From the beginning, God has used signs to draw mankind to Himself. For example, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”
                                                                                  -Gen1:14
 
Jesus continued the revelation of signs:
1.The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew  them a sign from heaven.
2.He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3.And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
                                                                                  -Mat16:1-3
           
The Greek word for “sign” is sēmĕiŏn, say-mi´-on; neut. of a presumed der. of the base of 4591; an indication, espec. cer. or supernat.:—miracle, sign, token, wonder.
                                                                                  -Strong’s
Semeion refers to a special communication between God to man. In other words, using either a natural or supernatural event, God communicates with man to inform, warn or to bless us. A sign is a message that remains hidden until someone of God’s choosing presses in through:
i.His Word and/or prayer
ii.through research
…who then receives a special revelation attached to the sign:
   “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant”
                                                           -Ps25:14
 
One of the greatest signs of the Israel-Hamas conflict is the incredible revelation that the word “hamas” literally appears in the Biblical text. That’s right, you read that correctly…God inspired the literal word “hamas” to be included in the Biblical text although the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947 dates the completion of the OT canon back to 125 to 200 BC!!!
  How is the Biblical word “hamas” defined in the Hebrew language?
châmâc̨, khaw-mawce´; from 2554; violence; by impl. wrong; by meton. unjust gain:—cruel (-ty), damage, false, injustice, × oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong.                                    -Strong’s
 
ḥāmās: A masculine noun meaning violence, wrong. It implies cruelty, damage, and injustice. Abraham’s cohabiting with Hagar is described as a wrong done to Sarah (Gen. 16:5). In relation to physical violence, cruelty is implied (Judg. 9:24). When coupled with the term instrument or weapon, it becomes an attributive noun describing weapons or instruments of violence (Ps. 58:2[3]). When it describes a person, it can mean an oppressor or a violent man (Prov. 3:31)
-Zodhiates, Hebrew Dictionary
 
  However, in the Arabic language, Wikipedia defines 'hamas':
EtymologyHamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase حركة المقاومة الإسلامية or Ḥarakah al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement". This acronym, HMS, was later glossed in the Hamas Covenant[93] by the Arabic word ḥamās (حماس) which itself means "zeal", "strength", or "bravery".[94]   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas)
 
As you can see, the Hebrew and Arabic languages define the word ‘hamas’ entirely different. Because the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we give Scripture the final determining factor. Following are 7 of the 60 verses where ‘hamas’ is used.
  Incredibly, what we find is an exact description of contemporary ‘Hamas’ terrorist group:
Gen6:11- The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
Gen6:13-And God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Ps74:20 - Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Ps11:5- The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth
Ps140:1- Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
Ps140:4 -Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man;
who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
Ps140:11- Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
 
  Tragically, does Ezekiel describe the end of ‘hamas’?!?!?!
Eze7:11 - Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.
 
 I can only remind you that the word ‘hamas’ included into the Biblical text is not an accident, but a ‘sign’ to whoever has ears to hear, and eyes to see (Matt11:15)!!!
 
QuoteBit
"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."
                                                            -Michelangelo
            

David’s Prayer
22.Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God  beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23.And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to  redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24.For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
26.And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
                                                         -2Samuel 7:22-24,26
 
Make no mistake about it… the eternal God*, Who is: the only Sovereign2*; Who alone created3*; Who alone reigns4*; Who alone is Lord5*; Who alone is omniscient6*; Who possesses infinite understanding7*; Who possesses both…all power8* and all authority9*…
 
…has a unique calling on Israel!!!
 
   David recognized this calling in 2Samuel 7:23 and 26. Incredibly, this inspired prayer declares that even God recognized His own calling upon the nation of Israel: “thou (God) hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever.”
  Moreover, God calls Israel to be a special people—to HIMSELF10*---”FOREVER”!!! I repeat, this is a forever calling!!!! And, don’t forget that the references to the calling of God upon Israel in this passage are based upon the Sovereignty of God, which means His rulership as God, which He reveals in 7:22!
   And what’s even more amazing, this calling is SOOOO special that God even associated His VERY Name with it: “And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel” (Gen33:20). The Hebrew words “Elelohe-Israel” are His Name, which means: “God, the God of Israel”!
Because God is eternal, which means no beginning and no end, and because His name as revealed in Genesis 33:20 did not become His name when He revealed it, but has always been His name from eternity-past to eternity-future…means God has an eternal covenant with Israel!!
 
Jeremiah’s Revelation
   Furthermore, Jeremiah also recognized God’s call on Israel: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”     (Jer31:31).
    This entire Jeremiah passage reveals some amazing truths about this new covenant:
35.Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
36.If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
37.Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the LORD.
 
   This text declares that God made the sun, and ordinances of the moon and stars, etc. But…in verse 36, He promises if those “ordinances” depart; then, and only then, can Israel cease from being a nation---forever!!! I repeat, this is a forever promise!!!!
   And again, God repeats Himself in verse 37 using another analogy to ‘WARN’ any individual or people group trying to destroy Israel. In this verse, God sovereignly declares that if a person can measure the heavens above, or search out the earth below---only then---will God cast off Israel!!!
  In other words, God has stamped His name on Israel---AND---no individual; or nation; or false God--can ever change that!! To attempt to do so---will only bring a curse upon the perpetrators!
 
Promise to Abraham
1.Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2.And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3.And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all  families of the earth be blessed.
                                                                     Gen12:1-3
 
                                          !Warning to all the nations!
If you insist on attacking Israel—you will only destroy yourself!!!  If you doubt me—just do a short study of Israel’s history…AND the nations who tried to destroy them! Ask yourself a question: Where are those nations now?!? Remember, God says,
 
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.                              - Zech12:9
 
And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.                 
                           -  Deut30:7
 
19.Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your  own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same
     power against all the people you fear.
20.And then the Lord your God will send terror to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you!
21.“No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.
                                                                        -Deut7:19-21
​
  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.                          -Is45:17

Economics and the Church. Why The anti-Prosperity Preachers Are Wrong!-5
   Until the mid to late 19th century, history has shown that neither the church nor the world has contributed positively to the poverty of the nations.   
   First, regarding the world, Roger McKinney in his incredible book ‘God is a Capitalist; writes, “In 44 B.C. Cicero declared that “commerce*, if on a small scale is to be regarded as vulgar…””  (pg22). On page 63, McKinney continues, “…from at least the time of Aristotle until the 16th century AD Europeans held business in low esteem, often lower than prostitution. The culture valued plunder in war, bribery of state officials, kidnapping for ransom and monopolies on trade as the ‘noble’ means toward greater wealth.”
   Second, and as usual, when the church leaves the Word of God, it becomes worse than the world!! On page 63 McKinney unveils the church’s attitude toward business, “Commerce was considered worse than prostitution, and so evil that it condemned the merchant’s soul to hell. As a result of this disdain for their profession, merchants who became wealthy did not reinvest their wealth to expand their businesses but gave much of their wealth to the Church to redeem their souls from hell.”
   Although I’m uncertain exactly when the Church became corrupt, one of the methods they invented to extract money from the people—which tragically contributed to mass poverty--is the blasphemous notion of ‘Indulgences’. One false practice of ‘Indulgences’ declared that during the celebration of Communion---which they unscripturally declared was the way to salvation--- priests withheld the Communion elements until a parishioner paid them money!!! As evil as the doctrine of ‘Indulgences’ was, it did not stand alone, but originated from another false doctrine known as Transubstantiation, which taught that a priest’s prayer over Communion miraculously turned the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Christ.
   Of course, although wicked, one can easily understand the flow of thought, or how Transubstantiation could have given birth Indulgences: the miracle of turning the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Christ---ought to be compensated!!! In other words, as we now know from the practice of the sin of lasciviousness(Gal5:19), without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, one sin often leads to another.
   Another name for the diabolical heresy of ‘Indulgences’ is Simony**-- the making of profit out of sacred things; after Simon the sorcerer who tried to pay Peter to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in Acts 8.
    However, the church’s tragic misunderstanding of economics did not begin with Simony. It probably first occurred with St. Augustine (354-430AD), and later Thomas Aquinas(1225-1274), who “carried the utilitarian approach to property into the thirteenth century, asserting that property comes from practical law, not natural, or God’s law.”***  “In other words, property is good or bad depending on its use. Proper use involves the pursuit of higher, spiritual, ends.” McKinney continues, “It logically follows that  if a wealthy person does not use his wealth properly as defined by theologians, that is, by giving most of it to the poor or the Church, his improper use nullifies his ownership. Excess wealth retained by the owner became the equivalent of stealing from the poor.” (pg135)
   However, McKinney offers a defense for the church’s unbiblical thinking: “In their defense, the Church father’s worried about the poor, and rightly so, for much of the population lived on the edge of starvation. Church fathers had no idea that investment in better tools could improve worker productivity, raise wages and rescue most of the poor from their starvation. Even today few theologians understand it and too many economists refuse to acknowledge it. Another two centuries would pass before Adam Smith discovered how the dynamics of this ‘system of natural freedom’ could lift an entire nation to levels of wealth not imagined by the nobility of the late Middle Ages.” (pg136)
  Yet, McKinney continues to highlight the Church’s doctrinal errors that in practice led to poverty, “Theologians failed the common church members by applying different principles to the nobility and king. While the church insisted that wealthy merchants should give their excess wealth to the poor they often justified the conspicuous consumption of the nobility and kings as necessary because of their status in society. They insisted on the sanctity of property between common people, but ignored the theft by the nobility and kings of property owned by commoners. And while preaching the importance of free markets and condemning monopolies, they allowed the state virtually unlimited power over the market.”  (pg136)
   What we have learned is that just like yesteryear, the contemporary church is guilty of ignoring both God’s abundant nature, and His word--in the area of economics, i.e.money. While I have personally found 1,000 verses on the subject of money, Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas/Fort Worth Texas, in his book “The Blessed Life” writes, “There are more than 500 verses in the Bible concerning prayer and nearly 500 verses concerning faith, but there are more than 2,000 verses on the subject of money and possessions.” (pg13)
   The following is just one scripture unveiling God’s will for prosperity:
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
                                                                        -Ps35:27
 
   Finally, anytime the church**** departs from God’s word, the devil fills the void (1Tim4:1) by sending ungodly men to “spoil”, i.e.“to take men captive”(Col2:8) who substitute their own demonic philosophy; and/or who raise up “high things” that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God(2Cor5:10). Therefore, it is my humble opinion that the church’s complete disregard for the Word of God--over centuries of time---in the area of economics, i.e.property ownership, i.e.finances, i.e.financial prosperity---literally drove the world, including many supposed Christians, directly into the arms of Karl Marx(1818-1883), i.e.Communism/Socialism/Fascism!
 
*he refers to business.
** https://www.dictionary.com/browse/simony
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simony
***God is a Capitalist, Roger McKinney, pg 135.
****or an individual

  I will always remember 9/11/2001! For Americans like myself who love our nation, it will always be a day of solemnity! At the moment of infamy, I was in Ethiopia on a mission’s trip with my church—Wheaton Christian Center. We were returning from a great day where we had just finished some missions' work and visited some historical sites. Ethiopia is 8 hours ahead of
America, so it was about 4:45 pm when the first plane hit the World Trade Center’s North Tower at 8:45 am eastern time. Just as our bus dropped us off at our hotel, one of the hotel workers ran up and began shouting that America had just been attacked. So, I ran to the elevator and then to my room. I turned the TV on and fell to my knees grabbing the monitor on either side as I saw the two smoldering buildings. At first, I didn’t believe my eyes and thought I was looking at a movie. So, I kept changing channels only to find the imagery remained the same. By this time, I was weeping profusely, crying out to God, while simultaneously trying to contact my wife and son who were back home in Naperville, Illinois. When I finally got through, my wife having just returned from picking up my son from school, was hysterical believing that our nation was under attack.
  I felt helpless to do anything as I watched alone in my hotel room as the other planes crashed. All I could think was: ‘WE” are at war, and I am in another nation on the other side of the world unable to get home to my family because the skies over America were closed down!! 
  For the next several hours all I could do was watch, pray, and weep as I saw people plunging one hundred stories to their death, millions of pieces of falling paper, and then the two buildings collapsing into huge clouds of dust and debris. Ironically, the firestorm, explosions, crashing metal, and suffocating dust did not discriminate between white, black, Asian and Hispanic—for over 3,000 Americans perished that infamous day from the evil of 25 scandalous terrorists and their leader Osama Bin Laden!
  On the contrary, at that one particular moment, America was unified as One Nation under God! The words of then-President George Bush still echo in my ears. As he was thanking all the first responders for their tireless work, one person shouted back that they could not hear him. Spontaneously, he turned and with a response now permanently etched into my heart and mind, as well as the hearts of all American patriots, Bush declared: “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon." The crowd erupted with cheers and began chanting, “USA! USA! USA! USA!"
  Although the horror of this time still haunts me, it is NOT the reason I am an American patriot. I do not proclaim my patriotism simply because I was born and raised in America. My patriotism comes through hard work, aka Bible research, and the study of American history both White and Black! Even as a child I was keenly aware that despite all of America’s faults something was different about this nation—but I didn’t know why. However, as I grew in the Word of God, I began to understand God’s view of history—which is called Providential History. P.H. rests upon the Sovereign nature of God which means that He rules over all; and nothing and no one is outside of His rulership. In addition, PH rests upon God’s nature of love and goodness. The bottom line of PH is that because God is good and reigns over all, He is constantly working to bring about His good will in our lives. This means that not only is God working to answer our prayers, but much more importantly, because our human knowledge is limited and we most often do not know what we need, nor can we always understand His divine purposes for our life, God works behind the scenes---apart from our knowledge---to bring about His good will for us!! One place this great truth is illustrated is the story of Joseph in Genesis 50 when he revealed himself to his brothers after they had sold him into slavery:
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”      
                       -Gen50:20 KJV
 
  When Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned for 13 years, God was working using the evil of his brother’s betrayal to prepare Joseph to “save much people alive”. As I looked at America, throughout our history, I also knew God was working behind the scenes using any evil in America’s past to bring about His good will for this nation:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  
                                     -Rom8:28
 
  It was this divine revelation that revealed God’s hand upon the nation directing the existence of Black people in America. I repeat, it was the goodwill of God that brought Blacks across the oceans in chains to America! Presently, American Blacks are overwhelmingly the most prosperous Black people on earth---including in all of Africa!!! And...it’s not even close!! More Blacks have come from Africa to America voluntarily over the last 20-40 years than were ever brought to America on slave ships!!!
  This is not an accident—but the divine hand of God—i.e.the Providence of God! Like God used the enslavement and imprisonment of Joseph to bless the world at that time, so God both turned and used the enslavement of Blacks, turning contemporary African-Americans into the most prosperous Blacks--not only in the present world---but in the history of the world!!  
  Charles Kaufman wrote, “If you don’t see the divine hand behind the scenes history becomes an incomprehensible enigma.” If both Blacks and Whites ignore the Providential Hand of God in American history, Americans will be filled with hatred and revenge!!! Tragically, we are now watching this unfold in our beloved America!!!
   Nevertheless, it is because of the Providential Hand of God upon America—Who turns evil into good(Gen50:20; Rom8:28)--that to my last breath--I am an American Patriot!!!! 

 
Quotebit
“I love the land that gave me birth. I love the stars and stripes. This country is where I intend to live, where I expect to die; to preserve the honor of the national flag and to maintain perpetually the union of the states, for which hundreds and I may say thousands of poor, brave and true-hearted colored men have fought, bled and died.”
 
-John Roy Lynch- born into slavery in 1847; he became the first black speaker of the house in Mississippi; the first black American to preside over a national convention occurred in 1884, the National Republican convention. 

  In the first 3 tidbits of this series, I have emphasized the point that God’s nature is infinite! Therefore, His infinite nature is foundational to all living and non-living things of His creation. Remember, the word infinite means without boundary. Another facet of God’s nature is Fatherhood*, which means provider. So, when both facets of His nature are practically applied to His creation, the conclusion is God provides for His own without boundaries. 
  For example, scripture says God opens His hand and provides for every living thing (Ps145:16). So, as THE infinite God, He can only provide without boundaries. Let’s be brutally honest, how can God provide for every living thing: from an amoeba, to an ant, to a bird, to a lion, to all of humanity, and be limited in His provision?!? And, what’s more, the God Who provides for every living thing provides as much as those living things desire to consume!!!!
  For example, in the wild each Killer Whale eats up to 375 lbs of food per day, but in captivity, they consume up to 500 lbs a day!!! Yet, also consider that these whales exist in ‘small pods’ that contain between 6-40 whales! That’s a lot of food!!! Furthermore, elephants spend 80% of their day eating and according to Sea World consume 330-375 lbs of vegetation per day!
  On a lesser note, lions in the wild require 10-25lbs of food daily; Gorillas 40 lbs of vegetation per day; Cranes only 3 lbs per day; Pelicans 4 lbs per day; small dogs less than 1 cup of food; and large dogs 3 cups of food daily; while cats require only ½ cup of food per day.
  As one considers the daily amount of food that a zoo requires, along with the ‘kind’ of food that each animal; bird; or sea creature requires, one can easily determine that zoo animals require a great deal of work…and money---just to feed!!! Of course, as we remember that God created the earth full (Ps24:1), and that He provides for every living thing using the earth. It becomes mind-boggling the amount of sustenance God has provided to man in fulfilling His promise Psalms 145:16: “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (NAS). Notice the NAS uses the word “desire”…not “needs”. In other words, my original point is that God not only provides what each living thing needs to exist…'BUT' also considers what they desire! This absolutely requires unlimited provision!!!
  Moreover, the incredible idea of ‘unlimited provision’ (Ps24:1) especially applies to mankind. For example, Jesus fed 5,000 people in Matthew 14:15-22, and in verse 20, scripture declares, “And they did all eat, and were filled.” Because some people could eat more, while others ate less, the source of the supply…had to be abundant in its capability to provide! There simply is no possible way for the apostles to estimate exactly how much food will ‘fill’ the stomachs of 5,000 men; especially when the probable number of people was upwards of 15,000, when considering the presence of the women and children!! In other words, when the disciples gave food to the people, they did not measure a certain amount, or limit the amount of food per person!! On the contrary, they fed people until they were filled! Why? Because God is a Father and cares to meet each individual person’s desire, which is the reason His provision must be abundant, i.e.more than enough! Of course, the proof of the abundant provision of Jesus is the remaining 12 baskets of leftovers!!!
  Remember, God’s infinite nature inspires His provision which means that provision must be without boundaries, and the reason it’s called ‘more than enough’! I repeat abundance is the nature of God’s provision…and His only standard!
  How do my previous points apply to financial prosperity? Ecclesiastes 5:19 declares, “Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.” This is a ‘mic-drop’ verse!!!
1.This text plainly teaches that ‘God’ gives “riches” and “wealth” to man! The Hebrew words for “riches” and “wealth” are the following:
-“riches” (nekec̨, neh´-kes) means to accumulate; treasure:—riches, wealth. -Strong’s
-"wealth” (ôsher, o´-sher) means wealth:—× far [richer], riches. -Strong’s
  I repeat, the text unequivocally declares that God gives, i.e.gifts, both riches and wealth to man!
2.The text teaches God gives to “every” man, not some men…riches and wealth! The word “every” is an all-encompassing word, which means it applies to all mankind—not just Israel!!!
3.The fact that God “empowers” man to eat from the “riches” and “wealth” means the words cannot refer to spiritual riches and wealth—because man requires physical food to be sustained.
4.The final phrase of the verse is the mic drop moment: “this is a gift of God”!! But…what exactly is a ‘gift’ of God? Although everything in the verse are gifts from God including “reward” and “labor”, however, the word “this” in the phrase “this is a gift from God” can only refer to “riches” and “wealth”—as gifts of God! Why? Because the first part of the verse says “…God has given…”; which can only mean what God gives, by the definition of the word “given”, must be a gift!!! So, when God gives “riches” and “wealth”—they are His gifts…to every man!!!! 
  Incredibly, in case one misunderstands Ecclesiastes 5:19, two verses later in 6:2, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 5:19 is repeated: “A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth….”  
  Furthermore, if one still chooses to miss the plain teaching of Ecclesiastes 5:19 and 6:2; God repeats Himself again in 1Chronicles 29:12 where King David prays: “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all…” In other words, in merely these scriptures the Bible irrefutably and undeniably declares God gives “riches” and “wealth” to mankind…which means they are gifts!!
  However, my following point is the mic-drop, of the mic-drop moment! If God gives “riches” and “wealth” to mankind, and God is infinite in His nature, how exactly are we to interpret this? Well, if we allow the words “riches” and “wealth” to retain their original definitions—and we do---then the reason Holy Scripture uses these two words to describe what God gives to mankind is because they are the only words that can define giving according to His infinite nature!!!!  In other words, everything that man possesses is a gift from God---whether in spirit, soul, body, or natural! Because one of the ways God gives to mankind is provision for his physical needs, when He provides physical things to meet man’s physical needs, it has to be according to His infinite nature!! Therefore, if God gives money to mankind---which Ecclesiastes 5:19; 6:2; and 1Chroncles 29:12 attest to--He can only give that money abundantly! This means the reason the Holy Spirit inspired the use of the words “riches” and “wealth” in the Biblical text is because those two words appropriately define the amount of money God provides!!!
  This is financial prosperity!
 
 
Quotebit
"If our posterity neglects religious instruction...no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."       -Daniel Webster

   In the last two tidbits I established that the application of the infinite nature of God to His creation manifests in the ‘potential to multiply’ in the area to which He has purposed. In other words, God can only create from Himself, i.e.His multi-faceted nature; and because just one of the facets of His nature is ‘infinite’*, that which He created will possess a sovereignly designed proportion of His infiniteness. This does not mean His creation is infinite or without limits. It means when the infinite God created the finite creation, the finite creation was affected by the infiniteness of God! However, because the finite is created, it cannot be infinite; but in the sovereignty of God He chooses to apply His infinite nature:
1.to the creation of His choice
2.and created with the degree of the infinite nature of His choice
Therefore, to those created things that possess the ‘potential to multiply’, the consequence of God’s infinite nature will result in unlimited productivity!
  For example, Marian Tupy, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and co-author of ‘Super Abundance’ writes, “Economic growth is less about resources which are limited, and more about knowledge, which is unlimited.” “The world is a closed system in the same way a piano is a closed system. The instrument has only 88 keys, but those keys can be played in an infinite number of ways. The same applies to our planet. The earth’s atoms may be fixed but the combinations of those atoms are infinite. What matters then is not the physical limits of our planet, but the human beings and their freedom to experiment and to re-imagine the use of resources that we have.”
  If you remember, the origin of Dr. Tupy’s points is the Holy Scripture that reveals the nature of God:
“And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof…” -Deut33:16
“Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.”
               -1Chron16:32
“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof…” -Ps24:1
“If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” -Ps50:12
“The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof”
               -Ps89:11
“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.” 
          -Ps96:11
“Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof” -Ps98:7
“For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” -1Cor10:26
“…for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” -1Cor10:28
 
  The Hebrew word for “fulness” is: melôw (Ezek. 41:8), mel-o´; from 4390; fulness (lit.) or fig.):—× all along, × all that is (there-) in, fill, (× that whereof … was) full, fulness, [hand-] full, multitude.     -Strong’s
 
The questions that obviously arise are:
           1-How did the earth become full?
           2-What is the earth full of?
           3-Why is the earth full?**
           4-Why was the word “fullness” chosen to describe the earth and
​                seas?
 
    I think the answers are obvious!
1-God created the earth full from Genesis 1:1
2-The earth is full of those things God purposely gifted to man in His creation
3-The earth is full so that man can fulfill his calling to “be fruitful” which refers to man’s unique purpose.
4.The word “fulness” was chosen so that those “who have ears to hear” can know the earth will NEVER run short of resources because God created it using His infinite nature of knowledge!
 
    Remember, a resource of the earth is contingent upon knowledge, which means knowledge creates resources from the earth’s existing material. In other words, when a portion of God’s omniscience is applied to the earth, a resource results. For example, before knowledge was applied to oil, it was only a hindrance when it bubbled to the surface of the earth. However, when knowledge was applied to oil---WALLA—the oil became ‘THE’ source of energy—empowering the world!!! I repeat, knowledge creates resources!
  Because God is omniscient (all-knowledge), yet also infinite; and because both are facets of His nature, each facet of His divine nature affects every other facet of His nature. Therefore, when humans apply the omniscience of God to the earth, that which the earth has the potential to produce becomes full, i.e. without limitation!!
  Therefore, when a human receives a revelation(Eph1:17) from God’s omniscience(Ps147:5; 1Cor2:9,10) and applies it to the earth, the God-designed result is the creation of a resource, or something man can use for his benefit. As a particular creation of man is used to benefit man, it ultimately ends in financial prosperity. Or, more accurately…unlimited financial prosperity!!

 
*infinite means without boundary, i.e. limitless.
** …AND the seas (Ps98:7)!!!!
 
 
Quotebit
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose your feelings is to risk revealing your true self. To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd, is to risk rejection. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing at all. People who will risk nothing --- do nothing, have nothing, and become nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live. Chained by their certitudes, they are slaves. They have forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is truly free.
                                    -unknown

In the first tidbit of this series, I focused on ‘one’ aspect of the nature of God: infinite. As a reminder, the word ‘infinite’ means God is without boundaries*; or cannot be restricted.
  First, God’s nature is multifaceted, yet He is one. To help with this tidbit, I need to remind you of another facet of God’s nature: father**. One definition of father is provider. Because God is a father, He provides, or is the source of supply, for every living thing(Ps145:16).
   Second, every facet of God’s nature affects every other facet of His nature.*** Therefore, the infinite nature of God and fatherhood nature of God inform us ‘how’ God provides for His own: unlimited or abundant supply. In other words, God exists as an abundant provider!
    Obviously, if God is an abundant provider for every living thing the question that immediately arises is: Why is man’s past and present so filled with mind-boggling poverty, lack, destitution, and starvation?
   There is no simple ‘natural’ answer to this complex question. However, what I can unequivocally declare is the answer to life’s difficulties begins with God, not man. In short, man’s opinion does not work because:
1.Mankind was designed to understand how life works through Christ (Jn1:4,9)
2.Mankind’s sin-tainted nature hinders our understanding of both God and reality, so often resulting in deception at worst, or seeing (understanding) through a glass darkly (1Cor13:12) at best.
   Let’s continue! The earth is full(Ps24:1), which means, and I repeat, God designed the earth to supply the need/desire of every living thing(Ps145:16).  But of what is the earth “full”? Simply, the earth is full of everything useful to mankind to help him produce! Therefore, because God’s ‘first’ command to man was “be fruitful” (productive-Gen1:26-28), He intended for man to use the earth for his provision.
   For example, after man’s fall in Genesis 4, Cain became a tiller of the ground and Abel became a keeper of sheep. Because God had already given them the mandate to take dominion (Gen1:28) over the earth—they had to ‘work’ in these areas to provide for themselves and family. Therefore, to be productive requires God’s gift of the earth as well as His mandate to work to make the earth produce.
   Another example is Deuteronomy 28, which reveals God’s blessing and curse of which both are contingent upon the action of obedience to God’s word. For example, Deuteronomy 28:1-3 declares obedience to God’s word is rewarded with “blessing” in the city and field. The word “blessing” does not mean a person’s obedience inspires God to drop “blessings” from heaven on mankind like an apple drops from a tree. On the contrary, “God’s blessing” requires man to work using spirit, soul, and body---the consequence is productivity, also known as increase. This is the definition of prosperity!
    Furthermore, Deuteronomy 28:4 declares obedience results in the blessing of God on the fruit of your body; fruit of your ground; fruit of your cattle; fruit of your herds; fruit of your flocks of sheep. First, notice everything mentioned in verse 4 is either an animal or originates in the earth. Second, notice these things are natural, which means the “blessing” is upon natural things. Third, and most importantly, the word “blessing” (barak) describes “HOW” God affects, or increases, or prospers those natural things!!! In other words, the context of Deuteronomy 28:4 describes the increase, i.e.prosperity of the word “barak” on natural things!! I repeat, when the Hebrew word “barak” (blessing) is applied to earthly things like animals, or plants, or crops, etc., those natural things increase or prosper! I repeat, this is PROSPERITY!!!
    Therefore, God created in His creation the ‘potential to multiply’ which is why one planted corn seed does not yield one piece of corn!!! On the contrary, one seed planted can multiply into a harvest of abundance!!! But…but…but…why is this true? Who made a seed to multiply, not only into a harvest but into a harvest that is filled with seeds…and within each seed  the potential to  multiply into further harvests...also filled with seeds? Genesis 1:11 & 8:22 offer the answer:
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”  Gen1:11
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease             -Gen8:22
 
  These simple truths affirm that the Creator God created the ‘potential to multiply’… in His creation! Therefore, as mankind uses the creation to produce, that productivity has inherent potential to multiply without limit!!
   The ‘potential to multiply’ inherent to God’s creation is ‘THE’ foundation for prosperity! 

 
 
*2Chron2:6
**Lu11:2; Eph1:3
***Because God is infinite, His nature must also be eternal, i.e.without a beginning or end. Eternality cannot exist without the infinite, and vice versa. This is true of every facet of God’s nature.
 
Quotebit
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dictionary.com defines ‘economics’ as
1.(used with a singular verb) the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind.
2.(used with a plural verb) Financial considerations; economically significant aspects: What are the economics of such a project?
   Very simply, economics is the ‘science’ of money i.e.finances! In other words, how money is created and used.
   The great economist Thomas Sowell writes in his massive work ‘Basic Economics’, “The Garden of Eden was a system for the production and distribution of goods and services, but it was not an economy, because everything was available in unlimited abundance. Without scarcity, there is no need to economize—and therefore no economics. A distinguished British economist named Lionel Robbins gave a classic definition of economics: “Economics is the study of the use of scarce resources which have alternative uses. What does scarce mean? It means what everybody wants adds up to more than there is.””
   Immediately, this very simple definition rejects the anti-prosperity preachers’ hook-line-and-sinker!! Why? Drs Sowell & Robbins cite two important points:
1.Abundance
2.Scarcity
   Regarding abundance, Dr. Sowell uses the example of the Garden of Eden. As Christians, from the Garden of Eden we understand not only the reality of its existence but its God-created purpose: to provide for all mankind--not just for Adam and Eve. Secondly, Dr. Sowell uses the phrase: “unlimited abundance” to describe its provision. Incredibly, this is an ‘absolute truth’ regardless of how Dr. Sowell intended for its use in his statement. In other words, Dr. Sowell’s statement was not simply an incidental, trivial remark, but the ‘WILL’ of God for mankind’s provision!!!  I repeat, the Garden of Eden expresses God’s will for mankind’s provision as being “unlimited abundance”!
  The point offered by Mr. Robbins’ is: Scarcity; which perhaps ‘might’ be more appropriately used to describe the condition of mankind after the fall.  For example, after Adam’s sin, God said in Genesis 3:
17.…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18.Thorns also and thistles shall it (earth) bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread… (KJV)

The clear, unmistakable teaching of these 3 verses is that for fallen man, hard work and sweat are now the reality to access God’s provision of abundance for mankind.  In other words, God’s good will of ‘unlimited abundance’ remained in the earth despite man’s fallen nature.  However, the curse placed on the earth now makes it necessary for man to ‘sweat and toil’ to access God’s unlimited abundance provided for mankind beginning at the creation.
   Allow me to further elaborate. In other words, when God brought righteous judgment upon Eve, Adam, and the earth for their sin, His wrath made it more difficult for humanity to possess His original abundance: “sweat of thy face”(Gen3:19). Yet, God’s judgment neither restricted nor hindered the potential for abundance He created in the earth from the beginning*. Therefore, there is now an ‘appearance of scarcity’ which economists recognize as the earth’s present reality!!!
  Yet, the ‘appearance of scarcity’ did not immediately ‘appear’ when God spoke the curse, but in His abundant mercy(Ps136), He allowed the Garden of Eden to remain until Noah’s flood destroyed it some 1500-2000 years later. I repeat, the scarcity to which economists now refer, hides God’s original abundance* requiring mankind to use hard work and sweat to retrieve it---which is why I call it an ‘appearance of scarcity’.  Remember, God created the earth with abundance* and then gifted** it to mankind and, He does not take back His gifts***! 
  Therefore, the ‘unlimited abundance’ of the Garden of Eden teaches us something very significant about God’s nature. First, Romans 1:20 declares: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”.
   The above passage teaches God’s marvelous creation reveals/unveils His nature--because God can only create from His nature! So, what is that aspect of God’s nature that allowed Him to create ‘unlimited abundance’? From Romans 1:20 and the Garden of Eden we learn that God created from his Infinite nature—which means without boundary. Furthermore, because God’s nature also includes Fatherhood, and fathers provide; therefore when God provides, He must do so according to His infinite nature—which means His provision for mankind must be ‘unlimited’---hence, the ‘unlimited abundance’ of Eden!****
   Therefore, from the Creation---to this day---and throughout all of eternity—because God's His nature is:
            Constant: He cannot change (Mal3:6)
            Good: He can only give good in: spirit, soul, and body (Ps119:68;
                        Jms1:17)
            Infinite: He can only give ‘unlimited abundance’ i.e.more than
                           enough (Phil4:19; Lu9:14,17)
   …God’s provision must align with His infinite nature!!!
 
  In conclusion, because God is good and does good(Ps119:68); and because He provides not only for our survival, but also for our thriving, i.e.our unique purpose, therefore, Psalms 145:16 declares, “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” And, Philippines 4:19 says, God provides for us from His riches in Glory. Therefore, considering that God not only provides for ‘every living thing’, but also as much as those living things desire, can either His “riches” or “riches in glory” …be limited? Impossible! Why? And I repeat, because God is infinite:
1.His provision must be abundant for every living thing
2.He provision can never run out
Hence, God’s infinite nature, which directs His provision, can only result in ‘unlimited abundance’ for every living thing…especially man’s provision!!
 
*The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof… -Ps 24:1
**… but the earth has He given to the children of men  -Ps115:16
*** For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  -Rom11:29
****Eden was part of the unlimited abundance of the earth—Ps24:1
 
QuoteBit
“The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.” 
​                                 - Albert Einstein