themselves today to encouraging the faithful to better themselves materially as
well as spiritually. There is a verse (rarely sung today) in All things bright and
beautiful about the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate and how
God made them, high or lowly and ordered their estate. Too many ministers
give the impression that every poor man is destined to stay forever at the gate
of the rich mans castle.
The trend over the past hundred years has been to spiritualise the Christian faith
away. The Church in general has retreated from an involvement in politics and
public life confident in the righteousness of the laws of God in equal measure to
the extent in which it has tended to urge the faithful to give up on this world
while assuring themselves of a consolation to come.
It is almost as if they are leaning to the error of the Gnostics in which only the
spiritual is good and everything material is bad. Now, this may be a reaction to
the decadent materialism of the world. We do need to react against that, but by
showing the breadth of the Gospel of Christ, not by veering to the other
extreme. Gnosticism is a dangerous road to travel, on one level because it

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denies Christs humanity, but on another level because it ends up in the very
decadence and materialism it claims to deny.
Now we turn to the other end of the spectrum. Sadly, many of those ministries
and churches which do encourage material advancement focus almost
exclusively on only one or two of the spiritual principles involved. The first of
these is giving.
SOWING AND REAPING
The principle of sowing and reaping itself is entirely scriptural. It is not the end of
the matter by any means but it is as good a place as any to start. These are the
main scriptures:
Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold
and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of
hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again.
2Cor 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
It is not unusual in African churches for there to be a teaching on sowing and
reaping before the offering is taken. Sometimes we all need reminding that
everything we have is the gift of God and we only give him back what is his in
the first place.
Now we know of the common grace of God, that he sends the rain on the good
and on the wicked alike. The general principles of sowing and reaping may
validly be considered as part of the common grace of God. Things have a
tendency to come around for everyone. The bread cast on the waters returns.
The wicked will come to judgment eventually.
It is important to remember that it is not just money we can sow. We can sow
prayers, time, love, care, goodness and humility just as well as cash. We also
need to be reminded that we can sow bad things as well as good. If we sow
hatred, division, gossip and selfishness then that is what we shall reap.
SAYING, BELIEVING AND RECEIVING
The second principle which finds itself over-emphasised is that of attitude. The
teaching of our blessed Lord on this matter is as unequivocal as possible:
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain,
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Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in
his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come
to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you,
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Plainly, there is no point in praying for something and immediately disbelieving
the prayer. It is possible to spoil a good prayer with a bad confession. Why pray
for something you dont believe the Lord can do in the first place? Nor should we
launch prayers like a footballer taking a speculative shot at goal. Some people
have a scattergun approach to prayer in which they fire off a couple of dozen in
the hope that a percentage of their prayers will be in accordance to the will of
God and therefore answered. The two can be combined: Lord, please do suchand-such. Amen. (Aside) I dont think the Lord will do that, but its worth a
try. That is not how it works.
Attitude, they say, determines altitude. Even if that is just a clever play on
words, the fact remains that the ten spies who said they could not enter Canaan
didnt. The two who said they could, did.
If you tell yourself you are addicted to smoking you will never give up. We saw
last month how King George V cursed his eldest son and how effective that was.
Our spoken words have a spiritual dimension and it is perfectly possible to curse
ourselves. If we call ourselves stupid or unloveable or unreliable we can bring
that on ourselves. In the context of asking for wisdom, James says:
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth
is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
So this principle of confessing, believing and receiving has foundation in
Scripture. The problem comes when it is used like a sort of magic wand, as James
says, to be consumed on our lusts. I think I have yet to hear a teaching on
confessing, believing and receiving (save that of Andrew Murray) which
acknowledges what the Lord Jesus himself said as a qualification. In John it was
this:
John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so
shall ye be my disciples.
In other words, a big part of us receiving what we ask from the Lord is to enable
us to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. In Mark, the Lord went straight on to say:
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought
against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you
your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father
which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
He made the answer to our prayer dependent upon our nature of forgiveness.
That is not what the people always want to hear.
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A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE
So if giving and a certain kind of believing are over-emphasised by those
teaching prosperity, which principles are not spoken of enough or at all?
I believe the first is a life of obedience to and trust in Gods holy word. We
Christians are constantly reminded of Pauls exposition of how Abraham
believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Gen 15:6; Rom
4:3). The dear Apostle wrote this explaining how we should have faith in the
sacrifice of Christ. It was not intended to downplay the other important aspect of
Abrahams life, that of obedience:
Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do
justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that
which he hath spoken of him.
Gods blessing fell upon Abraham because of his belief in God and because of his
obedience to the laws of God. The same message is clear in Psalm 1, with which
we opened, and all through the Psalms. It is set out in Deuteronomy, particularly
in chapter 28, and in the prophets. If you can be argued to run through the whole
of Scripture.
People encouraged into obedience to the word of God will be encouraged into
biblical virtues of honesty and integrity which bring their own reward. We know
that:
Heb 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
But the seeking must begin in prayer and in his word and then be put into
practice. Having faith in God and then ignoring his word and living in
disobedience is to miss the mark. As the Apostle James says unequivocally:
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my
works. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works
is dead? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also.
We need to be doers of the word not just hearers of it. (Romans 2:12; Jas 1:22) It
is Christ which lives in me, so every aspect of my life is to be in obedience to his
will.
GO TO THE ANT
After obedience, the second principle which does not get enough coverage is
that of hard work coupled with diligence. It is not enough to go away from a
church service, even having given a sacrificial offering believing for a Mercedes,
only to get home, put on some uplifting worship music, sit down and wait for the
car key to drop through the letterbox.

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No doubt someone will email me with a story of a dear soul who did exactly that,
but in general, as the Bible shows us, you have to get up and do something:
Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the
summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy
sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands
to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy
want as an armed man.
In some places in the Far East, the Christians are resented by the fatalistic
Buddhists because, free from the belief that life is a mere illusion, they actually
go out into their fields, plant seed and reap a harvest.
Thats how it should be, but in other places Christians have let their piety rob
them of their prosperity. They have become so heavenly minded they are no
earthly use. People of other faiths and no faith are working hard and the
Christians are wasting the Lords time listening to music, reading devotional
books, holding meetings, praying aimlessly or whatever else eats into productive
time.
Very few people are more passionate about reading the word of God than I am. I
know the power of music, I know how books inspire, I know the power of prayer
and the value of fellowship. Yet I can imagine somebody hearing a teaching
around Genesis 8:22. A day later he is reading a book on Receiving the
Blessing and occasionally looking out onto his unkempt garden. The garden is
crying out to be dug over and seeded at the real earthly seedtime, but our
brother leaves that plot of land just as it is. Then he comforts himself by saying
the Lord will provide and is last seen piously waiting for his harvest to arrive in
the form of a gift from someone else.
You feel like saying The Lord has provided you with a garden. Why arent you
planting in it?
THE WISDOM OF ARCHDEACON GRANTLY!
The irony is that if those pastors who are preaching tithing and claiming would
also preach obedience and diligence, and if they would set up schools to teach
their people business and trade skills, then over a short period of time the
offerings upon which they depend would increase dramatically.
John Wesley said: Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can. I heard
once that the early Methodist Church went from being working-class to middleclass in a couple of generations by adherence to the Wesleyan ideals of
obedience and holiness, diligence and thrift. Not all the faithful will succeed in
business or develop a trade, and the poor we shall always have with us, but
could we not at least help the majority of the faithful set their sights a little
higher? The Apostle John wrote to Gaius:
3John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Wegogwe@gmail.com 0772 955 722
Believe , yes believe chete, chete

In my King James Bible, the editor, Spiros Zodhiates, writes a note against the
misapplication of this verse to mean that Gods will for his children is always to
prosper and be in good health, which he says would give credence to the belief
in a health and wealth gospel. He says John is conveying nothing more than a
wish that this letter might find Gaius well and in good health.
Equally there seems to be nothing unscriptural about prospering and being in
good health, as long as, or even because, we put the Kingdom of God first. The
Lord Jesus said:
Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
In the Psalms we have the same emphasis on putting the Lord and obedience to
his word first and the same promise of prosperity:
Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the
land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he
shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Two psalms earlier, David is inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this:
Psa 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous
cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which
hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
There is no BIble verse which says that the Lord delights in the poverty of his
servant. The virtues preached by John Wesley need to be heard in the church
world-wide today. In Kenya, for example, Christians form 80% of the population
but only own 30% of the wealth. It does not have to be like that, but us
Christians need a paradigm shift in our thinking. I am not suggesting we become
all worldly as opposed to spiritual, but we need a bit more balance and a lot
more of what God tells us in the Bible!
In his book Barchester Towers, Anthony Trollopes Archdeacon Grantly says this:
If honest men did not squabble for money, in this wicked world of ours, the
dishonest men would get it all; and I do not see that the cause of virtue would be
much improved.
I think there is more than a grain of truth in the archdeacons words. The work of
ministry needs finance today just as much as the ministry of the Lord Jesus
himself needed it 2,000 years ago and got it from those with substance,
including the wealthy women we read about in Luke 8:2-3. The Lord owns all the
silver and gold. Why is the Church not doing more to encourage the faithful into
the honest endeavour of bringing more of it into the body of Christ?

The author of this paper will be delighted to bring this message to your church or
fellowship and encourage the faithful to prosper through Biblical principles
including those idenitified above.

Wegogwe@gmail.com 0772 955 722

Believe , yes believe chete, chete