Biblical Financial Principles

Close relatives are currently in a serious financial crisis, and that has prompted a lot of thought and prayer regarding how to respond. It’s made me think long and hard about the financial principles that my wife and I strive to live by. I thought some of you may find it interesting (maybe even beneficial), if I actually wrote them down.

The man’s primary fiscal responsibility is to provide for his immediate family. This often requires working conscientiously, utilizing the talents and opportunities the Lord has provided him. Refusing to work or misappropriating his income is not only a disservice to his own family, but will likely make his entire household dependent on others. As Christians and members of society at-large, it is our duty to strive to be self-sufficient, not just for our own benefit, but also so that we may have the means to help those in genuine need.

Avoid getting into debt as much as possible, and if you do end up in debt, pay it off as quickly as possible. Credit cards are great in an emergency or if you pay off your balance each month, but relying on borrowing to make ends meet is a recipe for disaster (just take a look at our government!). Nevertheless, it’s virtually impossible in our present culture for you to own your own home, or even a car, without getting a loan. Do you really need these things, or can you rent and get around on a bike or the bus? Well, that depends on your situation; let genuine need be your guide, not "keeping up with the Joneses." This also applies to borrowing money or things from individuals. Even if they insist on not having it back, strive to return the item or repay them at the earliest opportunity. It not only expresses your thankfulness, but is also a testimony of your genuine Christian faith. To intentionally take advantage of others’ generosity is the same as stealing.

Make good spending decisions. Did you know that your money is not your own? As with everything else in this life, your income was provided to you by the Lord. Yes, you may be the one working the 40-hour-a-week job, but it was He who provided you with the skills and opportunity to even have that job in the first place. As such, you should be responsible with what you’ve been given, and use it wisely.

Do not lend to those in need, but instead give, without expecting anything in return. Lending money or possessions that you are not really ready to part with can engender bitterness and may put you in the position of having to borrow yourself. There is a saying about lending to the Lord, but that’s not entirely right, since it’s all His anyway! But when you give, don’t do it blindly. As with your spending, set priorities and use your judgment when deciding who to give to and how much. Hold those you give money to accountable for what they choose to do with that money. This is very hard to do, but if done in love and with mutual consent, it will bless both giver and recipient, as well as help ensure that the Lord’s money is put to proper use. Yes, this even applies to "tithes" at church. Hold the pastoral staff accountable for how they appropriate donated money and goods, and don’t forget that there may be weeks when there are others in your life who may need the money more than your church.

Are there any that I missed or that you disagree with? I would love to hear from you..., and I covet your prayers for the Lord's guidance through the current situation.

* Disney's Scrooge McDuck (best known from the Duck Tales TV show) loves to take swims in his giant safe, which is filled with treasure and coins. Hopefully he reads this blog....

Why Are We Here? (Part II)

And now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to my recent Sunday message.

1 Tim. 3:1-5 (qualifications for a bishop’s office)

A church leader must first be a good family man, successful head of his own home. That doesn’t mean bossing everybody else around, but being the spiritual leader of the family. It’s important for all of us to raise our children well, because they are the next generation. As parents, God has put us in charge of raising our kids to follow Him. There is no greater responsibility, and no greater failure, in our society today.

Gen. 3:17-19 (God’s curse on Adam)

I think of this verse whenever I’m out doing some hard task in our back yard, with the hot sun beating down on me. But the fact is that the man’s primary task is to provide for his family. We need to put food on the table, but the nature of how we work is very different today than it was in the days when Christ was on Earth. Instead of working our own field or applying our trade in our own little shop, most jobs today involve working alongside dozens or hundreds of others. Now, more than ever, we have a daily opportunity to live out our faith at our workplace and witness to our co-workers. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that many employers have strict rules that ban proselytizing, in the name of political correctness, of course. Likewise, the wife’s traditional duty is to be keeper of the home and be the children’s primary instructor. Our society today, led by the feminists of the latter half of the 20 century, has pressurred women to leave the home and enter the workforce, leaving the most important duty on the planet to daycare and television. Combined with the ever-increasing costs of living and the recent recession, today’s man has to work all that much harder, if he wants to be the sole breadwinner in his home.

Matt. 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)

Some say that the Great Commission has already beel fulfilled, because you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t heard about Jesus. But did Jesus say, “Make sure everyone heard of Me”? No, He said “teach” and “baptize”. The teaching requires perseverence and commitment. Baptism implies conversion, not by threats and intimidation, but a genuine conversion that comes through patience, love, and a faithful presentation of the Gospel. I think it’s harder to do this here, in a country where an overwhelming majority already claim to be Christians, but have a skewed vision of Jesus and God’s plan of Salvation. It is harder to undo the brainwashing of our own society than it is to present the Gospel to a pagan people, whose minds have not been already corrupted with wrong ideas.

Luke 22:24-27 (Serve!)

This might seem simple, but when you boil it all down, each one of us is here to serve others. What better way to follow Jesus Christ’s own example? We lead our families by serving. We instruct our children by serving. We put bread on the table by serving (literally and figuratively!). We submit to our spouses by serving. We witness to the unsaved by serving. But if we sin, we only serve ourselves. If we willfully neglect our duty as a servant, it is to serve ourselves, which benefits no one.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).

Why Are We Here? (Part I)

I'm not an ordained minister, neither do I possess any degrees in theology, but I am a child of God, and I like to preach at our church, on occasion.  Recently, the Lord led me to address a question that many ask of God or the universe: "Why am I here?"  I've been having issues with making videos recently, so instead, I will share my notes with you.  Because my notes are usually quite lengthy, I'm splitting this post into two parts.  Enjoy!

This is a classic worldview question, and one of the most important. A worldview is a system of beliefs, assumptions, or doctrines that we use to interpret the world around us. Everyone has a worldview, whether they know it or not. The man-on-street’s answer to this question will quickly reveal what he thinks about God. One might talk about the Creator. Another about karma. Still another about primordial soup and random mutations.

But the man of God should probably rephrase the question to a more personal level: God, what is Your purpose for me? What do You want me to do with this life You have given me? Doing so, we not only acknowledge God, our Creator, as a personal being with Whom we can converse, but also recognize that He has a Grand Plan for His creation, and each one of us fits into it a little differently, like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

1 Cor. 3:10-15 (wood, hay, and stubble are burned up)

I have a giant to-do list. I was reading these verses last week and started to think about the items on that list. Which are gold, silver, and precious stones? Which are wood, hay, and stubble? As big as that list is (over 70 items!), and as little time as I always seem to have, I can’t afford to work on things that will be burned up at the last day. Ironically, some tasks that seem like gold are actually stubble, and vice-versa. Let’s get some examples and guidelines from God’s Holy Word.

Matt. 25:14-30 (parable of the talents)

God blesses each one of us with abilities and possessions of various kinds, but it is our responsibility to use these blessings responsibly and in a way that will bring glory to God and further His Kingdom. Squandering what He has given us, including the very breath that fills our lungs, makes us like the slothful servant who hid his lord’s money in the ground. Ask God how He wants you to use what He’s given you.

Ex. 3:1-10, 4:10-12 (God calls Moses)

Moses was about 80 years old when God finally called on him to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. What does that teach us about patiently waiting on the Lord? Moses must have felt that he was special. Out of all the Hebrews, he alone was called the Pharaoh’s grandson. He even tried to be a judge for his people, but the plan backfired, and he had to flee. He spent much of his adult life as a shepherd. Ever wonder what he thought of his life and if he thought God had given up on him? I wonder how many nightmares he had about his Jewish brethren, who were suffering under the yoke of the Pharaoh. And yet, God used this time to prepare Moses for the task that lay ahead.

John 21:1-22 (Peter, the fisher of men)

After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter and six other disciples went back to being fishermen. This might have been fine, except it wasn’t what Jesus wanted for them, particularly Peter. You might’ve noticed, but Peter seemed to have a hard time even finding the fish, without Jesus’ help! Jesus asked Peter not once, but three times if he loved Him more than fishing, and asked him to feed His sheep. Putting God first means not letting our own interests keep us from doing His work.

To be continued...

Symbolic Sunday

Posted by Farrah

I was reading to Kylen from Joshua recently as part of school. When we reached the part where three of the tribes on the other side of the Jordan built their own altar, he thought one lesson that might be taken is that we can worship God wherever we are. Amen! That got me to thinking about some other possible lessons.

The other tribes were worried that this was a sign their brothers were going to begin making their own sacrifices. Not only would that not be good, but it could be disastrous. God had lots of rules about where sacrifices were to be done, how they were to be done, and who would do them. These actions might bring God’s wrath down on everyone. In fact, they were so worried that they were ready to battle in order to stop them.

Thankfully, it turns out the altar was only meant to be a memorial, a reminder that they were all serving the same God. They had no intention of making their own sacrifices. And thankfully, the other tribes took the time to find out what was going on before attacking their brethren. (Little side lesson here: If you see your brother doing something wrong, try talking to him about it before assuming he has sinned and is in need of punishment.)

We are in a similar situation today. There are many Christian churches, and most of them have altars. However, there is only one sacrifice for our sins: Jesus, the Son of God, who sacrificed Himself once for all. There is no other way to heaven. Unfortunately, some churches have chosen to make their own sacrifices. These are often in the form of rules, good works, membership forms, and money. The people are tricked into believing that if they follow the rules of their church they will get into heaven.

It doesn’t work that way. Jesus has already laid down His life to atone for our sins. We simply need to accept the gift and embrace the giver. He wants our undivided love, not our devotion to our church.