[Excerpt from the book, "Prosperity Code: Your Inheritance in
the Future Kingdom"]
Prosperity on Earth
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be
in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3
rd John 1:2 (NASB)
W
hen
you think of prosperity what does it mean to you? Do you imagine a large
beautiful house, filled with everything you ever wanted? Do you think of a fancy
new car that turns every head as you drive by? Or, do you dream of having more
money than you could possibly spend in your lifetime? Of course! This is the
American dream! Unfortunately, for many Americans, the pursuit of the so-called
American dream has left them with an enormous debt trying to live a life style
they cannot afford. What is even worse is the American government is
continuously spending money faster than it can earn, leaving our children’s
children with a current nine trillion-dollar debt to foreign countries. This
national debt keeps growing by the minute. The reality is that eventually
Americans, and the American government itself, will get to the breaking point
resulting in a total financial and economic collapse if we continue on this
course. America is considered one the richest countries in the world, but with
such an enormous debt, one could question if that statement is really true.
For the few people, who do realize the American dream of
material wealth, they never seem to be satisfied. Why you may ask? Because they
are not filled with the abundance of the Holy Spirit, and no matter how much
material wealth they may acquire, they are empty and dead, unable to fill the
void inside.
No pun indented, but selling prosperity in America is big
business. The countless get rich quick schemes floating around the internet, the
many self-help books, and the "prosperity preachers" on TV would lead you to
believe that everyone can achieve this goal by simply throwing money at them.
Obviously, the only ones getting rich are the ones selling you on their ideas,
and cashing in on your dreams.
What is important to realize, not everyone is meant to
receive material wealth because of a simple thing called human nature. But do
not be discouraged, because once you set your sights on something much more
important than material possessions, the riches you truly long for can be
obtained when you receive the precious gifts that God has for you.
"The Vital Few versus the Trivial Many"
Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) was an Italian economist who is
credited for observing that "eighty percent of the wealth is possessed by twenty
percent of the people in the world." This is commonly referred to as the "80/20
rule" and he created the saying, "the vital few versus the trivial many."
Because of this, Pareto spoke out against this injustice and even went as far as
proclaiming himself a Marxist; believing in communism as the way of distributing
the wealth and bringing prosperity to all on planet earth. What Pareto failed to
realize is that even if you evenly distributed all the wealth to every human
being on the earth, given enough time, the majority of the wealth would
eventually go to the vital few people with the trivial many left with the
remaining twenty-percent. It is a sad reality, but it is the nature of humans
because of the sin of greed.
Here are a few examples of the 80/20 rule in our lives. This
example applies to men as well as women. "People wear twenty percent of their
clothing eighty percent of the time." Now be truthful, does this describe you?
My wife tells me that I wear ten percent of my clothing ninety percent of the
time (but that is another story).
Here is another one… "People associate with twenty percent of
the people they know eighty percent of the time" You get the picture; the 80/20
rule is just part of human nature.
Naturally, the 80/20 rule is not an absolute. It could range
from about 70/30 to 90/10, but the main concept is that many things in human
nature correlate to the "vital few versus the trivial many."
With this concept of the 80/20 rule in mind, I did a little
research of my own
1.
I looked at some world census data on countries reporting the percentage of
Christians in their country and found something interesting. Please keep in mind
that not all countries reported having Christians, and I am sure there are more
out there than is reported; however, of the countries that did report having
Christians, eighty percent of those Christians lived in twenty percent of the
countries.
I also discovered from another report
2,
that only about thirty percent of all humans on planet earth are Christian and
the growth rate of Christians are on the decline when compared to the world
population growth. When Jesus returns for His Church, will he take the vital few
(believing Christians) and leave the trivial many (non-believers) behind? For
that answer we must refer to the scriptures.
Jesus said, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
Matthew 22:14 (NASB)
Jesus also said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate
is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who
enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to
life, and there are few who find it."
Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)
In both passages, Jesus uses the word "few" to describe those
who will be chosen and find their way to salvation, while using the word "many"
for those who will hear his calling and still go down the road that leads to
destruction. Are you going to be one of the vital few that heed the calling, or
are you part of the trivial many that ignores His calling? The word "trivial"
does not imply that non-believers are trivial in the eyes of God. Keep in mind
that God does not wish anyone of His children to be lost. And, this is why
evangelism is even more important than ever in these troubling times.
Although this article is about the treasures we will inherit
in the after life, we still need to thrive and survive in this life, and that
will require money. The Bible states that money in itself is not evil, but it is
the
love of
money that is the root of all evil. When we ask God to
give us this day our
daily bread, we should start by first thanking Him for the gifts He has
already given us. The key words are "daily bread." Therefore, we should always
pray that we are neither poor nor rich, but that we receive just enough to
sustain us day by day (read Proverbs 30:8-9).
It is okay to want a nice house, a reliable car and other
material things. We must be certain; however, to not want them to the exclusion
of everything else; especially to the exclusion of the One who gives us all
things; God.
Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will
hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other. You can not serve God and wealth."
Matthew 6:24 (NASB)
Jesus also said, "For what does it profit a man to gain the
whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his
soul?"
Mark 8:36-37 (NASB)
"…Blessed are those who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of
God."
Luke 6:20 (NASB)
"But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your
comfort in full."
Luke 6:24 (NASB)
"…Truly I say to you (his disciples), it is hard for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God."
Matthew 19:23-24 (NASB)
Notice that Jesus said that it is "hard" for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of heaven, but it may not be "impossible." However, those that
are rich (materialistically speaking) will have a greater responsibility to help
others who are not so fortunate. Jesus said that for those who are given much in
this life, much would be expected of them. A word of caution: In America, even
the middle class is considered rich when compared to world standards. What are
you doing to help the needy in this world?
"…Faith without works is dead."
James 2:26 (NASB)
It is important to remember that Jesus is our foundation in
building a life with good works. Without Christ as our savior none of our good
works will be received by God; in fact it is an affront to Him by believing good
deeds alone will guarantee our salvation. By building on the foundation that
Jesus laid for us by dying on the cross, we can receive many rewards when we
leave this world. Although there are five crowns mentioned in the bible, we
cannot even comprehend the things God has in store for those who love Him, and
trust in Jesus alone as their savior. This is true prosperity!
Summary
True prosperity and wealth does not come from the material
things of this world. They come from within us and they are a gift from the
grace of God. When someone is asked what things they would like to have in this
life, they usually say, a beautiful home, a nice car, and so on. But when you
ask them, what makes them happy in life, they usually reply, being loved by
family and friends or being healthy. Hence the saying is true, "money can’t buy
you happiness," and, "money can’t buy you love."
Jesus teaches us that not one day will be added to our lives
by worrying about what we will eat, and what clothes we will wear. God knows the
things we need to survive, and he knows the wants in our hearts. The most
important thing to concentrate ours lives on is seeking our heavenly God first,
and then he will make sure we receive the things we need in this world.
References
1. Wikipedia – "Percentage of Christians by Country"
2. David Berrett et al, "World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey
of churches and religions – AD 30 to 2200," Oxford University Press, (2001)
To order your copy of "Prosperity Code: Your Inheritance in the
Future Kingdom," please visit the following website link:
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