The document discusses the biblical perspective on economic cycles, emphasizing the importance of saving during booms in anticipation of recessions, akin to Joseph's advice in Genesis. It outlines principles of financial management, such as tithing before saving and the biblical encouragement to give generously, while contrasting the 'world system' with God's system of humility and service. Additionally, it highlights the blessings tied to giving and the potential curses of neglecting financial responsibilities, urging readers to choose wisely in their financial and charitable practices.

1. The Biblical Truth
Behind
Economic Cycles
1

2. ECONOMIC CYCLES
BOOM
2006/7
RECESSION RECESSION
2012??? 2008/9
BOOM
2010/11

3. STI (1988 – 2011)

4. Causes
of
Booms
And
Recessions???

5. SYMPTOMS
BOOM RECESSION
full employment unemployment
better jobs retrenchments
wage increases cost cutting
higher bonuses bonuses ???
spend,spend, cut, cut, cut

6. GEN 41 – JOSEPH
7 FAT COWS - 7 LEAN COWS
6

7. THE BEGINNING OF ECONOMIC
CYCLES
7

8. If you know that after a boom,
a recession will come,
WHAT MUST YOU DO???

9. save

10. JUST AS JOSEPH TOLD PHAROAH
Gen 41:34
Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners
over the land to take a fifth of the
harvest of Egypt during the seven
years of abundance.
10

11. “save for the rainy day”

12. God uses
recessions
to transfer wealth
to
His people

13. #1 - ABRAHAM (ABRAM)
Gen 12:10 – 13:2
v10 - Now there was a famine in
the land.....
v13:2 – Abram had become very
wealthy in livestock and in silver
and gold.

14. #2 - ISAAC
Gen 26:1-33
v1 - Now there was a famine in the land
V12 - Isaac planted crops in that land
and the same year reaped a
hundredfold…..and his wealth
continued to grow until he became
very wealthy.

15. #3 - JOSEPH
Gen 47:20-21
So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt
for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and
all, sold their fields, because the
famine was too severe for them
…..and Joseph reduced the people to
servitude, from one end of Egypt to
the other.

16. SAVINGS IS ENCOURAGED IN THE
BIBLE
Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are stores
of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he
has.
16

17. BUT THERE ARE RULES
#1 - Give before saving
#2 - Save Regularly

18. #1 - GIVE BEFORE
SAVING
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
18

19. #2 - SAVE REGULARLY
Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as
surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 13:11b
……He who gathers money little by little
makes it grow
19

20. #3 - HOW MUCH SHOULD WE SAVE?
Gen 41:34 – The Joseph Principle
20 %
20

21. WHAT TO SAVE FOR?
 Emergencies - medical
- retrenchment
 Major purchases - down payment on a
home
 Long-term needs - retirement
- children’s education
21

22. TITHE BEFORE YOU SAVE
#1 Tithe 10%
#2 Save 20%
22

23. 23

24. ACTS 20:35
24
“It is more blessed to give than to
receive.”

25. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
If you are great, people will serve you…
“The rulers of the gentiles lord it over them
25
and their high officials exercise authority
over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among
you must be your servant and whoever
wants to be first must be your slave..”
Matt 20:25-27

26. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
To lead, you have to serve.
26
Luke 9:48 For he who is least among
you all – he is the greatest
Mark 9:35 “If anyone wants to be first,
he must be the very last, and the
servant of all.”

27. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
Die to live
27
For whoever wants to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for
me will find it.
Matt 16:25

28. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
To be exalted, you have to be humble
28
…..for whoever exalts himself will be
humbled and whoever humbles
himself will be exalted.
Matt 23:12

29. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
To be wise, you have to be foolish
29
I Cor 3:18-19 “If anyone of you thinks he is
wise by the standards of this age, he
should become a “fool” so that he may
become wise. For the wisdom of this world
is foolishness in God’s sight…”
I Cor 1: 27-28 “But God chose the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise…..”

30. THE WORLD SYSTEM VS GOD’S
SYSTEM
To receive, you have to give
“Give, and it will be given to you.”
Luke 6:38
……A man reaps what he sows.
Gal 6:7

31. Phil 4:17
31
“Not that I am looking for a gift, but I
am looking for what may be credited
to your account.”

32. #1 - GIVE AND THE BLESSINGS OF
GOD WILL FLOW
I Kings 17:7-16 The Widow of
Zarephath
…..For the jar of flour was not used up
and the jug of oil did not run dry, in
keeping with the word of the Lord
spoken by Elijah.

33. #2 - PURPOSE OF THE TITHE
Deu 14:29
33
..so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance
of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the
widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be
satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in
all the work of your hands.
Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be
food in my house…….

34. #3 – GIVE WITH RIGHT ATTITUDE
34
• Give out of a heart of love - I Cor 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body
to flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
• Give cheerfully - II Cor 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly nor under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver.

35. #4 - GIVE TO GOD FIRST
35
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with
the firstfruits of all your crops;

36. #5 - AMOUNT TO GIVE
Deu 14:22
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that
36
your fields produce each year
Heb 7:5
Now the law requires the descendants
of Levi who became priests to collect a
tenth from the people….

37. #6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?
37
Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse that there may be food in
my house……

38. #6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?
MISSIONARIES & MINISTRIES
I Cor 9:14
In the same way, the Lord has commanded
38
that those who preach the gospel should
receive their living from the gospel.
Gal 6:6
… Anyone who receives Instruction in the
word must share all good things with his
instructors

39. #6 - TO WHOM SHOULD WE GIVE?
- THE FAMILY
I Timothy 5:8
39
If anyone does not provide for his relatives,
and especially for his immediate family,
he has denied the faith and is worse than
an unbeliever.

40. #6 - THE POOR & NEEDY
Deu 24:19 – 21
40
..the aliens, the fatherless & the widows
Matt 25:34-45
………I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of
mine, you did it for me

41. #6 - THE POOR & NEEDY
Proverbs 14:31
41
whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for
he shares his food with the poor.

42. BLESSINGS - GIVING CAN PRODUCE A
MATERIAL INCREASE TO THE GIVER
Proverbs 11:24-25
42
one man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to
poverty.
A generous man will prosper; he who
refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

43. BLESSINGS
II Cor 9:6-11
43
…whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.

44. BLESSINGS
Luke 6:38
44
Give, and it will be given to you. A
good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap.

45. YOUR PROVISIONS
Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack
nothing,
But he who closes his eyes to them
receives many curses.

46. BLESSINGS
Proverbs 10:22
46
The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.

47. BLESSINGS
Then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim with new wine.
Proverbs 3:10
…so that the Lord your God may bless you
in all the works of your hands.
Deu 14:29
You will be blessed in the city and blessed
in the country… Deu 28:2 – 13

48. GOD WILL PROTECT YOUR MONEY
Malachi 3:11-12
“I will prevent pests from devouring your
48
crops, and the vines in your fields will
not cast their fruit,” says the Lord
Almighty. “Then all the nations will call
you blessed for yours will be a
delightful land.”

49. #7 - THE CURSE
Mal 3:8-9
49
…”will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
But you ask, “How do we rob you?” in
tithes and offerings. You are under a
curse – the whole nation of you –
because you are robbing me.”

50. #7 - THE CURSE
Deu 28:30; Zep1:13
You will build a house, but you will not live in it.
Deu 28:38; Zep 1:13
You will sow much seed in the field but you will
harvest little, because locusts will devour it.
You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you
will not drink the wine or gather the grapes..

51. #7 - THE CURSE
Haggai 1:6
You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat,
but never have enough.
You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but
are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a
purse with holes in it.
Haggai 1: 9
You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.
What you brought home, I blew away....

52. UNANSWERED PRAYERS
52
Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the
poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered.

53. Blessing or Curse
The choice is yours

54. CHECK IT OUT!!!
Malachi 3:10
“…Test me in this,” says the Lord
Almighty, “and see if I will not throw
open the floodgates of heaven and
pour out so much blessing that you will
not have room enough for it.”

55. Q&A