John F Avanzini - Things that are better than money

Contents

Foreword

The timing of a book's release is as important as its subject. This book by John Avanzini comes at exactly the right time.

I believe the message of faith and prosperity that is in the Church today has been sent by God, because the cost of taking the gospel into all the world is higher in our day than anyone could have ever imagined. No longer are we simply raising a few thousand dollars to purchase some pews and an organ. The Church now faces the necessity of raising millions and millions of dollars to purchase the high-tech communication equipment required for today's mass evangelism.

Add to this the fact that the doors of almost every nation on earth are now open to the gospel, and you will find that millions of dollars will not be enough. It will take billions.

Having bought and paid for nearly 500 television stations, Trinity Broadcasting Network understands just how important the message of biblical economics is to the Body of Christ. The saints of God must prosper financially if they are to meet this challenge. Jan and I thank God for the men and women who faithfully teach the biblical message of seed time and harvest. We know it has not been easy for them, for they have been opposed by vicious, selfappointed critics who have openly slandered them, misrepresenting to the Body of Christ what these men and women of God are actually teaching. They have wrongfully accused them of teaching that the Bible primarily talks about money and getting more money. I can personally attest to the fact that teachers of faith do not believe money is the most important thing the Bible teaches.

This book comes as a blessing to all of those who believe the Bible teaches abundance through faith in God's Word. It comes at exactly the right time to set the record straight, for John Avanzini writes of the many things God's Word openly proclaims to be more valuable than mere money.

In closing, I must go one step further and say that after reading the truths so simply stated in Things That Are Better Than Money, I came to the same conclusion that Bro. John did. As wonderful and glorious as everything mentioned in this book might be, it still takes money to get its message out to the lost and dying of this world.

The Apostle Paul asked this simple question: "... how shall they preach except they be sent? ..." (Romans 10:15).

The wisest man who ever lived answered this question long before Paul asked it. King Solomon said, "... money answers all things (Ecclesiastes 10:19).

Paul F. Crouch, President Trinity Broadcasting Network

Things Better Than Money

... Thy money perish with thee ...

Acts 8:20

For over eighteen years, I have dedicated the major portion of my life to teaching biblical economics. During this time I have heard much criticism from those who don't fully understand my teaching. One thing these people say is that I overemphasize the importance of money.

Now please notice they never accuse the leading evangelists of overemphasizing salvation. Neither do they say the teachers of prophecy have too much to say about the Second Coming.

If they would only think, people would understand why I have so much to say about money. The reason is that my boss (God the Father) has assigned me the job of specializing in biblical economics. Since the subject of biblical economics deals primarily with what the Bible says about finances, it only stands to reason that I would have much to say about money!

Just as it would be impossible for the evangelist to preach without primarily explaining that Jesus saves, it would be impossible for me to teach biblical economics without constantly mentioning money.

Satan Is a Bible Student

There is a definite reason for opposition to the message of prosperity in the Body of Christ. Satan knows a rich Church would be much more believable to a lost and dying world than a poor Church. Please note that this statement is not a mere opinion of mine. It is based in biblical fact. The passage of Scripture I am about to share with you thoroughly supports the statement. However, strange as it may seem, most Christians don't even know it exists.

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Ecclesiastes 9:13-16

Yes, you are reading correctly. The Scripture boldly states that no one listens to poor people. I am convinced that when he saw these verses, the devil immediately launched an all-out campaign to bring the doctrine of insufficiency into the Church. The devil knew if men taught God's Word of abundance without opposition, prosperity would quickly come to God's children. He also knew that as soon as prosperity came, the Church would be able to fund world evangelism properly. Then everyone would hear a clear witness of the gospel, and multitudes would be saved. As soon as he learned that no one listens to poor people, the devil began to replace the truth of God's abundant supply with the religious tradition of barely getting by.

Ignorance Is Expensive

It is clear that the Church has paid absolutely no attention to the verse that says no one listens to poor people. Why, it's as if the Bible had never even brought forth these words. Instead, just the opposite is true, for there is a church-wide acceptance of the erroneous virtues of shortage and insufficiency. In fact, it goes beyond just accepting the message of insufficiency and poverty. There is organized opposition to the biblically correct message of abundance and prosperity. It seems impossible, but this blindness goes even deeper. The Church has actually formed special, elite, ecclesiastical orders of priests and preachers who take firm vows of poverty. They sincerely believe that taking this unscriptural position will make them and their message more believable.

Oh, Church! When will we wake up from this delusion of the devil? Solomon didn't say everyone listens to the poor man's wisdom. He clearly said "... the poor man's wisdom is ... not heard (Ecclesiastes 9:16).

To give you a small idea of how firmly entrenched the erroneous doctrine of insufficiency is, hear this statistic. I have been teaching biblical economics for almost twenty years. God has given me many breakthroughsrevelations such as the wealth of the wicked that is laid up for the just, and the truth about the debt- canceling power of God. A sizable part of the Church is now accepting both of these truths. However, when it comes to the message of abundanceI mean real abundance, sufficiency to the point that you would have "... all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and that you would want for absolutely nothing (Psalm 34:10)sad to say, everyone except the strongest believer in the message of faith, draws back. Instead of the Church using Ecclesiastes 9:16 on the devil, the devil is using it on the Church.

The Power of Misinformation

There is a powerful weapon of warfare. It's a weapon that every successful army throughout history has used. It's called "misinformation."

Satan is using this powerful weapon on the Church of our day, and it is causing destruction in the lives of many of God's children. There is a specific verse of Scripture that can explain this mess. It comes as a word of warning from our God.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ....

Hosea 4:6

The misinformation the devil puts out about Scripture thrives where people lack knowledge of God's Word.