(This isn’t a theological treatise. For the most part Papa doesn’t download crafted treatises to me but things come in a flurry of thoughts, visions, feelings, verses, etc.)
A definition that captures much of modern economics is that of Lionel Robbins in a 1932 essay: “the science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.”[3] Scarcity means that available resources are insufficient to satisfy all wants and needs. Absent scarcity and alternative uses of available resources, there is no economic problem. The subject thus defined involves the study of choices as they are affected by incentives and resources.
Wikipedia
Economics is often described as a body of knowledge or study that discusses how a society tries to solve the human problems of unlimited wants and scarce resources.
On-line Business Encyclopedia
Kingdom Provision is “how our Papa solves the human problems of limited wants and needs by using the unlimited resources of the Kingdom.”
Economics is the antithesis of Kingdom Provision.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Matthew 7:21-27 (New International Version)
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.
Haggai 2:6-9 (New International Version)
Yet we cry out to God to save our 401K and to re-establish the economic system of the world. We have “Christian” economics courses that are nothing more than explanations of the world’s system with a little “tithe” thrown in to make it “Christian”. We store up for ourselves into things that can be shaken because we do not believe that Papa was really meaning Matt 6:19-34. Oh we speak of “stewardship” but we mean and practice a system which shouts that we are covered if God doesn’t work like it says in the bible.
If all the money that has been lost in Christian’s 401K’s and stocks over the last few weeks had been put to use in the Kingdom…??? And I dare say it could have…would have if we actually believed and practiced Kingdom provision per Matt 6:19-34. There would be an abundance for every good work.
- When things are shaken where do we look first?
- For your “retirement”(another kingdom oxymoron) what is your rock?
- When sickness comes what is our first thought?
- When mold comes what is our first thought?
- When God says to do this or that and it requires provision where does our heart look first?
- If the youth are standing on our shoulders in the kingdom are we saying “Get in relationship with Papa, hear him, be with him… oh and get your 401K started, too (since this Kingdom stuff only goes so far…)”
Everything in the Kingdom flows out of relationship. What is Papa saying to do? Not what “works” in the world’s system. The point is that in the Kingdom the answer is not necessarily the world’s way but the answer must flow out of relationship not economics…
Maybe the answer is to go fishing (Matt 17:27), maybe it is to give it all away (Luke 18:22), maybe it is to take what little you seem to have and begin using it (John 6:11-13), maybe it is to spit into someone’s eyes (Mark 8:23) maybe it is to touch someone who is unsafe (Mark 1:40-41) …
Or maybe we just need to be practical…. NOT!
