As the years have come and gone, since I answered Gods call to salvation and ministry in April 1989, I have seen many ministries come and go over the decades for many reasons. Many times this is because of the sin and inexperience of leadership, and my heart grieves as I have seen many tragedies that could have been easily averted had the people involved been instructed in the Word of God. For this reason, I have continued to study and seek the face of God through His Word, and have always sought to 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Continuing all these years: 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Along the way, God has led me to study His Word with several organizations (Assemblies of God, Elim, Rhema, and finally seminary at Oral Roberts University).
Although many ministers touch on the topic of money and finances, usually it has been my experience that they are teaching with the intention of getting money FROM you, precious few teach how a believer can get money TO them.
Since Jesus taught on the topic of money and finances six times more often than on the topic of eternal life, by necessity I have had to study this important topic for many years, usually in the face of some huge impossible financial need, that drove me to the feet of Jesus, simply because I had no where else to go.
I have taught on many principals of money, and if you are interested, here are some of the articles I wrote.
Money simply makes more of YOU! – Chris AOM Ministries
Good Gold – Money with a Mission! – Chris AOM Ministries
Money and People – Chris AOM Ministries
The Money Test… – Chris AOM Ministries
What Spirit do you serve with your money? – Chris AOM Ministries
Five Gifts to give, that do not cost money! – Chris AOM Ministries
CON – SCIENCE – Chris AOM Ministries
I thirst! – Chris AOM Ministries
Royal Love, Prosperity and Health – Chris AOM Ministries
Empty Enemies – Chris AOM Ministries
Grace Child Development Center – Chris AOM Ministries
Start Your Local Bible School (chrisaomministries.com)
Balaam – Prophet for Hire! – Chris AOM Ministries
Gods provision – Tithe! – Chris AOM Ministries
The Responsibility of Discipleship – A Word for Leaders – Chris AOM Ministries
If you get through all of that, and enjoy it, message me and I will send you more.
Let me get to the purpose of this chat. As time has marched on and I see the state of the gospel in the nations, my heart breaks for the needs of suffering humanity, as does Gods heart. Widows, orphanages, child slaves, horrific abuse. Psalm 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
The entrance of God’s Word brings light and life, and only the love and power of Jesus can fix these horrific things.
So what does this have to do with money you might ask?
If someone is without food, and we have food, should we share? What if that someone is an orphan child? Can we claim to love Jesus and walk by doing nothing?
Yet, even this horror show has become a gospel business. For those of us in America, we receive hundreds, if not thousands, or financial requests for donations, usually accompanied by wonderful pictures of great gospel meetings, or crowds of orphan children in need. It takes a strong prayer life to endure this onslaught, for truthfully, no human nor ministry, no matter how great, is able to meet this overwhelming need.
Yet, God is more than able! He who flung the stars into being, is well able to meet the needs of every person on the planet, and I believe that from the moment they were conceived in their mothers womb, He planned and provided for their life here on earth.
Obviously, the god of this world has attacked and stolen the provision of many, leaving us broke, impoverished and in lack unless we learn a way to better survive this earthly life.
One day, in frustration, after seeing my email filled with donation requests, and my social media also filled with people with legitimate needs to simply survive, my heart broke before the Lord, and I said: ‘Lord, we have given everything to serve you, I love these people, how do I respond to them?’
I had hoped that He would give me millions of dollars, so I could give extravagantly to help people, but nope, this did not happen. As we heard His voice to travel both around USA and overseas, we never had the money usually to get across town, much less across the ocean, and so I began to seek His face on how to receive His provision. I developed this teaching on receiving Gods provision: God’s Promises of Provision From Scripture – Chris AOM Ministries
I knew the answer HAD to be in His Word, because He cannot lie: 2 Peter 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Yes, God provides. His Will is His bill. But I have learned this, IF HE DID NOT DIRECTLY TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING, HE IS NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR IT. All the begging, anguished prayer, fasting and myriad creative financial appeals blasted out on the internet will not move God nor should it move His people.
When God authentically moves, His people have no lack: Acts 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Wouldn’t you love it if God dealt with a wealthy person to sell some property to fund your ministry? Well, it can happen. In the story listed above ‘I thirst’, that is exactly what did happen to provide clean water for the orphanage and surrounding villages in Kenya. I felt a need to help, and posted the need on the internet. A lady on my Facebook page, saw the need and showed it to her husband. In his words, ‘God dealt with me to do something about it, and yet I had no immediate money available. Yet in my business, I sold a home that was purchased by an eager buyer for much more than I thought is should sell for. When I prayed and asked God why the extra profit, He clearly told me that He had a special project He needed funded, and that one man paid for both the drilling of the well and the cost of the solar powered pumping station.
My only input into this process was to negotiate the contracts with the African drilling company, and then to receive funds, clear them through my bank, and arrange payment schedule and wire transfer to Kenya to pay the contractor. (No small task, as the Kenyan bank. Apparently ‘lost’ $5,000USD, until my bank filed international banking fraud charges against them, and not surprisingly, the funds magically appeared in the contractors bank account the next day.
I faced similar problems getting funds to Rwanda and India, as there are aggressive predatory thieves at work when we move finances around in Gods kingdom, which is why it is written: Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches In my years in business I have had to learn how to deal with the lions, bears, and Goliath’s just like David did.
Let me wind this down. Yes, I hear the screaming needs of humanity for money. In many cases, American missionaries have created a ‘gospel business’ mentality overseas, where the lie is: ‘If only I could get ‘my favorite preacher’ to come to my community, they would draw great crowds and pay for all the conference expenses then raise up donors to support me, my family and the precious children in my care.
This particular lie from the pit of hell Is what I address here presently. Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
Because so many ‘great’ preachers have brought money overseas, it has become a great gospel business. ‘Host the preacher, and he pays for big entertainment in a mass crusade, and funds your orphanage’.
I heard a well-known minister in Pakistan lament: ‘Where are the true servants of God, not merely those with a smartphone and laptop, raising financial support?’
Let me make a great statement I heard entitled: The epitome of Cruelty
The epitome of cruelty is this: If I do for you, that which you have the God given responsibility to do for yourself, I immediately cripple you, for you become dependent upon me instead of upon God, and you never rise to the strength and honor you are created to become.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things
The big question then, is HOW?
My friend and pastor Evans Mukwa in Eldoret Kenya understands what I am about to say.
HOW we overcome poverty and lack is through deliberately praying and confessing the word of God for our provision. Each month, he hosts a 24-hour prayer meeting online, where each hour on the hour, we pray and confess Gods promises of provision before His throne, and God answers us wonderfully.
Together, we took the 101 Bible promises I use in the teaching on Gods provision and created a prayer and confession sheet. Prosperity Prayer and Confessions – Chris AOM Ministries
We pray the last Friday of each month and encourage pastors and leaders to commit to one hour with us, in whatever time zone they live in: This month will happen on August 30th; https://studio.restream.io/epa-oqrd-kwj, like every single person who is authentically born again and trying to serve Jesus in this generation, we have financial needs. Please join us, in praying Gods Provisional promises. See you online, I will begin on Thursday evening at 11PM CST, corresponding to 7AM in Eldoret Kenya. Whatever area of the world you find yourself, commit to spending an hour with us this week in precious prayer.
