Wealth is not tangible: Part II

In Part I, we looked at the fact that wealth is not tangible and that it is a mentality. Let us try to develop this further by looking at examples of truly wealthy people. The best examples are in the Bible.

Abraham was a very wealthy man. Incidentally he was also referred to as a friend of God. The thing that made Abraham wealthy was a promise that God made to him in Genesis chapter 12. In verse 3 of this chapter, we see God telling Abram (not yet Abraham) that in him all nations will be blessed. Do you realise that by Abram meditating (dominantly thinking) on that promise is what made him eventually so wealthy. He was no longer able to live harmoniously with his nephew lot, who had also become so wealthy (by family association). When Abram gave Lot a choice of where to go, Lot chose the valley and Abram had not problem taking the desert. It is after this separation that God re-affirmed (ratified) his promise to Abram in Genesis 13:14-17. The summary of it is that even the land which Lot occupied was to belong to Abram. Now only a truly wealthy person would have chosen to take the desert instead of the valley, but Abram knew that his source of wealth was not man and that it was God. This is consistent with the fact that you are a product of your thought and not your environment, as we have been told for so long. (Prov 23:7).

Another example of a wealthy man is Joseph. The bible says in Genesis 39:2 that the Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man. Now remember he had just been sold and re-sold in Egypt. If he was feeling sorry for himself and letting himself be dominated by thoughts of his brother’s cruelty towards him, which he did not deserve, do you think Potiphar would have noticed that God was with Joseph and put him in charge of his household?

At this point I want to submit to you that MOST people we think are wealthy because of what they have acquired indeed are typical examples of people with a poverty mentality. You can observe this by the way they are obsessed by protecting their wealth through all natural means possible. A poor man will always think that he is responsible for his wealth and therefore doesn’t believe that if it is forcefully taken, he can get it back (Deut 8:17-18).

Do you know that you are wealthy beyond even the documented wealth of King Solomon? We shall find out more about this fact in Part III……

The 'Born Again' Experience

Jesus is the only human being recorded in history who was born “born again”. Now if I have got your attention, the bible says “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). This is true about Jesus because he was just spoken into existence and the only natural part of his physical coming into the world was his birth. We all know his was the only virgin birth recorded in history.

Now Jesus, when he walked the earth told Nicodemus that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). I used to think that being born again was a very difficult thing. This is because first of all it required me to embarrass myself in front of so many people when a preacher calls for those who want to give their life to Christ to start by praying a certain prayer, then raise my hand if I had prayed the prayer, then go to the front of the church so the whole congregation could see me. And I am reminded that if I deny Jesus by staying in my seat, he will deny me before his Father. The most interesting part seemed to be the fact that whatever I do, I should never forget that day, ‘engrave it in fresh cement, if I have to, but never forget it’. I resisted ‘salvation’ not only because of these many conditions, but by the fact that ‘savedees’ were always struggling with life sometimes even worse than non-believers.

I still sought God because I knew I should not part from his ways until I came to learn that my sin was not an issue with God. Let me share this amazing truth. 1 Thess. 5:23 is one of the scriptures that proves that we are made of three parts namely the spirit, soul and body. God’s anger towards us was appeased by Jesus Christ when he died on our behalf. Our part now is just to believe in Jesus’ death and receive salvation. The part of you that is immediately changed when you accept Jesus Christ is your spirit and you cannot perceive your spirit with your five senses. Your soul is the part that controls all the other two because it contains your mind. Eph 2:8 says we are saved by Grace through faith. So you believe in your mind that salvation is a free gift and even if you cannot see it, you accept it and receive it. And according to the bible those who are in Christ are one spirit with the Lord and our spirit knows all things (1 Cor 6:17). Because as Christ is so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). But this is the part most people struggle with. You cannot feel born again. Let me repeat that “you cannot feel born again”. So you will ask, how can one know what his spirit looks like or knows? You have never seen your face, you only know what you look like because you see your image in the mirror. In the same way you can only know what your spirit is and knows by looking into the word of God as in a mirror. What it says about you is what you are. Then as your mind is renewed so will your soul and body (Rom 12:2).

Understanding just these basic truths has transformed my life and enabled me to be a blessing to other people in so many ways, some of which I never knew even existed. And yet I am only scratching the surface. I live everyday looking forward to all the other things that God is going to reveal to me all through the rest of my long natural life and that is an experience I truly wish for everyone reading this.

God bless you all.