December 18, 2010
subscribe, view past issues and Get Releasing Kings Your Wealth Thermostat Everyone has
an internal faith thermostat in their spirit that determines how much
wealth
they can have. Want to know what your thermostat reading is? Simply check the
balance in your check
book. Wealthy people can lose all their money in a bad business deal,
but they
always make it back because their setting is high. Poor and middle
class people
can win the lottery, but statistics show that they soon lose it all and
come
right back to their setting. Why is that? Roots and Fruits - Like it or
not, the present results
of past actions form a trajectory for our future that is always
accurate. An
arrow shot east seldom ends up going west. Most of us understand that
our
thoughts and our feelings determine our actions, and those actions
irrevocably produce
the results in our lives. No one can deny that our past actions have
produced
the present life we’re experiencing. We are warned in Galatians 6 not
to adopt
a “victim mentality” and try to blame others for our circumstances… for
the
simple reason that God created us to manage our circumstances, not
submit to
them. The counselors in our church used to have a saying for compulsive
inner
healing issues, “If you’ve got the fruit, then you’ve got the root.”
That
phrase usually shut the excuses off long enough to do some counseling. Do
not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Gal
6:7-8 NIV Change – That all
sounds like we’re
predestined to hopeless poverty. Change is not easy, but it is possible
if you
understand how to change your roots. Regarding wealth, we can learn all
the
“how to’s” in the world (sales, investing, trading, cash flow,
management,
etc.) and still be suicidal when it comes to money. Most of us have
repeated
enough of the same mistakes to realize that. You can say,
“I’m going to change my thoughts and feelings so that my actions will
produce
different results.” Tell that to a drug addict and see how it works.
The level
below thoughts and feeling is our programming from childhood, to which
we are
equally “addicted.” Secular writers refer to it as our “subconscious,”
and
Biblical writers refer to it as the “old man” or the unchanged version
of our
hearts. Your programmed subconscious will nearly always win out over
any
attempt by your will to change your thoughts and feelings. Paul understood being
internally conflicted
well. Programmed Subconscious
-> Thoughts
-> Feelings -> Actions = Results For
I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For
what I do
is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I
keep on
doing. Rom 7:18-20 NIV Changing our
hearts – In the
simplest sense, our hearts
come to adulthood with some programming installed from our childhood
experiences. Some writers refer to that programming as vows. The first
step is
to listen to the programming in your own heart and the second step is
to find a
logical basis to change the programming. At the most basic level, if
I’m going
to believe that God wants to prosper me, my heart needs an ironclad
reason to
know that this is true. You and I can’t just listen to a sermon or read
a verse
and try to change our minds. Our heart demands a reason before it will
change.
Let’s use a few examples of commonly held programming about wealth. “Money doesn’t
grow on
trees” – That
statement causes many people to miss the best source of wealth. Passive
income
comes from investments in income-generating assets. That money
compounds or shows
up every month in my checking account and I don’t do a thing to
generate it.
It’s actually better than picking the fruit off a tree. “I don’t have
enough
money” – and the
sister “we can’t afford it” sounds eternal in our hearts. The reality
is that
you can have more than the money you need to fulfill everything God has
put in
your heart to do. You just have to put a plan together to make that
money.
Sadly, people in poverty never make that plan. Wealthy people do. “Save your money
for a
rainy day” – Savings
is a good idea, but wealthy people don’t save money for insurance. They
buy
insurance to cover unforeseen disasters and use the rest to buy
income-generating
assets… that grow on trees. Remember? “Money can’t buy
happiness” – Here’s
the real, shocking truth: Ministry costs money. For you to fulfill your
destiny
before God, you’re going to have to faithfully multiply some talents
and
convert some money into ministry. Real misery is watching your life go
by
without fulfilling your purpose. Poor people do it all the time.
Wealthy people
at least have a choice. “Go to school and get a
job so you can make some money” –
I’m much in favor of education and working in a job. However, we all
have to
realize that a job will add money to your account, but a job will never
multiply your resources. Only businesses and investments can be
leveraged to
multiply finances. A plan to work a job and receive a salary all your
life so
you can retire puts your life purpose at risk. You may live from pay
check to
pay check and never have the time or money to fulfill your heart’s
desire. “The rich get
richer,
and the poor get poorer”
– The implication of this phrase is that poor people have no chance at
wealth.
The real principle is that people who manage wealth well multiply, and
people
who don’t manage it well lose it. If I’m faithful with the talents I
have, I’ll
be given an opportunity to manage more. “Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.”( 2 Cor 9:6) If
you want a financial harvest you have to sow some seed in investments
or
businesses. Giving is great but it’s not sowing. When you give money,
don’t do
it with strings attached… expecting God to pay you back. That’s not
what this
verse means. Our Assignment – The poverty
vows hidden in our
hearts take a little time to uncover. But once we get them to the
surface, we
can see the connection with past mistakes that have cost us money and
kept
wealth out of our reach. The second important step is having the answer
to,
“Why am I able to multiply wealth so easily?” Write this question (afformation)
in your prayer diary and start listing all the reasons why it’s true
practically and spiritually, with verses from the Bible, logical
reasons, and
actions in your life. It’s a great devotional exercise that will set
your heart
free to ask for the real desires God has placed there. Have fun! For
I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to
you. 13 You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I
will be
found by you," declares the Lord… Jer 29:11-14 Why am I able to multiply
wealth so
easily? PS:
I’ve
enjoyed reading and rereading three books on this topic. The authors
are
writing to a secular audience with spiritual principles. I believe all
three
are probably saved and functioning as Kings. Secrets
of the Millionaire Mind by
T. Harv Eker If How To’s Were Enough by
Brian
Klemmer The Secret Code of Success by Noah St. John Video Version:
You
may
also enjoy the video
version of this newsletter.
Desire to Destiny is available now at our store along with reviews. Not sure what your dream is? This book will help you pull the curtain back on your future. Newsletter - If your newsletter comes incomplete (filtered), you can always catch the latest version in our archive along with 200 others. 1800+ people from around the world get Kingly encouragement from our weekly newsletter. Invite a friend to subscribe - they will be blessed. How to Start a Small Group - Kings are increasingly getting involved in Bible study or mentoring groups to facilitate their "Release." Here are some helpful suggestions www.Releasing-Kings.com/Starting-a-Group.html. We've also updated our Vision Brochure with graphics to show how to become a King and how you can help Release Kings. Lastly we've created a guideline to help you take your dream to the next level by considering the elements of a business plan. See Write Your Business Plan. French Translation - Releasing Kings is now available in French thanks to the efforts of Cees Bakker and Support Ministries in the Netherlands. In France, copies can be obtained from Editions Menor or Librairie Chretienne CLC. The Title in French is “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”. Cees is also the guy who made the Dutch translation possible - available through his website. He can be contacted for Releasing Kings conferences in France and throughout Europe. Facebook - I'm posting more information on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/john.garfield1
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