Pastor Bobby’s Blog

Most people have heard preachers and ministers talk about giving. Giving is one of the primary principles taught by Jesus Christ. However, some preachers and ministers promote the wrong reasons to give. Their messages seem to appeal to people’s greed or need instead of the true purpose for giving. We are told to give expecting a return of 10 fold etc. We are told that if we have a need, we can give an offering to their
ministry and expect to receive more than what we expected. This is not the reason to give. In fact, prompted by the motivation of gain is not giving. It’s investing. Giving is a reward in itself and expects nothing in return.

We are instructed in the Bible, in the Book of Malachi, to bring a tenth of what we have to God’s storehouse. This is essential for each believer. This shows that you are thankful for what you have been given. This is not the subject of this article. I want to approach what we need to do beyond what we are obligated to do. In the Old Testament, the children of God, those chosen by Him, are instructed many times about ‘giving’ and the reasons. In Leviticus we find that the farmers were told to leave the ‘corners’ of their fields (no less that one sixth) for the poor to harvest for their use. Vineyard owners are told not to take all of the bunches of grapes and not to pick up what has fallen to the ground. This was left for the poor to harvest for their needs. These are examples of God ordained giving.

Giving is an essential part of your Christian life. In the account of the young rich man’s encounter with Christ we are given a principle that is critical to proving our trust in God’s promises to us in His Holy Scripture.

Mark 10:17-30 (New American Standard Bible)

17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

19 “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”

20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”

21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Jesus was giving, out of love, the very best instruction. In actuality the material things (the money, property, etc.) are not the issue here. Jesus wanted the young man to shift his focus from his possessions to Him.)

22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. ( The rich young man and most others who have not been instructed in the true meaning of these Scriptures, are focused on what they possess. They have been instructed in the Laws but not in the essence of the Laws. These are the same who pray for God to bless them but not for the benefit of others, for their personal benefit. They do not understand ‘trust.’ When we trust our own devices and our own physical abilities, our focus is on these. When we trust in Christ and His love for us and His promises to us, our focus is fully on Him. We cannot serve two masters. Jesus told us this.)

23 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” (Indeed, it is ‘hard’ for a wealthy man to enter into the Kingdom, not impossible. A wealthy man who focuses his attention solely on Christ can easily find the salvation that he needs.)

24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25 “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.”

26 They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” (A matter of trust.)

27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”

29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,

30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. (This is an amazing promise. This is also a promise that is distorted by modern preaching. Jesus lets us know right here that we can have great abundance ‘here nor in the present age’ no matter how much we give.)

The principle that Christ wants us to understand here is that, when we look beyond our wants and need and look toward the needs of those who are less fortunate, we demonstrate trust in Him. When we are able to give without concern for our well being, we show that we trust God’s promise to us to provide what we need.

Everything that exists belongs to Gpd. The money and property that you may have earned or acquired does not belong to you. God has only granted you ‘stewardship’ of these things. There is a difference between stewardship and ownership. God wants us to focus on Him and Him alone. He wants us to depend on Him and Him alone. He wants us to ‘test’ Him and His promises. He wants us to diligently study His Word and to pray constantly (communicate with Him.) Giving is the ‘key’ to receiving and NOT the motivation for giving. Giving expects nothing in return. Giving is its own reward. This is hard to understand until you experience it.

All of us, to some degree, have experienced the outcomes of some endeavor. It may have been horrible or just bad, or maybe mediocre or all right, or really good or great or absolutely fantastic. To some degree, in my short 50 something years, I have experienced all of these outcomes. If you take a close look at some of the most successful people in history, you’ll learn that they also have experienced the entire spectrum of outcomes such as these. However, if you look at the area of their greatest endeavor, you’ll clearly see that all, without exception, win their goals by using one principle or skill that Solomon purports to be of the greatest necessity. When you study the success training Bible study at the Christian Success Institute, you’ll read that same concept (skill) repeated time and time again. When you study the lives of our founding fathers, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and others or study the lives of John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Sam Walton, Walt Disney, Bill Gates and many others you’ll see this skill used without fail. This skill is so incredibly powerful that hardly any achievement is ever reached or accomplished without its use.

This skill, of which Solomon was convinced, is not a difficult skill to learn; yet very few learn it. The difficulty lies in its application. With all of the advertising and marketing done today, we are programmed to expect ‘instant gratification.’ We want what we want and we want it now in abundance. We try things for a little while but if we cannot get the maximum return with the least effort, we give up and move on. This is precisely why there is so much money made by get rich quick scam artist. People today want to sit on the coach and have a magic business that just pours money into their bank account with as little effort as possible. Instant gratification with as little effort as possible is no different than playing a lottery and it is very rarely rewarding.

This skill that has been the one key to success for many is, as Solomon puts it, ‘diligence’. The dictionary defines diligence as – constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind. Often we are told that diligence is equivalent to ‘hard work’, but this is not necessarily true. Solomon helps us understand that diligence is ‘working smarter not harder’. I have a friend who is extremely successful and he always told me that success comes from working smarter and not harder. There are many out there in this world who work hard all of their lives but never succeed.
Diligence is not a natural trait of human beings. Our natural drive is to get as much as we can, as quickly as we can with as little effort as possible. Diligence is an acquired or learned skill that takes ‘perseverance’, ‘dedication’ and ‘motivation.’

In order for us to fully understand what Solomon’s concept of diligence was we must look at his reference point. Solomon was involved in mining. His choice of a word that has been translated ‘diligent’ has its roots in mining. He even admonishes us to seek wisdom and understand as though we were looking for gold or silver (again a mining reference).

In Proverbs 20:11 (NIV) Solomon tells us. “Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.”

We see than diligence is not simply ‘perseverance’, ‘dedication’ and ‘motivation.’ It is also initiated by what is ‘pure and right.’ When we take the example of mining, we can understand ‘pure’. We dig and dig and dig until we find a nugget of ore. We take that ore and apply heat until all of the impurities are burned away leaving the pure gold or silver. We can apply this to our study of success. We diligently study until we find that nugget of wisdom. By apply the heat that is generated by situations in our life, we burn away all that does not have a use until we are left with the pure nugget of wisdom that will give us the result that we need.

Diligence, therefore, is a learnable skill that is comprised of creative persistence, a ‘work-smarter’ effort that is rightly planned and performed in an efficient, effective and timely manner that results in a pure and high quality of excellence.
Don’t let self-doubt enter in. At this point you may be thinking that you do not possess the qualities that are necessary to be a creative and persistent person. You do have these qualities. They are raw and possibly well hidden beneath the rubble of your life but they can be mined and refined simply by a little effort. Your enemy in this physical world does not want you to succeed. Your success is ‘to the glory of God’ and the ruler of this world does not want you to bring glory to Christ. He will be diligent in his efforts to discourage you. Be persistent and motivated by the purest of motivations – developing a closer relationship with Christ in order to learn and bring God glory through Christ.

Always remember that you are a member of the royal family of the King of Kings. You are a special creation of the Creator of the Universe. You were creates on purpose and with a purpose. Almighty God loves you dearly and not only wants you to succeed in life but also has given you the method and means. All you need to do is ‘study to show yourself approved in the eyes of God.’

Let’s take a close look at some of the outcomes or rewards that you will realize by developing ‘diligence.’ It is natural for human being to seek the path of least resistance. It is our nature to ‘go with the flow’ and not to ‘swim upstream’. Solomon understood that we need to be motivated to take a path that is not as easy as the one that we have pursued. He tells us that being truly diligent will bring us priceless rewards, while a lack of diligence will result in devastating consequences. Following is a list of some of the rewards that Solomon has listed for us as a motivation to become diligent. Before we begin with Solomon’s list, let me interject that the truest reward is a deep and personal relationship with Christ. That is the best reward that you will ever need and should ever want. As you continue through this success training you will begin to realize the absolute truth of this.

The diligent student will gain advantage.

In Proverbs 20:15 (NASB), “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage,” and Proverbs 20:15 (NLT), “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,”

Which would you consider to be the better situation, in every effort that you put forth to have a position of strong and unshakable advantage or the handicap of doubt? Solomon clearly tell us that ‘the plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage’. No matter what the situation, whether we are in competition with an individual, with a company, with time or simply a situation, those who are diligent will have the advantage. This will result in greater productivity, lasting achievements, greater wealth and fulfillment in life.
The diligent student will gain control of situations rather that the situations having control.

In Proverbs 12:24 (NIV) Solomon teaches us that, “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.” Would you prefer to control you situation or have your situation control you. The case with most people is that their situation controls them. Solomon teaches us that the diligent will not only control his situation but also will enhance the situation of those around him.

The diligent student will experience true fulfillment in life.

In Proverbs 13:4 (NIV) Solomon tells us that, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” When we look around ourselves we see that here in the USA there is a great hunger, not for food but for possessions. The hunger is excited by the vision that is forced upon the people by television and the media. We Americans have a greater amount of debt and lower savings that any previous generation in our nation’s history! No matter how much we get, it’s never enough. Just imagine what it would be like to be totally fulfilled and satisfied with what you have been blessed with. This is the reality of the diligent.

The diligent student will attain the respect and admiration of those in authority.

In Proverbs 22:29 (NKJV) Solomon tells us, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Everyone in our society is looking for the attention of those in power – our 15 minutes of fame. Those who are truly diligent do not need to look for attention or recognition; they are sought after by those in authority. The accomplishments of the diligent outshine others so brightly that they draw the attention of those around them.

The diligent student will have their needs satisfied.

In Proverbs 28:19 (NKJV) Solomon states that, “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!” He is telling us that those who work diligently in their area of endeavor will have their material needs met abundantly. He also warns that those who follow foolish men will suffer poverty. He is in essence telling us that those foolish men who appear on the surface to be successful will try to lead you into ‘get rich quick schemes’. If it sounds too good to be true, you can bet that it is. When you encounter these people (and there is an abundance of them on the Internet,) run away from them.

The diligent student will experience ever-increasing success.

In Proverbs 13:11 (NKJV) Solomon writes, “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.” Solomon wants us to know that the diligent person’s provision and prosperity, his wealth and status will constantly grow. Thos who gain their wealth through devious methods or with no work will soon be left lacking. Take for example big lottery winners. In a very short time they are usually broke again. If you look at the luxurious accommodations that the Casinos in Los Vegas offer to high rollers, you wonder why they are so generous. They do not do this out of kindness. They know that no matter how much the high roller wins, he will always end up loosing more than he will win.

The diligent student’s efforts will be profitable.

In Proverbs 14:23 (NKJV) King Solomon tells us that, “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.” He tells us that all diligent labor results in profit and that that profit is through reaching the goals that we have set. It doesn’t matter where the labor is applied. If we diligently work at our job, we will profit. If we diligently work at our studies, we will profit. If we diligently work at our marriage, it will grow into a beautiful relationship. If we diligently labor at raising our children, they will develop a strong relationship with us. All diligent labor will profit.

Your enemy knows that, if he can plant an idea in your head, a negative thought, that your human nature will nurture that thought and let it grow and preside within your thoughts. Satan knows that in your thoughts, in your mind, is the perfect place to attack you. He knows that he can subtly place a thought or make a suggestion that will lead you away from ‘godly thoughts.’ He knows that you have been conditioned though your life to succumb to wrong thinking.

If you were to take time to study the events in your life you would be able to see a pattern form, a pattern of negativity. You have literally been trained, but unknowing individuals in your life, to accept the negative. If this were not the case, why do most news broadcasts only contain negative things? The negative is sensational and will draw more attention than the positive.

This is the importance of retraining your thoughts and your speech to be positive. It took a lifetime to create the negativity in your life, it will also take some time to reprogram, refresh, and renew your mind. Anyone who can claim that this can be an instantaneous process is deluding himself. The devil does not give up that easily.

Simply put, a man is as he thinks in his heart. You cannot live a positive life with a negative mind.

Most people have a preconceived notion that in order to win big you must wheel and deal and drive a hard bargain. When you use Christian Principles in your dealings with others, you will find that not only will you receive great value you will often give in turn greater value than your ‘deal’ is worth.

You may find this to be a strange concept. Society and ‘the world’ have taught us and want us to believe that we must often take unfair advantage of others in order to increase our return on an investment. I will use the same illustration that Mr. Wattles used in his book ‘The Science of getting Rich’ to explain this simple principle. Mr. Wattle’s book is credited as the basis for The Law of Attraction. The Holy Bible is attributed by me and many other successful Christians as the basis for The Christian Perspective on the Law of Attraction.

If I were to take an expensive painting, say its fair market value is $500.00 dollars, to a small Eskimo village in Alaska and I traded the painting for some beautiful fur pelts that have a market value of $500.00. I paid $100.00 for the painting. Even though the painting is worth $500.00 to an art collector, it really has very little value to the Eskimo villager. I have been told that I am a good salesman and that I could sell ice to Eskimos. I have still wronged the Eskimo. If instead I were to have traded him a $50.00 rifle and a box of ammunition, I then have given value to his life. He can now go out and hunt more, providing valuable furs and food for his family.

It is not always the advantage in a deal but the value received for the value given. There has been a positive exchange of goods on both parts. This will always give you an advantage over other wheelers and dealers.

As far as success goes, some Christians are under the impression that all they have to do is pray for what they want and need and God will make it miraculously appear out of thin air. This is not a realistic view nor is it practical and, worse yet, gives no honor to God. Jesus told us in the 6th chapter of Matthew not to worry about what we would eat, where we would live or what we would drink but to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and then all of the other would be added to us. In the Psalms we are told to delight in the Lord and He would give us the desires of our hearts. Working together these two Scriptures tell us something very important.

When we pray for ‘this or that,’ our focus is on the ‘this or that.’ When our focus is on filling ourselves with the light and goodness of Christ, we can still obtain the ‘this and that’ that we pray for by attracting it into our lives relying on the magnetic force of the presence of the creative force (the Holy Spirit) that lives inside of us.

We learn through our diligent study of God’s Wisdom that our lives contrast to the lives of others, Christian and non-Christian, in that our focus is on Christ. By diligent study of God’s Holy Word we can learn the essential element to the Christian Perspective to the Law of Attraction.

Our view of our spiritual world and the physical world in which we reside becomes clearer. When we are able to see the contrast in the way we view and react to the situations in our lives to the way others view and react to situations in their lives, we make the Christian Law of Attraction work in amazing ways. When we are able to see how these two worlds contrast, we are able to understand how each functions. Contrast gives us an opportunity to look at each component of the picture with clarity. We can clearly see each element of our lives which gives us the opportunity to get a sense of clarity about our interaction with both the spiritual and the physical worlds. We are able to see the formation of ideas in the spiritual word and their manifestation, through the creation power of the Holy Spirit of God, of these ideas in the material world.

The key element to determining your objectives is diligent study of the Bible. We must study to show ourselves approved. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”