Transcription
Open to the book of Third John. Third John verse two is going to be the uh foundation of our series that we're going to look at called kingdom prosperity. So we are going to look at the issue of prosperity for uh a number of weeks and gain some instruction.
So let's begin first of all with the dictionary definition, not necessarily a Bible definition, but if you look at uh the word prosperity in the dictionary, one definition says it is a thriving or growing condition, especially as concerns finances. So when we're talking about prosperity, uh this entire series will be about money. And so the point of it is, how do you increase financially? So number one, if you have all the money you ever need in the world, then uh you don't need this series. But for everybody else, if you want to know how it is that you can increase, then that's what we're going to look at.
So we need to answer some questions in this series. First of all, is prosperity good? Is that a good idea that you have more money or more finances in in whatever uh form that is? Is prosperity God's will for your life? So we want to uh answer those questions. And if so, if according to God's word, it is God's will for you to prosper and prosperity is good fundamentally, then the point of this series is, what is the path to financial prosperity? How do you achieve that if that is what God wants for you?
And so today, we're going to kind of uh build a foundation. And I intend for this to be uh both very practical and inspirational. And that's my uh hope that God will help you in the area of money. So we're going to begin today. We're going to look at the problem, the need, and the God of prosperity. And so the title of the series or today's lesson is the problem and promise of prosperity. We're going to look, this will be our main verse, 3rd John verse two. And I want somebody to read that.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers."
Okay. So here John is writing to believers and he says, "I am praying that you may prosper and be in health or all things." Uh, so this is the kind of foundational. We'll look at at this verse. Let's begin.
Let's talk about the problem with prosperity. When you say the word prosperity, that of course has mixed views in Christian circles. Unfortunately, prosperity is viewed negatively by many Christians generally because of the abuses of TV preachers. Okay? So you uh you have uh preachers on TV that everything is about money. Every sermon, every teaching, it is uh you have financial excess and even to the point of fraud that I read, I uh basically daily kind of keep tabs on what's going on in Christian circles. Often I'm seeing here someone is there's a scandal because of abuse and uh it often is is uh you know, it can even be to the point of someone got arrested because of fraud and then they use this term, they are a prosperity preacher. That's used almost like a a pejorative, like expressing contempt. "You are you a prosperity preacher?" Or you uh hear the term, the prosperity gospel. And this is often associated, prosperity gospel is often associated with greed and abuse. And they point to the fact of gimmicks that are used to raise money. There's never going to come a time in our church where I'm going to offer you wood from the cross, oil from the Holy Land, water from the River Jordan. I I have no gimmicks. I'm not selling anything to try to get you to give money.
But you see, this is often uh you know, there's all all kinds of gimmicks of uh if you'll give $17.23, buy a seed faith offering based on Matthew 17:23. And then we have an $1,829 based on, you know, just on and on and on, gimmick after gimmick. And then you read of the uh abusive lifestyles or people who have believed that and have gotten themselves into financial uh troubles.
So what happens? Here's the first problem with prosperity is that many Christians, their approach to prosperity is reactionary. I don't want to be like that. They hear people, "Ah, that's just the prosperity gospel," or "You don't, you're a prosperity preacher." So I don't want to be like that. One of the things that happens is that there are pastors who are afraid to preach on money. Uh, they're afraid to ask for money. I've uh I've seen men that they're taking an offering and they're uh or preaching on the subject of money and they're saying, you know, uh, "We don't want you to think that we're after your money." Then why are you taking an offering? Sit down. If you don't want our money, shut up. Right? That's that's that's dumb.
I spoke to a church consultant one time and he was telling me that he, you know, was a part of a a mega church of many thousands and he says, "What we do in our church is when we take the offering, we tell people, if you're a guest today, we do not want you to give money." Right? And so the whole idea is, we we don't want anybody to think that we're uh after their money. And the reason why is often that is reactionary because someone saw on TV some preacher who had a gimmick of the day and in trying to con people out of money.
So I believe it is foolish to base your beliefs or your actions on somebody else's foolishness or sin. Right? I know people that in their marriage, they say, "I was married, but there was abuse." So my reaction to that is, "Lisa, we're not, we're stopping being married because I heard there was somebody abusive." Right? That would be that would be foolish. You would think, what? That's that's lunacy. That's their problem. So why would I look at a TV preacher or some foolish person who makes foolish, greedy financial decisions and base my biblical beliefs on, "I don't want to be like that." I don't want to be abusive in marriage, so I won't. I don't want to be abusive in money, so I won't. But what they are has nothing to do with what I believe or what I do. I think that that is logical. Right?
The second problem that we have concerning prosperity is wrong teaching about money. There are people who will tell you, they're Christians, who will tell you, "Money is evil." How many of you ever heard that one? You ever had somebody tell you, "No, money is evil." In my experience, I I first learned this when I was pioneering uh a man came in and they were kind of kooky Christians floating around the world and and he, he, this is the first time I ever heard someone tell me that that money is evil. But then right after that, he started hinting that he wanted me to buy him lunch and give him money. I said, "I do not want to ruin your spirituality."
So the reason why people often will say money is evil is that they are misquoting the Bible. They're misquoting 1 Timothy 6:10. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Okay. So when I hear someone say money is evil, they misquote this. They say, "Because the Bible says money is the root of all evil." But that is not what the scripture says. It says the love of money. And the word there, love, literally means intense desire or lust. The lust for money is the root of all kinds of evil. And that's true. We see businessmen that neglect their marriage, neglect their children for money. Why? Lust for money. We see people that will violate their conscience, their Christianity, their salvation for money. They'll lie. They'll cheat. They'll deceive. That's lust for money. This scripture does not say money is evil. Money. The love of money is evil when your desire for it takes the place of God, and then you begin to violate God and his word to get it.
So here's a logical question. My father taught me to be a thinker, right? Pastor Mitchell was a very logical man. So let's use logic. If you again, misquoting this scripture, if you say money is evil, here's a logical question. At what point is it evil? Is it evil at $10? If you have $10 in your pocket right now, are you evil? Or is it a hundred? Is it a thousand? $5,000, $10,000? At what point? So, here we are. I had $4,999. I was spiritual. I hit $5,000. Ding ding ding ding ding. Evil. Evil. That's that's illogical. But again, this is taught that somehow you are not spiritual, uh, or or you are evil if you have money.
Second wrong teaching is kind of goes hand in hand. If money is evil, then it is spiritual to not have money. I see people, this is a badge of uh honor that somehow, "I, you know, live in a dump, I drive a wreck, I dress in rags, and that makes me more spiritual because it's spiritual to not have money." That is absolutely wrong. Again, let's think biblically and logically. If it is spiritual to not have money, why does the Bible tell us about the financial blessing of God's people that he was pleased with? Let's look at Genesis 13:2.
"And Abram was very rich in cattle and silver and in gold."
Okay. Abram is the father of our faith. He's called the friend of God. What is it the Bible tells if it's spiritual to not have money? Why does the father of our faith, who's the friend of God, why does God tell us he was very rich? Not just he scraped by, he was very rich. Why does the Bible tell us that? So apparently then, that's not true. The Bible tells us about Job and it tells us about his incredible wealth. Tells about the loss of his wealth and then how he got it back and more besides. In the Bible, God's opinion of Job, a wealthy man, is he was righteous. That's God's opinion. Again, it wasn't his money that made him righteous, but God is saying a righteous man who had money, and God apparently was okay with that. King David, another one, a man after God's own heart. Uh, some scholars say the offering that he gave for the temple, if you did it in today's terms, would be worth a billion dollars. He had a few bucks. A man after God's own heart. So that cannot be true that uh it's uh spiritual to not have money.
Poverty by people who believe that is often presented uh as a badge or a mark of spirituality. Many years ago, I I attended a very, there's very few times in my life that I've ever attended a church outside of our fellowship. But one time I did, one of the first times I had uh I went to church dressed like I am right now. I've done this all my salvation is when I go to church. I believe I'm in the presence of the king. So my choice is, I dress up. So I went to this church. I was the only one in the whole church dressed up. So that, you know, that's one thing. Whatever. I I don't care how you dress. That's irrelevant to me. It's not a salvation issue. But the pastor seeing me in a suit, it bugged him. And so he started modifying his ear like, "Bless God. Thank God we're not like some people all dressed in suits." It's like, "Come on, man. There's only one person here." I felt like Sesame Street. "One of these is not like the other. Which one doesn't fit?" So, but that is how they felt is that we are more spiritual than you because we don't own nice things. And that's a that's a mentality. Do you know that in the Bible, poverty is never presented as spirituality? In the Bible, lack of finances is always presented as something that is distressing. The Bible calls it a curse. Bible doesn't say that this person, they were poor. Woo. I am so happy that they were poor. Very spiritual. The Bible tells us about widows who were distressed, right? Because they didn't have money. God doesn't say, "Hey, but you're spiritual. What are you crying for?" No, it's always presented as something negative, not positive.
Proverbs 10:15. "Having lots of money protects the rich, but having no money destroys the poor."
Okay. Proverbs is a book of wisdom, and I've chosen the New Century Version. I often like reading uh from this. In the New Century Version, Proverbs is a book of wisdom and it's very practical. So it says one of the benefits of money is money will protect you in certain ways. Now, what does it say about having no money? Does it say having no money makes you more spiritual? No. It's presented as something destructive. It's not helpful. Lack of money is, according to the Bible, it's not good. And again, please don't mistake. You're not more spiritual if you have more money. That was the Jewish mistake. But I am coming against the idea that somehow uh it's spiritual to not have money.
The third wrong teaching about money is there are people who believe it would be rude or presumptuous to ask God for money or material things. I have known people that they, they can't pay their bills, their job is not sufficient, their kids, you know, uh, they can't buy them clothes or shoes or can't, they don't have a vehicle to drive, all kinds of problems. And so I suggest, "Why don't you pray about that?" I I mean, isn't God concerned about souls? I can't, I can't just like ask God, you know, "God, I need a car." Why not? In the in the Bible, we are encouraged to ask God for help.
Matthew 7:7. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
Okay. This is God says how you should approach life. If you need something, ask. It's very simple. Whatever it is, it's practical. My my job has bad hours so that I can't come to church. Then why don't you ask God for a better one? If he can create the universe, surely he can create a job for you that will give you the hours you need. My job doesn't pay enough to meet my needs. Why don't you ask? Right? Whatever it is, my car breaks down and I can't get to work, can't get to church, got to walk in the rain. Why don't you ask? Because that is God's opinion is he wants to help.
In the Bible, the pattern for miracles, I probably would say nine times out of 10, the pattern for miracles is people asking God, right? Blind Bartimaeus, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." That's the Bible pattern. I need help. It's actually rare that God simply initiates the miracle. But it's interesting, a number of financial miracles were not started by people asking. It was God intervening. The widow of Zarephath, she assumes her and her son have one more meal and their only option then is to starve to death. There was no option. But God steps into her life and provides all that she needs because apparently this is important to God. He cares whether Peter can pay his taxes. God is into you paying taxes. I don't know if you know that.
So the point of this is, God apparently is concerned about people's financial needs. So if you feel that it is rude, unspiritual, presumptuous to ask God for money, I'm telling you biblically, you are wrong because that is not what the Bible says. In fact, the Bible says the opposite. And we are encouraged to ask God for financial help.
Just out of curiosity, as we bring point one to a close, how many of you here have ever had a specific financial need and you asked God and God provided for you, you unspiritual people? No, that's that should be the normal course of life. Second question, out of curiosity, how many of you right now, you need God to help you financially in some way? Okay, good. Keep coming to the series. This will help us to uh gain wisdom for this.
Okay, so that's where we start. Is we have to talk about the problems with uh prosperity. Let's talk about a second thing, and then I'll open for some questions. Let's talk secondly about the need for prosperity. Those who would say it's unspiritual or you don't want to be like a prosperity preacher, any of those things, but people need to prosper. Dictionary definition of prosper is to thrive or to grow financially. So think about some biblical reasons why people need their finances to grow. People need their finances to grow.
Number one, because people have financial and material needs right now. That was the question I just asked. How many of you right now, you need God to help you or you need more money or a vehicle or housing or whatever it might be? Let's look at Matthew 6:31.
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'"
Okay. So here Jesus is getting very practical. These are some things that people worry about is eating. Is there any of you that are against eating? Like you're, it's against your religion to eat at all? I don't think so. You need to eat, drink. What shall we wear? I am pleased that all of you wore clothes this morning. That's very helpful in church. So food costs money. Especially in these days, how many of you noticed inflation? It's food is like, whoa. You get to the checkout line, it's more expensive. So apparently we need more money than we did a year ago just for food, clothing. Clothing wears out, etc., etc. So all Jesus is saying is he's just pointing out life has needs. Then we could talk in our day and age, we don't live in a little village that you can walk to work. Probably most of you, we need transportation. You got to get there somehow. That costs money. Education uh has costs in in a certain uh level. Medical, it it's expensive in America to get sick, isn't it? Medical takes money. And then of course, people have debt for various reasons, whether it was your self-inflicted wound or or not. These are the realities. So people have needs. That is why they need God to help them. Money.
First Kings 17:12. "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar. And see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die."
Okay. This is a woman in financial crisis. And she is saying, in those days, there was no welfare system. There was no governmental agency that you could go to. She says, "This is our option. We have enough for me and my son to have a small meal, and then we're going to die." Literally, she's not being figurative here. "We are going to die." A woman who's a widow. In those days, there weren't options in a foreign country. And so, she's saying, "We're going to die because we don't have resources."
So, God knows this. Prosperity is growing. Think about this. Why does your money need to grow over time? Why do you need more money now than you did five years ago? Because costs increase over time. I just talked about food. How many of you here have children? You have children. How many you have more than one? You got married, it cost you a certain amount to live. And they said, "Hey, let's have kids." You had one. Let's have another one. He said, "Those kids are stinking expensive, aren't they?" It's like, "Didn't I just buy you clothes last week? Stop growing. You're costing me money." And every little thing, your costs increase. So it is a logical reasoning to say, if costs increase, our finances better increase. That's a logical deduction.
Second reason why we need to prosper is lack of prosperity causes us problems. The first problem, if you have any level of financial difficulty, lack of money on any level, it causes you stress. People tell you, "Money is not the most important thing in the world," but when you don't have any, it is. People lose sleep over money. It stresses them out.
Matthew 6:31. "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear?'"
Okay. This is common. Jesus says people worry about how are our financial needs going to be met. It's interesting, in English, our English word "worry" comes from a German word "var," which is to choke. It's to struggle. That's what worry does. It it chokes you. One wise person said, "If you think no one cares whether you're alive, try missing a couple of payments. You'll find out. They want to know if you're alive or not." And so this is the difficulty. Lack of sleep, sickness. There are people, they are so stressed out because of money, it's literally making them sick in their stress, unable to focus on God. You ever had this? You ever been trying to read your Bible? You ever been trying to pray and you're thinking of the bills? No. None of you. Only me. Okay. I'm the most unspiritual person here, apparently. So, those are not good things, are they? There's not one of the things that I said that are helpful in spirituality.
The second problem that money causes for married people is the effect on their marriage. Researchers will tell you, married couples fight more about money than they do about sex. Many marriage counselors say money is the number one source of conflict in in many marriages. Finances are listed as the leading cause of divorce. Why do people get divorced? 56% of all divorces are blamed on financial difficulties. You would think, why do people get divorced? Infidelity. You'd think people get divorced over money four times more than infidelity. And then, of course, couples, they're married, they're fighting over how money is spent. Here's a term I'll throw out at you. Have you ever heard this? Financial infidelity. We think of infidelity as you cheated on me with another person, but some couples are fighting over financial infidelity. You cheated on me financially. That's why when you get married, you owe it to the person you're going to marry. I ask couples, "Do you have debt?" Because there have been people who got married and then after they're married, it's like, "Oh yeah, by the way, I owe $395,000." Like, what? "Yeah, we can't ever have or own anything because of my debt." So you, that was information you should have told. Or, "Hi honey, what'd you do today?" "I bought a boat." "You what?" "Bought a motorcycle." This causes conflict, major purchases without discussion. And then uh, of course, in marriage, if you are stressed out about money, it's going to cause you to be irritable. Is there any of you that the more stressed you get, the nicer you become? Like things are worrying on your mind, it's like, "I am filled with peace, love, and joy." No, you don't. Unless you're on drugs. That's a different different sermon. But for most people, it causes irritation. You're snapping. You're thinking about, "How am I going to pay the stinking bill?" So then the person that you're married to, you're snapping each other over money. So then this is why you need your finances to be met and increase is because apparently it's going to help your marriage.
The third reason why you need God to help you financially and prosper is lack of prosperity limits your ability to help other people.
2 Corinthians 9:8-9. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: 'He has dispersed abroad; He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.'"
Okay. 2 Corinthians 9. And we're going to do a whole lesson on this, but 2 Corinthians 9 gives the logic of why you need God to give you more money. The Bible says, "If you have sufficiency in all things, you may have an abundance for every good work." Part of that is the work of God. We'll talk about that in a minute. But then it quotes in the Bible, "He has dispersed abroad. He has given to the poor." There, God gives you money not just because he's concerned your clothes are out of date or your car or whatever it is that you want to spend your money on. Part of why God gives you money is so you can help other people. That is a that is a normal part. And I'm only hitting this in passing. Part of God's blessing that God gives you is meant to be shared. It's meant to be passed on. Uh, Lisa and I have been married in a few weeks, we've been married 39 years. And in our 39 years, we have been able to give away six vehicles to other people, free and clear, so far. Please don't line up after church. Okay? And the reason why is I come from a family of givers. Only the Lord knows how many vehicles my parents gave away. And that's just one aspect of of giving. So if God doesn't bless you, you can't help somebody else who is in need. That's the logic of why we need prosperity.
Final thought, lack of prosperity affects the work of God. Very interesting. After COVID, there are many churches across America that have closed permanently because of finances. And you know, they have people that are not committed, etc., etc. The Potter's House in in Denver, Colorado. No connection to us. We were the Potter's House before them, but uh, they're connected with T.D. Jakes. Apparently, this was a mega church. They've announced after COVID, they're selling their building. They're going online only. They are never going to meet again. And they say it's because of money. That building costs money. So, let's sell it for $12 million and just have online. Two churches in North Carolina. I saw this a few weeks back. They merged after COVID so they could stay afloat. One of these was a church called the Hope Church and the pastor said, "We have a big building with a big mortgage and big costs and after COVID, our attendance and money dropped." So they have a church. They believe God wants them to be there. They say, "We can't afford to be a church anymore." So in this case, thank God they don't have to close completely, but they merged two congregations to just to survive financially.
2016, David Platt, who is the International Mission Board president for the Southern Baptist Convention, announced that they were going to cut or bring home 6 to 800 missionaries around the world because we are unable to support them financially in the field. He said, "As it stands now, we are forced to turn people away who desire to serve in the mission field." So God tells us to go into all the world. The Southern Baptists said, "We have to bring home hundreds of missionaries. We can't afford to support you." And there are people who say, "I want to be a missionary." And they say, "Sorry, can't afford it." God forbid that that should ever be us. God forbid I should have to stand up on Thursday night at conference and say, "We wanted to reach the world. Folks, can't afford it. Let's have a car wash." That that is not that's not God's will.
So final thought then is the God of prosperity. And we're going to expand on this. I want you to understand clearly in your thinking and in your heart. It is God's will that you prosper financially. I am basing this not on a TV preacher, not on a scheme or a plan that I have. God's word tells us he wants us to prosper in the area of money.
Third John 2. Let's read it. This was our main verse. Read it the second time.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers."
Okay. I told you in the beginning, I said the word prosper. I gave you a dictionary definition, which is a thriving or a growing condition of your finances. Now, biblically, the word means something a little bit different here. John is writing, he says, "I want you to prosper." What does that mean? The word prosper there in the original Greek means to help on your journey, or things go well on the journey. Traveling in ancient days was very risky. We read the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is traveling. He did not have a prosperous journey. He was attacked by robbers. King James, "fell among thieves." That is not a prosperous journey. What he had, he lost, but it involved his money. Acts 27, Paul is on the ship uh on the way to Rome and they have cargo on the ship, terrible storm. And so what they had to do to try to survive, dump the cargo, then start dumping the tackle of the ship. That was not a prosperous journey. The ship itself was wrecked. A man lost a lot of money.
So how do we know that? Third John 2, when he says, "I am praying that you prosper." How do we know that he's talking about money and not just your spiritual life? Look at that verse. He says that you may prosper in all things. I want things to go well in your life in all things. Is money a part of all things? Yes. Say yes. Help me out here if you don't want.
1 Corinthians 16:2. "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
Okay. When you want to know in the Bible, you see a word and you want to know what does that mean? You look at the definition, but then you look at other scriptures that use the same word. 1 Corinthians 16:2, he says, here's the same word, "as God has prospered him." And it's clear he is talking about money. So money should prosper. That is God's will for your life.
And then of course, we'll throw this in and we're going to expand. This is only a uh a foundational uh lesson. Our text of course gives balance of prosperity. That is why I'm calling it not financial prosperity, but kingdom prosperity. According to uh uh the Bible, money is not the most important thing in life. That's why we don't preach on money every single service because it's not the most important thing in life. According to the Bible, the priority, which means order of importance in your life, there are things that you want that you need. Whatever is the most important, the priority should be on top. The Bible says, "Your soul is the most important."
Mark 8:36. "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"
Okay. The Bible is a practical book. What good would it do if you had all the money in the world and you lose your marriage, your children, your destiny, and you burn in hell? That doesn't make sense. Your soul is the most important. So we understand that as a given.
The second balance here is that prosperity is conditional. This is very, very important and we're going to expound on this uh and expand in the in the series. Let's read Third John 2 again.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers."
Just as. This is uh New Century Version, I think, or NIV, King James. Even as. Whenever you see "even as" in the uh in the Bible, it means in the same way or in line with. So the Bible says, "I want you to prosper." Which we just biblically said is, "I want your money to grow." But here's the qualification. It should be in line with your soul prospering. If your soul, your spiritual condition is not prospering, it it either is going to be very difficult for you to prosper financially, or it's a it won't last. So, I see people, they do, they're like, man, they're they're clever at making money, but their soul is not prospering. They're carnal. They're greedy. They're selfish. They're not right with God. God is not a priority. So, yes. So either you're not going to prosper, or that kind of person, they prosper, but it doesn't last because they're disobedient to God, or for some people, money winds up being a curse and not a blessing. They got a lot of money, but their wife left them because while making money, you never paid attention to your marriage. Then money was a curse. In that case, you should have stayed poor. Not because it's spiritual, but because apparently you can't handle it.
Final thought, and this is what the whole series is about, is God has practical directions in how to prosper if it is God's will for you to prosper. And I just said biblically, it is. The Bible gives and is filled with practical directions in how to prosper. How can you gain a miracle of increase, a miracle of supply in what you need right now? Think about this. The widow of Zarephath, she didn't initiate the miracle. A prophet came from another country, sent by God, knowing that she was going to starve. Said, "God wants to help you." But he said, "I know you think you're going to eat one meal and then die, but why don't you give to the Lord first?" It's conditional. He didn't just say, "Look, here's miracle supply floating out of heaven." No, you have to do something first. Peter, Jesus said, "Cast your nets on the other side." Peter, again, you need to pay your taxes. "Cast a hook into the sea." There's no one here that you're just going to wake up one day, check your bank account, it's like, "Oh my God, there's an extra million. God must have put it in there." That's not how prosperity comes.
So, our series is going to look at practical steps of how your soul can prosper so that your finances can prosper and what is it that you need to do so that God is able to help you. Okay, let's open for some questions or comments back there. Isaac, the microphone is coming. Go ahead, Isaac.
I'm just curious what you think the the reason might be uh with you talked about marriages falling apart because of money. Um, money represents, I'm just wondering if this is possibly the connection because money represents security and that's important to women and so if, for example, a man goes out and buys a boat, does that freak her out, you think, or what?
Well, a number. The the the main thing is I've I've had couples that they're, you know, some of you here, you you're uh you're fighting over money and I I make the one spouse tell the other, "How did that make you feel?" That's the question. "How did that make you feel when he went and bought the boat without asking?" It made me feel that I am not important. So, it's actually a vote on your marriage, uh, your opinion of your spouse, in one way. You are selfish and you don't think of me, which then creates, it's it's more than money, isn't it? Money is actually not what caused them to get divorced. It's actually a symbol because your financial decisions come out of your heart and you're you're showing them something. And that's why then she stands over you in the night, knife sharpening a knife. Someone there.
John, when I first got saved, I had like $2,000 in the bank. And um, I thought I had quite a bit of money. But God started dealing with me about tithing and dealing with me about giving and and soon that money went away. And and I was thinking, I remember thinking often, you know, "How come? I, you know, I had money, quote, $2,000 when I first got saved and now I'm just struggling and getting by." But I I kept tithing and I kept giving. And I can't say that I always gave extra when God dealt with me, but I I always tithed. And now 40 some odd years later, I I look at what God has put in my life and I can't believe how it happened because I didn't really plan that. Yeah. God planned it. Yeah. So God wants to help you. Now Lisa, on the other hand, married me for my money. So she saw real potential when I, I was making $97 a week and she said, "Oh yeah, there's, we're going to live like kings right there."
One one more, Vicki.
So some of you might have heard this before because I probably testified this on the last time you did a Bible study on money, but um, there was a girl that got saved, um, uh, a long time ago and she's still serving God, thank God. But she got saved a long time ago and she really struggled with um tithing. And and she was my convert. And so she came to me and she says, "Vicki, I just, I just can't tithe." I'm like, "Well, you know, God wants you to tithe and, you know, 10% of your gross and, you know, you you just need to pray and ask God to help you to be obedient to him, you know." And so, and and it's something that really bothered bothered her. She really got saved and she really did want to do God's will. And um, she at the time, of course, before she got saved, was seeing a psychologist um because she had a lot of issues prior to getting saved. And she was seeing a psychologist and then one day she comes running into the into the room that I'm in. She goes, "Vicki, she goes, "Vicki, you just wouldn't believe it." She goes, "I was figuring out that my tithe is exactly what I paid to my psychologist and I don't need a psychologist anymore." And she, you know, and from that point on, she began tithing. She told the psychologist goodbye. And so it just is it's what it was. That testimony has always been such a clear reference to me how God provides. Yeah. Praise God.
Okay, we're going to stop a little bit early and getting ready for the wedding here. So I encourage you to come be a part of this and let's believe God that he's going to prosper you. Amen.