Hoping to see a generation stake their lives on Jesus Christ, Passion 2012 will be a unique movement that’s about “finding meaning in a story so much bigger than ours.” The worship-oriented conference will be held Jan. 2-5 in Atlanta and will feature well-known teachers such as Francis Chan and Louie Giglio.
Filmed in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, Hollow is a faith-themed urban crime drama that looks at addiction and redemption through the eyes of four desperate people: a drug dealer, an exotic dancer, a narcotics detective with an online addiction and a reformed street thug trying to make a difference. Despite the movie’s emphasis on God’s redemption, the subject matter makes this Pure Flix DVD suitable only for teens and adults.
How to not only survive but even prosper amid today’s economic challenges{jcomments on}
Before a pilot takes off on a flight, he goes through a checklist of things that must be cleared to ensure his plane is in good working order. If he forgets to check his list, he may miss something, and that could cost him his life. This awareness causes him to be extremely careful not to make any mistakes. As Christians, we should be as diligent in our everyday lives at searching the Scriptures to see if we are missing something God’s Word instructs us to do.
We are under grace, so I am not talking about earning anything from God or obeying by our own power. It is His grace that enables us to obey His Word, as Hebrews 12:28 states: “Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
From searching the Scriptures, we know that the Bible says part of God’s covenant with us is prospering us (Deut. 8:18; 28:2). Yet do we even know what biblical prosperity is? Is it synonymous with being financially rich? No, I don’t believe that.
The Bible’s definition of prosperity is “sufficiency in all things.” Biblical prosperity is God’s grace abounding toward us so that we have sufficiency in everything. Here’s the way 2 Corinthians 9:8 defines it:
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (emphasis added).
Although God says being prosperous isn’t the same as being rich, He is not opposed to His people having material prosperity. But He is opposed to covetousness (lusting, excessively desiring, being greedy). We know this from 1 Timothy 6:10-12:
“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. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called.”
Money is not evil, but the love of it is. Part of our “good fight of faith” is to follow after righteousness and not lust for money. If we keep our focus on eternal things and serve God, His desire is that we prosper.
Examination Time
Yet what if we aren’t prospering? It might mean we aren’t obeying God’s Word and need to examine our lives to see if we are following His scriptural requirements for prosperity.
When something goes wrong in our life, my wife and I first examine ourselves in light of the Word of God. Usually it is because I missed it somewhere. This is not a condemning remark, but instead a welcomed heed to correction. We want to be sure that what we are doing lines up with Scripture.
The Bible says we should judge ourselves and not others (Matt. 7:1; 1 Cor. 11:31). If we can be honest, it takes humility for us to receive instruction and admit we may have missed it.
God wants us to accept correction. It leads to His life being perfected in us, and He promises blessing for us if we receive instruction—as well as difficulties if we don’t:
“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Prov. 6:23); “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray” (Prov. 10:17); “Poverty … will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored” (Prov. 13:18); “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge” (Prov. 23:12).
Before we can prosper in the way that God intends for us to, we must follow certain requirements that He has spelled out in His Word and expects us to obey. The point is this: If we live godly lives, we will have success—during any economic period.
The Keys to Prosperity
So what requirements has God established that lead to a pathway of prosperity? The Bible reveals several overarching keys.
1) Seek Him. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). All what things? All the things He mentioned in the verses preceding verse 33—such as treasures upon earth or what you will eat or drink or wear. We are not to seek those things first. We are to seek the kingdom first.
What does it mean to seek the kingdom? It is seeking to do His will. His will is what He did on the earth, such as healing all (Acts 10:38), casting out devils (Mark 16:15-18) and preaching repentance (Matt. 4:17).
Jesus went about teaching and preaching the gospel (Matt. 4:23) and told us to preach the good news of salvation: setting people free from bondages, laying hands on the sick and feeding the poor (Is. 61:1-2; Matt. 25:35-36; Mark 16:15). How could we feed the poor and support the gospel if we are broke ourselves?
Colossians 3:2 states: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (KJV). So, let us understand that He will not prosper us unless we are committed to seeking Him first.
2) Help the poor. Proverbs 19:17 says: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given” (NKJV). Throughout the Bible we are instructed to help the poor. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33) to illustrate giving of ourselves for the welfare of others.
Tommy Barnett, co-founder of the Dream Center urban outreach ministry in Los Angeles, explains it this way: “The secret to a successful, happy life is giving yourself away. According to the Bible, you will succeed in direct proportion to how much you give yourself away. ?
“Giving is truly the key to blessing ?.?.?.? because we have learned to focus more and more on servanthood, downward mobility, on giving everything away.”
He goes on to say: “We are conditioned to think in terms of limits, and therefore the world operates on the principle of lack.??
“God approaches life from the opposite angle. He operates on the principle of plenty. In God’s kingdom, the successful man or woman is the one who gives the most away. The world says, ‘He who dies with the most toys wins.’ The kingdom says, ‘He who gives the most away wins.’”
Jesus also said in Matthew 6:19-21 not to “lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. … For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is the only 100-percent-safe investment. For us to be about the Father’s business is laying up treasures in heaven.
3) Examine ourselves. As I mentioned earlier in the article, when my wife and I are faced with challenges, we take time out to pray, read God’s Word and examine ourselves to see where we may have missed the mark.
This is a biblical exercise. We see it in, among other verses, Ecclesiastes 7:14: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other” (emphasis added); 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves”; and Haggai 1:7: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’”
In examining ourselves, we are not to feel that we cannot come to Him if we have not kept every Scripture verse. No, because it is by grace that we receive the things we desire from Him. We do not try in our flesh to live holy. We live holy because we desire to, and it’s by His grace we can do it.
In addition, God loves us regardless of how we perform. We don’t score points with God, and if we are good enough He will love us more.
No, He loves us already the way we are. However, His desire is for us to grow and mature in Him. Anytime God corrects us, it is because He loves us. Hebrews 12:6 states, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.”
4) Obey His Word. I want to make it clear again that I am not talking about legalism when it comes to obeying God’s Word. We are not trying to earn God’s grace or to be burdened under “performance.” We can’t earn anything, as it has already been given to us freely.
We are justified by Christ’s blood and by faith in what He did for us on the cross only. (See Rom. 3:24-25; 4:25; 5:9, 16, 18; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Titus 3:7; 1 John 1:7-9.)
As I’ve mentioned, God’s grace empowers us to obey His Word. We cannot obey by our own power or ability but only by His Spirit.
The difference is, when you are truly in love with God, you are eager to please Him. It is not a burden to keep His Word but a delight. We keep His Word because of a heartfelt desire and not our performance (Ps. 119:16, 24, 47, 72).
When we understand His grace, there is a joy that comes to us, because we see it is not based on our power to keep His Word or resist sin, but by His power. However, searching the Scriptures to be sure we are obeying His Word doesn’t nullify grace; being obedient to His Word is a result of grace.
We are to continually strive to better ourselves by receiving correction from His Word. Our desire should be to grow from glory to glory. Our goal is to become more like Him (2 Cor. 3:18). If we say we love Him and do not obey Him, we are liars. We don’t really love Him (1 John 2:3-4), and we don’t know Him (John 14:15).
It is our attitude that makes the difference. An obedient heart seeks to do what pleases Him.
God’s Word is a mirror, and if we look into the face of His Word, we can see where we are. It should give us the desire to want to improve ourselves and please Him.
David said he loved God’s commandments above gold (Ps. 119:127). Solomon said God’s wisdom was better than rubies (Prov. 8:11). Both comparisons are to “treasures” of significant material value “hidden” in the ground.
If I told you I had $10 million hidden for you and gave you the treasure map, you wouldn’t feel burdened to go look for it, would you? No, you would be excited to look for it. In the same way, we are to value God’s Word and apply it to our lives (Prov. 3:1-2). We are to seek after wisdom, knowledge and understanding as hidden treasure (Prov. 2:1-6).
Another important truth we need to apply to our lives is that God’s Word is also holistic—it all ties together. There are built-in safeguards in His Word that cause it to work in its fullness only as a whole.
For instance, if you don’t tithe, you won’t prosper God’s way (Mal. 3:8-9; Matt. 23:23). However, if you do tithe and do not build God’s house (focus on saving souls), the money you are blessed with will have holes in the bag and run out the door (Hag. 1:5-9).
If you do not have faith, you will not receive anything from God (James 1:6-7). However, if you have great faith to move mountains and have not love, it will not do you any good (1 Cor. 13:2-3).
Yet, if we do all of these, but do not honor our parents, it will not go well with us (Eph. 6:2-3).
If we do not put on all the armor of God, we won’t be able to withstand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13). If we do not submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he won’t flee from us (James 4:7). If we don’t forgive anything, Satan will get an advantage over us (2 Cor. 2:10-11).
If we labor for souls but lose our zeal for the Lord, we have left our first love, and Jesus says He will remove our candlestick (Rev. 2:2-4).
Do you see how God’s Word all fits together? It is our responsibility to learn all of God’s precepts and do them. As we do, God will prosper us, as Joshua 1:8 reveals: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate … [and] observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your wayprosperous” (emphasis added).
Promises of True Prosperity
God directly links His promises with our prosperity. With that in mind, here is a summary of what we are to do to prosper. If we do these things, we will never fail or have shortage.
Seek after wisdom. Proverbs 3:13-16 states: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. … Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor.” This is a promise that is not dependent on our economic system.
Tithe. Malachi 3:10-11 is the only passage in the Bible where God tells us to test Him. If you trust Him with our tithes, it says, He will “pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” That is a promise from God.
Honor your parents. The apostle Paul notes in Ephesians 6:2-3 that this commandment is the first one with a promise. He says to obey it so “that it may be well with you.”
Fast. God says in Isaiah 58:11 that if you fast and share with the hungry He will “satisfy your soul in drought.” How’s that for a promise? Satisfied in drought means during a recession. Psalm 37:19 similarly says, “In the days of famine they [the righteous] shall be satisfied.”
Be humble. Proverbs 22:4, which says, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life,” is one of the most important keys in the Bible. Whoever will walk in humility and the fear of the Lord will always succeed.
Show God your faith. From Hebrews 11:6 we learn faith pleases God and that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.” First John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask we receive from Him” (KJV) because we keep His commandments and do the things that please Him. “Whatsoever” covers a lot!
Understand grace. We understand that it is by His grace and not by our works that we can obtain the blessings He has for us (Eph. 2:8–9; 4:7; Col. 1:6; 1 Tim. 1:14; 2 Tim. 2:1). Second Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (NKJV).
Understand the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 19:23 says that the one who fears the Lord will “abide in satisfaction” (emphasis added).
Pray for Jerusalem. Support Israel in prayer, finances and love. When you do that, you will prosper. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (KJV).
Express God’s love. Love “never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8). That is amazing. If we operate in God’s love, we can never fail. That is a solid guarantee for success.
The promises of God’s Word are for all who will believe Him and obey Him. He has fulfilled His promises for me for more than 40 years and has never let me down—not even once.
You can be delivered out of any and all problems, no matter how serious. His Word works—all the time, in any market and in any condition. Be willing and obey His Word. Deuteronomy 29:9 (NKJV) promises that blessing will come from obedience: “Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.”
Bill Wiese is a speaker, author and former realtor who has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss his book 23 Minutes in Hell (Charisma House), a riveting firsthand account of his afterlife vision. His latest book, Recession-Proof Living, released in October.
No More Religious Persecution in China?
With reports of 30,000 people accepting Christ daily, one thing is for sure: God is moving in the most populous country in the world. But missionary Dennis Balcombe says the 21st century Chinese church is not experiencing the same persecution their predecessors did. Visit to watch an exclusive interview with Balcombe and Charisma Editor Marcus Yoars.
Praise from prison
As a Christian living in communist China, Dorothy Sun spent six years in prison and 14 more working in a forced-labor factory. She has since become a U.S. citizen. Today she returns regularly to China with her husband, Freddie, who also was jailed there for his faith, to work with house churches and spread the gospel. Watch their amazing testimony at .
How fasting can be edgy
Visit and find out how choosing prayer over your dinner plate can help you reclaim your spiritual edge. Watch as pastor Jentezen Franklin gives key principles to fasting that will catapult you into your spiritual destiny and restore your edge.
Win The Harbinger
Starting in 732 B.C., God gave Israel nine prophetic warnings of coming judgment for refusing to repent. Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn writes that the same nine harbingers are now manifesting in America with profound ramifications for this nation’s future. Win a copy of his compelling prophetic novel at
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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” —Revelation 1:8
If we believe it is true that everybody is “destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Heb. 9:27), we will be eager to learn what will happen next. We find a clue in the words of Jesus in Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega … who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These words describe who God is. Jesus was saying that He is the beginning and the end, the Lord of creation, the giver and withholder of knowledge.
Did you know that all knowledge comes from God and that He gives or withholds knowledge as He wills? We enjoy the benefit of many scientific, technological, and medical developments, but we should remember we do so thanks to God’s special grace and kindness to humanity. Yet science can only develop as far as God allows, and human knowledge will never be complete.
This is not so with spiritual knowledge, which we begin to grasp when we become Christians. In Colossians 2:3 Paul reveals that in Jesus “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The knowledge of Jesus Christ is saving knowledge that comes through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and it is He who enables us to grasp who Jesus is and what He did; this knowledge we call “faith.” Imparting faith is the primary work of the Spirit.
It is the Spirit who imparts faith, but it is in obedience to the command of Jesus, for it is He who gives eternal life. In John 10:28 he said, “I give them eternal life” (emphasis added). Thus all knowledge, all revelation, stems from Jesus.
Excerpted from A Vision of Jesus (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1999).
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. —Hebrews 5:13, KJV
Solid food is nourishment by which the capacity of the soul is enlarged. Sooner or later, a newborn baby must go from milk to something solid; if that does not happen, there will be a deformed child. It is the same with the analogy here.
What do I mean when I say solid food is nourishment by which the capacity of the soul is enlarged? The soul’s enlargement will mean simple trust in God, unfeigned love for one another, and the ability to understand what God is pleased to reveal. Now by simple trust in God, I would remind you of 1 John 4:16: “We know and rely on the love God has for us.” That verse has gripped me for years. But it involves simple trust, simply taking seriously that God really does love us. When one really believes it, it changes everything. The ability to digest solid food is the enlargement of the soul, where you become able, simply in a childlike way, to trust in God. Jesus said, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). Christians need to rediscover this simple trust in God, which is the soul’s enlargement.
I am referring to the ability to perceive God’s will. That has to do with aptitude to receive what God wants to say. It is understanding His Word, and it is knowing His direction for today. It is His Word and His will.
Understanding His Word is simply being able to read the Bible and know what it means, that God speaks to you. Maturity includes seeing His will. By this I mean that you know God so well that you know what He is thinking. It’s the same with my wife: I do not have to tell her or ask her what she thinks; I already know. When you know God, you know His will.
Excerpted from Are You Stone Deaf to the Spirit or Rediscovering God? (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1994, 1999).
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. —Revelation 3:20
It is wonderful when we hear with both sets of ears. Every minister knows what it is like to preach and find that people only hear with their physical ears. So all they think about during the sermon are the preacher’s mannerisms, his oratory, his eloquence, and his style. Sadly, that is all some ever take in.
It was to the second set of ears—our spiritual ears—Jesus referred in the parable of the sower when He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). His promise of spiritual hearing in Revelation 3:20 is contingent upon the second set of ears being opened.
What happens, then, if your second set of ears are opened?
Well, first you find that instead of merely concluding that the minister was a good speaker, you suddenly think, He is speaking to my soul. Now you begin to view life from a new perspective and to think about issues you have never considered before: the question of whether there is life beyond the grave, for example.
However, there is another course of action you may take. Let us look at Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take it to heart what is written in it” (emphasis added). The Greek word for “take to heart” means “mark attentively” or “take heed.” This means that the message of Revelation is not mere opinion or mythology; what is said is true, so you must consider this whole matter most soberly. In fact, you must heed its message.
The message of Revelation is the unveiling of the divine will concerning Jesus Christ. This book tells you all you need to know about Jesus and all you need to know about yourself.
Excerpted from A Vision of Jesus (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1999).
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. —Exodus 20:16
Why did God give this commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor”?
First, God wants His people to tell the truth when they speak. In ancient times two or three witnesses were required in a court of law. “One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of a crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deut. 19:15). This was to protect an individual from being maligned by a personal enemy, from a vendetta, or from someone who just wanted to bring another down.
The second reason God gave this command is that He wants to protect us from being falsely accused. He does not like it if anybody lies about you, for it hurts you. And if you feel that way, so does God. This is your comfort when you are lied about. Are you prepared to believe that God cares even more for you than you do? God cares about His children.
If you are a parent, how do you feel if somebody says something about your child that is not true? I myself can handle many things said against me, but when I hear of something said against either of my children, I have to work hard to contain myself.
You should know that God the Father feels that way about His children, too. Perhaps you have nobody who will defend you when people lie about you. But God heard it, and He does not like it. He said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” In other words, He will vindicate you. The word vindicate means “to have one’s name cleared.” It’s what God does best. Anything God does, He does well. But if He has an “area of expertise,” it is this.
Excerpted from Grace (Charisma House, 2006).
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—”that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” —Ephesians 6:1-3
God could have added this word of promise to any of the commands, but He chose this one, thus giving an added incentive for keeping this command.
I find this sobering. In the light of this I ask, how long can I expect to live, based on this promise and my attitude toward my own parents? So if this command is true, and the promise is relevant, how long may you expect to live?
You could call this commandment a proposition. God makes a deal with His people. Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Parental respect must be taught in the home and in the church. It is the teaching of gratitude. We need to be taught gratitude, and that means to be thankful and respectful to our parents. And yet I must admit that this teaching will be easier for some than for others. Not all have good parents. My heart goes out to anybody who struggles here. I was once pastor of a church in which there was a lady who was abused by her father; her father had sexual intercourse with her as far back as she could remember. It messed up her life to no end.
Perhaps you have a father who was cruel and insensitive. Perhaps you had a mother who was not very loving. And now you are told to honor them, and you say, “I can’t.” I sympathize. I can echo the sentiments of David in Psalm 16:6: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” That also means that I am without excuse. If you too have a father and mother who did not abuse you but who loved you, did their best for you, and loved the Lord, you ought to be very thankful.
Excerpted from Grace (Charisma House, 2006).
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten. —Joel 2:25
Perhaps you feel you cannot tithe at the moment, but the ability to handle money (when you give God all of His) may be a gift you are given that you weren’t expecting to have. It is just like Jesus multiplying the loaves and the fish; it doesn’t have a natural explanation. It doesn’t add up that 90 percent can go as far as 100 percent.
I will never forget one day coming home shortly after Louise and I were married. God had hidden His face from me for days and weeks. I hadn’t made any sales. I thought, Will I ever get to be in ministry? Whatever happened to those visions that God was going to use me? I walked over to a Bible my Grandmother Curley had given me, and, I promise you, my eyes fell right on these words: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings” (Mal. 3:8). I abruptly closed that Bible, walked over, and turned on the television that we still owed for, and I thought, I certainly didn’t want a word like that.
Perhaps you feel this way at the moment.
But you know what happened? As a result of not tithing because I was paying my bills, I owed more a year later than I did when I made the decision not to tithe. And a year after that, I owed more. One day I said, “I will start tithing now!” In eighteen months, we were out of debt.
Tithing is a part of worshiping God. Abraham was the first tither. That’s in the Old Testament. But look at what the New Testament says: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 9:6).
You should not give necessarily because a church needs it, although sometimes that is the case, but you should give because it is the right thing to do.
Excerpted from The Thorn in the Flesh (Charisma House, 2004).