"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." -Deuteronomy 8:17, 18

     "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires and plunge men into ruin and destruction." -1 Timothy 6:6-9

"And He [Jesus] said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness-the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more; for a man's life does not consist and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance, or that which is over and above his needs. -Luke 12:15 Amplified Bible

Jesus:] "So do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." -Matthew 6:31

"Imagine the surge of missionary outreach if, when blessed with finances beyond our needs we would increase our level of giving instead of raising our standard of living. Our living and giving both need to be done in light of eternity." -Nelson Coblentz (Year end letter 2008); Gospel Express Ministries   www.gospelexpressionline.org

Mercy to the Needy

As we enter more and more into His presence through much tribulation, we will come forth with more of His compassion for the poor and needy and will discover that there is greater joy in giving than in receiving. I believe in troubled times, we will be drawn more to "people" than things. Relationships will become more precious than gold and silver, and we may discover that less with God is really more. The answer to any economic shaking is written right on our money, "In God We Trust!" Bill Yount Blowing the Shofar Ministries 

What are the super-wealthy doing with their money? As Robert Frank of The Wall Street Journal has pointed out in his book Richistan, the super wealthy, those worth between $100 million to $1 billion, spent an average of $182,000 on wrist watches; $311,000 on automobiles; $397,000 on jewelry; and $169,000 on spa services last year alone. The middle class is shrinking, poverty is increasing, and the wealthiest Americans have not had it so good since the 1920s. That is the state of our economy.-Bernie Sanders, Vermont Senator 01-31-08

Economics: the science of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

Food Movements Unite

     An economic principle: Poverty exists where a people consume more than they produce; on the other hand, prosperity exists where a people produce more than they consume.

It is written: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decide in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -2 Corinthians 9:6, 7

 "Christianity puts an end to the world's labels and prestige. ... A non-Christian society is an acquisitive (tendency or seeking to acquire, often greedily) society where each man is out to amass as much as he can get. A Christian society is a society where no man dares to have too much while others have too little, where every man must get only to give away."  -William Barkley, The Gospel of Luke, ©1975

Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.  -Adam Smith

www.iccc.net  International Christian Chamber of Commerce -A global network for Christians in Business and a Platform for the message of Christ in the Marketplace. "The mission of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) is to serve as a vehicle in extending the operation and principles of wisdom, love and the rule of God Almighty into the marketplaces of the world."
 

www.endpoverty.org "This faith-based organization demonstrates God's love for the poor by enabling them to free themselves from poverty." -Newt Gringrich