Business by the Book Psalm 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. There are three things a person has or does that will cause trouble from others. Know more, have more, or do more. Sadly, few people can truly rejoice in the successes of others. If you know more, have more, or do more, those who trouble you will usually increase, and those who rise up against you will be multiplied. This is why the Lord gives us ample instruct

Business by the Book Psalm 2:10 …be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Training is instruction. Many times training makes the difference between success and failure. I remember more than forty years ago that I was asked to be an usher in our church. It was a large church with over 1,000 attendees at each service. I was glad to serve as an usher. The first time I received the offering I remember the head usher pulling me aside after the offering was collected. He spent about

Business by the Book Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not…nor standeth…nor sitteth in the seat… Wrong habits will lessen the possibilities for prosperity. Within the context of the five Principles for Prosperity there is a subtle yet gradual slide into wrong habits that will prove to hinder anyone desiring to earn prosperity. Notice this progression: walking, standing, sitting. This is how wrong habits weasel their way into a life. Most of these devotions deal with p

Business by the Book Psalm 1:2 …in his law doth he meditate day and night. The fifth and final Principle for Prosperity is to meditate always in the Law of the Lord. There have been many advancements in technology today that are a great help in keeping this principle. Dramatized narrations of the Bible on CDs are wonderful. They are like an old time radio program. They have background music and various voices for the different characters which make them very intriguing. Put

Business by the Book Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; … The fourth Principle for Prosperity is to delight in the Law of the Lord. Notice the word “delight”; not just know the law of the Lord, not just obey the law of the Lord, not just understand the law of the Lord, but “delight” in the law of the Lord. If one delights in His laws they will perform, obey, submit, conform, follow, and adapt to them. Also notice the word “but”. Instead of walking in the co

Business by the Book Psalm 1:1 …nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. The third Principle for Prosperity is a warning about being scornful. The word scornful has two basic interpretations. One has to do with mocking others; the second has to do with boasting or arrogance. Neither of these is good. There are many who mock their bosses, but when they become a boss they largely make the same decisions. By the way, it is always easier to make difficult decisions without all t

Business by the Book Psalm 1:1 …nor standeth in the way of sinners… The second of the Five Principles of Prosperity as found in Psalm 1:1-2 is: Be careful of your associations. To fully understand this principle several words need to be understood in the context of this verse. “Standeth” as used here indicates a permanent position. The act of taking a stand, remaining, abiding, being steadfast, continuing, or even holding ones ground. The word “way” speaks of a way, a road,

Business by the Book Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, … The first of the Five Principles of Prosperity is found in Psalm 1:1-2 - Refrain from walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Doing so brings a blessing; on this the Bible is abundantly clear. A New Testament parallel of this principle is found in II Corinthians 6:14 wherein believers are warned against being yoked together with unbelievers. Be ye not unequally yoked together wi

Business by the Book Psalm 1:3 …and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Prosperity is largely a universal goal. It is a rare person indeed that would not have prosperity as a goal. “I want to be poor, broke, impoverished, and indigent” is not something to which people aspire. Given the choice, people in their right mind would choose prosperity over being penniless. Prosperity is relative. For one person having enough to afford the necessary things of life may be their idea o

Business by the Book Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. The comparison! In this verse there are one single and two doubles. The single is found in the word “multitude”. This same word may be used twice but the implications of the “multitude” it describes could not be farther apart. One multitude is business; indicating work, energy, purpose, drive, effort, patience and so on and on and o

Business by the Book Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. Good news! Your dreams can come true! It can become reality through an abundance of business on your part. This is why so many dreams fall by the wayside: the busyness that it takes to make a dream come true is not performed. This is God’s word on the matter. He gave Solomon wisdom, and Solomon wrote these words as He was moved by

Business by the Book Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. This verse really needs no illustration; It is illustrative to the point of being sublime. Over the next few days let’s dissect it. “…A dream…” Great people have great dreams. Dreams of building something that outlasts them, dreams of doing something no one else has ever done, specific dreams, and sometimes abstract dreams. Dreams are

Business by the Book Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. As said Jesus, it is so. If a person can be trusted with a small job, they can be trusted with a large job. If they can be trusted to tell the truth in little things, they will tell the truth in big things. If they are faithful to the detail oriented tasks, they can be trusted in the large overview type of tasks. Jere

Business by the Book Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Followship is a prerequisite for leadership. When Jesus surveyed the population for men that He would train to carry on His work on earth he began by inviting them to follow Him. The Lord used that phrase several times in Scripture; some did follow Him, but not all. He could have invited many others to follow Him that were not included in the Bible. We do not know exactly

Business by the Book Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Most new businesses fail because they are undercapitalized. They do not have sufficient capital to grow the business to profitability. Well-built products are wonderful, a better idea is magnificent, knowledgeable customer service is delightful, but these are not enough. The business must have sufficient capital.

Business by the Book 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. One of the impressive qualities of God that is that He will always …make a way… to do that which needs to be done. He is the originator of the “can do” attitude that all successful people possess. In tod

Business by the Book Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow… Growth is natural to most things. Lilies are planted so that they can grow and bring beauty to those who enjoy them. Many have said that if something is not growing it is dying. If that be true there is no standing still in life, we are either growing or regressing. Successful people in all walks of life have a common nature to grow. It is one thing to grow physically and another to grow intellectually, spirit

Business by the Book Matthew 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. A man ran into the back of my daughter’s car about twenty years ago. It was not a bad wreck just a bent bumper. They exchanged information; the man took full responsibility, and promised to replace her bumper. After a couple of days I called him with several estimates; we discussed them and decided

Business by the Book John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. It’s been said that “The world is run by tired people.” Even Jesus grew tired and rested. I have a friend that was a Navy Seal. He told me about their training, that he became so tired at times that he didn’t think he could make it, but he did. He earned his Trident, he served during the Vietnam conflict, and he i