Financial Freedom Seminar

Alistair Huong

South Bay SDA Church

The Power to Get Wealth: Does God Want Me to Be a Millionaire?

Our topic, you see on the screen, the power to get wealth?

But before we get any further, I want to just, again, remind us where we've come from, where we're headed.

So last week we discussed the topic there, neither poverty nor riches.

I'm going to share in just a moment how you can get a copy of the recording from last week and also the slides.

How to get that, I'll give you a link in just a moment.

Tonight we're gonna be talking about the power to get wealth and next week we're talking about debt.

Slaves to the lender, practical tips on dealing with debt and I'll share a story of how my wife and I paid off our house in 2 years.

And that tends to get people's attention.

But also how to buy a car without a car loan.

I'll be giving you some practical tips and what I think about credit cards and things of that nature.

And then we're going to take a break on July 4.

Everyone's going to go light some money on fire and let them make beautiful colors in the sky.

And then after that, 3 more weeks, We'll be talking about counting the costs, saving, spending, and budgeting.

And then that's all about budgeting and spending plan and all of that.

The fifth session, we'll be talking about investing.

And investing is always the number 1 question I get whenever I do these seminars.

So Just so you're aware, I will not be telling you what to invest in.

But I'll be sharing principles so that you can make your own informed decisions on how to select your investments.

And then number 6, our last session we'll be talking about financial planning, which really is going to be a comprehensive bird's eye view of how do you manage every aspect of your finances as well as dealing with finances through the seasons of life.

So that's our preview of where we're going.

Get your cell phones ready, ladies and gentlemen.

This is how you can access the recordings from previous last week, as well as this will be the link going forward.

Every week, as soon as I'm able to edit and get it posted, you will see the new presentations there and the slides that I am using will all be made available.

And there's a nice big QR code so you should, you don't really need to take a picture, you should be able to just use a QR code.

All right, so I'll give everyone just a few more moments to take the photo here and to scan their QR code.

Or you can just look on audioverse.org and look up my name and it will be the most recent presentations there.

Alright, We're going to review a couple of verses that we talked about last week regarding wealth.

That's really the purpose or the focus of our study this evening.

We discussed how wealth is kind of a paradoxical thing last week, where there's a lot of warnings against excessive wealth, there's warnings about the rich people at the end of time, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

But then we also read these statements from the Bible as well.

Third John 2 says, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.

And then Deuteronomy 8 verse 18, but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth.

And you notice that's where we get the title of our presentation tonight.

It is God that giveth us power to get wealth.

Well, if wealth is a bad thing, why would he give us the power to do it?

In fact, the next passage right here, Deuteronomy 28, 11.

And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give to you.

The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give rain to your lands in a season, and to bless all the work of your hands.

And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." So wealth is still promoted in scripture.

And I know, let me just review, last week we discussed that the threshold, the biblical definition of wealth and prosperity is to have enough.

So it's not to have excessive wealth, to have more than we need, but it's to have what's needed to meet our needs.

And you know, wealth is 1 of those things, it's simultaneously something we all aspire to, but then it's also something that we kind of wag our tongues at.

All the Wall Street fat cats, the 1%, they need to pay their fair share in taxes, right?

We hear about this in the news all the time, But then when we think about our children and going to college, it's like, well, why do you want to take that major?

You're not going to be able to make a living.

And so all of people, you know, in the Asian culture, the parents are like, you want to be a doctor, right?

And then when we build big sanctuaries like what we're here, like what we're sitting in here, like we're very happy when somebody writes that big check to pay off the building.

So wealth is simultaneously this bad, evil, sinful, type of thing, but then secretly over here we're like, man I kind of wish we had some.

And when we're trying to raise money for God's work, we really wish we had some wealthy people in our congregation.

So the Bible gives us this paradox, but tonight I want to spend some time really thinking about wealth in a practical way.

So how much do I need to earn to be wealthy?

Seems like a question that I started wondering when I was a little kid.

Well, let's keep thinking together because a little clue, this is a bit of a trick question.

Okay, This is how we have to measure wealth.

Your assets minus your liabilities equals your net worth.

If anybody has taken basic accounting, you will know this.

This is what is revealed in a balance sheet, if you have familiarity with financial statements.

So what are assets and what are liabilities?

Well, Simply put, assets are things that we own.

Assets are things like cash in the bank, our investments, like in our 401k at work or IRA, our stocks and bonds, properties, like rental properties, and our personal residence, vehicles.

Liabilities are things that we owe or their debts, generally speaking.

So student loans, credit cards, car notes, mortgages, business loans, etc, etc.

You take everything that you own, the value of those things, you add them up, and then you take the value of all the things you owe, you subtract liability from assets, and what you have left is your net worth.

Trey earns $50, 000 a year, which as of now is below the U.S.

Mark Finley

HopeLives365

13 Ablaze with God’s Glory

We come to the last of our lessons in this series titled 3 Cosmic Messages.

I've titled this lesson, A Blaze with God's Glory.

The glory of the book of Revelation is the glory of Christ.

Revelation chapter 1 verse 1 says, the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must surely come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John, is the revelation of Jesus.

Jesus is the Lamb of God throughout the book of Revelation.

He is mentioned at least 27 times in Revelation as the Lamb of God.

In Revelation there is a great contrast between the Lamb of God and the dragon, and the incredible good news is that the Lamb wins, that Jesus Christ is victorious over the principalities and powers of hell.

With everything targeted against God's people, with everything focused to destroy God's people, God's people win.

Revelation is the story of the great controversy.

It's the story of the conflict between good and evil.

Now, in this last lesson, we point out very clearly that sooner or later, final events are going to unfold.

Now, exactly when and how they're going to unfold, we may not be sure of every precise event, but we do know there'll be a conflict over worship, a conflict over man's way and God's way, a conflict between human tradition and divine revelation, a conflict between the teachings of man when it comes to worship on Sunday and the teachings of Christ when it comes to Sabbath and the seventh day of the week.

To prepare for that final crisis, God gives us an appeal throughout scripture.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 1 to 5, we read, But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you.

You know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

So Christ's coming is quickly, rapidly, unexpectedly.

For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor planes upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so this day should overtake you as a thief.

You are all sons of light and sons of day.

Therefore let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober." So the purpose of the book of Revelation and the purpose of all prophecy, according to the Apostle Paul speaking to the church at Thessalonica, John wrote the book of Revelation, Paul wrote Thessalonians.

Paul says, and he coordinates his message of course with John, because all the Bible is given by inspiration of God, and we see the interlinkage of Bible passages.

The call of the hour is to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

And Ellen White adds in Testimonies volume 8, page 28, in it's under Sunday's lesson, it is a statement that has really moved me personally.

We who know the truth should be preparing for what's soon to break upon the world is an overwhelming surprise.

So the events that are going to take place in the history of the world are going to be a surprise, they're going to be an overwhelming surprise to the population of this world.

But to us who have eyes divinely enlightened through the Holy Spirit's revelation in the book of Revelation, we will not be surprised, but we will sense the power of the living God in these last days as he unfolds truth through the Holy Spirit to make it clear to us.

There are 3 passages in the book of John that to me are very helpful.

Jesus says in John 8, verse 32, under Monday's lesson, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

If you're teaching this lesson or you're studying it, don't miss John 7, verse 17.

It says, if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether I speak of man or myself.

So knowing God's will is contingent upon the willingness to do God's will.

If any man will do his will, he shall know.

So the willingness to do God's will, the desire in the heart to please God opens the mind to be receptive to the Holy Spirit's divine truth.

Then Jesus says in John 17, 17, sanctify them through thy word, thy word is truth.

First, Jesus says, and you shall know the truth so the truth can be known.

Secondly, if any man will do his will, you have a willing heart to know truth.

So as we say, as we saturate our minds with the word of God, he reveals truth to us.

It's to continue on the shoulders of the great reformers.

The great reformers in the past emphasized the Word of God as Scripture, sola scriptura, as the basis of truth.

They emphasized Christ as the only Savior, Christ the 1 that has redeemed us on the cross, Christ the 1 who ascended, who resurrected, who ascended to heaven, Christ the 1 who intercedes for us.

So here we find the emphasis in Tuesday's lesson on the fact that the Reformation continues.

There were many truths that the reformers did not discover, many truths that they were not aware of.

Many of them didn't understand the truth about death.

They didn't understand the truth about the Sabbath.

So God has raised up an end time last day movement to call men and women from the errors of Babylon, apostate religion opposed to God.

And we find this in Revelation 18 verse 1.

Revelation the 18th chapter in the first verse.

This is where we get the title for today's lesson.

After these things, Revelation 18, 1, I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority.

It means the triumph of the principalities and powers of hell.

The earth was illuminated with God's glory.

According to Exodus, it's his character of goodness, graciousness, kindness, compassion, integrity, righteousness, truth.

Because God has raised up a group of people filled with his love, charmed by his grace, redeemed by his power, that go out to the ends of the earth as ambassadors for Christ.

And it says, he cries mightily, Babylon is fallen, is fallen.

It's become the habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird.

The nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." So what is the wine?

So the false church, Babylon, apostate religion, unites with the kingdoms of this world.

And notice verse 4, "'And the merchants of earth.'" So you have this triumvirate of error and you have the triumvirate of truth.

The triumvirate of truth is the father, the son and the Holy Spirit.

The triumvirate of error is the beast, the political powers of the world and the economic power.

So you have religious, political, and economic powers that unite in a great power block.

And in 1 of the vehicles of their unity is the first day of the week worship and also the immortality of the soul.

It says, verse 3, "'The nations have drunk of the wine "'of the wrath of her fornication.'" So you have false doctrine that unites them.

But I heard another voice from heaven, verse 4, saying, "'Come out of her, my people, lest you share her sins.'" What is sin?

First John 3, verse 4, sin is the transgression of the law.

So here God's people, Jesus says, my sheep hear my voice and they know me and they follow me.

1, the earth will be filled with the glory of God.

2, that there'll be a great triumphant of error with the apostate religion with political, religious and economic powers.

And thirdly, that God will give a call to his people who will respond.

It says in Revelation 19 there, and verse 1, that the great controversy between good and evil is about God's honor, about God's reputation.

And in Revelation 19, 1, it talks about, it introduces the 4 hallelujahs.

And it's amazing when you look at these 4 hallelujahs, all of heaven is rejoicing, saying, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Doug Batchelor

Amazing Facts

The Thief on the Cross

This presentation is brought to you by the Friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry.

There's really only 2 kings in this world.

You can either serve Jesus or you serve the enemy.

People hate to think of it that way, but you've really got Christ or Satan, that's all you have.

Some folks say, well I'm not going to get involved, I'm neutral.

He said you're either with me or against me.

You know I want to share something with you that is always fascinating to me.

It's a passage you find in the book of Isaiah that sort of outlines the science of salvation.

Chapter 6 is where you find Isaiah's conversion experience.

And it says, In the year that King Uzziah died, this is Isaiah 6 1, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

He sees the Lord in the year that his king died.

And it tells us above his throne stood the seraphim, these angelic creatures.

With 2 he covered his face, with 2 he covered his feet and with 2 he flew.

And 1 cried to another the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Now what would you do if you saw something like that?

Well Isaiah saw the glory of God, he saw the holiness of God and he was overwhelmed.

And he said, Woe is me, I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

He repents and confesses of his sin after he sees the goodness of God and the power of God.

Then 1 of the seraphim flew to me having his hand of coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar and he touched my mouth with it and he said, Behold, this is touched your lips.

As soon as he sees God, he confesses, he repents.

And after he's cleansed from his sin, it says, then I heard the voice of the Lord.

You know, after you come to the Lord, you repent of your sin and you wash from sin, you hear God speaking in a new way.

It's like when Christ came out of the water, there is his voice from heaven.

God speaks to us and guides us through his spirit in a new way when we're converted.

And that voice says, who will I send and who will go for us?

The Bible tells us the goodness of God leads us to repentance.

But it really is all summed up in first he saw the Lord and not only did he see the Lord, the Bible tells us he saw the Lord in the year that his king died.

You know, it's at the cross that we really see the Lord the best.

And as I mentioned in our opening remarks, this is what the world refers to as a good Friday that time when 2000 years ago, Jesus successfully culminated the plan of salvation by living a sinless life and then dying in our behalf.

And when we really see what God has done for us, that has a transformational power.

And you know, that I think is the key to revival.

I want to take you to that and we're going to go to Luke chapter 23.

And this is the message is really the thief on the cross as you've gathered.

Then 1 of the criminals were hanged, crucified, blasphemed him saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.

But the other answering rebuked him saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

And we indeed justly, for we receive the due rewards for our deeds.

But this man, Jesus, had done nothing wrong.

Then he turns and he says to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

And Jesus said to him, assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.

Now you don't find this story in Matthew or Mark or John.

It's only here in the Gospel of Luke that he gives that account.

I'm so glad that it's there because this story of an 11th hour conversion really gives a lot of people hope.

Now, I don't recommend that anybody waits till the 11th hour before they make their decision to come to the Lord.

I think it was Matthew Henry that said 1 time, there is 1 example of an 11th hour conversion in the Bible, So nobody needs to lose hope.

But then he added, keep in mind, there is only 1 example of an 11th hour conversion.

I think people that plan on waiting until the final hours of their life before they surrender their lives to the Lord usually doesn't work out that way.

We don't know whether or not we're going to die suddenly.

You want to give the Lord your life and your best now.

Because it's always better to live the Christian life than to wait and live for the devil and offer to the Lord the leftovers just before you drop off into the grave.

Now, there have been some people that praise the Lord.

I was at more than 1 hospital bed when somebody gave their heart to the Lord and I prayed with them in just the final days of their life.

And I believe I'll see them in the kingdom.

But you don't ever want to plan your life that way.

Now, when we're looking at this story, there's so many things we can learn from this.

Back to Menu

All Teachings

The Power to Get Wealth: Does God Want Me to Be a Millionaire?

54m

13 Ablaze with God’s Glory

11m

The Thief on the Cross

28m

Marguerite of Navarre: Faith over France

11m

Ulrich Zwingli: Of Switzerland and Sola Scriptura

11m

The Fiery Ripple Effect

47m

The Last Days of Saul

15m

13 Ablaze With God’s Glory

29m

Martin Luther: Captive Conscience

11m

13 Ablaze With God’s Glory

30m

Neither Poverty Nor Riches: Busting Common Money Myths

57m

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

5m

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