God Provides
rough week for the macbook this past week. 
On wednesday morning I turned on my laptop to find that this pic to the right is all it was going to. I had a feeling it was going to happen, but up my faithful macbook crashed. After about an hour of CPR I realized i needed to take it in. It was at this moment that I began to wish I had bought the apple care (extended warranty) for all you non mac folks.
I took the lap top down to the ala mo apple store and they confirmed that the hard drive was dead. Shortly after giving me that crushing blow they added that they would replace the hard drive for free. Thats right. FREE. I was stoked to say the least. Dont know why it was free, and I dont really care, Ill take it.
Here is just another instance of God keeping His promise to provide. We are tithers and we claim the rights of tithers. Even though our finances may not be exactly where we would like it to be, GOD PROVIDES.
notes
-i did loose all my data so if you are a mac user buy a hard drive, plug it in and turn on your time machine. I seriously love time machine, and wish i knew about it BEFORE my mac crashed.
-found out that macbooks bought between 2006-2007 may be eligible for hard drive replacement.
-ON PROVISION: Sunday afternoon I received an email that someone was giving us an extra $450 this month. Can I say it again… GOD PROVIDES!!!!
God, money, and the poor
Why should we give to the poor?????
-Because God rewards those who are kind to the poor
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. – Prov 19:17
-Because if we give to the poor, we will lack nothing
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. – Prov 28:27
Wisdom is definitely a huge factor as we give to the poor. We should be selective as to who, how, and when we should give.
In the end though we must realize that God has called us to give.
rich to be generous
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. – 2Cor 9:11
This principle of generosity is very simple.
As we understand God’s heart to be generous we will be entrusted to act on this generosity.
As God sees that we are generous people He then knows that we can be trusted with finances. The idea is that God provides wealth so that we can be generous.
God promises
In a time of financial uncertainty we must remember God’s covenant promises.
-Adam
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28
-Noah
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. Genesis 9:3
-Abraham
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:2
Gods promises to these men are also promises to us today. We must remember that as we serve the God of Adam, Noah, and Abraham, we are also entitled to the inheritance of Adam, Noah and Abraham.
Jesus always comes through
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:19
During times of uncertainty I become forgetful of how God has always provided.
Heres some examples from my life:
-He provided when I did real estate and sold maybe 2 houses in a year.
-He provided when I moved out and was in real estate
-He provided when I decided to move to the Philippines
-He provided when we got married.
-He provided for me and the wife on my income as a single until I had a chance to go back to Hawaii.
-He provided us a car as we began our life as a newly married couple.
-He provided us with opportunities to go to Bohol, Malaysia, Cebu, and Hawaii last year.
When life gets a little bit tough we sometimes forget how God has provided for us. We must always remember the promises of God when it comes to provision.
How has God provided in your life????
a good investment
I am not a financial planner, but I do know a little bit about investments.
I know that a good investment will give me a return on my investment. I know that if I do not invest any money I can expect to get any money back in return. I know that a great investment is one where I have a high percentage of getting my money back and earning a profit.
Would you be interested if I told you I knew an investment that promises a return so large no bank would be able to take your deposit??
The bible talks about an investment where if we make it we will not have enough room in the bank to contain the return.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Mal 3:10
In this tough financial time we must remember that if we are not tithing the full 10% of our income we make ourselves ineligible for a return that God promises in his word.
Jesus: My Financial Adviser
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, 
and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Luke 5:4-6
Peter was the fisherman. Peter spent all night fishing and was unable to catch anything. There was a recession at lake Gennesarat. Peter must have been tired and frustrated. Maybe even a little worried since the fish was his income.
Imagine being a business owner and after an entire month of work selling nothing.
Fishing was his profession and Jesus was a carpenter. I wonder why a carpenter would even dare talk to a fisherman about his profession.
When our ideas and methods are gone and we are desperate we must remember that Jesus is the answer. As crazy as it may be to go to someone who knows nothing of our business for an answer this sometimes is exactly what we need for a breakthrough.
God is my source
We recently got back from a trip to Hawaii. While in 
Hawaii the news was pretty much the same everyday. These people losing jobs, those companies closing, and a bunch of other headlines that were similar.
Many people in Hawaii and the US are facing some very tough economic times. As we face these economic challenges I am reminded of the truth that God is above all economic projections, interest rates, and the stock market. God is the source of individuals wealth, and in this challenging season I beleive that we must come back to this foundational truth in our lives.
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. – Dt 8:18
