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You will soar like never before. Welcome to Ancient Paths with Craig Hills. In the last broadcast, which you saw either on television or here on the web, we were talking about the fact that provision comes from God.
It doesn't come from your investments, it doesn't come from your employer, and it doesn't come from your bank account; it comes from God. It may include money, or it may not include money. We discussed the fact that Jesus said provision doesn't come by sowing and reaping in Matthew chapter 6, verse 26, but provision comes because your Father in Heaven loves you.
If you didn't hear that broadcast, I really encourage you to go back and listen to it right after you hear this one because it's critical to understand the function of the Spirit of Mammon, how to break that function, and to really understand how provision comes. Now we set at the end of the last broadcast that there is one prerequisite to provision that's very, very critical, and actually it's right in the word "provision," which is made up of two different words: "pro" and "vision. " "Pro" is a prefix that means "for" or "in favor of," and "vision," of course, means that which you see—a future outcome in your life.
So, provision is that which comes for the vision. That is one of the key principles outlined in this book, "Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don't Know. " Do you know that the four percent who have learned how to multiply money understand vision very, very clearly and pursue vision with a passion?
Now, why is it so important to understand vision? The reason is that I find many, many people don't pursue vision, but a lot of Christians actually just pursue provision. If you pursue only provision and no vision, you'll lose both; you won't have a vision or a provision.
It's interesting: Proverbs chapter 29, verse 18 tells us that without a vision, people perish. Verse 18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained," or another version says, "the people perish. " So, where there's no vision, people perish.
The 96% who add or subtract tend to pursue money; they tend to pursue provision. You know what the 4% do? They pursue vision.
This is what I've discovered to be true in my own life: when you have strong vision, provision naturally follows. Provision comes from God to support vision. Where there is no vision, there is no provision.
What I've found is that if there's something that God has called you to do, and you begin to do it with a strong vision, provision always comes. If you have no vision or no ability to articulate your vision, then many times provision never does come to support that vision. So, vision is key.
Do you know it's just astounding to me how many people don't have a vision? I travel on airplanes a lot. I sit down next to people, and a lot of times I get to talking to them.
I'll say, "What do you do for a living? " People will tell me, "Well, I work for this company," or "I sell this product," or "I represent this company," or "I work at this factory," or whatever it is. Then I'll ask them, "How long have you been doing that?
" People say, "Oh, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years," whatever it is. I said, "How many hours a week do you spend doing that? " A lot of times, people will say, "Well, I spend 40 hours, 50 hours.
" Some people say 60 hours. Then I'll ask this next question: "Do you like that kind of work? " Do you know that 70% or 80% of the people say, "Not really"?
You're sort of baffled. You think, "Really? So you spent 40, 50, or 60 hours a week for the last 25 years or 30 years doing something you hate—doing something you really don't like?
" Sometimes I'll ask people, "Why is it that you do a work you don't like? " And do you know what people will say? "I have to; I need the money.
" They tell me, "I work for money. " Do you know right there they've defined a master/slave relationship? Who's the master?
Money. Who's the slave? That person.
Because when they say, "I work for money," they've just declared money as their master. And it's actually not money; it's the spirit behind it. It's the spirit of Mammon.
I've declared that spirit is my master. I told my children, "Don't you ever work for money. " Money was not designed to be a master over you.
Money is simply a receptacle of deferred goods and services that you use or press into service to accomplish a purpose. It's a tool that you can use to accomplish God's purpose. It's not something that was designed to be your master.
Never work for money; work for vision and press money into service to work for that vision. So, money was designed to work for you; you were designed to work for God. God is the master, you're His servant, money is your servant, and you're its master.
You know, an interesting picture God gave me one time about that was this: do you know that managing money is like standing on a soccer ball in a swimming pool? Have you ever stood on a soccer ball—or maybe even a beach ball—trying to stand on a beach ball in a swimming pool? You can push it down under the water and sit on it… Can push it down even farther and stand on it, but you know what?
That ball is always trying to do—come back up to the surface and get on top of you. And so, what has to happen? You have to constantly shift your weight in order to manage that ball.
It's constantly trying to come back up to the surface, so to keep it under your feet, you're constantly having to manage it. The ball is a good picture of money. And you know what I realized?
It's actually not the ball that creates the problem in the swimming pool. Do you know what the problem is? The air in the ball!
If that ball didn't have any air in it, you could put it under your feet and it would stay there. It's the air that causes the ball to continually try to come to the surface. What is the air?
The air is that spirit. The air is the spirit that's constantly trying to get that ball back on top of you—trying to get money back on top of you so that you work for money. Well, back to my little story of talking to people on airplanes: I'll ask people, "So why do you work?
" and they say, "Well, I work for money. " I ask them the next question: "Why do you need money? " Do you know people will look at you with the strangest look, like, "What kind of a silly question is that?
I need money to pay my bills, pay my house, pay my car, all my expenses, pay for my food, my clothing. " And sometimes I ask people another question: "Can you tell me why you need a house, car, food, clothing? " They look at me like, "What a really stupid question!
What do you mean? " And I said, "Now tell me seriously, why do you need a house, food, car, and clothes? " They say, "Well, without those things I will die.
" And I said, "Okay, let me get to the bottom line. Let me ask you one more question: Why do you need to live? " Do you know most people sit there with their mouths open?
They've never thought of that, and they don't have an answer. Now, the good news is, there is an answer. Do you know why you need to live?
Because God puts you on planet Earth to accomplish something absolutely unique—something nobody else can accomplish. You're the only one! You have unique gifts.
You have unique experiences. God created you to do things that nobody else can do, and you're here to fulfill a destiny. I found that the vast majority of people don't even know that.
And do you know that the vast majority of Christians have never thought of that? They don't really know why they're here; they don't know what their purpose is. Now, if you understand what your purpose is, what your vision is, that vision becomes strong in you.
Provision naturally comes to fund vision. But people who have no idea why they're here, what the purpose is, they just pursue money for the sake of money alone, with no vision. And you know what happens?
That's a discouraging lifestyle. People are bored; they don't know why they're doing what they do. They have no passion for it; they have no interest in it.
Do you know the biggest mistake I find a lot of Christian young people make when they go to university, or they get out of college, or they get out of high school and go to find a job? Do you know what kind of job they get? Do you know what kind of education they get?
Most people think this: "I want to get a job that pays me the most money. " They actually structure their life around money! That's how pervasive the spirit of Mammon is.
God never called you to find a job that pays you the most money. God called you to find a job that ignites a passion within you—something you love to do; something you would do without even being paid; something you would pay to do. Do you know a hundred years ago, parents prepared their children to fulfill a calling.
Today, parents prepare their children to find a job or have an occupation. You know what an occupation is? Something that occupies your time until you die.
Is that what you want for your children—to occupy their time until they die? Of course not! No, we want our children to discover a calling, pursue it with all their heart, and understand what that means.
So it's interesting. I talk to many people. They have something they want to do, but do you know how many Christians tell me, "I can't go on this missions trip; I can't start this business; I can't do this; I can't do that"?
You know what the reason is? "I don't have enough money. " And here's a very interesting thing: I've challenged many people, and I've said, "Where is the scripture that says, 'For lack of money my people perish'?
" Do you know that there's not one scripture that says that? It says people perish for two other reasons. Hosea 4:6 says people perish for lack of knowledge.
Proverbs 29:18 says people perish for lack of vision. So if you have no vision and you have no knowledge, you could perish. But there's not one scripture that says people perish for lack of money.
But yet, that's how most people live their lives. And what I found is the truth of the matter is, many, many people simply lack vision—that's what they're lacking. They don't know why they're here; they don't know what they're supposed to do.
So why am I saying this? I encourage you to pursue the Lord, to seek God for. .
. Vision: Find out what your vision is. Now, you may not need to totally change your profession or change what you're doing; God will give you vision right within what you're doing.
He'll show you why you're gifted to do that, why you're good at that, and God will give you a passion for the things that you do. You know, the most ridiculous concept to me—I've never understood this concept that's common in America—is the idea that people choose something they really don't like to do for the sake of money. They spend 40 years doing it, between ages 25 and 65, doing this thing that they really don't like, so that at 65 they can retire and do what they like every day.
Well, you know what I believe God's scenario is? Skip the intervening 40 years! Just find what you're passionate about, what God has called you to do, what you love to do, and begin to do it from age 25.
That way, every day you love going to work. You know, my life has been that way all of my adult life. I love going to work every single day.
I love doing what I'm doing right now. I love talking to you; I love teaching the Bible. I love sharing principles with people and watching God do miracles in people's lives.
I'm called to it. Now, before that, I had a job as a pilot for a period of time. Do you know that I loved flying airplanes?
During the time I was called to do that, I still enjoy flying airplanes, but that's not my calling at the moment. I'm called to do exactly what I'm doing here. And so, I believe God has intended for every one of us to have vision—to let vision become strong in your heart—and provision follows vision.
Now, we're going to take a break in the broadcast, and the announcer is going to come and share with you how you can get the resources that are offered that will go into more depth of many of these principles that I'm teaching, and you can get your hands on that. I really believe you need these resources, so please pay attention if you haven't gotten them yet. Then, I'll be back right after the break to share with you a little bit more on how provision follows vision.
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Call our product line now at 303-797-1139 or simply place your order right here on CraigHill. org and get your financial future placed on God's ancient path to wealth. Now, back to Craig.
So, we've been talking about the fact that vision always precedes provision. Do you know what I found in my own life? When God has given me a vision and I can consolidate it, I can clearly articulate it, do you know I find no shortage of people that want to invest in it?
As a matter of fact, this broadcast is supported by people that are investing in the vision of promoting the ancient paths on television. We have many partners that have gotten on board and are excited about promoting the message of ancient paths, understanding God's principles of life. The vision that God gave me is being supported by provision that's coming from you and many people like you who have become partners in this broadcast: financial partners as well as prayer partners.
Now, I remember several years ago helping a woman in our ministry understand this. I'm going to share her actual name because she's given me permission to share the story. Her name is Elsie.
She's one of our most productive providers of seminars, seminar coordinators that manage seminars all over the United States. Elsie is right now 80 years old and an incredible woman of God who has given her life for the Lord Jesus Christ. But many years ago, I don't remember how many—probably 15 years ago—when we were first going to start the ministry in South Africa, Elsie had expressed a desire to me that she wanted to go.
She said, "I believe it's God that God has called me to go on that ministry trip. " Now, all of the people going on the trip were required to provide their own funding, their own finances. It came out to be about two months before we were going to actually leave on the trip down to South Africa.
I said, "Elsie, are you going to go? " She said, "Well, I'd love to, but I just don't have the money. " I thought, now that's interesting.
She is perishing because of lack of money, and I remembered there's no scripture that says, "For lack of money people perish. " It would be "for lack of vision. " So, I said, "Elsie, do you have a vision to go?
Do you believe God has called you to go? " She said, "Yes. " I said, "Have you shared that vision with anybody?
" She said, "Well, what do you mean? " I said, "Well, why don't you write a letter to the churches that have had seminars to… Individuals that you've ministered to, and see if any of those people would be interested in supporting the vision you have to go on this ministry trip to initiate Ancient Paths Ministry in South Africa. She said, "Okay, I'll do that," and so she wrote a letter expressing the vision.
Do you know that within two weeks, she had more than enough money to pay for that mission trip and some left over for the next one? She got a revelation. L.
C. , who was in her sixties— I think late sixties at that time— went with us on the team to begin South Africa. She went with us on a team to begin Ukraine.
She went with us on a team to begin the Philippines. And how did she do that? She's a retired schoolteacher living on a retired schoolteacher's income, which is not a large income.
How did she do that? By simply sharing the vision God put in her heart with other people, and many, many people were willing to invest in a vision. I asked one successful businessman, "What's the key to success in your business?
" and the guy said, "Television. " I said, "What do you mean, television? Are you doing infomercials or what?
" He said, "No, no, no, not television. Tell a vision. " He said, "The key to my success is I have a vision.
I share that vision with many people, and many people want to buy my products and services and want to become involved with my company. " So the key is having a vision and clearly articulating that vision to other people. That's what releases provision.
Having a vision and clearly articulating it to others—provision naturally follows vision. So the thing I'm saying today is, what is your vision? Do you have a clear vision?
Are you able to articulate it to the Lord first and then to other people? That's what releases supernaturally God's provision coming into your life; so vision precedes provision. That's a critical thing for us to understand.
You know, another thing that I just wanted to share is that there's a value that has changed in our society over the last 60 to 70 years. The reason I think that is I was reading a letter that my dad wrote to his father when he was a 21-year-old man who was in World War II, I think about 1944 or 1945. The letter he wrote home to his dad was about what he wanted to do after the war, and what he was sharing was, "I want to use the gifts and talents God has given me to either solve scientific problems or to solve something in medicine—to make a contribution to make this world a better place to live.
I want to spend the rest of my life doing something that would be significant, making this world a better place to live. " I thought that was amazing. He didn't say, "I want to spend the rest of my life making as much money as I can doing something that would make money.
" Do you know that focus has completely shifted—from a focus on giving of self in the past to one of taking for self in the future? It's changed from self-sacrifice to self-gratification, to where many people's focus is, "How can I use this company to better myself? " People with that attitude come to a company, and they want to know, "What will this company give me?
How much will you pay me? How much vacation do I get? What benefit package will I have?
I want to work as little as possible, have as much time off as possible, and have the biggest benefit package as possible. " Do you know that that was not the thinking when my dad was in his early twenties? People would go to a company in that day and this was their thinking: "How can I best use my gifts to make this a better company?
How can I contribute here? How can I use the talents that God has given me to bless this company, to contribute to make this a better place? " Do you know that that's an entirely different value?
I believe God wants to shift that back again. Why? Because money naturally follows value; provision comes from God, and it naturally follows vision.
Do you know one other thing that I learned is that God has specific channels He wants to use of provision? You know what I mean by that is many Christians mistake the channel for the source. What I mean by that is God might use employment as a channel of provision to meet your needs.
God might use investments. God might use a relationship with a husband, with a father, with a wife, or with another person as a channel of provision. But those things are all just channels.
Now, you can tell whether your trust is in the channel or in the source when you get a pink slip from work, for example. You get a notice that says, "This company is shutting down in your city. We're closing this office, and two weeks from now you aren't going to have a job anymore.
" Do you know the person that is trusting the channel will go home and tell his wife or her husband, "Honey, something terrible has happened. I'm losing my job, and I'm not going to be receiving any income anymore after two months. This is terrible.
What are we going to do? " Do you know the person that realizes that's just a change in the channel—the source is the same; the source is God—that person goes home and says, "You know what, honey? This is so exciting!
God is changing channels. After two weeks, this job isn't going to be here anymore, and God. .
. " Is gonna use a totally different channel to me. I wonder what God will do.
I know His character; it’s gonna be something exciting. God will give us something even better than what we had before. Isn’t this exciting?
And the channel changes, but the source remains the same. Do you know, in my adult life, the channel of provision has changed many times? Where God will open two channels here, then one of them closes, and then three will open here, and two of them close.
One’s here and one’s there. Then this channel closes, that channel opens, and channels have changed many, many times in my life. Do you know, in the very beginning, that used to scare me?
I thought, “God, I’m gonna perish. What’s gonna happen? ” And now, what I’ve realized is: no, the source remains the same.
Spero faith! I just look out the window; the birds are still there. I’m at peace.
My Father in Heaven still loves me. And God, You may change the channel many times, but the source always remains the same. And God is your source of provision.
That is a key lesson. If you can learn that God is the source, your employment, your investments, everything else are just channels that God can use, but they are not the source. Channels come and go.
Channels change all the time; the source remains the same. God is the source, and now really that’s the revelation of Matthew 6, verse 26, Spero faith! Where Jesus said, “Look at the sparrows” or “Look at the birds of the air.
They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ” How often? Every day!
Are you not of much more value than they? And that is true. That means channels can change; the source remains the same, and God is that source of provision.
I’d like to just pray that for you at the end of this broadcast. Let’s just pray right now. Father, I pray for each person watching today that You would burn that revelation into our hearts: that You’re the source; everything else is the channel.
And Father, that You would give us vision to recognize we’re not to chase provision; we’re to chase vision to pursue You. Money is just a tool we press into service to accomplish Your purpose, to accomplish a kingdom vision. And, Father, I thank You for doing that.
I pray that You pour out life upon every person listening today in the mighty name of Jesus. I want to mention about the next broadcast which will be on television and right here on the internet at CraigHill. org.
You can see it either place. But what we’re going to do is talk about one of these key principles in this book, "Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know. " I said earlier in the broadcast several times: the four percent use money entirely differently than the ninety-six percent.
The ninety-six percent spend first, then they try to give, save, and invest. Whereas the four percent, they limit their spending, and they first give, save, and invest, and spend what’s left. But the question is: how do they use that money?
How do they multiply money? What do they put—what categories do they use? That’s what we’re going to talk about in the next broadcast.
That’ll be both on television and right here on the internet. Don’t miss it! Again, be sure to get the "Ancient Path to Wealth Package," including Craig’s book, "Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know," and his 8-part CD series, "God’s Power to Get Wealth.
" Both resources are yours for a gift of just $45 or more. Call our product line now at 303-797-1139 or simply order right here online at CraigHill. org.
I don’t want you to miss out on today’s offer: "Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know," and the 8 CD series "God’s Power to Get Wealth. " There are principles contained in this book and in this CD series that I find most people don’t know. People ask me questions about the things that are answered in these two products, and I don’t want you to miss out.
These will really benefit your life. Once again, order right here online or call to receive the "Ancient Path to Wealth Package" for your gift of just $45 or more. For those of you following Craig along this "Ancient Path to Wealth" series, the next broadcast is available for viewing online right here at CraigHill.
org. Thank you for watching today’s episode of "Ancient Paths" with Craig Hill.
