GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM

Greetings and Salutations in these perilous financial times. Depending on when your read this...the roller coaster economy could be at a high or a low. Hang on to your hats.

QUESTION: What does BUDDY HOLLY have to do with the ECONOMY?

AN EVEN BIGGER QUESTION: Were these two studs separated at birth?

Buddy Holly...a scrawny, bespectacled kid...saw Elvis Presley in concert in Lubbock Texas...and decided at that point...that is what he wanted to do. In a short time span...Buddy was appearing with Elvis in concert...playing his Texas version of rock and roll with his Fender guitar...and the Crickets...which included a young Waylon Jennings. History shows that Buddy Holly...J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson...Ritchie Valens...and Roger Peterson (the pilot) died in a plane crash after a concert. Jennings missed the flight as he yielded his seat to the Big Bopper because Richardson had the flu and asked Jennings for his seat. Later in the 70's Don McClean would proclaim that day as...THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED.

THE QUESTION STILL REMAINS: What does BUDDY HOLLY have to do with the ECONOMY?

The answer to this...and even more exciting questions will be answered later.

Anybody with a pulse...knows that these ain't THE GOOD OLD DAYS. Wall Street is reeling from fierce blows and seems to be down for the count. Our collage shows (1) A Wall Street street sign (2) A young George Bailey wishing he had a million dollars...HOT DOG! (3) Scrooge McDuck swimming in his vault of loot (4) Fort Knox...the federal reserve with gold O' plenty.

All of these represent our POINTS OF TRUST for our financial future. Each one is as fragile as the other...and the stock market is up and down almost as much as our emotions are...and are subject to a crash along with our emotions.

FEAR is the master of a lot of peoples fate...and sometimes drives them to the point of hopelessness...that brings them to the END OF THEIR ROPES... literally as the either jump out of buildings...hang themselves...or shoot themselves in despair.

If hope is defined as CONFIDENT EXPECTATION...then hopelessness must be defined as WAVERING EXPECTATION OF THE WORST.

It was only a few weeks ago...when oil/gas shortages sent gas prices flaring and flaring tempers at the gas pumps...where people would get into verbal arguments...and actual fist fights...as each one would HORDE gas..."just in case".

Now...gas appears to be on the way down...emotions are subsiding...until the next spike in price. What is the answer to our fragile situation? GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM. To some it is "hiding your head in the sand"....and "avoiding reality". To others...it is WALKING BY FAITH instead of CRAWLING BY FEAR. Whenever I go to the gas pump... I always...always...always...quote Philippians 4:19. If God can supply gas to me at 36 cents a gallon...is it not reasonable that He can supply my need for gas at $5.00 a gallon?

NOTE: Read the entire 4th chapter of Philippians for how to deal with anxiety, and the secret to walk in Philippians 4:19.

The BASIS for GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM is found in Philippians 4:19"

"And my GOD will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS." (The Amplified Bible)

Note...that it is not...WASHINGTON will supply my every WELFARE need...according to how much we can TAX the people. As I have heard from others..."Let them tax me...you can't get blood from a turnip."

With Philippians 4:19...as the BASIS for GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM...let us look as some of the PRECEPTS of this SYSTEM.


In the original Garden...that would be the Garden of Eden...NOT...the Woodstock attempt at getting back to the Garden...there was NO LACK. There was abundance and provision...until DISOBEDIENCE entered in...along with THE CURSE...which included POVERTY (Genesis 1-4; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Galatians 3:13) POVERTY IS A CURSE...JUST LIKE SICKNESS IS A CURSE. if poverty and sickness are a blessing...then quit trying to get out of the blessing by going to the doctor or working to bring in a paycheck. NOTE: Living a FRUGAL life is not the same thing as being under the OPPRESSION of POVERTY.

The elder Elder...John wrote a brief letter to the beloved Gaius...and opened with a prayer: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in EVERY way...and [that your body] may keep well...even as {I know] your soul keeps well and prospers." (John 3 The Amplified Bible).

NOTE: Proponents who attempt to distance themselves from the prosperity teachers...will emphasize that this is ONLY (1) a way of opening a letter (2) John was only talking about spiritual prosperity. I personally think it is a balanced prayer to PROSPER (have more than enough to meet your need and enough to pour out to others)...in the spirit/soul, body, and financial. As I search the Word...it does not negate having stuff. Of course...as Philippians 4 states... "God will meet your NEEDS"....not your GREEDS. God is a gracious God...but He is also a CONDITIONAL GOD.

Another aspect of GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM is found in the teaching of Jesus found in Luke 6. The context of this section...is Jesus being accused of being unlawful by the Pharisees (religious people...not spiritual people). Jesus entered into discussion with them...which included a discussion about healing. They were filled with RAGE...and began to discuss how to handle Jesus. Jesus went off to pray...and then came to teach the people what is known as the BEATITUDES (these BE the ATTITUDES...that we should BE having). Jesus then began to teach about RECIPROCITY. This included...how to love your enemies, how to bless those who curse you, how to deal with those who mistreat you...how to walk in the art of giving...and to treat men as you want to be treated. He explained that if you do good to those who do good to you...what credit is that to you. Even sinners do the same thing. He then gets into lending to those whom you expect something back in return. What credit is that to you. Even sinners do the same thing. The Jesus added the word BUT...which let them know that he was going to CONTRAST how NOT to do it...with HOW to do it. (Luke 6:27-34)

"But love your enemies...and do good...and lend...expecting NOTHING in return...and your reward will be great...and you will be sons of the Most High...for He Himself is kind to UNGRATEFUL AND EVIL MEN. Be merciful, just as your Fatter is merciful. And do not pass judgement and you will not be judged; and do not condemn and you shall not be condemned...pardon and you will be pardoned."
(Luke 6:35-37)

Now...Jesus brings in the main thought about all of this...which is based on love and faith...not fear and hoarding.

"GIVE...and [gifts] will be given you...good measure...pressed down...shaken together...running over will they (men) pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others--it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38 The Amplified Bible)

NOTE: If you take a bushel basket....and pour in or fill it will a good measure...that is fair...BUT...God does not stop there. You then press it down...to make room for MORE. Then you sake it together to make sure everything is settled so MORE can be placed in. And then.... you continue to pour in to the very top of the basket...BUT you don't stop there...you KEEP ON POURING IN...until...IT BEGINS TO OVERFLOW. Now...that is PROVISION. Now...that is the HEARTBEAT OF GOD'S ECONOMY.


But what do you do...when it looks like there is no provision? What do you do when it looks like Wall Street is crashing and burning.? What do you do when the gas lines are circling the block...and there are fist fights at the pumps and gas is $10.00 a gallon? I'm glad you asked. YOU WALK BY FAITH...NOT BY SIGHT. (II Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4)

"Behold the PROUD...his soul is not straight or right within him; but the rigidly just and the uncompromisingly righteous man shall LIVE BY HIS FAITH and in hi faithfulness." Habakkuk 2:4)

Pride short circuits...GOD'S ECONOMY SYSTEM for you individually. His ECONOMY SYSTEM is alive and well...but your access has been hindered. You have to HUMBLE YOURSELF...walk by FAITH...and not by FEAR.

NOTE: There is NO SHORTAGE in God's riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Here is what you do between the point of prayer...and the point of provision as you WALK BY FAITH.

"Though the fig tree DOES NOT blossom...and there BE NO fruit on the vines... [though] the product of the olive FAIL...and the fields YIELD NO food... though the flock be CUT OFF from the fold...and there BE NO cattle in the stalls...YET..." (Habakkuk 3:17)

ENTER THE YET PRINCIPLE OF GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM

In contrast to what YOU SEE...the word YET...transitions us to the ANSWER. So far we have seen the PROBLEM. Now we see what ACTION that we take BY FAITH.

YET:



1. I will: This is our free will. We make a choice to do what is needed.
2. Rejoice in the Lord: Praise is in order...even if the circumstances, situations, economy does not warrant it. You are not rejoicing in
you circumstance...but IN THE LORD. It is like the verse in I Thessalonians 5:18..."In EVERYTHING give thanks...for this is God's
will for you in Christ Jesus." EVERYTHING that comes down the pike IS NOT God's will for you...BUT you giving THANKS to God
in the midst of EVERYTHING...IS God's will for you....so REJOICE.
3. I will EXULT in the VICTORIOUS GOD OF MY MY SALVATION. Exulting is not just a passive, quiet response to something. It
is a demonstrative demonstration of exuberance. Jump up...spin around...get clamorously foolish...RAVE ON. Again...it is not for
the bad stuff/times you are going through...but in response to the answerer of your prayers...the God of your salvation...and that
God ain't congress....or a presidential candidate...or a religious leader.

NOW....we begin to make FAITH DECLARATIONS:

1. The Lord God is my strength (Philippians 4:19)
2. The Lord God is my personal bravery.
3. The Lord God is my invincible army
4. He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me WALK [not to stand still in TERROR...but to WALK] and makes SPIRITUAL
PROGRESS upon my high places [of TROUBLE, SUFFERING, OR RESPONSIBILITY].

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!

This is just scratching the surface of GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM. Read Philippians 4:10-19 for THE SECRET of GOD'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

OH BY THE WAY:

You did not think I forgot the original question...did ya?

QUESTION: What does BUDDY HOLLY have to do with the ECONOMY?

ANSWER: RAVE ON!

One of Buddy Holly's last hits...before the plane crash was RAVE ON.

Little thing you say and do
Make me want to be with you
RAVE ON, This crazy feeling
And I know it's go me reeling
When you say I LOVE YOU...RAVE ON

The word RAVE means:

1. To talk wildly , as in delirium
2. To talk or write with EXTRAVAGANT enthusiasm
3. An extravagantly enthusiastic appraisal or review of something
4. Chiefly a British slang word...A boisterous party

This is the nature of what we are to do when were EXULT in the VICTORIOUS GOD OF OUR SALVATION in this economic mess.

Love and Rave On Kisses
Rodney "Where Did You Get Those Glasses" Boyd

THE SECRET STRENGTH AND SUPPLY FACTOR

Hello all of you 98 pound weaklings. Anyone kicked sand in your face lately? Have you had NEED to bulk up and deal with the bullies in your life? Do you find yourself lacking...in areas of finance, peace, confidence, (fill in the blank of what you need)? Well...welcome to my world.

As believers...we know deep down in our gut...and in the back of our minds...that God is in control. The problem is that we can talk the talk...but when it comes time to walk the walk...we tend to stumble. It is EASY (shout out to the Easy Elder)... to trust God...when we do not have any NEEDS...it is easy to be STRONG when there is no opposition...BUT the rubber meets the road...in the face of conflict.

We love a couple of verses found in Philippians chapter 4...verses 13 and 19. They read..."I CAN DO all things through CHRIST who strengthens me."...and "My God SHALL SUPPLY all your NEEDS according to His riches in glory in CHRIST JESUS." Ohhhhh..
yes...and amen...hallelujah!

But...when we CAN'T DO... and we are WEAK as bag of bones in a Charles Atlas ad...and our out go exceeds our income...we tend to weaken in our FAITH...try to do things on our own...get discouraged...lose hope...and quit.

NEVER FEAR....UNDERDOG IS HERE. There is hope...confident expectation...BUT...you have to back up a few verses...before you get to verse 13 and 19.

There is a promise of peace...but again there is a precursor to the PEACE. There is a SECRET...and it is meant to be revealed. Let's check out the SECRET STRENGTH AND SUPPLY FACTOR. Read the entire fourth chapter of Philippians.

KEY PRINCIPLES TO STRENGTH AND SUPPLY

Verse 1: Stand firm in the Lord. Anyone can give up...but you got to persevere....never give up...hang in there like a bitin' sow...take a stand. Notice that you are not standing firm in your own abilities...in your own faith...in the government...in other people...but you are standing FIRM in the Lord.

Verse 2: Live in harmony. If you have something against someone...get it right. As long as you are out of key with someone...as long as you are hitting sour notes....as long as you are walking in bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness...you will not reach verses 13 and 19.

Verse 3: Help others to accomplish verse 2. We are the body of Christ... and we really do need one another. We are not Lone Rangers...we are Multiple Rangers...with Multiple Tontos oh Keemosabe.

Verse 4: Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS (in the good, bad, ugly) and agians I say REJOICE (underscoring the importance). The word rejoice means to be full of CHEER, calmly happy, well off. I have always read this as something focused on MYSELF...but in reading this definition...it states that this is used as a GREETING to others. We are called to speak forth blessings on others...speaking cheer to others...to speak forth being calmly happy or well off to others. As we focous on others we enter in to true JOY. J=Jesus first O=Others second Y=You last. It really is not all about you baby.

Verse 5: Let...or allow (your choice) your forbearing (humble, moderate) spirit BE KNOWN to all men. Let your light shine. Live out your faith in front of others. Yes...your faith is a private intimate affair between you and your God...but you are THE LIGHTS OF THE WORLD. As Jesus taught...LET YOU LIGHTS SHINE BEFORE MEN.

Verse 5: The Lord Is NEAR. As Watchman Nee says...if we really believed that the Lord lives in us...then we might not do and say some of the things we do. Let their be an awareness of His presense...like Brother Lawrence did as he PRACTICED THE PRESENCE OF GOD...in the mundane things of life like...washing pots and pans in a monastary kitchen. Is your life as mundane as a monestary?

Verse 6: BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING. Of course it says BE anxious but what it means is DON'T BE anxious. Again...BE...reflects the ability to choose anxiety...or choose NOT to be anxious. The perameters of our anxiety is NOTHING and EVERYTHING. Take a piece of paper...divide it down the middle...on one side write the word NOTHING...and on the other side write EVERYTHING. Now...on the NOTHING side...list all of your worries, anxieties, fears, cares, doubts, unbeliefs. Be specific... God will not be shocked by what you put down. NOW...take an arrow and transfer all of your NOTHINGS...into the EVERYTHING category. THEY ARE THE SAME THING.

Verse 6: Now...we deal with the NOTHINGS AND EVERYTHINGS.

a. Prayer: Conversation with God. Talk to Him. Open up the lines of communication. Let it be a dialouge not a monolouge.

b. Supplication: A specific list. Not shotgun prayers. If you need your electric bill paid...tell Him..and how much you need down to the penny. Do it with a humble attitude. Remember also that He will meet your needs not your greeds. If you are lonely...tell Him. If you are sick and need a healing, tell Him. BE SPECIFIC.

c. With Thanksgiving: You pray..you supplicate...and while you DO NOT see or feel an answer...you begin to THANK HIM before you see anything happen. This is praying in faith. Act as if it is true. The difference between someone praying for rain is one person prays for rain...the other person carries an umbrella with confident expectation that it will rain. It's like a movie I saw last night at our karate school..FACING THE GIANTS. The farmer that plants his field and does not prepare for the harvest...is not really expecting a crop. Thanksgiving before anything changes...is an indicator of trusting God.

Verse 7: The cause and effect of doing these things...is PEACE that PASSESS ALL UNDERSTANDING AND COMPREHENSION. The type of peace that we understand...is when there is an absence of conflict. We understand that when there is no war...there is peace...BUT...God wants us to have peace in the middle of the whirlwind...when things are not resolved...when the electric bill is not paid...when the doctor's report is bad. This can ONLY COME...when we are practicing verses 1-6 at this point....and to enter into a place where we know that God will meet our needs and give us strenght definitely must come by this way.

Verse 7: This PEACE...acts as a GUARD...much like the elite Roman Garrisons (The Green Beret and Navy Seals combined) who would surround a city. This peace will surround our hearts and our minds (the place of warfare and conflict)...and set guard...in CHRIST (The anointing that lifts burdens, destroys yokes) Jesus.


Verse 8: The question is...where is your MIND DWELLING? What's on your noodle? Is your thinkin'...stinkin'? Where you're dwellin'...will be tellin'...on you lips. Your mouth is the spout that reveals your heart and who or what you are really trusting when the pressure is on. Here are a list of the WHATEVERS that we need to be letting our MINDS DWELL ON:

a. Whatever is TRUE: "Sanctify them by thy Word...thy Word is TRUTH." John 17:17

b. Whatever is HONORABLE: Venerable, honest, grave. Walk in the light as He is in the light...and not a lie.

c. Whatever is LOVLEY: How lovely is your dwelling place...oh Lord of host. Get in His Presence

d. Whatever is of GOOD REPORT: Whose report are you going to believe...I will believe the REPORT of the Lord. 12 spys went in to spy out the promised land...2 came back with a GOOD REPORT...10 logged in a BAD REPORT.

e. If there is any EXCELLENCE: Get your mind of the mediocre and focus on His excellence.

f. If there is anything WORTHY OF PRAISE: What worth do you put in God moving in your life...the GET YOUR PRAISE ON.

Verse 9: The ball is in your court. Paul says that what you have:

a. learned
b. received
c. heard
d. seen

then...PRACTICE THESE THINGS. Practice means do them...mess up... get up and do it again until they become second nature. You only fail...when you don't get up again.

Verses 10-12 lays out THE SECRET of having and not having...THE SECRET of living in prosperity...and getting along with humble means...THE SECRET of being filled...and going hungry... THE SECRET of any and every circumstance...THE SECRET of having abundance and suffering need. This SECRET is the KEY to STRENTH AND SUPPLY that you have been preparing for from verse 1 of Philippians 4.

The SECRET is found in verse 11...not that I SPEAK from want. Again... your lips reveal your heart. Pauls condition was not based on his circumstance or his checking account. Paul learned the SECRET to SPEAK from a position of CONTENTMENT versus SPEAKING from a position of want, need, weakness, fear, anxiety, bitterness, etc. He spoke from a position on what his MIND had been DWELLING ON found in verse 8.

Now you are ready for STRENGTH AND SUPPLY.

Stand firm in the Lord...live in harmony in the Lord...help those who share the struggle...Rejoice in the Lord always as you speak forth blessing to others...allow people to see your humble spirit...realize the Lord is near...choose not to be anxious for anything...pray, supplicate and thank Him before you see an answer...live with a guarded heart and mind, and let you mind dwell on Him...and speak from a place of hope.

Thanks for hanging in there as you read this. If you did you are truly a Ruminator.

Love and Long Winded Kisses
Rodney "Supplied and Strong In Him" Boyd