Some of you will have noticed the lively discussion on this topic of Christian Wealth Building with Rich Church Poor Church author, John Muratori. Whenever we speak to this important topic, there are always folks concerned about bringing balance. While I agree that balance is important, does anyone know what balance is? An extremist I was told, is someone more zealous than you. It seems if someone is further than you down the continuum of any line of thought, they are considered out of balance. We don’t balance the wealth message with a poverty message. You balance it with responsibility and generosity.

Romans 11:35 asks, “…who has given to the Lord that He should repay them?” In other words we can not obligate God to give us anything. He owes us nothing. Having said that, He promises us much. Some folks dwell on the truth that Jesus promised, “In this world, you will have tribulation…” and Paul adds in a letter to Timothy that if you, “…live Godly in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution.” And frankly there is plenty of tribulation and persecution to go round just for teaching a balanced word on this subject.

Wealth, if it is only about heaping treasures upon yourself, is misspent and empty. I am not espousing that. I am encouraging you all to get beyond the “self focus” being warned about, and get Christ-focused and carry his concern for the culture and then make as much money as you can and use it for the extension of His kingdom. That may include building a church in Haiti or it may include buying the local radio station and controlling the airwaves in your town.

On Friday, we are sending out our offer again for the Christian Wealth Building series with Rich Church Poor Church author, John Muratori to 135,000 folks. In it, we’re reminding them that the first 500 folks to order the audio seminar will also receive copy of his 300-plus page book absolutely FREE. By the way, we are already down to fewer than 300 so I suggest you act now if you want something to energize the upcoming year and revolutionize your thinking about wealth creation.

You’ll recall from last week’s messages that I have invited John Muratori, who has recently released an important book, Rich Church — Poor Church, as our guest host. Here’s more of John’s unique perspective…

God and His Poor Church

My dad, an Italian immigrant, worked two, and sometimes three jobs to support the family. His work ethic, which he inherited from his father, was simple: Get a good job, like in a factory. Stay at that job so you never have to start at the bottom again. Strive to buy a house, then, strive to pay it off. Keep most of your money in a safe place, like under the mattress or in a shoebox hidden in your closet. Never risk a penny. A poverty mentality for sure.

My dad died at a young age, never taking much time to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Even if he had reached retirement, there still wouldn’t have been enough of a nest egg to provide even a moderately comfortable lifestyle. Hard work over long hours just wasn’t enough.

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As I mentioned in Monday’s blog, I have asked John Muratori, author of the ground breaking book, Rich Church Poor Church, to guest host my blog for a few sessions. His insights are valuable and come from a deep understanding of Scripture and practical, experiential wealth creation. Now, here’s John…

The Consequences of a Poverty Mentality

From a business perspective, a Poverty Mentality presents a major stumbling block. No business can grow without generating sufficient profits. But from a spiritual perspective, this problem is much more profound.

Whether people believe it or not, there is a battle raging between good and evil. If we as Christians do not prosper financially, who do you think will prosper in our place? When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for the third time, satan’s offer was for all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. What could possibly be the glory satan spoke of other than the prosperity and financial riches under his dominion? Do you think he was concerned about aesthetics or power?

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Recently I read an outstanding book by John Muratori called Rich Church Poor Church addressing the issue of money and Christianity, why the wicked prosper (and so many Christians don’t) along with twelve laws of wealth building that will help anyone get ahead in this world. (We will be offering a FREE copy of that book to our subscribers shortly in a special Christmas offer so be watching for details in early December.) I was so moved by what I read and thought it would be so helpful to our community of Christians in the business arena that I asked John to write our blogs for the next few sessions so you could get a taste of what I have partaken. Drink deeply and please pass on your comments…

What Does the Bible Teach Us About Wealth?

This question recently appeared on a popular Internet forum. The answers, apparently from Christians, reveal a somewhat limited and perhaps skewed picture of how some believers view earthly prosperity.

Here are a few of those answers:

“Jesus wants us to store our treasure in heaven.”

“The blessings of God come with great wealth, but not money. It comes with the power of eternal life, peace and serenity and most of all love.”

“Jesus said, it is easier for a camel to fit through a pinhole than for a rich man to get into heaven.”

Most of these positions were birthed during the Puritan movement, where financial prosperity was viewed as a hindrance to spirituality. However, proper biblical interpretation reveals that there are two sides of the same coin. For years the church has been unable to reconcile spirituality with prosperity. How does one run after God, yet still be wealthy?

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