Russell Cronwell was a Baptist minister during the early 1900’s. He is famous as the founder of Temple University in Philadelphia; Gordon-Cronwell seminary still bears his name. Listen to Russell Cronwell’s thoughts on money and how it is used:

“Money is power, and you ought to be reasonably ambitious to have it. You ought because you can do more good with it than you could without it. Money printed your Bible, money builds your churches, money sends your missionaries, and money pays your preachers, and you would not have many of them, either, if you did not pay them.”

In Sudan Christians are persecuted and sold into slavery. Many Christians from outside this African nation are responding by donating the finances to literally purchase the freedom of their brothers and sisters. How could this ever happen without generous Christians with abundant financial reserves? It is difficult to avoid the idea that God wants his people to have an interest in money.

God will not ask us to complete the Great Commission without money. Jesus himself used the example of someone needing to count the cost of building a house before starting to build it. No responsible person would start building a house or start a business without carefully assessing beforehand what the cost is. It will take money to do what we are called to do on the earth, and the good news is God desires to give it to us.

Jesus ministered to the wealthy and the poor beggar.  There is a rut on either side of the road…materialism and greed on one side and poverty and lack on the other side of the road. Biblical Prosperity is the middle path of abundant provision to complete His purposes for our lives.

Many people today live in an unhealthy fear of materialism. It is a fear that if God blesses us financially, it will somehow ruin us and cause us to fall away from Him. I used to believe that a million dollars would taint and corrupt a person. I don’t believe this is true any more. A million dollars will not corrupt you; it will only amplify what already is in your heart. If there is selfish ambition and pride in your heart, it will be multiplied. If there is love and generosity in your heart, then it will be multiplied.