If God’s So Good, Why All The Debt, Poverty, And Bad Things?

Over and over people come to my MillionairesForJesus.com website and they ask questions like:

• “How do I break away from just over broke?”
• “I want to help people but financially, I just can’t.”
• “Why is it that non-Christians always have plenty of money?”
• “How do I get out of debt?”
• “Why do bad things happen to Christians?

To answer these questions, let me first ask you a question.

Have you ever wanted something?

Have you ever found yourself wanting to do, be, or have a certain thing?

Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon of “WANT”.

Psalms 34:10 – “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not WANT any GOOD thing.”

WANT is another word for LACK.

LACK is not of God.

No matter where you are at or what your situation, it’s not God’s will for you to LACK.

For example, in Deuteronomy 2:7 – “For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.”

This makes it clear that even in “wilderness” times in life, we aren’t to lack in any area of our life.

If we look at Exodus 16:35 and Deuteronomy 29:5 we see that during "wilderness" times we may not get to eat exactly what we want, we may have a limited wardrobe, and we may wear the same pair of shoes a little longer than we would like, but we won’t lack the things that we have need of.

Now, let’s consider Deuteronomy 8:9 – “[The promised land,] A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.”

In this verse, we see that during the “promised land” times of life, we have abundance, we have everything we want, AND, we have unlimited opportunities that we can “dig” into.

Within God’s way, whether times are “good” or times are “bad” we will not lack.

Isn’t that exciting?

So, why do so many Christians find themselves wanting and lacking?

It’s because they aren’t doing things in accordance with God’s Word.

Perhaps King David said it best of all in Psalms 23:1 – “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not WANT.”

King David is saying that he absolutely will not allow himself to WANT anything.

That seems kind of strange, doesn’t it? Why would King David not allow himself to WANT anything?

It’s because he understood that the mind has a few funny quirks in the way that it works.

Let’s explore…

Stop!

Now, carefully and slowly read this statement; “Don’t think of your vehicle sitting outside.”

What did you just do?

If you did as I asked you to do, you immediately pictured your car, truck, or whatever you drive sitting out in your driveway, your garage, or a parking lot, didn’t you?

You see, the mind doesn’t have the ability to think in “NOT” or “DON’T” terms.

When you put a “negative” spin in your words and thoughts, it’s like your mind INVERTS it to the exact opposite.

This is exactly what happens when we WANT something. Our mind INVERTS the WANT into a picture of LACK – giving us the exact opposite effect of what we really desire.

Can you see what I’m talking about? Do you hear what I’m saying? Are you getting the feel of what I’m writing about?

So now the question is, how does a person get out of the “wilderness” of WANT and LACK and over into the “promised land” of plenty, abundance, and opportunity?

The answer is by focusing on “HAVING”.

Consider the words of Christ in Matthew 25:29 – “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

This makes it very plain that when our attention and focus is on HAVING, we’ll be given more and we’ll have abundance. But, when our focus is on WANTING, we’re going to lose whatever we’ve gained up to this point.

It’s now quite clear why King David said, “I shall not WANT”, isn’t it?

One of the many variations of the previously quoted scripture and concept is found in Luke 8:18 – “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

In this verse, Christ is telling us the same thing as in the previous verse but makes an important distinction, “Take heed therefore how ye hear”.

In other words, of all the information coming to you through your five physical senses, how are you “hearing” the information? How are you thinking about it? How do you “feel” about it?

For many, the information coming in through the senses produces fear, doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, want, lack, and poverty. This isn’t going to give us what we desire, is it? That’s why Christ is telling us to be careful how we hear, think, and feel.

There’s another piece to HAVING that which we desire. In Mark 11:23, we read, “He shall HAVE whatsoever he saith.”

Start talking as if you HAVE that which you desire.

I now ask you to mentally “bookmark” and “highlight” this two-word phrase; “Experientially Having”.

Here’s what I want you to get out of this phrase; let go of the “wanting” and start EXPERIENCING the “having” in any way that you can whether MENTALLY, VERBALLY, or PHYSICALLY.

As you find yourself going about your day, remember, “Experientially Having” is YOUR key to all the abundance and success you desire.

And, as you go through day after day remembering to focus on “Experientially Having”, keep in mind that Christ told us that FAITH is like a “seed” (Matthew 17:20).

Whether you see anything yet or not, KNOW that the continuously held process of “Experientially Having” will ABSOLUTELY cause that which you desire to start sprouting roots and growing within God’s HIDDEN SOIL of the Universe and at God’s appointed time, it will BURST OUT into your physical world – YOURS TO FULLY ENJOY.

Then, as you’re enjoying God’s blessings and abundance, be sure to use it to build up and expand the Kingdom of God.

Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Lane Fox

Copyright © 2006 by Lane Fox, MillionairesForJesus.com

Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

URL: http://www.MillionairesForJesus.com
Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus - God's Millionaires - Christian Millionaire

Funny, How We Get The Time Thing Backwards…

When we are having fun, time flies by. It all happens so fast.

If we aren’t careful, good times will be nothing more than a blur that’s over with before we know it because we didn’t slow down to savor the moment.

Then, someone will ask how it was and we’ll say something like, “It was great”. And they’ll ask back, “What was great about it?” And we can’t really tell them because we were busy flying through it and weren’t really paying attention.

But now, let’s consider the other side of this coin…

When things are bad, when we are going through hard times, when the trials and difficulties of life come our way, it’s like time stops.

We start thinking that it will always be like this. We start believing that it’s forever. We get caught up in the emotions that it will never get better, that we’re forever doomed.

And we don’t even wait for someone to ask, we just start telling everyone we can get to half-way listen how bad it is – in full detail. I mean, we can give more gory details about how bad our situation is than the listener would ever want to hear. When tough times come, it’s amazing how quickly we can develop a full, clear picture of it and how clearly we can articulate it.

Is it just me or are we all crazy for doing this?

Here’s what I suggest…

During those times of goodness and fullness of life that God has for us, let’s slow down time by paying more attention to:

• The vibrancy of colors
• The spectrum of sounds
• The range of feelings
• The vastness and depth of sights
• The fabulous tastes of life
• The amazing smells of renewal, growth, and refreshment

As we experience good times, let’s imagine that we will soon be required to give a complete description of our “good time” to someone who’s never experienced anything like it. Let’s capture every little nuance and every little detail. Let’s become aware and alive. Let’s get the real experience of it. And then let’s share it with someone so that they become inspired to enjoy life more fully too.

Then, when those not-so-pleasant times come, let’s just learn whatever lessons we can glean from them. Let’s grow from them in every way that we can. And, as we’re learning and growing, let’s dismiss all the negative and gory details as insignificant.

In this way, we’ll just let those bad times fly by and slow down those good times so we can fully enjoy them.

What do you think?

Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Lane Fox

Copyright © 2006 by Lane Fox, MillionairesForJesus.com

Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

URL: http://www.MillionairesForJesus.com
Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus - God's Millionaires - Christian Millionaire

YOU Must Be A Pretty Special Person…

I was thinking of you...

It takes courage to continue walking forward in faith in the face of disappointments and setbacks. You worked so hard. You put so much into it. You gave it all your emotional and physical energy. And then, right before your very eyes, your hopes and dreams were dashed.

It’s at this point that other people develop a strong case of “NOSTALGIA” – but not you. Others start thinking BACKWARDS to what they remember as “good” times when everything was “ok” – but not you.

These other people let their memory build a beautiful picture of the past that becomes irresistible to them – but not you.

“Besides,” they say, “my hopes and dreams didn’t work out anyway, right? Why fight it? It’s too much. It’s too hard. It wears on the nerves.”

And they gave up. They forsook their dreams and went BACKWARDS – but not you.

Only problem was, their memory served them WRONG! Their memory fabricated a false picture of the past. The past wasn’t nearly as great as they remembered it. Even if it was “ok”, God isn’t interested in sitting still. God’s interested in moving forward, onward, upward, to bigger, better, greater, grander, more wonderful things in YOUR life and His Kingdom.

You kept in mind the story found in Numbers chapter 11 where the Children of Israel started talking about how great Egypt was. How they remembered the vegetables but forgot about the slavery, the abuse, and the killing of their children. They started looking BACKWARDS and “the anger of the LORD was greatly kindled” against them.

But you didn’t let yourself do this, did you.

I’m glad you realize that God doesn’t want you looking BACKWARDS.

I’m glad you realize that God has something better for you as you go FORWARD in faith.

Those hopes and dreams that you have? That’s God wanting to express Himself through YOU.

Even in the face of disappointments and setbacks, you realize that God is making you. When those hopes and dreams were dashed, that wasn’t failure. That was God teaching you and making you. You saw that, didn’t you?

For others, when events don’t match up with what they WANT to happen, they tend to start thinking of them in a negative way. They tend to view them as failures – and then they allow their emotions and feelings to take over – and then they start going BACKWARDS.

But you didn’t.

You remembered that God commands us to “walk by faith” and not by our emotions and feelings.

I see that you realize, believe, and accept that everything that is happening in your life is working together for your good.

That’s absolutely amazing! There’s not very many people like you.

I hear you remembering God’s words found in Isaiah 48:17 – “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

And as you remember these words, you threw away your disappointment and discouragement. You said that, “No matter how it may seem or feel, everything in my life is right on plan and on target. It’s all good! God has great things that He’s leading me TOWARDS.”

And now, you’re letting that beautiful smile of yours break out on your face as you realize that it is going to be PROFITABLE for you AND for God.

And, as you think of this, God is looking at you with a heart full of love, with tears of happiness and excitement in His eyes as HE sees ALL the GOOD that HE IS PERFORMING and is going to PERFORM in YOUR life.

I mean WOW! The Almighty God of Heaven and Earth with all His power, might, and creation – and His eye and focus is on making GOOD in YOUR LIFE!

You know, in a lot of ways, you remind me of a man in the Bible... A man named Joseph who went from dreamer, to slave, to convict, to GOVERNOR.

Yes, you must be a pretty special person.

Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Lane Fox

Copyright © 2006 by Lane Fox, MillionairesForJesus.com

Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

URL: http://www.MillionairesForJesus.com
Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus - God's Millionaires - Christian Millionaire

When You Find Yourself...

When you find yourself not taking action or taking steps towards your goal of becoming a Millionaire For Jesus, you’ve allowed fear and doubt to stop you.

When you find yourself procrastinating on what you really need to be doing – you’re letting fear and doubt stop you.

When you find yourself wasting time on “minor” issues and tasks instead of focusing on the single most important thing you should be doing – you are letting fear and doubt stop you.

When you find yourself starting new things without finishing previously started things that could be finished, you’re letting fear and doubt stop you.

Unsuccessful people rarely even bother to try to get important, meaningful things done. But, when they do start something good, they don’t stick with it.

They are looking for the path of least resistance.

They are looking for what’s easy right now.

Why bother with all the worry, the effort, the frustrations, the setbacks, the disappointments, and the failures. Yes it would be nice to be a Millionaire For Jesus BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT...

Besides the unknown is too scary. Grab a history book off the shelf and look at a few maps that are 500 years and older. Notice that the unknown is always represented by dragons. Like I said, the unknown is too scary.

In contrast, Millionaires For Jesus focus and act on what’s important. They stay the course. They are disciplined. They persist. They don’t quit. They face up to their fears and doubts – and then step into them in faith believing. They keep focused on building up the Kingdom of God no matter what obstacles or setbacks may crop up.

Starting a race doesn’t count. Running the race and finishing the race is what counts. "Ye did run well; who did hinder you?" (Galations 5:7) All too often, the "who" that hinders us is our own selves.

When you allow fear and doubt to stop you, not only do you rob yourself but you also rob God from the Glory He would get from working through you. Will a man rob God?

Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Lane Fox

Copyright © 2006 by Lane Fox, MillionairesForJesus.com

Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

URL: http://www.MillionairesForJesus.com
Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus - God's Millionaires - Christian Millionaire