Because of the escapism theology that we bought into over the years, we were in such a hurry to get out of here to get to heaven, that we gave up many of the things that we should have been managing on the earth. That's been a long standing theology. I’m not saying we're not going to heaven. I'm saying that our focus until Jesus comes back, is being a good steward and manifesting on the earth what is in heaven. You must have that shift in your thinking.

When I was growing up, we used to do rapture practice because we were trying to help God get us to heaven. That was our focus. As a result, we gave up all of the management of any resources on the earth. So, we've come to an understanding that Jesus is coming back for us.

I don't know what it looks like on the other side of that. There are a lot of theories, a lot of theology and a lot of stuff that we can talk about, but I don't know. But I know He's coming back for us. I know I trust Him, and I know wherever we end up, we're going to be safe and secure with Him. But in the meantime, we have to shift and reframe our thinking to understand how important it is to steward the resources that we have here on earth.

The wealth that the wicked stored for the righteous does not mean, if you become more righteous He'll move the money over to you. That's not what that's saying. It's not good stewardship to take money from somebody who's stewarding it good and give it to somebody who's stewarding it bad. Even if they are righteous.

We Must Understand How Money Transfers.

Money transfers to stewardship. Better stewardship is where money goes. I want you to understand that stewardship is how money transfers.

You become a godly steward and money transfers to you. Money is always transferring, it's always moving. Trillions of dollars are always moving.

It's not a lack of money that’s the problem, it's a lack of stewardship.

We have not understood stewardship and how important it is. We have to understand what that means. You can sit around and cry and go, “woe is me God, I need this, and I need that,” or you can become a good steward, and things will come to you.

Wealth Does Not Come To You; Wealth Comes Out Of You.

It's a great principle. Wealth does not come to you; wealth comes out of you.

The most sacred subject we deal with in church is money. I have pastored for years. People would come sit in my office and tell me things that I cannot unhear; that I still have to pray over. Before I could stop them, they would share things with me. They'll talk about every known thing from their sex life to everything across the board, but not money. Now that's sacred. They won't touch that.

Nobody wants to talk about their money. We're going to talk about why. I believe with all my heart that there is an assigned spirit to intimidate you from money.

We're not going to make this all about spiritual stuff, but we must understand that there are spiritual dynamics, and we have to coordinate and understand how they work. There is an assignment to intimidate you. Entire banking systems are designed to intimidate you.

That's why you start walking apologetically when you enter banking systems. They're designed to intimidate you. They're designed to make you feel inferior here. I'm not against them. We have good people that work in the banking systems. I came out of it. I get it, but you have to understand what you're dealing with.

The Application of Wisdom

I want you to increase in your wisdom in finance. I want you to increase in your wisdom and here's why. Wisdom is the application.

Remember this, knowledge is the gaining of information. Discernment is when you can interpret that information, and wisdom is when you can apply it.

That's the book of Proverbs; knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. You get information, you get truth, then you have to discern how that truth works in your life and then you have to apply that truth.

That application is wisdom. I want you to have wisdom of finances. And sometimes it's better to have wisdom than it is to have a miracle.

Wisdom can permanently damage your ignorance. You can get a miracle, and your ignorance can recreate the same issue that you had before you got your miracle.

It's important that we get wisdom because we want to live our lives in a place where we don't need to be praying for a miracle. Now if I find myself there, I'm going to pray for a miracle. But if I leave everything alone as it is and just don't do anything, then I'm going to expect a miracle where I should have been applying wisdom. And that's okay, you can do it but that's not God's highest and best order. You can get a miracle, and your ignorance can recreate the same problem that you have.

So, while we're going to pray and believe for financial miracles, my assignment is to give you wisdom. Because sometimes we want to be airlifted out of our problems to the promised land. God said that doesn't do any good because you'll recreate the problem. What we have to do is gain wisdom and understanding. We're going to change our mindset about money, investing and wealth.