The Biblical Truth

Behind Economic Cycles

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ECONOMIC CYCLES

BOOM2006/7

RECESSION2012???

BOOM2010/1

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RECESSION2008/9

STI (1988 – 2011)

Causes of

Booms And

Recessions???

SYMPTOMS

BOOM RECESSION

full employmentbetter jobswage increaseshigher bonusesspend,spend,

unemploymentretrenchmentscost cutting bonuses ???cut, cut, cut

GEN 41 – JOSEPH

7 FAT COWS - 7 LEAN COWS

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THE BEGINNING OF ECONOMIC CYCLES

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FAMINE

PLENTY

BOOM RECESSION

If you know that after a boom, a recession will come,

WHAT MUST YOU DO???

save

JUST AS JOSEPH TOLD PHAROAH

Gen 41:34

Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to

take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of

abundance. 10

“save for the rainy day”

God uses recessions

to transfer wealth to

His people

#1 - ABRAHAM (ABRAM)

Gen 12:10 – 13:2v10 - Now there was a famine in the land.....

v13:2 – Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

#2 - ISAAC

Gen 26:1-33v1 - Now there was a famine in the land

V12 - Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold…..and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.

#3 - JOSEPH

Gen 47:20-21So Joseph bought all the land in

Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was

too severe for them …..and Joseph reduced the people to

servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.

SAVINGS IS ENCOURAGED IN THE BIBLE

Proverbs 21:20

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all

he has.

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BUT THERE ARE RULES

#1 - Give before saving

#2 - Save Regularly

#1 - GIVE BEFORE SAVING

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your

wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

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#2 - SAVE REGULARLY

Proverbs 21:5

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to

poverty.

Proverbs 13:11b……He who gathers money little by

little makes it grow19

#3 - HOW MUCH SHOULD WE SAVE?

Gen 41:34 – The Joseph Principle

20 %

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WHAT TO SAVE FOR?

Emergencies - medical - retrenchment

Major purchases - down payment on a home

Long-term needs - retirement - children’s

education 21

TITHE BEFORE YOU SAVE

#1 Tithe 10%

#2 Save 20%

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God’s promises on Tithing & Giving

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

ACTS 20:35

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If you are great, people will serve you…

“The rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave..”

Matt 20:25-27

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

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To lead, you have to serve.

Luke 9:48 For he who is least among you all – he is the

greatestMark 9:35 “If anyone wants to be

first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

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Die to live

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his

life for me will find it. Matt 16:25

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

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To be exalted, you have to be humble

…..for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever

humbles himself will be exalted.Matt 23:12

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

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To be wise, you have to be foolish

I Cor 3:18-19 “If anyone of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the

wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight…”

I Cor 1: 27-28 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame

the wise…..”

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

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To receive, you have to give

“Give, and it will be given to you.” Luke 6:38

……A man reaps what he sows. Gal 6:7

THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S SYSTEM

Phil 4:17

“Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be

credited to your account.”

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I Kings 17:7-16 The Widow of Zarephath

…..For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

#1 - GIVE AND THE BLESSINGS OF GOD WILL FLOW

Deu 14:29..so that the Levites (who have no allotment or

inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your

towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the

work of your hands.

Malachi 3:10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there

may be food in my house…….

#2 - PURPOSE OF THE TITHE

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• Give out of a heart of love - I Cor 13:3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

• Give cheerfully - II Cor 9:7

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly nor under compulsion, for God loves

a cheerful giver.

#3 – GIVE WITH RIGHT ATTITUDE

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Proverbs 3:9

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your

crops;

#4 - GIVE TO GOD FIRST

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Deu 14:22Be sure to set aside a tenth of all

that your fields produce each year

Heb 7:5Now the law requires the

descendants of Levi who became priests to collect a tenth from the

people….

#5 - AMOUNT TO GIVE 3

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Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be

food in my house……

#6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?

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I Cor 9:14 In the same way, the Lord has

commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living

from the gospel. Gal 6:6

… Anyone who receives Instruction in the word must share all good things

with his instructors

#6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?

MISSIONARIES & MINISTRIES

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I Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his

relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the

faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

#6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?- THE FAMILY

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Deu 24:19 – 21 ..the aliens, the fatherless & the widows

Matt 25:34-45 ………I tell you the truth, whatever you

did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me

#6 - THE POOR & NEEDY

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Proverbs 14:31 whoever is kind to the needy honors

God.

Proverbs 22:9A generous man will himself be

blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

#6 - THE POOR & NEEDY

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Proverbs 11:24-25 one man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but

comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who

refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

BLESSINGS - GIVING CAN PRODUCE A MATERIAL INCREASE

TO THE GIVER

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II Cor 9:6-11…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows

generously will also reap generously.

BLESSINGS

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Luke 6:38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,

shaken together and running over, will be poured into your

lap.

BLESSINGS

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Proverbs 28:27He who gives to the poor will lack

nothing, But he who closes his eyes to

them receives many curses.

YOUR PROVISIONS

Proverbs 10:22The blessing of the Lord brings

wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

BLESSINGS

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Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine.

Proverbs 3:10

…so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your hands.

Deu 14:29You will be blessed in the city and

blessed in the country…Deu 28:2 – 13

BLESSINGS

Malachi 3:11-12“I will prevent pests from

devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast

their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations

will call you blessed for yours will be a delightful land.”

GOD WILL PROTECT YOUR MONEY4

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Mal 3:8-9

…”will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?” in tithes and offerings. You

are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing

me.”

#7 - THE CURSE

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Deu 28:30; Zep1:13You will build a house, but you will not live in

it.

Deu 28:38; Zep 1:13You will sow much seed in the field but you

will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.

You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the

grapes..

#7 - THE CURSE

Haggai 1:6 You have planted much, but have harvested little.

You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on

clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.

Haggai 1: 9 You expected much, but see, it turned out to be

little. What you brought home, I blew away....

#7 - THE CURSE

Proverbs 21:13If a man shuts his ears to the cry of

the poor, he too will cry out and not be

answered.

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

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Blessing or CurseThe choice is yours

Malachi 3:10

“…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.”

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Q & A