Abraham, CEO

by Warren Brown

A newsletter devoted to restoring Christian principles to businesses worldwide

This is the premier issue of the newsletter, Abraham, CEO. In this newsletter, we are going to study what we didn't study at university for business school. We are going to study the Biblical principles of running a business, and we will look each week at some of the great business leaders in Bible history, like Abraham, Joseph, Job, David, Solomon, Peter and Jesus.

Business leaders, you might say? Definitely! We will also examine some of the lesser known characters in the Bible who were great examples of Biblical leadership in the area of finances and business.

In this first issue, however, we need to establish a 100% Biblical truth. Hebrews 5:12 says that when some Christians ought to have the knowledge available to them to be teachers, they can't because they still need to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God - they still are babes needing milk and not strong meat!

So let's establish right now, once and for all, no matter what your denominational background is, no matter what the media says, your parents say, or what you think you learned in Sunday school, a basic Biblical principle -

GOD WANTS YOU TO PROSPER.

Not just mankind in general, and not just mankind who is perfect and holy, and not sinning all the time. We're not talking about in the sweet by and by when we all get to heaven. No, we're talking about YOU. And ME. NOW.

How can this be, you may ask? Doesn't God have whole universes to oversee and billions of people to be concerned with? How does He have the time to be concerned about my business? My pocketbook? My bills? My investments? My Company? My taxes? My employment? My employees?

There are volumes already published regarding these issues, but you may be reading this newsletter as a businessman who has never really studied the Bible on this subject before.

The only way for a Biblical study of anything to be accurate is to look for the answers where? In the Bible, of course! We're going to take the rest of this premier issue and just lay down a scriptural foundation to support the radical notion GOD WANTS YOU TO PROSPER.

Here's just a few times the word "prosper" appears in the Bible -

Deuteronomy 29:9 - Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all you do.

Joshua 1:7 - Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Judges 4:24 - And the hand of the children of Israel prospered....That means the whole nation - ALL of the children of Israel, not just one "chosen" one!

Judges 18:5 - And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

That means it's okay to ask God to make sure you're making the right business decision!

I Samuel 25:6 - And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

Wow! That's sure different than some modern church teaching that says riches are all filthy and the source of all evil!

1 Chronicles 22;13 - Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord chardged Moses concerning israel, be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.

2 Chronicles 26:5 - And he (Uzziah) sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

Nehemiah 2:20 - So I answered them, and said to them, The God of Heaven Himself will prosper us...

Psalms 1:3 - He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalms 35:27 - Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

Read that again! The Lord takes PLEASURE in the prosperity of his servant. He is HAPPY when you turn a profit.

Isaiah 55:11 - So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Prosperity and health - John gives us the insight on what God wants for us - prosperity and health! That's not spiritual prosperity and spiritual health, either, because he covers that in the last half of the verse - soul prosperity.

That is only a fraction of the scriptures with just the word "prosperity"! How about the word wealth?

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

GOD gives us the power to get wealth! The devil has NOTHING to do with it! He's the thief! But God-given wealth is to be used to establish His covenant!

Psalms 66:12 - Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

WHO brings us to a wealthy place? God!

Psalms 112:3 (speaking of the man that delights in the Lord's commandments) - Wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousness endureth forever.

Proverbs 13:22 - A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

When you leave this earth and go home to be with the Lord, you're supposed to have enough that even your grandchildren are getting an inheritance! Notice that the sinner (unGodly) may have wealth, too, but it's laid up for us who respect the Lord and His commandments!

What about rich(es)?

Proverbs 3:16 (referring to wisdom) - length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.

Proverbs 8:18 - Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

Proverbs 10:4 - he becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

1 Timothy 6:17 - Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

As with any Bible subject, there must be a balance to this - riches for the sake of being rich is not what the Lord is presenting here. Riches, wealth and prosperity come when you love and respect the Lord and do with the riches what He wants, which is establishing His covenant throughout the earth.

Indeed, focusing on riches is the exact opposite of what the Lord says in His Word. Matthew 6 talks extensively about things that people seek after, like riches, clothes, food and worrying about these things non-stop, but Matthew 6:33 says to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you".

Also take any Bible study and search the scriptures yourself - don't just take my word for it! Smart phones have apps for concordances that you can simply type in words like "wealth", "money", "prosperity" and get every verse in the Bible in front of you. Search the Bible yourself for nuances in definitions and what it might say in different translations. In the book of Acts, the church at Berea was called "more noble" than the church at Thessolonica because they searched the scriptures themselves to see if the things being preached were true.

In the next issues of "Abraham, CEO", we will look at other Biblical principles of good business management, like giving and receiving, tithing, interest, employee and management relations, being led by God into good decisions, plus the lives of some of the great Bible characters and how their God-inspired decisions can be an example for us today.

Thanks for joining, and we look forward to sending out our next issue!