Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Version) "Strip yourselves of your former nature...be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]."

Paul tells us that once we have received Christ, not only should our spiritual lives change drastically, but our attitudes about life should begin to change as well. He says that we are to: "constantly renew our minds."

This is not the first time that he has made this appeal. We read in Romans 12:2 (Amplified Version) - "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]..."

Notice: New ideals and new attitudes!

LISTEN TO ME: GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO GET THE JOB DONE!

Ideals are often defined as concepts or principles of supreme perfection. The renewing of the mind through the Word of God enables you to think higher thoughts and operate on higher standards than that of the world.

Your outlook on life will be different than that of those who are in the world. You actually begin to think like God; thinks and do things the way God does them.

Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Read vs. 7.

The only way that our thoughts and our ways can come to the level of God's thoughts and God's ways is first by the new birth, next by the in-filling of the Holy Ghost and then by the renewing of the mind.

Let's go back to Paul's writing in Ephesians 4 and see how our thoughts, ideal and attitudes should change. (Verse 25-32).

In these verses, Paul talks about our conduct, speech, relationships with one another and with the Holy Spirit and probably the one thing that is most often over-looked: our money. He even tells us that our thoughts, our ideals and our attitudes about our money must differ from that of the world.

Ephesians 4:28 (Amplified Version) - "Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need."

Obviously, if this is God's way for the thief, it's also God's way for the honest man. God is saying through Paul, "Come on up to this higher way of thinking, don't just work for a living, but work so you'll have more to give away."

Now that's not how the world thinks and, I might also say, that's not how most Christians think either.

Do you suppose God knows what He's talking about?

He tells us in the scripture Isaiah 48:17: "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit.".

Doing things God's way is profitable.

It's when we attempt to live by the world's standards that we rob ourselves of God's best.

I Samuel 12:20-21 (Amplified Version) - "...turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve Him with all your heart. And turn not aside after vain and worthless things which cannot profit or deliver you, for they are empty and futile."

Would you rather be limited by thinking the way the world thinks or unlimited by thinking the way God thinks?

God wants to remove all the limitations on our finances but it can't happen until we come up into this higher way of thinking.

Actually, Paul is not saying anything any different than what God said to Abraham.

Genesis 12:2 (Amplified Version) - "...And I will bless you (with an abundant increase of favors) ...and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]."

This is the real reason God wants to bless us, so we'll have more to give.

When you just "work for a living", never sowing or dispensing into others lives, then you put a limitation on how much God can bless you.

Proverbs 11:24-25 (Amplified Version) - "There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered."

The liberal person shall be enriched.

The dictionary defines "liberal" as characterized by generosity or lavishness in giving; unrestrained giving.

Does this describe you?

Is this your attitude about what you earn with your hands?

Wouldn't you love to be an unrestrained giver?

This is what Paul says will happen to those who will come up to this higher way of thinking.

II Corinthians 9:6-11(Amplified Version) -"...he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings...for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, prompt-to-do-it) giver [whose heart is in his giving]. And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance...."

What a promise to those who get off the world's ways of doing things and on to God's way of doing.

But it doesn't end there, look at what else He promises:

2 Cor. 9. 10-11 (Amplified Version) - "And [God] who provided seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for sowing]...Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous...."

There's no limit to what God will do for this person who lives to give.

God will increase their resources for sowing.

So because we are living in the last days, God is going to accelerate the laws of seedtime and harvest so that our resources for sowing will increase more rapidly. We are living in a time when you should be getting all the seed that you possibly can into the ground.

The multiplying of our resources is part of God's last day plan and we're the ones who will see it happen.

How would you like to see multiple manifestations all in one day?

You have to start and THINK BIG in God.

Ephesians 3.20 "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us."

Get into exceeding abundantly above thinking!

Every day a harvest day - wouldn't that be wonderful?

Well, it's not too late. According to the teachings of Jesus, the laborers who were hired last got the same wages as those who were hired first. Matthew 20:1-16 read it.

Start looking for opportunities to sow every day and you'll qualify.

TEACHING US TO PROFIT

Isaiah 48:17 "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go."

There is an old saying, which has been repeated, many times and in many ways that essentially says: Give a man a fish and he will have a meal. Teach a man to fish and he will have provision for life.

That is what God doing with us. He is providing for us by teaching us "how to".

The Word in I John 5:4 states that WE are "overcomers" and WE are then in Romans 8:37 "more than conquerors".

The Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13 said, "I CAN DO everything through him who gives me strength."

It should be apparent that WE are to do based on the Word of God and not just wait for God to do.

In James we are admonished to, James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

People are flocking to "self-help" and similar type seminars in order to learn the "keys" to being successful, fulfilled, and effective in life's pursuits.

Those attending such seminars aren't always expecting to be handed success; they are looking for the way - the key to becoming successful.

Jesus said Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever YOU bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever YOU loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus said He would GIVE us the keys!!

The Word of God is full of these "how to" keys. Many Christians are out there waiting for God's hand out. God, on the other hand, is providing the how to.

It is important here to understand something to clarify a critical point. You must recognize these keys for what they are.

Some see the keys as conditions to God's promises not as keys to receiving what God has promised.

For example: Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Now, some would say that this sets forth conditions for salvation. It needs to be seen for what it is, however, as the key to salvation.

It is what will open up salvation for anyone who will do it. God didn't put restrictions on receiving salvation, He has given man the key to receiving.

This may seem to be a simple matter of saying the same thing different ways.

What may seem to be an insignificant difference has kept many Christians form receiving what God has already provided.

The Gospel - Good News - is about "whosoever will" not "whosoever can".

It is a "can do" and "get to" proclamation not a "must do" and "have to" message.

The keys have already been given freely to man in The Word of God. And the keys will work every time and in any arena.

Another problem is that, while many Christians may have a level of success understanding and applying God's Word where their personal lives are concerned, they are not certain how God's truth can apply in the business realm.

They look at the Word and how they may have learned to conduct business and think, "it just isn't done that way."

Is it any wonder when we are told in I Corinthians 1:27 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise:"

One very important key is found in Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

We have to change our minds our way of thinking.

Some have to get rid of stinking thinking.

We can't afford to do business the way the world does. There is a better way of thinking and doing things a higher way

Isaiah 55:8-9 we read about His ways and His thoughts.

Until the Word of God is more real than what you have ever learned from the world's system about doing business, you will be operating with limitations.

You have to be convinced that God's word works as well in the business arena as it does anywhere else.

Applying the Word - the keys of the kingdom - in your business endeavor will take great spiritual and mental fortitude. Everyone around you may be shaking his or her heads thinking you are crazy and saying that, "it just can't be done that way."

All the conditions may scream for you to take a different course of action. The pressure to conform to the world's way of doing things can become tremendous.

Hebrews 10:36

Why don't you start to think about 5 or 6 impossible thing seven before breakfast? Things that you cannot do alone but you must do it with God's help.

Don't begin your day in neutral, get into gear right away, take the offensive, and use the initiative. Create a habit of being a self-starter.

The "how to" keys that God has given us really do work.

He wants to teach you how to use them for profit. THINK LIKE HIM!

Come up to a better way of thinking