Ready and Willing

We have seen in the last few days how in Luke 15 Jesus tells three stories about lost things being found. 

1. The sheep was rescued.
2. The silver coin was redeemed.
3. The son was restored.

All three of these stories have the same ending - rejoicing! Jesus cares about the lost people of this world. As His hands and feet we are to bring those who have separated themselves from God by our sin. Remember listen to their story. Share with them your story of salvation. Give them Jesus story of redemption and God's love.

Accepting Christ's gift of eternal life brings the lost out of darkness in to the light of God's presence.

Always be ready and willing to share God's love with the lost. Amen?

Your Senses

This is the third of three parables that Jesus tells. They are all connected with a central theme of finding things that are lost. We hear the beginning of The Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15:11-20a: ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

The stories so far have been of lost things that someone else had to go find. In this parable we see the phrase, “he came to his senses”. The prodigal son knew he was lost, and had to go home to his Father. It’s true today. When we “come to our senses” we must go back to father God asking forgiveness.

What do you need to go to the Father for today?

May all of us "come to our senses" and get right with God. Amen?

Rejoicing

Today we will look at the second of three parables that Jesus tells as recorded in Luke. They are all connected with a central theme of finding things that are lost. We hear The Parable of the Lost Coin in Luke 15:8-10: ⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Just like in the first story Jesus’ audience would have been astounded by this account. No Jewish woman would ever lose a silver coin. Scholars believe the ten coins were her dowry and most likely worn around her neck. There is no way should could of lost one, but she did. The result is the same as the first – there is rejoicing here and in heaven!

Repentance leads to Rejoicing!

Amen?

A Sheep

This is the first of three parables that Jesus tells. They are all connected with a central theme of finding things that are lost. We hear The Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:3-7: ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The listeners to this story would have been astounded. Shepherds never lose sheep, and even if they did they would never leave the 99 in open ground to go find just one. To top it all off he didn’t try to hide it he had a big party! I am sure there were gasps in the audience. They never heard such a tale before.

God loves us more than that shepherd loved his sheep.

If He loves us that much how much more should we love one another?

Today and always – love the unlovely and lost in this world. Amen?

About It

For the next few days we will be looking at evangelism, and how “the lost” are so important to God. In Luke 15:1-2 we see the setting and audience for three of Jesus’ most famous parables (stories).  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus is teaching through storytelling. He wants His listeners to understand how God operates, and how they can be part of His plan. The Pharisees and other church leaders did not want change or to upset their plans. They “never done it that way before” and they were not going to start now.

Funny how things haven’t change much in 2,000 years. People are still ‘stiff necked and hard hearted”, and Jesus message has not changed. It’s not about us – It’s all about God! This week think about the “lost things and people” in your world.

What does Jesus want you to do about it?

Today and always – do it God’s way. Amen?

Stand Up

What if someone came in to your church and asked, May I Have Your Seat? This question is often answered in the negative in a declining church, but growing churches answer “yes”. Paul tells us in Colossians 4:5-6;  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

Three things to remember:

1. The Open Chair

A reminder that new members and guests are always welcomed.

2. The Comfort Zone

When an area is 80% full growth begins to decline.

3. The Average Size

There are new standards of how many people will fit. People require more space than ever before.

How willing are you to give up your seat, get out of your comfort zone, or rethink the way we do church?

Always be willing to grow. Amen?

Good or God Thing

I've been intrigued with this question: Is it a good thing or a God thing? I know there is a book out with a similar title and I hope to read it. But it's this idea that are we doing. thinking, and praying for just "good" or become serious enough to ask if it's God's will for us. It has to start with prayer, and for God to answer prayer it has to be offered as the Bible instructs (God thing). Here are four ideas to think about:

         1. If you are harboring unconfessed sin in your life, you need to confess it so you can have that boldness to enter into God’s presence. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;– Psalm 66:18

2. You need to pray according to His will. When our desires and requests are aligned with and subjugated to the will of God, we know that He will hear and grant what we seek of Him. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.– 1 John 5:14-15

3. You need to pray in His Name. What praying in Jesus’ name really means is that we should pray as if the Lord Himself were doing the asking. When we pray with that perspective, we begin to pray for things that really matter, and we eliminate selfish requests. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.– John 14:13-14

4. You need to pray with a knowledge of Scripture. When you are controlled by His Word, you are not going to ask anything against God’s will. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. – John 15:7

Pray for more of God in your life not just good. Always make sure God hears your prayers by listening to and obeying Him. Amen?

Thankful For

We cannot spend a week looking at Scripture for thankfulness without praising God for His Son, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at John 1:1-14 today.

The Word Became Flesh

 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome] it.

 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Praise God for sending His Son Jesus – the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

Have a good, thankful, and Godly day.

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I received this in an email years ago, and it always brings a smile to my face. I pray it will to you as well.

'TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,

BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP

I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,

 I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -

THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE

BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION

WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION

THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.

SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR

AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.

GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,

PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,

TILL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.

I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY

WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.

BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....

HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,

MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.

MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY

HAVE NARY A LUMP,

MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS

MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,

MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER

STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS.

MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING BE BLESSED!

Have a good, Godly, and very thankful day.

Biblical Thanks

We have a lot to be thankful to God for. Let’s continue to look at the Bible, and why we can be thankful.

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THE PRAYERS GOD HAS ANSWERED.

Psalm 118:21 I will give You thanks, for You answered me; You have become my salvation.

WE CAN BE THANKFUL FOR THE BIBLE.
Psalm 119:62 At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous laws.

WE CAN BE THANKFUL FOR THE ETERNAL HOME GOD HAS GIVEN US.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

What are you most thankful for today? Thank God for it right now.

Always show God your thankfulness. Amen?

Give It

I love all the posts I've seen about people giving thanks during this Thanksgiving season! I also am thankful for so many things, but the One who makes all of our "thankfulness" possible sometimes gets left out. I am reminded of a song about the subject by Don Moen. Today meditate on these words, and praise God for giving us His Son.

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks

We give thanks to You oh Lord

We give thanks

Amen?

Thankfulness

This week we will be spending time celebrating Thanksgiving with Scripture Readings, and why we should be thankful. Let’s look at Psalm 33:1-15 today.

 1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;  play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jar; he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.  

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,  the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches  all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. 

Have a thankful heart for God and His creation. He is an awesome God.

May you have a good, thankful, and Godly day.

Jesus to the World

In Luke 19:1-10 the people all murmured or muttered about a man named Zacchaeus. Jesus didn’t talk bad about him. Instead we get us a picture of the relationship He desires with all humanity. There are three things we can take from this passage.

1. God is a seeking God. Why do we expect people come to us? We need to be willing to go and share the Gospel.

2 God calls us by name - people want to be heard and recognized. Why do you think Walmart has greeters? Image is not everything – relationship is what people desire.

3. Jesus identifies with us. He wants to spend time with us, even though He knows all about us! 

Do you know your community, and are you glad when people come to your church?

Do you seek opportunities to engage with them?

In Jesus’ Great Commission we are told to Go! Are you ready?

Be Jesus to the world around you. Amen?

Is This Your Life

I saw a video recently on making your life an offering. It has had a great impact on me. This concept is based off of Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Take your ordinary everyday life and place it before God as a worship offering.

Worship is saying:

I trust You - even when your eyes don’t see it

Thy will be done - even when your heart doesn’t feel like it

I’ll follow You - even when your mind doesn’t understand it

There is no greater act of worship than giving God all of you. Open your hands to praise and worship Him. Even if you have to pry them open!

Commit your ordinary everyday life to God as your offering. Amen?

Turn to Your Calling

Your calling in Christ is a sense that we have been summoned to mission by faith. God’s Word is “perfectly” clear on this subject on our lives.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:25

What is God saying to you about your calling today?

Turn to the Gospel

 Philippians 4:13 encourages us with: “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me!” We all say Amen to that, but going forward do we realize what “all things” really means? Let’s get our focus right – all things are His things – God’s ways and commands. So, it includes loving Him with all you have, overflowing love on to others, being Joyful, Praying, and to Give Thanks always. All things are God’s will - “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It definitely includes sharing the Gospel: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17

I am not ashamed of the Gospel, and I will apply it to my life. Amen?

Become Rich

Consider this pearl of wisdom from Paul: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Someone once said, "You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." Does your giving reflect your gratefulness, your eagerness, and your love? 

Do you give spiritually and sacrificially? 

We should never neglect the privilege of giving back to the One who gave Himself for us.

Always - remember giving is a privilege. Amen?

Money Masters

Jesus teaches in Luke 16:1-13 a parable of the Shrewd Manager that includes three lessons. Today we'll look at the third one. 

 I master money or my money can master me.

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Luke 16:13).

You cannot serve two masters. Many of us have tried, and we just can’t do it. You have to choose who you’re master will be.

Who will you choose to be your master?

Be obedient - serve God with your money.

Amen?

Treasure Hunting

Jesus teaches in Luke 16:1-13 a parable of the Shrewd Manager that includes three lessons. Today we'll look at the second one.

Treasures are a trust. 

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10–12)

According to Jesus, how we handle his money is an act of faith.

Will we trust him with a little, and receive a little, or will we trust him with a lot and receive a lot?

Trust in the Lord and handle your treasure wisely.

Heavenly Welcome

Today we will continue with Jesus' teaching in Luke 16:1-13. It is a parable of the Shrewd Manager that includes three lessons. Today we'll look at the first one. 

The purpose of wealth is to gain the "welcome" in heaven:

  “I tell you, use your worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).

You only have one life. Use it to enhance your future. When you give, I encourage you to imagine someone thanking you one day for your investment in his or her salvation. That should make all of us more focused  on sharing Christ with the world around us.

Be wise always - work for eternal riches. 

Amen?

Down to Business

Today let’s look at the story that Jesus told in Luke 16:1–8 called The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. ² So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ ⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ ⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ ⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light

The three characters in the story are the Master, the Manager (Steward), and the Debtors. We see the scenes unfold from the manager being caught stealing, to his plan, and finally the master agreeing to keep him. Solomon tells us that:

 “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold”

(Proverbs 22:1).

Be faithful today - store your riches in heaven. Amen?

Money Wise

There is great wisdom in the Bible about money. There are 500 verses on faith, 500 on prayer, but over 2,000 on finances. I think there is much to learn. Spend a few minutes today reading through these proverbs on the subject. Pray how God wants you to apply them to your life.

Proverbs 10:4 - Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 14:23 – All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 22:7 – The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 23:4-5 – Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Proverbs 30:8-9 – Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 11:24-25 - 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.

Always apply God’s wisdom to your life. Amen?

Financial Wisdom

A great secret in financial wisdom is Good Money Management
Solomon gives us plenty of financial advice, including things like not going into debt, helping the poor, borrowing makes us slaves, not signing on loans for other people, and lazy people never prosper.

Here are three areas to consider:

• Keep good accounting Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation. Proverbs 27:23-24 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5

• Develop a budget Plan carefully and you will have plenty. If you act too quickly, you will never have enough. Proverbs 21:5 Foolish people spend their money as fast as they get it. Valuables are safe in a wise person's home; fools put it all out for yard sales. Proverbs 21:20 (Message)

• Prepare financially for the future
Take a lesson from the ants...learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. - Proverbs 6:6-8
 The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.- Proverbs 14:15

What are some areas in your financial life that you need to apply this wisdom to? Allow the Lord to instruct you and be obedient. Amen?

Your Gift

Solomon tells us that life is not about hoarding finances and treasure for ourselves, but use it to bless others. It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. - Proverbs 11:24 The main purpose of wealth is being able to generously give it away. The more we give, the more God allows His resources to flow in our direction. You cannot separate financial health from generosity.

Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.  Proverbs 3:9-10 The first and the best belongs to God.

Solomon offers us 3 reasons why we should give our first and best: 1. He should be honored. 2. He already owns everything! 

3. He wants to bless us.

The principle of giving God your first and best is also shown in Exodus 13:2, Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal.

Whatever is done with the first of our finances or possessions determines what we do with the rest. The truth is that God doesn’t need our sheep or money, but He puts this principle in His Word to remind us that He should be first in our lives in all areas.

David knew this principle: I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm 50:10
A.W. Tozer explains it this way; I am obliged to tell you that God doesn’t need anything that you have. He does not need a dime of your money. It is your own spiritual welfare that’s at stake. You have the right to keep all that you have to yourself. But if you do, it will rust and decay, and ultimately ruin you.  

What are you giving to God? Allow God will bless your giving. He will multiply it beyond your wildest imagination. Amen?

Being Rich

Do you know how the Lord wants you to deal with your finances and possessions?  Contentment is a big part of that process. Indulging in luxuries, wine and rich food, will never make you wealthy...Proverbs 21:17

Ecclesiastes 6:9 says that it is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always want something else. Buy now – pay later is not part of God’s plan!

I love this quote, Contentment is not a destination; it is the journey.
Take a look at the 10 Commandments. The first nine Commandments deal external behavior – actions others can see in your life. The tenth Commandment to not covet is a sin that is rarely spoken of, and kept hidden. The desire for more and what isn’t ours is one that must be dealt with before you can attain the wisdom God desires.

Consider what Paul shared, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 Many times we use this verse when we have a crisis or great need in our lives. This verse on a day to day basis has more to do with being content with what you have and not to covet. 

Paul instructs us on being satisfied. I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. Philippians 4:11-12
 

Jesus wants us to learn contentment. He spoke of the sin of coveting when the young rich man came up and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus looks at this rich young ruler and says…“You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” Mark 10:19
 

Which of the commandments did Jesus not quote? “Do not covet.” Why did Jesus leave it out? He goes on to say; And the young ruler said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Mark 10:20-21 The young man kept up a good public persona as a righteous and religious man. Jesus left out coveting because He knew this was a commandment he did not keep. He had a problem with his love of money. At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:22
 

Solomon’s wisdom tells us to learn to live within our means, and to learn to be content with what we have. The world’s measure of wealth and the Lord’s measure is very different. There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth. - Proverbs 13:7
We need to live within our means, not our imaginations! A simpler God focused life is the best way to live and find true contentment. Amen?

Money Talk

Jesus taught more on money than any other subject. If it is that important to God then we can be sure that it would be part of our search for wisdom. Paul teaches on this subject in 1 Timothy 6:3-10:

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.  6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 The subject of money is a sore point for many of us, so today let’s let go and let God teach us what His Word has to say on the subject. Solomon tells us the secrets of financial wisdom throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

We’ve all tried dealing with finances in our own way. 

Are you ready to hear what God has to say about the subject?

 Say Amen to God's direction.

Foundational

Everyone builds on some kind of foundation, but not every foundation is a good one. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:24-27 the parable of 2 men who built on different foundations: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The wise man built upon a foundation of rock and withstood the storm, but the foolish man built his house on a foundation of sand and it fell. God expects us to build properly on the foundation he has prepared to withstand the storms of life.

1 Kings 4:29-34

 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

The Lord gave Solomon all he needed; wisdom, great insight, and a breadth of understanding that was limitless. Because he used it wisely his famed spread to all the nations who came to sit under his teaching and great wisdom. We should do the same. The wisdom, gifts, and talents that God gives to us should be used for His glory, and shared with the world around us. Amen?

Temple Care

Paul writes about us being God’s temple in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 (The Message);

   Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive—but just barely. You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. 

The call here is that we cannot build anything of lasting value unless it is based on Christ. Jesus Christ is the foundation to our life and ministry. What we build on this foundation is of most importance. At the end of our life everything will be revealed, and Scripture says it will be revealed with fire. If the things that have been built survive this test then the builder will receive a reward for their faithfulness.

The materials mentioned in this passage shows that we can choose to build with things that have value and last, or revert to what is easy and don’t. When Christ through the Holy Spirit comes to live in us then we become God’s temple. We should revere and respect what belongs to God. We must take care of His temple – physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Amen?