I came across a very helpful definition of wealth in the book “On the Destiny of Nations: Resolving Our Economic Crisis” by Dennis Peacocke. There is much in this book that is extremely valuable and I highly recommend it. I will give you the five components of wealth Peacocke describes and then I will briefly explain why I believe this is blog worthy.

There are five biblically definable elements of wealth:

1. Relational peace with God

2. Relationships God has given you

3. Revelational Wealth

4. Time

5. Material contentment

Ingratitude is rooted in feelings of lack or scarcity. This is not a healthy heart attitude. When we believe we are without things it is hard to be grateful. Now it is possible to have alot of stuff and still have an ungrateful attitude. Having stuff doesn’t automatically mean you will be grateful for it. Gratitude requires intentionality. When we intentionally remember and are thankful for what we have been given, recognizing the real value of these things we are being grateful.

The power of Dennis Peacocke’s definition of wealth is it refuses to allow us to operate from a paradigm of scarcity. We can’t say, “we don’t have anything” or “we’ve never been given anything”, both statements rooted in scarcity are expressions of ingratitude.

At the top of this list of things that make us wealthy, Peacocke wisely places, “relational peace with God”. I think Elvis Presley once made the statement He would give all the money he had in exchange for a moment of peace. Peace is so valuable. Our peace with God has been made possible only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There are many who are not aware of this eternal reality and we must continue to get this message out to them. Many more of us are aware of this reality but have only scratched the surface in our understanding all that Jesus’ blood accomplishes. The Scriptures say, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things …”. It is a powerful insight into the unique nature of the blood of Jesus. It is incorruptible. So much of what we conventionally understand to be wealth is rooted in the pursuit of things that perish over time. Not the blood of Jesus, it is incorruptible, somehow it is not affected by the laws of dissipation that corrode and destroy with time. Our redemption through the blood of Jesus is the greatest treasure, and we often take it for granted. We would be wise to take time to understand all Jesus’ blood accomplishes in the surrendered soul.

Peacocke’s definition of wealth is so powerful because it places us on a powerful foundation of abundance. The more we take time to reflect on these five characteristics the more we realize how much we really have to be grateful for. Gratitude produces joy and joy releases strength. Strength is important. It empowers health in our lives, families and communities.

Finally Peacocke says, “Wealth will pass through death, but riches will not”. “Riches are something we have, wealth is something we are”. We are far wealthier than we realize and have so much to reflect on & be grateful for.

Deuteronomy 8:18
But remember theLord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Link to referenced book:
On the Destiny of Nations: Resolving Our Economic Crisis, Dennis Peacocke

Dennis Peacocke’s ministry website:
www.gostrategic.org

“Jesus did not come simply to console us but to perfect us! This is exactly where He will take us once we are willing!” Francis Frangipane

In the Garden of Gethsemane we are given one of the most intimate glimpse’s of the Father’s perfecting of the Son. Yes, even Jesus submitted himself to a process of maturity. We are told Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered”, he submitted himself to a process giving humanity an example to follow.

Gethsemane was one of Jesus’ pivotal head to head confrontations with the enemy. All of the head to head encounters Jesus had with the enemy are important, but a strong case could be made that Gethsemane was the decisive victory. At the very least it was critical preparation for the Cross. Christian author Max Lucado has said, “The Bible is the tale of two Garden’s, Eden & Gethsemane. In Eden Adam took a fall, in Gethsemane Jesus took a stand!”

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”

 

“Some have supposed that he was praying against the cross, and begging to be delivered from dying on the cross! Did Christ ever shrink from the cross? Never. He came into the world on purpose to die on the cross, and he never shrunk from it. But he was afraid he should die in the garden before he came to the cross. The burden on his soul was so great, and produced such an agony, that he felt as if he was on the point of dying, His soul was sorrowful even unto death. But after the angel appeared unto him, we hear no more of his agony of soul. He had prayed for relief from that cup, and his prayer was answered. He became calm, and had no more mental suffering till just as he expired. This case, therefore, is no exception. He received the very thing for which he asked, as he says, “I knew thou always hearest me.”

 

The Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY, THE PRAYER OF FAITH, LECTURE V, LECTURES ON REVIVALS OF RELIGION.

If you look closely at Jesus prayer in John 17, there seems to be a powerful fusion taking place between the Father & Son. It even appears to be a higher level of union. Jesus pray’s asking for a restoration of his prior glory. Jesus is modeling something so profound in this winepress of Gethsemane. Something it seems heaven doesn’t want humanity to miss. The fortifying of his will is put on display and captured in such precise detail. How do we prevail in our moments of deepest anguish? Is there supernatural strength reserved for us in our time of greatest need? Does our receiving this strength require a certain preparation & heart posture on our part?

I am convinced Jesus is fully invested in us having access to his fullness in our desire to overcome. He desires to bring us higher than we can possibly imagine. He wants us to believe in his strength. His full vision for humanity would blow our minds. He doesn’t want to leave us swimming in the mud. He takes our willingness & commitment to this transformation very personally. Do we believe? Are we willing?

“How impossible it would be for man to force tons of water through solid wood. Yet every day this miracle is performed a thousand times as the sap rises in the tree” J. Oswald Sanders

Sap rises! Sanders drops this little nugget in a discussion of Philippians 2:12-13. He wants us to see that God’s power working in us is like sap rising in a tree.

Phil 2:12-13
work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Sap rises, slowly & steadily, against the natural downward pull of gravity. Maple sap flows at 90 drops a minute, 2-3 gallons a day. It’s a different pace than we may prefer, but make no mistake inside every living tree on this planet sap is rising.

What turns water into sap?
Xylem. The best known Xylem tissue is wood. Xylem is derived from the Greek word for wood (xylon)

What causes Sap to rise?
Two Forces: Transpirational pull & Root pressure.
It is also referred to as the Cohesion-tension theory.

The Key to the release of the resurrection power of God in our lives is to keep our heart focus on “the wood” – the finished work of Jesus on the wooden cross & his atoning blood. The two pressures required are God working in us & us working out our salvation with reverence, awe and trembling. Separation from sin(tension), union with Christ(cohesion). The water of God’s word is transformed into the power of God in our lives, only when the pressures of this world turn us to the cross of Christ. As we continue to learn how to more completely identify with Jesus in his death, we have greater access to the fullness of his mighty strength. Jesus then causes his blood to become spirit, and life, and power, and truth in our lives. It’s like water becoming wine or even sap.

Psalm 104:14-16
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,

In Psalm 104 we are given a beautifully poetic summary of the manifold dimensions of the wisdom & works of God. Almost in the middle of the Psalm we are shown the necessary provisions God has made for the wellbeing of men. Wine to make the heart glad, oil to make the face shine & bread to strengthen man’s heart. Wine, Oil & Bread metaphorically speak of the elements of our spiritual communion with Christ. “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you”. Eat the fruit from the Tree of Life. Only as we are united with Christ in his crucifixion & death can we be united in His tappable resurrection power. Union with Jesus causes the sap to rise & flow and as a result, the trees of the Lord are full of sap!

Not sure about you? but, I will never look at a tree the same way again.

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

‘the power of his might’ is a Hebraism (a popular Hebrew saying)

‘strong and mighty’ Psalm 24:8

‘most mighty’ ‘almighty’ = God’s infinite almighty power

To be strong in the power of the Lord’s might implies two acts of faith;

1. a settled firm persuasion that the Lord is almighty on power – strengthen and entrench yourself in this. Is this your firm conviction? are you fully persuaded?

2. Not only must we believe that God is almighty, but also strongly by faith we rest on this almighty power, as engaged for our help and aid in all our trials and temptations.

Psalm 138:3 AMP
3 In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.

Paul discourages the Christian from resting on his/her own strength. We are to lean on the arm of the Almighty, as it were our own strength. He is encouraging the Christian to make use of God’s almighty power, as freely as it were his own whenever assaulted by Satan in any kind of trial and temptation.