The Resource Revolution (Part 2 of 2)
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“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2Co 9:8)
OK, so I puffed up in prayer one day – long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away – and I complained to the Lord about this verse of Scripture. “Is this really true?” I asked Him, with a tone of impertinence in my voice. “If it is true then why don’t I see any evidence of it anywhere? Nobody I know lives like this; there is no pastor, no church, no person I know who is so blessed that they have the ability to go about blessing others. In fact, the only people I know who even have any money had it before they became Christians, and somehow managed to sneak it in with them when they came!”
When I was a boy in church an old preacher once told us to look straight up. We did it. Then he said, “Now, spit!” That got a laugh from everybody. Then he said, “That which a man spits against heaven will fall in his own face.”
Yep. He was right.
That’s what happened when I finished my “prayer” of complaint. I suddenly realized how foolish I was being, and how wrong I had been for some time.
Then the Lord began to speak to me about issues in my heart that had actually prevented me from being able to even hear the truth, let alone believe it. First He showed me that my reactions to the tel-evangelism antics of fund-raising had caused me to literally go to the opposite extreme to insure that no one would even think that I was like one of those guys. The problem was that where they talk about money all the time – I never spoke about it at all.
I never studied what the Bible had to say about it, and certainly never preached about it in my church. As a result I had robbed God’s people of a truth that would have liberated them to pursue God’s highest blessings in their lives; and I had robbed myself of the same.
This became a turning point and the Lord graciously began to teach me what I had previously not been able to see. That was almost twenty years ago – and now I know without a doubt: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times having all that you need, you will abound to every good work.”
He showed me the truth and gave me a choice. Tomorrow I will show you what that truth is. (Doesn’t it just drive you nuts when I do that? ;>)
If I may answer your final question in this post: yes
Oh and this woke my kids I laughed out so loudly this morning: “In fact, the only people I know who even have any money had it before they became Christians, and somehow managed to sneak it in with them when they came!”
God bless you brother James
YES!
The first time I heard you speak on God’s abounding grace was 20 years ago in a series of meetings at Lake Country BC in Fort Worth. What God was speaking through you caused a recently divorced brokenhearted young man to write the biggest check he had ever written to God. Now those happen with scheduled regularity in response of all God has done to provide and bless. Thank you for your faithfulness and service through CityVision,PK, Longmont Vineyard and ManUp to name a few… your consistency is insipring.
This is like the Holy spirit saying: stay tuned. He makes me laugh too. Awaiting with great anticapation. Thanks for getting our attention. Blessings