mindset: moving from poverty to prosperity

MINDSET

M OVING FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY

V INCENT DUNCOMBE

MINDSET: MOVING FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY

CONTENTS

1. Intro: The Baby and the Bath Water / 5

I . R E T H I N K I N G T H E P OV E RT Y O F J E S U S

2. Influence and Affluence / 9

3. A Poor Jesus in a Prosperous Bible? / 13

4. Preaching a Poverty Stricken Jesus / 17

5. The Purpose Driven Prosperity / 20

I I . T H E S K I N N Y O N M A NAG I N G G O D ’ S B U S I N E S S

6. Setting the Priorities Straight / 24

7. Prosperity, Stagnation or Decline? / 28

8. What about the Problem/Poverty Texts? / 30

9. Prosperity Required; Riches Optional / 32

10. How to Build Affluence / 35

2


CONTENTS

11. How to Build Influence / 38

12. Stop Looking at Other People / 41

I I I . T I M E F O R A R E A L I T Y C H E C K

13. There is a Log in My Eye / 44

14. Forget about Ten Percent I want it All! / 47

15. Finding the Earthly Balance / 50

16. The Good Steward / 53

17. Call to Action / 56

18. Share this eBook with Others / 59

3


I will start with a confession.

When I launched RichSinnersPoorSaints.com I had plans of becoming rich and retiring

young. I began studying what the Bible had to say about money with an open mind; I

found myself being transformed by its message. It is the most powerful sermon I have

ever heard. As a result I have dedicated my life to one goal – heaven. There I will retire

... young.

This is the inspiration behind this manifesto.

4


1. INTRO: THE BABY AND THE BATH WATER

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you

with true riches? (Luke 16:11)

A great disservice is being done by dismissing the prosperity message of the Bible. In

an effort to rid ourselves of theology resembling the popular prosperity preachers, we

risk raising managers (stewards) that are impotent in their ability to affect real change

in the world and point others to Christ. The business of Christ will suffer if it is led by

managers that shun a message that Jesus Himself employed in His own ministry.

Misconception

Misconceptions regarding Biblical prosperity arise from the perception that there are

only two possible messages: 1. either God wants us to prosper or 2. God wants us to

avoid the traps of riches.

5


It has seldom occurred that God expects and requires both.

The Bible may appear to have conflicting views on wealth, but reconciling the

messages of prosperity, discipline and sacrifice can explain the paradox of an

apparently poor Jesus living as the ultimate fulfillment of a prosperous Old

Testament. Such a message will release the Christian from the prevailing poverty

doctrine and free us to accomplish great exploits for our Lord. “I tell you the truth,

anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater

things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

This is a beginning guide for God’s managers here on earth and the manifesto of Rich

Sinners Poor Saints. I have done my best to distill this eBook down to the core

concepts of Biblical Prosperity. No fluff, just the facts.

Earthly managers of large companies are required to produce profits and

abstain from embezzling it. How can we imagine that God would hold His

managers to a lower standard?

6


Jesus’ example will be our starting point. We will first look at why I believe Jesus was

prosperous and then how we as stewards can follow in His footsteps. Unless we are

able to dispel the belief of a poverty stricken Jesus, His work will not flourish. God is

ready to do great things through us; but first we must change our mindset from

poverty to prosperity.

This is a re-introduction of biblical prosperity.

7

I. RE-THINKING THE POVERTY OF JESUS


8


2. INFLUENCE AND AFFLUENCE

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

“God does not want us to prosper because poverty is an integral part of our

experience of suffering as Christians here on earth.” Have you heard this argument

before and felt confined to the financial and social circumstances that you find

yourself? Those who peddle this pretext hide behind Jesus’ apparent poverty as the

reason they are not prospering and have gone on to state that such is the lot of all

Christians.

Any marketing or knowledgeable business person will agree that affluence and

influence are interchangeable. A person with great influence could easily convert

their influence into money.

There are two reasons why this rationalization does not work. Firstly, those who tout

this argument are likely not poor by a lack of resources but via the misappropriation of them. Secondly, Jesus was prosperous.

9


For example, if you were influential you could write a book, charge for speaking

engagements, create seminars etc., to which people would flock and you would be an

instant millionaire. This is true of President Barack Obama’s book, “The Audacity of

Hope”, which by 2006 had 860,000 copies in circulation.1 Not only can influence be

exchanged for affluence, the reverse is also true. Affluence has been used as a tool in

effecting and influencing change the world over.

The Missing Attribute

Prosperity discussions normally center on affluence as a measure of success; this is a

mistake. Influence is of far greater importance and must be considered. Once we have

influence it is difficult for it to be taken away; affluence however, can diminish

overnight. This is why Jesus says, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for

yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

(Luke 16:9) Jesus is talking about exchanging your affluence for influence; it is of

greater value!

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/books/09obam.html?_r=0 10


One of the reasons the Christian church is not thriving is that many Christians are

content in being poverty stricken in both areas of affluence and influence. The most

powerful speeches or quotations delivered by men and women are not powerful as a

result of clever phrasing or inflection but as a result of the influence that person

exerts. This influence is gained through accomplishing great feats, overcoming

overwhelming odds and consistently meeting the needs of others. What we need is

the boldness to do the difficult work that God has for us which will give us the

influence we need to impress souls for Christ.

It is unfortunate that our message tells of a God with omnipotent power yet our lives

are no different from everyone around us.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made

salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled

by men.” (Matt. 5:13 NIV)

We preach that Jesus is the answer to all the questions of the world and yet we

cannot answer life’s haunting questions in our own lives.

11


Such an ordinary existence was not found in Jesus. He had the answers and the world

was desperate for them. God is waiting to do this great work in our lives as well. He is

waiting to multiply our influence and affluence if we are willing to enter into a

relationship with Him devoid of our poverty mindset. Without influence or affluence

we cannot affect great change for God.

As we can now track the number of followers everyone has on Twitter

and Facebook for all to see, so now there are quantifiable ways to

monetize our reach. This results in the creation of strategies to increase

followership with the hopes of increasing financial gain. If the phrase

“Time is Money” is understood, we may want to realize that “Friends are

Money” is a more true statement.1

1. http://plywoodpeople.com/8993

“ 12


END OF PREVIEW

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mindset: moving from poverty to prosperity

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