The Transfer of Wealth

Many have recently prophesied about the transfer of wealth that is coming from of the hands of the wicked and worldly and into the hands of righteous saints. That season of divine, financial multiplication and favor is quickly approaching and is upon us, and the Lord wants His church to receive the full reward of participating in this kingdom advancing exchange.

Proverbs 13:22 “The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”

Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

It takes money to finance the preaching the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Lord is committed to that end by giving His faithful and righteous children the power to obtain and multiply the wealth needed to establish His covenant and kingdom.

Unfortunately, an overwhelming majority in the church have disqualified themselves from participating in this transfer of wealth. However, if we will search our hearts and allow Him to grant us repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth, we will not only secure divine provision for His vision for our lives, but become conduits from which blessings will flow that will impact multitudes for the kingdom of God.

Stealing from the Master

In the Old Testament, the Lord instituted tithing (giving 10% of one’s gross income to the Lord) as a tangible means for God’s people to demonstrate their faithfulness to their covenant with Jehovah. Although some in the church today retort that Christ has redeemed us from the binding law of tithing, we find that Jesus Himself not only receives tithes, but has set a much higher standard for New Testament believers than the law of the Old Testament. (Hebrews 6:20, 7:8, Matthew 5:17-48).

Malachi 3:8-9 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.”

Unfortunately, the finances of over 90% of Christians in America are cursed by God, because we do not pay tithes, much less offerings. In 2002, only 6% of U.S. Christians tithed, and the current average giving percentage of Christians is less than 3.5%. In America, instead of paying tithes to God, we tip God.

Luke 16:10, 11 “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust true riches?”

If we are unfaithful in paying tithes on $10,000 or $100,000, how can God trust us with significant amounts of money that can make a real difference in furthering the kingdom of God on earth? Instead of the windows of heaven opening to pour out a blessing upon us through tithing, we’ve left the door open for the devourer to spoil our fields.

Malachi 3:10, 11 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground.”

Satan is a deceiver, devourer and destroyer. Although Jesus came that we might live an abundant life, we grant access to the devourer when we are not faithful in the Biblical disciplines of paying tithes and giving offerings (John 10:10).

The Idol of Mammon

Of the remaining 10% or so of Christians that do pay tithes, some are doing so with wrong motives. Their giving is not a cheerful act of love and devotion to their Savior and King, but an investment guaranteeing a 30, 60 or even a 100 fold return (Matthew 13:23, Luke 6:38). Their tithing investment was conceived in believing a warped prosperity gospel teaching that appealed to their itching ears and covetous hearts.

James 4:2, 3 “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Many believers are more interested in establishing their own kingdoms instead of the Lord’s, having found a way to get everything they have been lusting for and doing it in the name of God. They have succumbed to greed and are worshipping and serving the idol of money instead of God.

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

I Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The love of money has superseded the love for God in many Christians and has become the root of all manner of evil. Root sins, like bitterness and the love of money, originate in the heart, defile many and have multiple, far-reaching, grievous consequences.

The Deceitfulness of Riches

Among Christians who tithe with pure motives before the Lord, the Lord knows whose hearts would be turned to serve mammon if riches were to increase. The Lord so jealously yearns for our love, devotion and communion, that He would not allow riches to separate us from Him. This is another reason why there are not many Christian millionaires.

Psalm 62:10 “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”

The rich young ruler could not enter the kingdom, because of his love for and trust in his money. If it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, it must be easy for a man with new-found riches to exit the kingdom of heaven to serve mammon (Matthew 19:23). One preacher said it this way: “God is not against you having money. He is against money having you.”

The Bible warns us about the deceitfulness of riches. Riches promise happiness and a false sense of security. After a while, we are no longer trusting in God, but in our bank accounts, securities, stocks, properties, etc. An increase in riches and wealth brings with it the temptation to become haughty and arrogant. We begin to think that we can do anything because we have money, instead of believing that we can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13).

I Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present age not be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

Our haughtiness and arrogance causes God to resist us, and destruction results (James 4:6, Proverbs 16:18). No longer having a foundation of faith in God, when riches fail, we crumble and fall. This is exactly what happened during the 1929 stock market crash. Many, whose fortunes were tied up in the stock market, committed suicide when their stocks became worthless.

Proverbs 11:28 “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.”

Influence Not Affluence

God will not only supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, but He also will make provision for our God-given vision to establish His kingdom in the earth (Philippians 4:19).

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added to you.”

Jesus commanded us to be light to a dark world and the salt of the earth. He commanded us to occupy and have dominion in the earth as His ambassadors, reconciling a lost world to Himself. If we will simply seek first His kingdom and righteousness, He will provide all things necessary to fulfill our mission. Mother Teresa was not a woman of great affluence, but was possibly the greatest woman of influence in the kingdom of God in the 20^th century.

Our prayer regarding finances should mirror that of the author of the 30^th Proverb below. Let the Lord prescribe His provision for His vision for our mission.

Proverbs 30:8,9 “Give me neither poverty nor riches – Feed me with the food You prescribe for me; Lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

Lord, grant us repentance. Forgive us for being disobedient regarding giving tithes and offerings, and for loving money more than You. We repent for being deceived by riches and resolve to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness. In Your way and time, we trust you to multiply the financial seeds we have cheerfully sown, and to transfer the wealth of the wicked into righteous hands, that we might establish your kingdom in the earth.