I’d much rather experience a genuine miracle of God than a lot of these feigned miracles.  One of the greatest miracles, supernatural, not spectacular, but supernatural, is to have a brother or sister who knows you, to be touched with compassion and be able to be there for you, either financially, with emotional support, or intercession.  Beloved; that is the biblical method of the body of Christ being edified.  It’s not the spectacular.  It’s the daily laying down of our lives, loving, and preferring one another.  We are not seeking our own.

The principle that we're seeking is revealed in this sixth chapter of Timothy, “God, how can I edify others?”  In your prosperity, what is our prosperity for?  Why does God command the church, “Stop being someone who’s living off the body.  Get a job,” amen?  If you don’t work, what?  Get a job, so you can give to others; amen?  Genuine Christianity is not parasitical.  It’s not looking for what it can get out of the people, out of the body.  In the true church, there is no victimization, “Poor me.”  Get a job, so that you can have to give to others; amen?  We see that as being the truth of the building of the church.  That’s where we’re living on a daily basis.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.”  Those that say, “Gain is godliness,” withdraw yourself from them.  Here’s a great truth, “We brought nothing into the world, and it’s certain we’ll carry nothing out.  Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.”  Stop desiring to be rich.  That’s a commandment of the Bible.  I know what some of us are thinking, “I don’t want to be rich; I just want to be richer.  I don’t want to be rich; I just want more than I have right now.  I’d be content with 40 percent more.”  Will that percentage change, when a few months down the road, interest is 10 percent?  How do you guard against inflation?  It’s coming.  They’re going to use, the “R” word.  Recession.  I’m going to tell you right now, how to prepare for recession and, ultimately, depression in your portfolios.  “Trust God with all of your heart; lean not to your own understanding, and in all of your ways acknowledge God, and He will direct your path,” praise God!  You want me to tell you how to begin to prepare yourself for the recession and depression that’s coming?  Very simply: don’t desire to be rich; be content.  I’m not saying that being rich is wrong.  I’m saying that desiring to be rich is wrong.  I’m saying that the love of money is wrong.  I’m saying that “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” amen?

As the church, we have to encourage each other in that.  Beloved, many of you, and even today, we have a number of people who are investing in different things in the market.  People are having success and some of these different things.  Let me encourage you with something.  If you’re going to give advice to somebody about the stock market, about money, make sure that you front-load the discussion with them on trusting God; amen?  Front-load this conversation.  If you’re going to give some advice on the stock market, front-load this thing with being content.  Front-load this thing with honoring God (amen?), trusting God.  Because, as I said, there’s nothing wrong with these things.  “The blessings of the Lord will make rich, but they add no sorrow.”  Have you ever seen men that God didn’t make rich when the riches start going away?  They jump out of windows.  They shoot themselves.  “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”