Prosperity Purpose Conference - City Church with Rabbi Daniel Lapin

I hope you are really enjoying this in every way and it's fun to check just before we get started anybody who needs to leave early just thought I'd ask you know okay I didn't see any hands so uh sure's lock the doors I want to personally promote Rabbi Lavin's Brooks and materials I had privilege of I think receiving them really kind of before they went on sale particularly the CDs of his study from the Torah beginning in Genesis and some of the keys to revelation and understanding the Hebrew mindset and so forth in the Hebrew language from the Old Testament if you are a pastor these are tools you absolutely should have and for every New Testament Christian you should have this book thou shall prosper 10 commandments for making money I like this so much the only thing about it is it makes me look bad that this book is not just a book this is a library I think you should wife Susan said you should have made several books out of it rabbi but this is a library it is a classic it is an amazing thing I want to read just a couple of quotations for you regarding the book rabbi Daniel lapin is a light to the nation's a risk-taking rabbi of immense wisdom his books have already influenced countless Jews and non-jews with the eternal truths the Hebrew Bible in this highly insightful controversial new book rabbi laughs and honors the golden nuggets of Jewish business genius by emphasizing unique talents of the Jewish Way of life rabbi laughs and demonstrates how Judaism's spiritual regimen can be translated into tangible material rewards with the bottom line being directly affected thoroughly engaging enriching and thought-provoking book and that's from Rabbi Shmuel D latech who's the author of kosher sex and Judaism for everyone don't let that bother you okay from the Honorable Jack Kemp comes this quote rabbi laughing isn't an unorthodox Orthodox rabbi he understands the biblical nature of economic freedom as well as he understands the Bible uniquely well prosperity must have a purpose and Rabbi lap and explores the Wellsprings of the judeo-christian heritage to elucidate those purposes in so doing he also illuminates the road to greater prosperity for all I really enjoyed this book hardly recommend it to people of all faiths the Honorable jack kemp rabbi lapin is such a blessed man and the Lord has used him to touch so many across our nation he's been an advisor to President Bush I've been on of course countless television programs he is a noted speaker and has been used I think probably more than 50 speeches every year to corporations like Amway Nordstrom Boeing and so forth we have a short introduction by way video that we'd like to present and then I'd like to have you welcome to this platform rabbi Daniel lapin and the first at the rabbi Daniel lapin share emphasises BFFL rather Latin steady twelve economics physics and mathematics in Johannesburg London and Jerusalem who have appointed to serve two terms on a United States Commission President George W Bush rather laughing was the keynote speaker at the Congressional bipartisan opening of the 106 Congress in Washington DC is vexing to national debt better America little more there in treasure because we're living in the Lord's language a bow at password the Ten Commandments for making money please welcome to the City Church and the prosperity with a purpose conference rather jr. Malkin thank you very much indeed but right now you're eating into a busy time so sit down and let me get on with us we've got a lot of really important work to do here it's this is the terrific turnout and what a privilege for me to be here as your guest I really appreciate it so much and I appreciate the the graciousness of your pastors people who've become brothers pastors Don and Marlene pastor Wendell and pastor Ginny and of course pastor Aaron are among those who have become very much a part of my life and that of my wife let's talk about a fascinating thing to me when I started looking at natural disasters I decided to take a list of the 20 worst natural disasters of the 20th century from the year 1900 I wanted to find out something very special I wanted to figure out if there was any pattern to where these disasters struck and so I made a list of the 20 disasters caused by nature which is another way of saying caused by God the 20 disasters that have killed the most people in the 20th century and I was looking for a patent and I found the great flood of the Yangtze River in 1917 and a flood of the Chinese Yellow River and I saw the 1935 flood of the devlins when the North Sea broke through the dikes and killed 1800 Dutchman and I found volcanoes a number of volcanic eruptions I found flooding caused by hurricanes the great hurricane of 1970 Bangladesh 15,000 people killed the numbers are enormous and I looked at the entire list now I really do hope that the ashes obeyed pastor Wendell and locked the doors because I'm going to say something now that would be very easily misunderstood and so I'd hate for somebody to walk out in between the time I say what I'm going to say and the time I get to explain it so I'm watching those doors real carefully now okay there we go the pattern is my friends that 17 out of the 20 worst calamities of the 20th century took place in non-christian countries in countries where the Bible is unknown only three of them took place in countries where the Bible is known and studied and loved now here's where you shouldn't walk out because right now I leave you thinking that God hates non-christians or non-jews people who do not know the Bible of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob get washed away by monsoons and hurricane this is not a good trying to walk out because that is not how it is I will admit that I was stunned when I saw this because statistics mislead so easily and I looked at that I said oh my god this is unbelievable god only brings big disasters to people who don't know the Bible but then I thought wait a second you are a dumb rabbi you're falling into a big trap here listen to the trap I didn't bring the disasters that were biggest in natural terms for instance Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew which struck the 'nothing eastern coast of the United States both of them were far larger than any of the Hurricanes that killed upwards of 15,000 people in Bangladesh so God is an equal opportunity distributor of natural phenomenon but here's what happens it's what we do to prepare for them and handle them that is so different countries that are rooted in the Bible get inflicted with the same hurricanes the same volcanoes the same floods the same earthquakes the same earthquakes there was an earthquake in Paso Robles in California just a few years ago within three days of a earthquake in Iran the one in Paso Robles was slightly more powerful than the one in Iran the one in Paso Robles killed and nobody the one in Iran killed tens of thousands the strength of these natural disasters is the same everywhere but the fatalities the number of deaths is far lower in biblical countries that is an absolutely unavoidable effect now I speak to a lot of audiences that are kind of hostile to a biblical message and they get really antsy round about this point in the discussion but what can you do facts is facts no matter how inconvenient they are and this is facts now you've got to find some explanation for that you know why would that be it's it's an it's inescapable okay you can leave now now the second here's another interesting fact I took a look at all the scientific technological and medical advances of the thousand years right all the way up to the Second World War to 1950 and what that included is the printing press by Johann Gutenberg in 1450 it included the discovery of Medicine penicillin how does novocaine you'd like to have tooth work done by your dentist without any anesthetic all of these things as a matter of fact a / 98.8% of the scientific medical technological discoveries the last thousand years took place in biblical societies coincidence how can that be it's too much it's too much and finally let's also note that there are certain countries and societies in the world that created great wealth there are societies that produced a standard of living that is the envy of the entire world and and it's been like this for several hundred years now admittedly there are other countries and other societies that pick up the ideas and apply them in exactly the same way that after World War 2 Western ideas spread around the world so you did have scientific discoveries being produced in China and in Japan and in different parts of the world that are non biblical but what was happening is these were countries that were importing Western ideas following World War two economically monetarily wise the same thing is true and this is something which has really puzzled people for hundreds of years this has been studied in universities and people have grappled with the basic question why do some countries like England like Sweden like Holland like the United States of America produce amazingly high standards of living creating an enormous amount of wealth Hongkong produces well switzerland produces wealth and there are so many countries around the world that we disparagingly call the third world sometimes and it's a worthwhile question to try and figure out is there any pattern is there anything that explains why it is that certain countries have produced wealth whereas other countries do not my friends once again it is an inescapable and admittedly inconvenient fact that the countries that produce wealth are countries that sprang from the pages of the Bible I will tell you that virtually every attempt has been made to avoid this terrible conclusion and I'll tell you some of the theories one of the theories was colonialism you want to know why England became wealthy in the 19th century whereas India at that point was poor and Africa most of the African continent was poor you know why it is because the English went there colonized that stole all the wealth took it back to England made themselves wealthy and left the other folks / that's the theory well here's the nice piece of information now with computers all the books of the Dutch East India Company are able to be opened up all the books of the British colonial office are opened up all the calculations can now be made guess what England injected far more money into its colonies than it ever took out you want to know the proof the proof is that when England gave up the colonies and went home now that the colonies could keep all their own wealth they should have grown and thrived and done wonderfully they haven't they became economic basket cases because the English were no longer pumping money but now we have a question if the English did not go to these colonies in order to withdraw money and extract wealth and take the back home why on earth do they go there for I wonder if any of you know the answer it's easily and readily available England went to the colonies to take the gospel to the world that was the reason for the British Kolo we'll experiment that's the reason they brought biblical civilization to the whole world and when they left in many places the little civilization left with them leaving behind tyranny catastrophe disaster poverty and misery so we're left with the inescapable conclusion that the Bible has immense power immense power to change entire nations and if the Bible can change a nation do you know what it can do for you now for those few cynics among you well he may say the Bible changes nations but what do you mean under what is a book change a nation yes it does as a matter of fact because ideas really matter values really matter and the ideas that permeate a culture and suffuse the character of a nation or ideas that impact everything that happens in that nation it's not an accident that the greatest scientists up until World War two were all religious Christians there were all Bible believers and many of them knew Hebrew Newton Sir Isaac Newton the founder of modern physics actually used to inscribe Hebrew notes on some of his texts in the Hebrew language that the scientists that built West and thought were all Christians they were Bible believers for heaven's sake well why would that help them with their science it's very simple I'll tell you wouldn't you love to meet some famous figure in history let's leave aside for the moment a religious figure let's say that you were really infatuated with the MU music of a fantastic musician who's no longer alive or you love the painting of an artist who's no longer alive and you say to yourself I'd give anything to get to know that person but you can see is no longer alive what's the next best thing get to know his work get to see and know what he created right there is an incredible incentive what is the second greatest thrill available to human beings for a man to get to know a woman and a woman to get to know a man what's the first biggest thrill to get to know the boss now it's very difficult for all of us it's very difficult it's a spiritual struggle to get to know God and one of the best ways to get to know anybody is through his creation teachers who teach in public school often tell me they actually all kinds of schools we know the parents of these children although we've never met them because we get to know the creation of the parents so well we end up knowing the parents and so alone among all the cultures of the world alone the only culture that identifies the creation around us with the Creator is the culture of the Bible that is why I can I am sure a tap on the shoulder a nine-year-old child of probably almost anybody in the sanctuary today or I could walk up to a little Jewish child and I could say to a little Christian child or a little Jewish child I could say I want you to complete the sentence for me here comes the sentence in the beginning God well that's easy ask me something hard in the beginning God created heaven earth there is no other religious text in the world that opens with that profound statement none whatsoever do you know what that statement tells you that if you want to get to know God you need to get to know heaven and earth in other words study this world study this planet study everything there is to know about this world I've just described to you the study of science at night if you want to get to know this world you need to study it there's both sciences and mineral science there's astrophysics there's chemistry there's biology there's all kinds of ways of different angles of getting to know this world and in all of those things you are getting closer to knowing God Rodney and that is why it is that without exception all the great scientists were driven by their desire to know God so is it any surprise now for me when I tell you that biblical civilizations developed most of the inventions on the planet of course not they were motivated they were motivated they were trying to achieve the greatest thrill known to human beings which is to get to know God a little better and the avenue to do that is simple having you to do that is to get to know his creation the world and so that's one way in which the fact that the Bible was the singular most influential force in all of Western civilization and by the way we are now in the first generation in all of Western history the first generation I tell you that acknowledges a person to be educated although he is an ignoramus about the Bible that's never happened before in Western civilization and that is why it is I don't know if you've noticed that on the crest of Yale University is Hebrew writing that's because Yale University used to insist on people studying Hebrew if you wanted to graduate they didn't care what you were studying literature science whatever you study how can you be educated if you don't know the Bible and ideally know it in the Lord's language and so William Bradford second governor of the Plymouth Colony wrote the first 20 pages of his history of the Plymouth Plantation in Hebrew and Ezra Stiles the president of Yale University had a very close friend a rabbi who everybody needs a rabbi right it's okay the pastor said so so oh and by the way for you folks that that would be me all right that Pastor Aaron is something wrong I don't know I wouldn't start off with you I just just want to make sure so Harvard University also all Hebrew because they understood that the Bible shaped Western civilization the printing press was the biggest discovery was bigger in its day than the Internet is in our day when Gutenberg came up with a printing press he said I'm saying now this is a historic moment what should be the very first book in the history of the world that is going to be printed he said well how about the Vienna telephone book now the Bible wasn't a question this is the first generation where people who are ignorant of the Bible still think they know something it's never happened before and that is how it is that science thrived and grew among the people of the Bible that's why it was like that and natural calamities didn't hurt as much the people of the Bible you know why because there are rules in the Bible about how to do a building there is a rule that you have to create a building in a way that it doesn't in it doesn't run the risk of hurting anybody thou shalt build a parapet around the roof so that if anybody finds their way to the roof they cannot fall off these are the beginnings of the concept of building codes do you know why the earthquake in Paso Robles killed nobody and the earthquake in Iran killed tens of thousands because they do not have building codes outside biblical civilizations or smart civilizations that have picked up on biblical concepts and I think of countries who at the time of World War two think of Taiwan or think of South Korea at the time of World War two these were economically non-existent nothing they put up on the west today South Korea is predominantly a Christian nation is it any wonder that it has become the tiger of Asia the Bible is what makes this possible I want you to really understand that because we're going to now move into understanding some of these biblical principles and you've got to know and see that this is the core and this is the secret I'll tell you something fascinating that happened in May 1953 a man called Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest with tens are shipping chirping Tenzin or gay for the very first time first time humans had ever climbed to the top of Mount Everest do you have any idea how many people climb Mount Everest last summer do you think 110 or a hundred more than a hundred so much so their trash is becoming there's a littering problem on average right now chocolate wrappers candy wrappers that's a way to say if it's so easy and by I'm not saying it's that easy I'm not saying I could do it but now we're in a second wait a second wait a second there are many business professionals people who drive desks 365 days a year in Seattle who have climbed Mount Everest they've gone with a Seattle guide called ed vistas and Edie has a business of taking people up Mount Everest and he brings everybody back home safely again he's an expert and he puts you through a training regimen but excuse me it's just not that big a deal anymore it cost some money serious money cost you $50,000 could pull it off then wait a second why did we make such a fuss of Edmund Hillary and chirping Tenzing Norgay well it's very simple you see they didn't know that it could be done when you know something could be done you can do it exactly one year later it was May 1954 Roger Bannister was a medical student in England did something nobody had ever done before in the history of the world he ran a mile in under four minutes doctors write it was last night pastor Wendell had said you don't have to listen to doctors all the time listen to doctors but believe in God doctors said that anybody who ran the mile in four minutes would die and Sir Roger Bannister broke through the tape in 359 and he fell down on the grass panting and the television newscaster said well there it is he's dead no no he's not dead he's very much alive very much like the very fine hot specialist still very active he's okay do you have any idea how many people ran a mile in under four minutes in the year 1955 one year off the Roger Bannister did it 110 more than 100 well-hung wait a sec if you guys are such great runners and you ran the mile in under four minutes anyway 1955 why don't you do two years earlier than where you could have been historic oh it's very simple we didn't know it could be done anybody can do something after you know it can be done it takes somebody very special to be able to do something before you know it can be done that is called faith and so you've got to see that the Bible has brought prosperity wherever it has been everywhere it has been today the continent of Africa suffers with only one exception pockets of evangelical Christianity Bible based that's where there are pockets of prosperity that's where it is South America not doing well excepting for pockets of biblically based prosperity it works it works it works we spoke a little earlier pastor Wendell was extraordinarily gracious about my book thou shall prosper I deeply appreciated it and it was it was it was a very emotional moment for me because it was like a baby there was a book I worked on for twenty years and I knew that it was a book that would have to be written by a Jew because in it I was going to say certain things that had the book being said written by anybody who was not Jewish the book would have been dismissed as bigoted and anti-semitic and this way since it was I who wrote it what a anti-semitic rabbi sometimes the truth is difficult to take and and one of the the basic challenges again I like anomalies whether it's strange coincidences why is it that countries that are biblically based do not suffer from natural disasters why is it that countries that are biblically based produce scientific discoveries why is it that countries that are biblically based create wealth and produce riches and why is that I ask myself that Jews are so disproportionately good with money you can see why that had to be a question only I could ask why are useless proportionately good with money well one possibility is they rip people off all the time I had a look into that possibility if I'm going to study this from the point of view of scientific economics I had to be open to that possibility I hoped it wasn't true but I was given a little bit of a true because the Oxford English Dictionary for the word Jew says verb threw people off so I thought maybe you know maybe but you know I discovered I discovered too many good Christian business professionals around the country who had had long-standing business relationships with Jews going back decades you know if people rip you off you don't keep doing business with them that's why reputation is all that matters really who you are and there again is another biblical principle we all know the verse about a good name that's important for business so if you are part of a culture that does not emphasize the importance of a good name then you are at a disadvantage when it comes to trying to do business very difficult well it was too clear that that could not be the explanation were there some Jewish crooks to be found yeah sure just like they were crooks of every possible communist absolutely but no more no less than anywhere else and generally speaking in the world of business crookedness gets spotted pretty quickly I wish the same could be true in the world of the universities or in the world of politics where there is no self-correcting mechanism but in business itself corrects the word those around really quickly who you should stay away from so I looked at that possibility and that didn't seem to be an explanation and I looked at other possibilities I looked at the idea that Jews constitute this one big unified Club of individuals who constantly devote themselves to one another's needs and take care of advancing one another's interests and sure you would thrive if you were part of a big group of people that everyone cared for everybody else and that's one of the beauties of a church family well if they were true yes in Judaism however this will probably shock you to hear but many synagogues and temples are seething cauldrons of political intrigue not everybody in the Jewish community loves everybody else sadly but true and I looked at other possibilities I looked at the possibility of intelligence maybe Jews are super intelligent but I didn't even have to do any measurements because I discovered something else and that is super intelligence is a handicap for making money how many really successful university professors do you know really smart people really smart people really really really smart people up and end up on the faculties of universities and they are notoriously bad with money and I discovered a very simple fact and that is the old bell curve the Forrest Gump story from the movie just a movie in in the real world if you are truly truly below functional level of intelligence you just not going to make it really really low you're not going to become a tycoon it's just as true on the other end if you're really really really smart you're not going to make it either you know why because nobody likes a smart guy and you succeed in business you succeed in business when people know you like you and trust you people who are a little too smart for their own good doesn't go well for them so for all the normal folks like us in the middle of that belt oh just normal folks in that big broad range of normality we do just fine which is probably a good time for us to analyze who here with us today is in business I don't understand I still see some hands down excuse me ma'am you didn't have your hand up are you by any chance a justice on the United States Supreme Court no hmm because that's about the only person I can think of who's not in business everybody is in business if you are trying to become more prosperous then how do you think you'll do it if you're not in business well wait a second you don't understand I'm not in business I'm a machinist for the Boeing Company what do you mean designs I'm have a job I'm not in business you don't understand you are in business just like Starbucks of Howard Schultz is in business the only difference is that Starbucks has millions of customers for their product you are there in the coffee business with millions of customers you are in the machinist business and it so happens you organize your life so you have one customer that's all it is you have one customer called Boeing that's all and in the same way that Starbucks can raise the price of a cup of coffee and they've got to do that very carefully because if they do too much their customers will walk away in the same way I can go to Boeing and say look I'm a terrific machinist I'm raising the price of what I supply you with I'm in business and they say oh you mean you're asking for a raise and I said well you can call it what you like but as far as I'm concerned I'm raising my prices what and and they'll say either yes or no just like customers at Starbucks will say either yes or no you are in business whatever you do what is a business let's define that it's really easy books are written on what defines of business you really don't need a book what defines a business is so simple a business is anything that has a customer you can show me the most sophisticated business plan you like and you can show me you've got a factory and it's going to produce this and you've got tools and you've gotten workers and you've got everything I only have one question which is who's buying the stuff and if you cannot answer that if you say well we're going to look at that two years into the project we're going to examine the market now I'm not interested but if on the other end you came to me and you said I've got this terrific thing that everybody needs I just don't know how to build a factory and I don't know how to market oh that's no problem we'll find people who can do that you've got the the customers now why does it work that way well I want you to think for a moment about what happens in the ideal sense and I look at America as the country that is today most significantly and most clearly built on the Bible more than any other country and I look at certain companies in America as adhering firmly to those principles in one way or another even sometimes they may not mean it take for instance the company called Nordstrom based right here in the northwest they started as a shoe store now kind was really interesting because what happens when you walk in to a shoe store if it's a good shoe store I walk into the shoe store and somebody says can I help you and I say if I'm looking for those sneakers with red lights in the back there flash when you walk and the person says no problem why don't you sit down right over here I sit down over there and you know what the person then does goes down on his knees in front of me takes my shoes off does he feel menial doing that he seems to feel proud of his professionalism he feels to be proud of him doing something which we all recognize to be an ultimate of something called customer service and what did pastor journey lead us in a worship what a coincidence same word for customer service and worship service how can that be it's very simple very simple what is the greatest delight for a parent as your children start growing up if you're blessed with more than one child and the children start growing up and you go through all that fear where they're bickering when squabbling with each other all the time and every dinner table is a fight he said as he pushed me first he took my carrot and you think you think it rings a bell doesn't it and you think this whole is never going to end and then at a certain magical moment in some families it's like when the kids turn 40 but in most places in many cases it's a little earlier they suddenly start acting like brothers and sisters and you and your spouse sit back and you say praise be the Lord what a delight it is to see them caring for one another my oldest daughter has three little boys under the age of four and she was expecting some people for a dinner party and she had everything worked out she came down with a really bad flu and she had people expected for dinner and she has little kids to deal with and she just didn't know what to do and she called my wife Susan and we were she's on the other side of the country we wish we could help and I said I will call you back if we can think of something and 15 minutes later we called back and she's sounding much better with it are you purchasing I feel awful but everything is going to be all right oh why is that she said Oh Miriam is already on a Greyhound bus coming to our home she's going to be taking care of everything for a day or two Miriam is my number four daughter who is number five daughter I'm sorry who who is at college and she's a very devoted student she's at the Bible College on the east coast and she doesn't like missing profs she won't miss class for the patience you might wonders cost for anything at all but her sister called with a need and she dropped everything and ran to the bus station to take a bus to her older sister to take care of the house and Susan and I just looked at one another with a tear in each eye what a blessing your children take care of one another do you have any idea what it feels like to our Father in Heaven to see us taking care of one another you get some clue do you know what customer service is it's taking care of one another that's what it is that's the idea and we have to really understand what that's all about taking care of one another we go to the very beginning of the Bible and God appears to be in an awfully good mood he creates one thing after another well it he he is I mean look at this whatever he creates he looks and he says and God saw that it was good there bounces back yeah I like that I created France that would - everything is good right remarkably whatever he creates is good and then seven times we see that things that God creates it but there's an eighth time that God says and this was good and I'll tell you what that is in just a moment but first I'll tell you about when God gets grumpy what's the first time does it know it isn't good it's not good for man to be alone and so many of us think that that just is an introduction to the idea of marriage and it is that that if not only that it is a blueprint for all of human survival it's a blueprint for all of human survival not good for man to be alone I want to ask you to imagine something unimaginable imagine that some horrible calamity took away every single human being on let's say in the United States or the world leaving just you now I know what your first sensation is you say what so that I'll get a parking place in downtown Bellevue I know what you're thinking but when you get past that initial euphoria I want you to try and imagine what life is like when you are indeed all alone not good for man to be alone let me prove it to you if you disagree I want you to tell me I want anybody buying what I'm saying just because I'm a rabbi it's not a bad reason but it's not the only reason if it's going to make sense so I want you to bear with me as we do what Albert Einstein used to call a Ford experiment this is really it would be very cruel to actually conduct this experiment in reality so we're just going to think our way through it there you are all alone and you come home and you say to yourself shoo at last I get the TV remote click click click and you look at the TV screen and what do you see nothing because there's nobody operating the stations well you think you know what I've been waiting for a long time to read a good book anyway you open the book you settle back and the Sun Goes Down you flick on the light switch and what do you get no right no problem you say I'll go for a drive and you go driving and sooner or later you discover that your Chevy is out of gas so you stop at a gas station what do you discover well you see gas stations need electricity to pump gas from the underground tanks into your car no guess ok no problem just pop into the nearest BMW because since you the only person left everything belongs to you so there's no difficulty there and you decide it's time for dinner off to a nearby restaurant you're on your way to the restaurant you suddenly realize that's silly nobody is going to serve me in the restaurant nobody's there to make the food I'll just go to a supermarket no problem it belongs to you everything belongs to you now you go to the supermarket and you you get yourself some food how for how long will you be able to do that before even the cans begin to bulge so pretty soon you're going to arrive at a point where you realize that you bet upon something in God's ground and pray to heaven on high that the produce will come out before you starve to death in other words you are now being the only person on the planet you are obviously the richest person in all of human history you own everything you're like Adam you own everything and you are about to starve like the subsistence peasant in the poorest third-world nation you know why because you didn't listen to the words it's not good for man to be alone when you are alone you starve to death the only reason you have everything you have at the click of a mouse do you know what geniusness is you know what a blessing of offices that I can go home and I can click on a mouse on my computer and FedEx bring something to my house tomorrow morning whatever I want why that that's because we are a biblical civilization that says not good for man to be alone and so we come right away to the story of Cain and Abel and Cain says to Abel they were in the field and Cain stairs to Abel what does he say well actually if you take a look in your verse when you get home it doesn't say and then the next thing is that Cain kills Abel I'd love to know what that conversation was about was an argument about baseball scores like what what happened there that is why we need well and because there's something called ancient Jewish wisdom that was encapsulated through generations from Moses to Joshua and from Joshua to the elders and the instruction was always never write it down always communicated from mouth to ear from teacher to student from parent to child because when it's communicated that way people hear it and learn it I whenever I speak at universities as soon as I start talking people pull out notebooks and and start writing I say wait a second stop that if I wanted you to write it down I'd have supplied you with the notes I know what I'm saying I'll write it down for you and I'll duplicate it and give you notes this is a magical experience of human communication of a kind that God bestowed upon us through the miracle of speech that's how we need a communicate don't write it down the minute you write it down you're limiting it it's got to remain as an idea that means from one soul another soul and that's the idea of what we call the oral torah and that's why as pastor Wendell mentioned my CD programs those are on audio CD particularly for that reason because it is a magical soul experience studying Bible has to be oral there has to be a teacher and a student that's why you have Bible class you come here the pastor sits down with you you work through it you don't just say stay at home and read it by yourself that's a good start you have to read the Bible everyday but this act of studying needs another human being that's why I'd recommend you if for some reason or another you are not able to attend a regular Bible study program at the church and you really ought to be doing that then at the very least get together with a friend rather than just be by yourself even with just a friend sit down said let's do half a chapter a day that's all let's just do that but at least they're there to human beings interacting with one another and and that's how that works so there's a lot of the material that is not written down or is hinted at in the Hebrew text and so I'm able to share with you what Cain really said to Abel and as soon as I tell you you'll see that it's perfectly obvious and that is how Adam is getting old what do you think is on Cain's mind remember I just told you the richest person in all of human history was Adam because he owned the whole world what do you think Cain wanted to talk to Abel about inheritance and so he caught up with Abel in the field and he spoke to him and he said you know dad hasn't made a will or anything so it's gonna be up to you and me to decide how to divide up the world and I just thought that I would let you know that my plan was to take everything because I'm the oldest son you may be my tenant you can pay me rent Abel says back to pain my dear brother a little bit of a misunderstanding you have there we're actually going to be splitting the world in two or two sons too and what's more I'll be taking North America so I just put that part in so Jane does what he has to do which is kill Abel why do we have to do it because here you need to know the meaning of names in the Hebrew there is no name in the Bible that like Agatha every name has a meaning a very specific and important meaning and the meaning is essential to the story because the Bible and I don't have to tell this to you you hear this from your pastors and your teachers all the time the Bible is not a book of ancient legends and historic anecdotes and figures the Bible is a blueprint to life and a pathway to prosperity you need to it needs to be studied like a like a textbook like a data stream of the most crucial intelligence imaginable that's what it is so it's obviously very important that Payne's name in Hebrew kaien means to acquire to get me that his entire existence is ownership of things now it's something he desperately wants to do that's his whole life and so obviously the most important thing for him Israel my whole existence my identity of who I am those away if anybody else owns anything I want everything and for Abel his brother says now half and half thanks is why I'm sorry my whole identity is at stake here you have to go he kills it God comes to him and says where's in Faber's words the famous question where's your brother am I my brother's keeper and so on and then what happens next God punishes Cain how not one punishment but actually to the two punishments are number one you will be a wanderer always you will never be able to be in one place number two nothing you plant will ever grow what's the message when God administers justice it's perfect justice we always have to see the punishment fit the crime how does that punishment fit the crime very simple Cain thought that the secret to wealth was the being rid of other people pain thought the less of you the more there is for me it's an easy mistake isn't it with people will sometimes say we don't want any more people moving into our neighborhood no new people it's crowded enough as it is let me ask you a something which is more crowded Hong Kong or Somalia Hong Kong by a long shot which is more prosperous Hong Kong or Somalia Hong Kong people are well they don't take it away pain was of the opinion that people means less for you and he intended by killing Abel he intended to keep all the land for himself God says I'm going to show you what your land is worth you're right you've now got it all for yourself here's what it's worth when you use landfill there are only two uses for land agriculture and development we've got some agricultural people in the audience we've got some news and developers in the audience you guys know what land is for look what God says to pain what do you think you're going to do with your land number one you have to keep moving you'll never be in one place long enough to put up a building and find tenants number two if you think you'll ever point anything that's not going to work either so the two uses that land has are denied to you because you missed the point that well gives other people it's not getting rid of other people it's finding ways to serve other people that's the way too well so Kaine finally gets this and his atonement to God is twofold the first thing is he immediately has a baby he says I understand it's bringing new life into the world that produces well I understand and that's why the next thing you read is Cain brought a baby into the world and then what did he do he built a the first city in the world why did came though the city to reassure God that he did get the message that in reality he now understands that a lot of people around one another produces goodness for everybody provided their biblical if they're not biblical a lot of people around one another can produce a crime infested disease-ridden hellhole but if you get a lot of biblical people together in tight proximity with one another it's a good life because they're able to interact with one another and so Cain starts a city and that's our introduction to the whole idea well we do understand then that it's our involvement with other people the world that God created is not a world where it's good to be alone it's not just Mary it's that people alone don't thrive they don't do well what do we call solitary confinement for those of you with very busy lives solitary confinement sounds like not a bad idea for a little while but it quickly it quickly turns into what it is which is torture it's not it's not a good thing being alone makes people go mad does the name Ted Kaczynski mean anything to you the Unabomber lived by himself a hermit on a shack on the mountainside in Montana when nuts if you are without other people it's very very bad and if you have tight and close relationships with other people it can be very very good that is the message we've got here let me ask you a question which again do not leave before I've had a opportunity to discuss this a little further well I'll wait for whoever's going to leave us in the leave before I even ask you the question okay here's the question do you think do you think God wants us to have great sex I don't know for sure but I don't think so now before you think yourself that's one repressed rabbi now and I'll explain what I mean I don't think so I could be wrong but here's what I do think I think God wants a man to marry a woman and for the two of them to be utterly devoted to one another forever and to their family and it shouldn't surprise us if in that environment God rewards that couple with the greatest sensual pleasure he's made available to human beings you see there's a difference I'm not saying that he wants us to have good sex that's the reward that's the consequence of doing the right thing and you don't need me to tell you the figures that everybody knows which is that Bible believing religious Americans do have more fulfilling lives people know that there's a reason for it because the reward is for doing what God wants us to do which brings me to the next question do you think God wants us to be rich I didn't think so could be wrong but I don't think so it doesn't fit everything I have been taught by my teachers and parent or by his father who taught by his and I don't think they lied to me they said no God doesn't want you to be rich that would be a prosperity theology which somehow belies the reality that we see with our own eyes that's not how it works but what does God want and it's very simple God wants us to all be obsessively preoccupied with other people's needs in an environment of honesty and transparency and would you be surprised if a loving God rewards us with a great blessing of prosperity under those circumstances better understand that that is how wealth is created by serving other people you've got to see it let me tell you the story of great-grandpa Lapham great-grandpa lapin was a very good practitioner of a noble profession called selling he was a Salesman as a matter of fact that might be a little bit too higher term for he was he was actually a peddler Genova peddler is there's a cart and great-grandfather's go from town to town with his horse cart and he would trade let me give you an idea of how things worked with great-grandpa lapin this would be an example and I'm compressing it and make this quick because we've got to move right along a great-grandpa lapin arrives in town and knocks on the first all okay arrives a lady opens the door he says hi you folks got anything at all that you don't need you want to get rid of anything you'd like to sell she says well to tell you the truth there's this old dining room table that's down in our basement we're getting rid of it because we've bought a new one he said how you getting rid of it she said the city's coming by to pick it up on Tuesday he said for free she don't know the city's gonna charge us five dollars to pick up the table great-grandpa lapin says how to be if I gave you five dollars and took away the table she's you kidding he says here no problem I'll even help you load it on your wagon okay they load the table on the wagon now let's just do a little biblical arithmetic here with me will you I want you to just do a little balance sheet work here how much better off is that lady because great grandpa lap and knocked on her door like that right not 510 because she was dangerous to pay our five which he now can keep and she gets another five so she's up by $10 great-grandpa lapin stops at a hardware store spends $1 on some paints and some nails gives the table a proto paint puts a nail in shaky-leg knocks on another door now in reality not good lots and lots and lots of doors okay but we're going to just move this along because if I spent six hours showing you how this wind should probably walk out so great grandpa laughing goes to the next stair door knocks on the door and the lady opens there hi anybody here one the table she says funny you should ask I've got a daughter just getting married and my daughter is looking for a table they call their daughter up comes with a solution as well we were actually going to go to Ethan Allen furniture showrooms but they're very expensive and yeah we could we could buy this table this would be great how much is it these great grandpa laughs and says well just a matter of interest what were you thinking of spending over at the showroom and the girl says well we've been looking at tables for $20 great-grandpa laughs and says tell you what you could have this one for 10 she's really he says you have in mind that you know the legs of the Chaffee I put a nail in there's a fresh coat of paint but underneath that it's a bit scratch she has no problem this will be a very nice starter table and they load it into the house how much better with some arithmetic now little balance sheet arithmetic how much better off is the second family because great grandpa lap and knocked on the door $10 right they split up the table and now they they're not out $20 for a dabbler only hour $10 so they got $10 sitting there so in aggregate taken together these two families in the village are better off by how much for great-grandpa weapons coming through town $20 each family's better off by 10 total or $20 don't forget that's not the end of the good break grandpa laughing has how much in his pocket there's an arbitrage there of how much for remember he spent one at the hardware store so now the hardware stores happy great grandfather came to town also how about the hotel we're great grandpa laughs and sleeping tonight they're happy is in town also it's no wonder that towns used to enjoy the journey of a peddler through town because everybody was better off at the end of the day now I know that some of you are thinking to yourselves this is smoke and mirrors we can't tell where he's pulled the fast one but you don't just make money like that yes that is exactly how you make money by doing things for other people and if you shouldn't believe me and they just might be one or two lingering cynics out there I will prove it to you there is one ultimately most successful website on the entire internet that made money from day one it's called eBay shall I give you the best definition of eBay the best definition of eBay is seventy thousand great grand Paul Athens working at the same time that's all it is that's what EPA does exactly what break ground ball happened does find something this person wants to sell find something this person wants to buy makes the connection and heat something in their pocket along the way that's the system when you are focused on doing things for other people you are being rewarded with God's gift of prosperity that is the whole idea and the system shapes itself the beauty of what God has given to us is a system that monitors you and gives you a spore card at the end of every day it's a scorecard because it tells you whether you are doing the things you ought to be doing let me give you an example my mother used to say to me I want you to be happy and I used to say to her that's easy buy me a motorcycle and she said you don't understand your happiness is not not my responsibility it's yours so what are you talking about should say look in the Bible and the Bible says in the Hebrew verse a master you shall be happy it doesn't say find people to make you happy it doesn't say find people who will give you the things you want says you will be happy it says be happy that is a decision you make it's not a consequence of anything else now to think about this you've got a choice about who you're going to buy something from who do you want to buy it from wouldn't you want to buy from somebody you know haven't you heard advertisements from companies that say you got a friend in the car business or the jewelry business you got a friend in the bill because everybody understands that we like doing business with people we know we like doing tea business with people we like it's not just that we know that we have to like them and we have to trust them and so if your business whatever it is I call it a business did you understand what I was saying before whatever you are doing for your Avenue to prosperity is a business and that means that you need to let people know you they must like you well how do they get to like you you know what here's one of the surest ways to make sure people don't like you to be a whiner grumbler complainer negative pessimistic grouch that is the surest way to make sure nobody and let me tell you if you find people avoiding your company that's the first guess if not body odor first yes I'm telling you lot much more much more aggravating than body odor is complaining whining negative pessimistic people if you're right that people not only are avoiding you they are right to avoid you because you are polluting the atmosphere got to be happy it's a decision and so not good for man to be alone so step number one is you've got to get to know lots and lots of people and that's why you are expected it's a biblical value to be the first to greet somebody say how do you do somebody hey I'm son so that's the beginning of a relationship and it happens best in church surroundings that happens best in prosperity conferences like this it doesn't happen best in business advancement meetings where everyone meets the first Wednesday of a month for breakfast the exchange of a business called because that's self-interest the only reason you there is because you're viewing every human being as what they can do for you wrong pastor Wendell was so emphatic about this last night you have to deliver first you've got to be there what can you do for other people how can you serve them that's the question how can you show that you are obsessively preoccupied with other people and you have to make certain that people know what it is you can do for them that's one of the reasons that we used to have names that proudly advertised what we did identify call back you have to go in Pastor Wendell's family to find this Smith but that's certainly what he was originally he was a Smith and his name Ross Smith so that way people knew when they needed some iron work they needed shoes for their horses Smith is the guy you go to do we have any bakers in the audience mr. or mrs. Baker miss Baker okay well you know what your ancestor was a goldsmith silversmith there are so many last names there used to reflect a profession because it is a worthy and wonderful thing to tell people how you can help and that's why this when you sit on a plane and somebody next few says what do you do for a living they're not it's not a selfish question they're saying what do you do for human beings how do you help humanity's what the real question is what do you do for other human beings that's the question now a lot of people will tell you that what you need to do is you know young people sometimes high school college students they'll say people told me and I must find what my passion is and I should do that professionally wrong that's selfish my passion is conducting an orchestra funny thing is nobody really wants to hire me to do that who cares what my passion is God doesn't God cares whether I am infatuated with finding other people's needs not mine so no do not seek as a job or the profession that which you are excited about find what people need and make yourself excited about that and so I'm not cynical about things like advertising and market research I don't think these are bad things I don't think advertising is capable of changing people's minds and making them forget their interests and buy things they don't really need I have more respect for people than that people are usually pretty savvy about their own interests advertising is simply a way of telling people what you can do for them market research that's just a way of finding out what you can do for other people what do they need what do they want I want to help you I want to serve you and we're all engaged in that so we find out what we can do we tell people what it is we try and meet a lot of other people in a giving environment not in a selfish environment who try and do it in a giving environment and we have to be cheerful and happy because the Bible says so don't be surprised if people flock to you and you're cheerful and happy that's that's how this all comes together and we have to understand that it's all one consistent pattern when God says and God saw this was good and God saw this was good and this was good seven times it was good in the eighth one the eighth time God sees something says something is good is gold right there beginning in Genesis and the gold of that land was good and what land are we talking about it's not a geographic land it's a state of mind the gold that is created when people obey the rule of not good for man to be alone because that's how gold is created when people are involved with one another and care for one another and obsessively preoccupied with the needs that we each have trying to solve one another's problems that is the model of God's economy that's what brings us onto the path of prosperity and that's why it is that if you've ever wondered about this bizarre business that Joseph puts his brothers through a quick 30 second recap there the brothers wait by the side of the way their younger brother Joseph getting them really irritated he comes down the road and they decide to get rid of him and they're going to kill him and one of the brothers then says something very significant in Hebrew he says ma Beth sake Naha rogue at akeno translated accurately what profit is there in killing our brother let's sell him to these traders passing by so they yanked Joseph out of the pit they sell him to the traders do you understand what they're saying relationships are to be used to make money what profit he has a brother killing him doesn't make a lot of sense does it let's sell him that'll work and then later on Joseph rises to become master of all Egypt and the brothers show up and he sends them back with the money they came to purchase grain worth they go home with a grain and the money is in the bags what is the message Joseph is giving his brothers he's not trying to just torment them he's not trying to get revenge on them he's trying to teach them God's basic road to prosperity and it's not about the money brothers it's about the relationships don't you get it your mistake was thinking that the relationships can be sacrificed for the money no cherish the relationships that's what will produce the money and they said he sends the brothers back with the money and they're all terrified they were all frightened that they're being set up and it's got they're going to be accused of robbery and this turns into a whole mess until finally father Jacob says to them I need you to go back we need more food Egypt's the only place that has food because of this genius Joseph and the brothers say what should we take with that bold we'll get silver we'll take all the original money and the extra manual and father Jacob began to get a glimmer of insight and he said no he's telling you something you boys he's trying to tell you the money comes second it's what you're doing for other people that comes first it's the relationship here's what I want you to take a bunch of nuts and raisins and some honey and some cookies just a little plate of nice things that's all you need to take and sure enough they listen to their father they go back to Egypt with a ridiculous little plate that costs about thirty cents worth of cookies and nuts and they put it on the table for Joseph and he breaks down and says I am Joseph your brother is our Father still alive because he captures finally the boys are getting it it's not the money I want something you know don't buy me an expensive gift take a piece of paper and write a personal note to me that comes from your heart don't bring me the money give me that little plate with some honey and some nuts and some raisins I want to know that we are two souls communicating the money will come after that and that's how it works you see the most important point to get clear is that it is the relationships that produce the wealth is caring for the other people it's doing what pastor Wendell said last night which is you have to be the first to put out and that's why the whole issue of charitable giving and tithing is so fundamental to this and he put it so perfectly last night the pastor said it's a percentage that's exactly right it is looked at another way we are very fortunate our boss in heaven allows us to work for a Commission of 90% I've been a Salesman in my time I never got paid a 90/10 Commission 10% was more like it well of course we got he teach them percentage gives us the bulk of it we get to keep 90 percent and pastor Wendell said last night that it's you don't give charity right you don't give it yeah that's right you don't give it because it isn't yours you pay it then it's just something you gotta pay it's not yours now let's cut what you have left now you're entitled to do what you like with that and why should you give you should give because the whole challenge here is to build relationships with other human beings it's almost as if there is a titanium reinforced brick wall surrounding you when you come into this world alone and your job now is to make relationships with other human beings because if you don't you'll die you'll starve let alone have no pleasure in life how do you do that well there's one way of punching many channels through this brick concrete wall and it would be nice if the many channels got punched through from the outside to the inside would be great if somebody out there cared enough about me to start punching through and pushing many of me doesn't work like that in the real world but there's another way to punch your money channel through that's from the inside out it's called giving so you take your gift not you you did it last night you're walking around throwing out hundred-dollar bills that was a selfish act you said so he was punching many channels through you give something away you're punching a channel through that concrete barrier and once that channel is open now money can flow both ways through that channel and that's why there is nobody here I defy you to come up afterwards and tell me I'm lying there is nobody here who has not been blessed financially more by giving money away the Hebrew word and here we have to come in for a landing the Hebrew word for tithing is ma a ser a ser the Hebrew word for wealth is oh sure it isn't you hear the same word except one has an s-sound one has an SH sound or sera charity or share well same word in Hebrew and that's one of the ways we get this clue by the way that SSH same word is because in Hebrew it's one letter for either s or Sh that's why frog for example the place that Melchizedek live he was the high priest he came to to a I'm pronouncing it right look is that it I'm pretty sure I'm pronouncing it really Hebrew and and it's not it's not how most people are accustomed to them but you know who I mean right high priest Melchizedek comes out he was the high priest of a place called Salem that's why there are 19 cities in America for Salem because this is a biblical civilization in Hebrew the word is Charlayne same with the word Shalom peace Charlayne totality Salem Salem exactly the same word it doesn't Shabbat is Sabbath Shabbat is Sabbath the English name Suzanne in Suzanne's in the audience the English name Suzanne in Hebrew Shoshanna and so you can hear as soon as you take the SH and turn it into an S you've got exactly the same word same name and so that is the concept charity wealth exactly the same you give money away you're punching money channels through the concrete obviously it comes back at you that's how it works and you're showing again that you are putting out first peso Wendell said last night people say well first make me rich and then I'll give charity doesn't work like that nothing works like that in business if you start a business who has to be trusting the buyer or the cat or the seller the seller the guy who wants to sell something has to extend the credit he's the one who puts the article in the customers hands and hopes to get paid business means faith business means trust and that's why in our country we don't write the words In God We Trust on the wall of the church we write it on the currency because it absolutely has to be that way and friends you've just got to realize that money is something that is spiritual money is not a physical thing money is spiritual it's very hard to identify little discs of metal of strips of colored paper or maybe it's the iron oxide molecules on the back of your credit card what is money money is something spiritual you cannot put your hands on it you can't touch it because it is God's measure of relationships within a society in societies that are poverty stricken and miserable there is no communication there is no relationship there is no caring for one another money measures the extent to which we want to do things for our brothers and sisters thereby pleasing our God in heaven is it any wonder that after pleasing our God in heaven in that fashion that he should reward us as indeed I know he will reward each and every one of you that puts these biblical lessons into your lives with god-given prosperity god bless you all all right Wow now that I know it can be done I will be smarter I love the fresh perspective that we have just received everybody needs a rabbi we think rabbi lapin for being with us these two days and imparting to us do we thank him one more time thank you so much I told by my lapin that my family is very produce a son named Judah son-in-law named Perez grandson's name Benaiah Jude Zion and Judah Elliott Wendell Smith whose initials are Jews so I am I am not anti-semitic incredible I mind is spinning I'm a preacher and I'm thinking I wish everybody hadn't heard this I was the only one then I could share it well how many preachers were thinking that you oh yeah you got to go home just steal it he's gonna steal it you're going to get up we go in the Hebrew language which you know nothing about I'm just kidding my my my we are we are just we've been so blessed I one of the things I marvel at and I appreciate particularly in light of what has just been said about how much we need one another is the uniqueness and complimentary differences of the different speakers we have and for Mike Rogers this morning and I've already got the report Mike but you know don't you need to swim out to your ship and don't wait for it to come in how many how many heard that and of course if Mike is on the ship he gonna throw you off but and tonight would be no different when you hear Phil Pringle is one of the most delightful entertaining communicators challenging that I've ever met on the planet all with an Australian accent and you're going to enjoy that today at lunch I want to do my introduction right now dr. mark strong is with us he's the pastor of life change Christian Center in Portland Oregon and one of the things I appreciate about Mark effect he has a new book coming out called scarcity or sufficiency I believe that's the title that correct and we'll be promoting that so there it is there's our cover and this will be coming out actually in just about a month or so and we probably email all of you make sure we do have your email information so that you can get an update on some of the stuff that is happening with the conference and also this new book Pastor Mark is going to be able to share with us in particularly any of our city pastor friends who are here with us for lunch and for all of the pastor's particularly that this message works in the hood in the city and I've been there pastor Aaron myself and some others have been there preached this is a wonderful dynamic loving church growing right in the heart of the city of Portland and you're going to hear from dr. mark strong today at lunch right after lunch at two o'clock we'll be back here for what I think is one of the more important sessions of what we're going to discuss we're not only going to be giving you as the material we want to hand out for free to you regarding the economy and how to address it but then we want to discuss that so pastor Don Ostrom myself and George Reeves Mike Rogers of mic Rovner ruiner will be here this afternoon at 2 o'clock to answer some questions what do we do and how do we address some of the things that are happening right now in the American economy particularly and I think that will be very very significant everyone said amen now all this talk about 2:15 all right we're going to shift the the timing on that all the talk about that if you don't serve other people you'll starve to death you know the more he talked about that I got hungrier and hungrier and I am ready for lunch how about you Lord bless this food we thank you for it and the rich fellowship that we will enjoy take sickness away from the midst of us in Jesus name Amen god bless you everybody you

Channel: Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Views: 51,916

Keywords: Rabbi (Profession), Daniel Lapin (Author), Religion (TV Genre), Lifecodex Publishing, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Thou Shall Prosper, AAJC, American Alliance of Jews and Christians

Id: jjyYgvqewwc

Length: 91min 19sec (5479 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 04 2015