The Transfer Of Wealth Explained

~ By Mark Gorman

First, let me say “Happy New Year”. I pray that the coming year will be your best yet.

In the past few years, I’ve been hearing more and more Christians and Ministry Leaders speak of their excitement, inanticipation of a coming “Transfer of Wealth”.

In fact, since one of the books I wrote is about money, and what God’s Word says about wealth, I am often asked about therecent prophesies and predictions regarding the transfer of wealth, from the hands of the “world” into the hands of God’speople.

I do believe that God wants His people to have wealth, particularly for the advancement of His kingdom, and to reach evenmore people with the message of salvation. And, if you’ve read my book, you know that I teach that God also wants us tohave abundance so we can be generous. 2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV says that “you will be made rich in every way, so that youcan be generous on every occasion”.

But, unfortunately, there seems to be an attitude of “entitlement” in the church today. And, when someone feels entitled tosomething, there is a tendency for them to become lazy, with unrealistic expectations.

We see the attitude of entitlement when people have become accustomed to receiving something for nothing, whether it’s achild who was born into a wealthy family, or a person who has learned to rely on government welfare as their sole source offinancial support. Entitlement stems from pride. It is basically a belief that someone owes us something, while we owe themnothing in return. This is why I say that it produces laziness and lethargy.

Recently I’ve been recording a series of television programs based on my book, “God’s Plan For Prosperity”, for the TCTChristian TV Network. (It will be a total of 13 weekly shows. As soon as we learn the specifics of the airtimes and dates, wewill be sure to pass that info on to you.)

As I was recording some of those programs, I felt that I should address this topic, specifically, to bring some clarity and evensome needed “common sense” about it. The reason I use the words, “common sense” is because there seems to be a lack of common sense expressed by many of those who seem to be most excited about a potential transfer of wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says that God “has given us the power to get wealth”.

Unfortunately, too many Christians think that He has given us the “right” to “receive” wealth. And, because of that, they sitaround waiting for the wealth to arrive.

But as we study that verse more closely, we see that it says nothing about us receiving wealth. Instead, it says that you haveto “get wealth”. That means that the wealth isn’t coming to you, but rather, you must go get it.

Secondly, notice that God gave us “power” to get the wealth. That’s a “clue”! If you need power to get something, then itmust not come easy.

My dad grew up on a farm. He told me that harvest time was exciting. That’s what they waited for, after tilling the soil, planting the seed, then watering and fertilizing it. Everything they did, as farmers, was about the harvest.

But some of the hardest work they did all year, was harvesting the crops. You see, harvest is a blessing, but it would die onthe vine if you didn’t go out into the field and “get” it. Harvest always involves work.

The reason I’ve said all this is because I want to paint a more accurate picture for us all, about the “Transfer ofWealth”. (And, to be clear, regardless of what our President said, I’m not speaking of “redistributing the wealth”.)

The word “transfer” sounds like someone is going to just hand it to us, or maybe they’ll ask for our bank account number, sothey can transfer the money into our account. If you already have an attitude of “entitlement”, and you hear about a comingtransfer of wealth, you may tend to think that we are just waiting for the money to get here.

But that isn’t how I understand it. I believe that, although God does want to prosper us, and that He has even told us that thewealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous, that doesn’t mean that it will just be placed in our hands.

Now, I know that there are times when God will use people to “give” us blessings, just as He had the Egyptians give theirgold and silver to the Israelites when they were set free from captivity as slaves. And, in the book of Luke, we are told that,as we give to the Lord, men will give blessings to us, “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over”.

But, both of those passages could refer to something given in exchange for work. I truly believe that the wealth the Egyptians gave to God’s people, Israel, was to pay them for all the work they weren’t paid for as slaves. And, what men giveto us, after we give to God, could easily be a bonus or a raise, at work, or a new contract for work to be done.

Even if our blessing of financial increase comes from investments, we had to labor, or work, to earn the money we invested.

I say this, not to discourage you, but rather, to help us all to recognize a harvest when it comes. One of my favorite sayingsby Thomas Edison is “Most people don’t recognize opportunity because it’s usually dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Often, the transfer of wealth follows work in the field. That’s how we “get” harvest, is to go out into the field, where it is, andexert the energy (power) necessary to get it.

So, if we are to receive a transfer of wealth, instead of waiting by the mailbox, perhaps we should be thinking outside thebox, looking for any opportunity for financial increase, even if it involves work on our part. In fact, I often tell people that thereason why many never have money to invest, is because they don’t think like an investor. Instead, they spend every pennythey get, without holding onto some of it, to invest in the future.

As a minister, I find that some people are a bit “put off” or offended when they learn that, in addition to my preaching and teaching ministry, I’m also a businessman. And sometimes people will even quote the verse in the New Testament that saysthat “those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel”. But then I remind them that when the Apostle Paul wrote thosewords, he had taken a break from making tents, to write it.

In other words, the Apostle Paul was a businessman and a preacher. The man who God used to write more than half of the New Testament, was also in the construction business.

And, I often encounter people who wouldn’t listen to Mark Gorman, the preacher. But they will gladly listen to Mark Gorman,the businessman, the motivational speaker and success coach.

Remember, Paul said that he was willing to be all things to all people, if it would help him to win some to Christ.

So, if we truly believe that God wants to bring about a transfer of wealth, perhaps we should broaden our vision, and beopen to more possibilities, than to merely wait for wealth to be transferred to us.

We pray that 2011 will truly be your greatest year yet. Expect Blessing!

God Bless You,

Mark & Gina Gorman