[music] I'm John
Bradshaw and this
00:00:00.46\00:00:03.87
is It Is Written.
Thanks for joining me today.
00:00:03.87\00:00:07.47
I am at the financial
nerve center of the world,
00:00:07.47\00:00:11.27
right outside the New York
Stock Exchange, on the corner
00:00:11.27\00:00:16.31
of Wall Street and Broad Street
in Lower Manhattan, in the heart
00:00:16.31\00:00:19.48
of New York City. What
takes place here affects
00:00:19.48\00:00:23.39
the financial well-being
of every corner of the globe.
00:00:23.39\00:00:27.86
Fortunes are made here
and they are lost here.
00:00:27.86\00:00:31.99
National and global economies
are fueled here and they
00:00:31.99\00:00:35.60
are depressed here. It
is here that the movers
00:00:35.60\00:00:38.50
and the shakers of the financial
world, sometimes the Bulls
00:00:38.50\00:00:41.54
and the Bears, make decisions
that affect the material destiny
00:00:41.54\00:00:45.47
of millions of people all
over the world and sometimes
00:00:45.47\00:00:49.01
it4s even a whispered
rumor emanating from this place
00:00:49.01\00:00:52.85
that can have
enormous consequences,
00:00:52.85\00:00:56.42
sometimes
devastating consequences.
00:00:56.42\00:00:58.42
Now there are plenty of people
who believe that what takes
00:00:58.42\00:01:02.02
place here on Wall Street
is nothing but a legalized form
00:01:02.02\00:01:05.76
of high stakes gambling,
which one investor said
00:01:05.76\00:01:08.76
"lacks the
dignity of Las Vegas."
00:01:08.76\00:01:10.80
Of course, there are plenty
of people who invest here and in
00:01:10.80\00:01:14.87
other places in good faith
and with the best of motives.
00:01:14.87\00:01:18.97
But what we know is
this: Wealth is a dynamic thing
00:01:18.97\00:01:22.98
and it can even be a
very dangerous thing.
00:01:22.98\00:01:26.75
Apart from what it can do
to economies, it holds major
00:01:26.75\00:01:30.49
potential for either inflating
or collapsing our emotional
00:01:30.49\00:01:33.92
self-worth. Wealth
can mean the difference
00:01:33.92\00:01:37.06
and often in extreme terms
between comfort and crisis.
00:01:37.06\00:01:41.83
And also, wealth can
impact our relationships,
00:01:41.83\00:01:46.77
often in dramatic ways.
Our relationships with people
00:01:46.77\00:01:50.97
and our relationship with God.
00:01:50.97\00:01:54.91
[Intro music] It has
stood the test of time,
00:01:57.61\00:02:06.02
God's book, the Bible.
00:02:07.79\00:02:11.73
Still relevant in
today's complex world.
00:02:12.56\00:02:15.36
It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
00:02:17.20\00:02:25.11
[music] In the
1920's, the United States
00:02:32.25\00:02:34.92
firmly believed it had reached
the summit of material success.
00:02:34.92\00:02:39.79
President Herbert Hoover spoke
expansively of how the country
00:02:39.79\00:02:43.29
was drawing closer in, in
his words, to such a complete
00:02:43.29\00:02:48.33
triumph over poverty unlike
anything that had ever occurred
00:02:48.33\00:02:50.83
in the history of any land.
Investors bought feverishly.
00:02:50.83\00:02:55.50
Some, even embezzling
company funds in the confidence
00:02:55.50\00:02:59.14
that they could easily
pay the money back because,
00:02:59.14\00:03:02.31
in the words of one person,
the stock market was about
00:03:02.31\00:03:05.05
to climb to the moon. [Music]
00:03:05.05\00:03:12.45
Let's go back to that fateful
fall and the waning months
00:03:17.23\00:03:19.96
of 1929. As
September began to unroll,
00:03:19.96\00:03:25.50
New York City streets
were filled with back to school
00:03:25.50\00:03:28.44
and back to the city shoppers.
Fifth Avenue windows drew
00:03:28.44\00:03:32.31
crowds of admiring shoppers
looking at the latest fashions.
00:03:32.31\00:03:35.94
Theater ticket brokers
were rushed off their feet.
00:03:35.94\00:03:37.81
Broadway musicals were
sold out months in advance.
00:03:37.81\00:03:41.35
The building
industry was booming.
00:03:41.35\00:03:43.95
Towers and terraces were
rising along streets and avenues
00:03:43.95\00:03:47.56
all around the city. And
through it all, the stock
00:03:47.56\00:03:52.46
market was at an all-time high.
On the 3rd of September, 1929,
00:03:52.46\00:03:57.47
a single share of Montgomery
Ward stock bought the previous
00:03:57.47\00:04:00.90
year for $132
was selling for $469.
00:04:00.90\00:04:06.84
Shares in Radio Corporation
of America, best known
00:04:06.84\00:04:09.94
as RCA sold the previous
year at $95.50 and now they
00:04:09.94\00:04:15.12
were selling at $505.
There were a lot of people
00:04:15.12\00:04:19.45
in those heady days who owned
thousands of shares like these.
00:04:19.45\00:04:22.82
After all, you could buy
them with only 10% down and owe
00:04:22.82\00:04:28.13
the broker for the rest.
Then, on the 4th of September,
00:04:28.13\00:04:34.90
there was a little
slip in the market.
00:04:34.90\00:04:36.91
Nobody really noticed. The
following day, the New York
00:04:36.91\00:04:39.77
Times reported that the
market had dropped by 10 points.
00:04:39.77\00:04:43.24
Surely, nothing for anybody
to get too concerned about.
00:04:43.24\00:04:46.31
But one well-known financial
writer warned that in his
00:04:46.31\00:04:50.79
opinion, the wild
ride of prosperity was over
00:04:50.79\00:04:54.26
and soon a
depression would follow.
00:04:54.26\00:04:57.93
But like so many prophets,
whether secular or sacred,
00:04:57.93\00:05:00.63
he was treated
nothing more than an alarmist.
00:05:00.63\00:05:04.30
After all, people said, surely
things must slip a little bit
00:05:04.30\00:05:06.84
[sad blues music under]
before the rise continues
00:05:06.84\00:05:10.81
in earnest. It was
on October 21st, though,
00:05:10.81\00:05:15.04
that the market slide began
to pick up speed and brokers
00:05:15.04\00:05:19.41
started sending
out margin calls.
00:05:19.41\00:05:21.18
[Thunder] When the money wasn't
00:05:21.18\00:05:23.12
forthcoming, and how
could it be, the dumping began.
00:05:23.12\00:05:27.42
On October the 24th, later known
as Black Thursday, a structure
00:05:27.42\00:05:32.76
of the market cracked wide open.
Millions of shares were pitched
00:05:32.76\00:05:40.97
into streaming chaos on the
floor of the Stock Exchange.
00:05:40.97\00:05:44.81
On this very corner right
behind me, crowds gathered ...
00:05:44.81\00:05:48.11
numb and waiting ...
hoping against hope that
00:05:48.11\00:05:51.08
something would
happen to restore the damage
00:05:51.08\00:05:53.48
and to retrieve the losses
that they and so many others
00:05:53.48\00:05:56.05
were experiencing.
That day became known
00:05:56.05\00:05:58.95
as the day of the
millionaires slaughter.
00:05:58.95\00:06:02.56
For five days the madness
continued until on October 29th,
00:06:02.56\00:06:06.86
the market
really hit rock bottom.
00:06:06.86\00:06:09.00
On one of those five days,
General Electric saw its stock
00:06:09.00\00:06:12.90
price absolutely plummet
and GE had historically been
00:06:12.90\00:06:17.24
a very sound and
well performing company.
00:06:17.24\00:06:21.08
Even though at the
time the people did not
00:06:21.08\00:06:23.08
even realize it, it
was worse yet to come.
00:06:23.08\00:06:26.25
Companies such as US
Steel and General Motors saw
00:06:26.25\00:06:28.85
their share prices
drop precipitously.
00:06:28.85\00:06:33.42
This economic downturn,
this hardship affected people
00:06:33.42\00:06:36.16
so badly that across the country
there were people who took
00:06:36.16\00:06:39.86
their own lives, so
badly had they been affected
00:06:39.86\00:06:43.53
by what had happened
in the stock market crash.
00:06:43.53\00:06:46.70
[sad slow Piano music]
Around the city, the towers
00:06:46.70\00:06:48.94
and the terraces stopped rising.
The building industry, usually
00:06:48.94\00:06:52.21
an indicator as to the strength
of weakness of an economy,
00:06:52.21\00:06:55.51
came to a virtual standstill.
It has been said that children
00:06:55.51\00:06:59.38
born in 1929 didn't even
hear the sound of builders
00:06:59.38\00:07:03.12
at work until they
graduated high school.
00:07:03.12\00:07:07.96
So how does God
feel about money?
00:07:09.52\00:07:11.53
The Bible has a lot to
say about money and finance.
00:07:11.53\00:07:14.50
We'll find out
more in just a moment.
00:07:14.50\00:07:18.03
It Is Written is dedicated
to sharing the gospel around the
00:07:19.63\00:07:23.00
world. To discover more about
00:07:23.00\00:07:25.21
It Is Written, visit
our website: itiswritten.com
00:07:25.21\00:07:29.18
and you'll see what
we do and how we do it.
00:07:29.18\00:07:32.18
Let's get to know
each other better.
00:07:32.18\00:07:34.25
Visit our website
itiswritten.com today.
00:07:34.25\00:07:37.89
And follow us on
Facebook and Twitter.
00:07:37.89\00:07:40.46
[Music] The
stories and lessons of
00:07:42.92\00:07:47.60
the Bible come back to
the centrality of a loving,
00:07:47.60\00:07:50.10
trusting relationship
with God and His Son, Jesus.
00:07:50.10\00:07:53.94
In every problem or decision,
trust is the key that brings
00:07:53.94\00:07:57.14
the solution. Could
this also be true in the
00:07:57.14\00:08:01.08
area of our finances?
Can God be trusted with your
00:08:01.08\00:08:05.15
money? Or perhaps
the better question
00:08:05.15\00:08:07.12
is, can you be trusted with His!
00:08:07.12\00:08:10.75
God promises to bless
those who are faithful to him.
00:08:10.75\00:08:13.59
To learn more, ask for the FREE
booklet, 'More than Enough.'
00:08:13.59\00:08:17.69
Simply call (800) 253-3000
and ask for 'More than Enough.'
00:08:17.69\00:08:23.67
If the line is
busy, please try again,
00:08:23.67\00:08:25.73
or write you can write to
It Is Written, P.O. Box 6,
00:08:25.73\00:08:28.87
Chattanooga, TN 37401.
We'll mail a free copy to your
00:08:28.87\00:08:33.27
address in North America.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:08:33.27\00:08:36.61
ministry and your support makes
it possible for us to share
00:08:36.61\00:08:40.18
God's good news with the world.
00:08:40.18\00:08:42.98
Your tax-deductible gift can
be sent to the address on your
00:08:42.98\00:08:45.72
screen, or through our
website at ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:45.72\00:08:50.63
Thank you for your
continued, prayerful support.
00:08:50.63\00:08:53.46
That toll-free number again
is, (800) 253-3000, and our
00:08:53.46\00:08:57.97
website address
is ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:57.97\00:09:03.24
This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:09:05.07\00:09:07.44
Thanks for joining me today.
It's with good reason that
00:09:07.44\00:09:10.55
the writer, George Santiano once
observed that those who do not
00:09:10.55\00:09:14.15
remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.
00:09:14.15\00:09:17.55
When we think back to the
more recent economic crisis
00:09:17.55\00:09:20.19
this planet has gone
through, we would be excused
00:09:20.19\00:09:23.16
if we thought that people
just don't seem to be very good
00:09:23.16\00:09:27.50
at learning from history.
The crash of 2008 was really
00:09:27.50\00:09:32.57
brought about by the collapse
of the housing market in 2007.
00:09:32.57\00:09:37.91
Just as people in the
1920's were able to buy stocks
00:09:37.91\00:09:41.28
at ridiculously low
prices, leaving them vulnerable
00:09:41.28\00:09:44.71
to the demands of brokers
when the difficult times came,
00:09:44.71\00:09:47.92
people were able to buy
homes in the first decade
00:09:47.92\00:09:51.19
of this century when
their finances and, in fact,
00:09:51.19\00:09:55.26
the shape or the
financial health of many
00:09:55.26\00:09:58.93
of the institutions suggested
that wasn't a very good idea.
00:09:58.93\00:10:02.30
There was easy credit,
fraudulent underwriting,
00:10:02.30\00:10:04.67
predatory lending practices.
And what happened was,
00:10:04.67\00:10:09.17
when the economy tanked,
and people lost their jobs,
00:10:09.17\00:10:13.27
they became
terribly, terribly vulnerable.
00:10:13.27\00:10:17.15
Making mortgage
payments became either
00:10:17.15\00:10:19.25
excruciatingly
difficult or, in many cases,
00:10:19.25\00:10:21.55
simply
impossible. The economy was
00:10:21.55\00:10:25.62
in disastrous shape.
Foreclosures and evictions
00:10:25.62\00:10:31.53
multiplied and the pain
is still being felt today.
00:10:31.53\00:10:35.23
As in 1929, the stock
market soared to record heights
00:10:35.23\00:10:39.20
in October of 2007.
The Dow Jones got up past
00:10:39.20\00:10:43.51
14,000 points.
But after the crash,
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.68
there was a dramatic decline.
It picked up pace during 2008
00:10:47.68\00:10:51.58
so that by March of
2009, rather than being way up
00:10:51.58\00:10:55.55
at 14,000 points, the Dow
Jones was way down at 6,600.
00:10:55.55\00:11:02.56
Market analyst Phil Dow
compared the great depression
00:11:02.56\00:11:07.76
and the months and
years that followed that with
00:11:07.76\00:11:10.07
the recent collapse
and the years that followed
00:11:10.07\00:11:12.30
that and he said,
these were his words,
00:11:12.30\00:11:14.84
"it's very troubling
when you have a mirror image."
00:11:14.84\00:11:18.27
Now not all analysts agree
with his assessment and by many
00:11:18.27\00:11:22.21
markers, by many indications,
the US economy has rebounded,
00:11:22.21\00:11:26.38
in some ways, in recent years.
But as the recent economic
00:11:26.38\00:11:30.65
difficulties have shown
us, when we fail to learn
00:11:30.65\00:11:34.06
the lessons of the
past, it can be ruinous.
00:11:34.06\00:11:38.43
Even though there are certainly
some differences, there are
00:11:38.43\00:11:41.00
many parallels between
what happened in 1929 and what
00:11:41.00\00:11:44.93
happened in 2008. But
one big difference is this
00:11:44.93\00:11:49.17
and this might be just
a little troubling when we
00:11:49.17\00:11:52.11
think about it. In
1929, far more Americans
00:11:52.11\00:11:55.61
lived in rural areas and on
farms and could at least grow
00:11:55.61\00:12:00.88
their own food. Today,
many more Americans live
00:12:00.88\00:12:04.39
in suburbia and in big
cities where self-sufficiency
00:12:04.39\00:12:08.72
is virtually impossible.
The civil and the social unrest
00:12:08.72\00:12:12.93
that would follow an even
larger financial melt-down
00:12:12.93\00:12:16.26
would be dramatic and would lead
to scenes of chaos and unrest,
00:12:16.26\00:12:21.17
the likes of which you
have never seen before.
00:12:21.17\00:12:24.44
[Oriental style string
Music] Just as many stories
00:12:26.11\00:12:34.42
of personal tragedy followed
the Wall Street crash of 1929,
00:12:34.42\00:12:39.32
many similar stories followed
the global economic crisis
00:12:39.32\00:12:42.36
of 2008. One of
them was the story
00:12:42.36\00:12:46.09
of Adolf Merkel, a businessman
and a stock trader and one
00:12:46.09\00:12:50.43
of Germany's richest people.
Merkel was born into a very
00:12:50.43\00:12:54.50
wealthy family in
the City of Dresden.
00:12:54.50\00:12:57.54
He developed his Bohemian
grandfather's chemical wholesale
00:12:57.54\00:13:01.41
company and turned it
into one of Germany's largest
00:13:01.41\00:13:04.58
pharmaceutical
outlets. His family's holdings
00:13:04.58\00:13:07.38
also included a genetic drug
manufacturer, a cement company
00:13:07.38\00:13:11.65
and a vehicle manufacturer.
Even though he was trained
00:13:11.65\00:13:15.59
as a lawyer, he spent
most of his time and energy
00:13:15.59\00:13:18.86
investing and just like
many people towards the end
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.33
of the roaring 20's,
Adolf Merkel got involved
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.23
in some risky and
speculative investments.
00:13:25.23\00:13:28.97
In 2007 he was worth 12 billion
dollars, but after the global
00:13:28.97\00:13:33.91
financial collapse, his
worth had dropped to 9 billion.
00:13:33.91\00:13:37.81
Still a lot of money and
he was still one of Germany's
00:13:37.81\00:13:39.85
five richest men. But
the loss of that $3 billion
00:13:39.85\00:13:45.62
weighed heavily upon him to
the extent that in the early
00:13:45.62\00:13:49.06
days of 2009 near his
home in Southern Germany,
00:13:49.06\00:13:53.76
Adolf Merkel threw himself
into the path of an oncoming
00:13:53.76\00:13:56.50
train. He left
behind a wife and four
00:13:56.50\00:14:00.07
daughters.
00:14:00.07\00:14:02.00
But of course there are
plenty of stories that have much
00:14:08.04\00:14:10.15
happier endings. In
2001, Michael Bloomberg
00:14:10.15\00:14:14.22
became the Mayor
of New York City.
00:14:14.22\00:14:16.48
Now he is somebody that many
people have called a genuine
00:14:16.48\00:14:19.65
success story. Not
only has he earned plenty
00:14:19.65\00:14:22.69
of money but he has
devoted a lot of his time
00:14:22.69\00:14:25.16
and many of his
resources to public service
00:14:25.16\00:14:27.93
and philanthropy.
Michael Bloomberg was born
00:14:27.93\00:14:31.40
to an immigrant father, a
real estate agent in Boston,
00:14:31.40\00:14:34.90
Massachusetts. Young
Michael worked his way
00:14:34.90\00:14:38.24
through college as a parking
lot attendant, helping to pay
00:14:38.24\00:14:41.61
for his tuition at
Johns Hopkins University.
00:14:41.61\00:14:44.25
He earned an MBA from Harvard
Business School and then he
00:14:44.25\00:14:48.15
began his career as a general
partner at Solomon Brothers
00:14:48.15\00:14:51.92
on Wall Street.
Eventually he found his own
00:14:51.92\00:14:55.06
company and by the year
2012 he was worth $27 billion,
00:14:55.06\00:15:01.40
making him the 13th
richest man in the world.
00:15:01.40\00:15:07.07
But what is most important?
To hear some preachers tell it,
00:15:07.07\00:15:11.47
God wants
everybody to be wealthy.
00:15:11.47\00:15:14.08
You're not
blessed until your rich.
00:15:14.08\00:15:17.08
But looking at it biblically,
that can't possibly be true.
00:15:17.08\00:15:20.05
1 Timothy 6:10 says
that, "the love of money
00:15:20.05\00:15:24.52
is the root of
all kinds of evil."
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.79
Jesus told one man
who evidently had plenty
00:15:26.79\00:15:29.59
of resources to sell
everything that he had and give
00:15:29.59\00:15:33.33
the proceeds to the poor.
In fact, the Bible contains
00:15:33.33\00:15:36.93
a lot of warnings
about the misuse of wealth,
00:15:36.93\00:15:40.20
how we ought to be
careful about money and careful
00:15:40.20\00:15:42.30
that finance, money,
wealth, doesn't become an idol
00:15:42.30\00:15:47.04
to us. One
interesting thing the Bible
00:15:47.04\00:15:49.48
says is this, in Proverbs 23:5,
it says: "For riches certainly
00:15:49.48\00:15:53.95
make themselves wings.
They fly away as an eagle
00:15:53.95\00:16:00.56
towards heaven.
That's the thing with money.
00:16:00.56\00:16:04.43
It can be here
today and gone tomorrow.
00:16:04.43\00:16:08.46
So, does God have a plan?
Does he have a plan to bless
00:16:08.46\00:16:12.80
and prosper his people.
We will find that out in just
00:16:12.80\00:16:15.94
a moment.
00:16:15.94\00:16:17.87
[Music] Every
Word is a one-minute
00:16:18.37\00:16:20.44
Bible-based daily devotional
presented by pastor John
00:16:20.44\00:16:23.01
Bradshaw and designed
especially for busy people
00:16:23.01\00:16:25.88
like you. Look for
Every Word on selected
00:16:25.88\00:16:28.85
networks or watch it
on-line everyday on our website,
00:16:28.85\00:16:31.99
itiswritten.com. [Music]
00:16:31.99\00:16:39.83
A word that has found its
way into common use in the
00:16:43.33\00:16:45.50
English language is "bailout".
00:16:45.50\00:16:47.77
The term used to be two words
and referred to what you do in a
00:16:47.77\00:16:50.11
boat, or maybe a plane.
In recent times we've had
00:16:50.11\00:16:52.81
companies bailed
out, the banking industry
00:16:52.81\00:16:55.28
received a bailout, and
in Europe, whole countries
00:16:55.28\00:16:58.21
have been bailed
out in recent times.
00:16:58.21\00:17:00.35
And why is that?
Because these companies or
00:17:00.35\00:17:02.82
countries were
doomed without outside help.
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.59
They were too far in
debt. Sound familiar?
00:17:05.59\00:17:08.62
It's just like you and
me. Romans 5:8 says that,
00:17:08.62\00:17:11.63
"While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.76
For the human family
there was no other way out.
00:17:14.76\00:17:17.37
Lost in sin, the only hope
for the human family was Jesus.
00:17:17.37\00:17:21.04
He bailed us out.
And now through Jesus,
00:17:21.04\00:17:24.17
we receive
salvation - everlasting life.
00:17:24.17\00:17:26.64
Greater than all
the riches of the world.
00:17:26.64\00:17:28.88
A bailout to be
eternally thankful for.
00:17:28.88\00:17:31.15
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.11
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:17:33.11\00:17:35.08
[Music] Planning
for your financial
00:17:37.25\00:17:39.32
future is a vital aspect
of Christian stewardship.
00:17:39.32\00:17:41.96
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer free
00:17:41.96\00:17:44.53
planned giving
and estate services.
00:17:44.53\00:17:47.20
For information on how
we can help you, please call
00:17:47.20\00:17:49.80
1.800.992.2219. Call
today or visit our special
00:17:49.80\00:17:55.27
website, www.hislegacy.com.
00:17:55.27\00:18:01.44
Just a couple of years ago one
California businessman earned
00:18:02.38\00:18:05.58
$33 million in just one
year. He had 5 homes, a fleet
00:18:05.58\00:18:11.82
of luxury cars, including
a chauffer driven $320,000
00:18:11.82\00:18:16.42
Maybach. He
socialized with lots of big
00:18:16.42\00:18:19.03
name people, he had Wolfgang
Puck to his house to cook him
00:18:19.03\00:18:22.20
dinner. The man was doing
00:18:22.20\00:18:24.23
very, very well. But
then, his company hit some
00:18:24.23\00:18:27.07
difficult circumstances,
which meant that before long,
00:18:27.07\00:18:31.21
his company was
bankrupt. No more charter jets.
00:18:31.21\00:18:35.28
No more chauffer driven vehicle.
all that wealth, disappeared
00:18:35.28\00:18:39.81
He had had a net worth of
$230 million but suddenly all
00:18:39.81\00:18:47.29
the wealth was gone
just like that, gone!
00:18:47.29\00:18:53.53
Now, let's not think
for a moment that the Bible
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.30
says that God doesn't
want anybody to be rich,
00:18:56.30\00:18:58.90
that's just not true. And
Jesus certainly doesn't say
00:18:58.90\00:19:01.90
that everybody should
sell their possessions and give
00:19:01.90\00:19:04.81
the money to the poor. In
fact, in Deuteronomy 8:18,
00:19:04.81\00:19:09.08
the Bible says it is God who
gives you power to get wealth.
00:19:09.08\00:19:14.18
Wealth and material prosperity
are simply gifts given us
00:19:14.18\00:19:17.89
by God. And like
all gifts given us
00:19:17.89\00:19:20.96
by God, here is the key.
God wants that our wealth
00:19:20.96\00:19:24.83
and our prosperity be
used in ways that bring
00:19:24.83\00:19:28.46
glory to him.
00:19:28.46\00:19:30.57
[Electronic Music]
00:19:31.70\00:19:33.97
The Bible contains a lot
of stories about people who
00:19:36.07\00:19:38.24
were very wealthy in
terms of this world's goods
00:19:38.24\00:19:42.74
and yet they
remained faithful to God.
00:19:42.74\00:19:45.08
One person like that was Job.
He had 7000 sheep, 3000 camels,
00:19:45.08\00:19:48.32
500 yoke of oxen
and 500 female donkeys.
00:19:48.32\00:19:51.65
This man was rich and yet
the Bible says of him that he
00:19:51.65\00:19:55.19
shunned evil and he feared
God. In fact, when he lost
00:19:55.19\00:19:59.53
everything, virtually all
of his family and all of his
00:19:59.53\00:20:02.60
possessions, the Word of
God says in all of this, Job
00:20:02.60\00:20:06.17
did not sin. In
fact, during one point
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.90
in his affliction, Job
said: "Though he slay me
00:20:08.90\00:20:12.37
yet will I trust in him."
After Job lost everything, God
00:20:12.37\00:20:18.65
gave back to him twice
as much as he had before.
00:20:18.65\00:20:22.25
So clearly God
doesn't disapprove of wealth.
00:20:22.25\00:20:25.62
What God disapprove of is when
wealth becomes the overruling
00:20:25.62\00:20:30.06
passion, the overriding passion
in our lives to the extent
00:20:30.06\00:20:33.86
that when suffer a
loss of means, we consider,
00:20:33.86\00:20:36.87
like Adolf Merkel, that
maybe life isn't worth living.
00:20:36.87\00:20:40.80
When we live to get and
acquire and to have for selfish
00:20:40.80\00:20:45.21
purposes, that
becomes a problem.
00:20:45.21\00:20:48.51
In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, "Take
heed and beware of covetousness
00:20:48.51\00:20:54.45
for one's life does not consist
in the abundance of the things
00:20:54.45\00:20:58.25
he possesses. The
Patriarch Abraham was also
00:20:58.25\00:21:01.96
a man of great wealth, yet God
said of him at one point: For I
00:21:01.96\00:21:05.96
have known him in order
that he may command his children
00:21:05.96\00:21:09.16
and his household after
him, that they keep the way
00:21:09.16\00:21:12.30
of the Lord to do
righteousness and justice.
00:21:12.30\00:21:17.14
Though he had plenty of
it, material wealth wasn't
00:21:17.14\00:21:20.14
the focus of Abraham's
life. Now, it was the focus of
00:21:20.14\00:21:23.75
the life of the rich
young ruler, the young man
00:21:23.75\00:21:26.05
Jesus spoke to in the
19th Chapter of the Gospel
00:21:26.05\00:21:28.68
of Matthew.
Jesus told him to sell
00:21:28.68\00:21:31.25
everything that he had and
give the proceeds to the poor
00:21:31.25\00:21:34.22
because his possessions
were coming between him
00:21:34.22\00:21:37.26
and a right
relationship with God.
00:21:37.26\00:21:39.53
Now, in his final address
to the nation of Israel, King
00:21:39.53\00:21:43.50
David said this: For all things
come from you and of your own,
00:21:43.50\00:21:48.97
we have given you.
Here is where we see
00:21:48.97\00:21:52.14
the principle of what we
could call Biblical stewardship.
00:21:52.14\00:21:55.48
Now it does not only
apply to our finances but to
00:21:55.48\00:21:59.01
everything that we possess.
When we dedicate what we have
00:21:59.01\00:22:02.55
to God, we are only giving him
what was his in the first place.
00:22:02.55\00:22:08.36
The children of Israel
acknowledged this principle
00:22:08.36\00:22:10.63
as they returned to God
their tithes and offerings.
00:22:10.63\00:22:14.10
And what God had to say about
this through the prophet Malachi
00:22:14.10\00:22:17.47
contains one of the
most remarkable promises
00:22:17.47\00:22:20.34
in the entire Bible.
"Bring all the tithes
00:22:20.34\00:22:24.57
into the storehouse
that there may be food
00:22:24.57\00:22:27.08
in my house and prove me
now in this, says the Lord
00:22:27.08\00:22:30.75
of Hosts, if I will not
open for you the windows
00:22:30.75\00:22:34.25
of heaven and pour
out for you such blessing
00:22:34.25\00:22:37.59
that there will not be
room enough to receive it.
00:22:37.59\00:22:40.82
The children of Israel were
to acknowledge God's ownership
00:22:42.99\00:22:46.03
of everything they possessed.
By returning to God a 10th
00:22:46.03\00:22:49.96
of all they
earned, this was the tithe.
00:22:49.96\00:22:53.64
The tithing system was
established by God long ago,
00:22:53.64\00:22:56.81
even before the establishment
of the Nation of Israel.
00:22:56.81\00:22:59.94
You see this in Genesis
14 where Abraham gave tithes
00:22:59.94\00:23:04.18
to Melchisedec and you see it
in the experience of Jacob, who
00:23:04.18\00:23:09.08
when he was fleeing from his
brother Esau made a similar vow
00:23:09.08\00:23:12.15
to God in Genesis 28:22.
"And this stone which I have set
00:23:12.15\00:23:18.46
as a pillar
shall be God's house.
00:23:18.46\00:23:20.46
And of all that you give
me I will surely give a 10th
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.80
to you." Now of
course, there are some
00:23:23.80\00:23:27.54
who will say that the tithing
system was done away with when
00:23:27.54\00:23:30.74
Jesus died on the cross so that
God's people today no longer
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.24
have to return to him a 10th
of their increase as was done
00:23:34.24\00:23:37.95
during the Old Testament times.
But writing to the Corinthians
00:23:37.95\00:23:41.58
in 1 Corinthians 9:13, 14,
Paul couldn't disagree with that
00:23:41.58\00:23:46.49
idea more strongly.
Here is what he said: "Do you
00:23:46.49\00:23:49.59
not know that those who
minister the holy things eat
00:23:49.59\00:23:52.86
of the things of the temple
and those who serve at the altar
00:23:52.86\00:23:57.97
partake of the
offerings of the altar.
00:23:57.97\00:24:02.04
Even so the Lord has
commanded that those who preach
00:24:02.04\00:24:05.14
the gospel should
live from the gospel."
00:24:05.14\00:24:07.48
What we can see is
that the tithing system
00:24:07.48\00:24:10.45
was established by God.
It existed before Israel was
00:24:10.45\00:24:14.42
a nation during the time of his
realm during Christ's time on
00:24:14.42\00:24:18.32
earth and was even endorsed
by the Apostle Paul after Jesus
00:24:18.32\00:24:21.59
had died and gone to
heaven and it is not just about
00:24:21.59\00:24:25.33
tithing as important as that
is. The believer in God says God
00:24:25.33\00:24:30.00
has control of everything,
everything that I have
00:24:30.00\00:24:33.37
and everything that I
am. When we give it to God,
00:24:33.37\00:24:37.11
God blesses. Jesus
said, "where your treasure
00:24:37.11\00:24:40.11
is, there will
your heart be also."
00:24:40.11\00:24:42.11
If your treasure is parked
in the driveway and never placed
00:24:42.11\00:24:45.35
in the offering plate, it
might be time to think again.
00:24:45.35\00:24:48.45
If your treasure is in your
bank account and in your stock
00:24:48.45\00:24:51.82
portfolio and not given to
God and to the work of God,
00:24:51.82\00:24:55.06
it could be that we have
got things out of balance.
00:24:55.06\00:24:58.49
And remember this,
here is the promise of Jesus
00:24:58.49\00:25:01.36
in Matthew 6:33. He
said, "Seek ye first
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.87
the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.67
things will be added unto
you. You can't out-give God.
00:25:06.67\00:25:09.57
You don't give to
God and end up broke.
00:25:09.57\00:25:11.71
Malachi's promise was
God's promise through Malachi
00:25:11.71\00:25:15.64
that when we give to God he will
open up the windows of heaven
00:25:15.64\00:25:18.78
and pour out such a blessing
we won't have room enough
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.78
to receive it. Not
that we give to God to be
00:25:20.78\00:25:23.28
blessed but we give to God
knowing that he will bless.
00:25:23.28\00:25:29.36
We give to God our stuff,
our finances, we give to God
00:25:29.36\00:25:33.53
everything we have
and everything we are.
00:25:33.53\00:25:38.10
[Music]
00:25:39.37\00:25:45.04
The stories and lessons
of the Bible come back to
00:25:49.24\00:25:51.05
the centrality of a loving,
trusting relationship with God
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.65
and His Son, Jesus. God
promises to bless to those
00:25:53.65\00:25:58.45
who are faithful to
him. To learn more, ask for
00:25:58.45\00:26:00.99
the FREE booklet,
'More than Enough.'
00:26:00.99\00:26:03.99
Simply call (800) 253-3000
and ask for, 'More than Enough.'
00:26:03.99\00:26:09.70
If the line is
busy, please try again.
00:26:09.70\00:26:11.90
Or you can write to It
Is Written, P.O. Box 6,
00:26:11.90\00:26:14.87
Chattanooga, TN 37401.
We'll mail a free copy to your
00:26:14.87\00:26:19.37
address in North America.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:26:19.37\00:26:23.31
ministry and your
support makes it possible for us
00:26:23.31\00:26:26.21
to share God's good
news with the world.
00:26:26.21\00:26:29.02
Your tax-deductible gift can
be sent to the address on your
00:26:29.02\00:26:31.99
screen, or through our
website at ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:31.99\00:26:35.59
Thank you for your
continued, prayerful support.
00:26:35.59\00:26:38.99
Again our toll-free number is,
(800) 253-3000, and our website
00:26:38.99\00:26:44.53
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:44.53\00:26:46.87
Let's take the time to
pray together for a moment:
00:26:49.77\00:26:52.64
Our father in heaven,
I thank you that you are
00:26:52.64\00:26:54.88
the giver of all good gifts.
I thank you that you give us
00:26:54.88\00:26:56.78
power to get wealth and
that you bless us as you
00:26:56.78\00:27:00.58
do and I know that many people
are wishing for more blessing
00:27:00.58\00:27:05.05
and they are saying
Lord, I am struggling to make
00:27:05.05\00:27:07.06
ends meet. Father,
irrespective of how
00:27:07.06\00:27:09.06
much we have, I pray that
all we have can be placed on
00:27:09.06\00:27:12.26
the altar and given to
you. You have given what we have
00:27:12.26\00:27:16.40
is all yours. Take
it and please bless
00:27:16.40\00:27:19.60
it and bless us. Let
us be faithful to you
00:27:19.60\00:27:22.14
in all things I
pray, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:22.14\00:27:29.24
Thanks for joining me today.
I look forward to seeing you
00:27:47.13\00:27:49.20
again next time.
Until then, remember,
00:27:49.20\00:27:52.10
it is written, man
shall not live by bread alone
00:27:52.10\00:27:56.64
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth
00:27:56.64\00:28:00.64
of God.
00:28:00.64\00:28:02.48