Money in the Bible

There is a debate I continue to see in Christian groups about money. Some preach the prosperity gospel which is very dangerous while others counter that by making it seem sinful to be rich or have money.

They’re verses that can be found that will strengthen each person’s argument when it comes to money so how do we know what to trust?

The answer is ALL of them. Trust all scripture and know the word, understand context and you will be on guard against those who take the Bible out of context and if you know scripture you will be able to stop yourself from taken the word of God out of context.

Jesus told this story in Luke 21:1-4 (ESV), “21 Jesus[a] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.[b] 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus did not condemn the rich man for being rich and not giving everything he had instead the story was about the woman giving and being generous despite being poor.

Jesus also did not say the woman would be blessed with earthly possessions for giving like the prosperity gospel preaches.

Others reference this story from Mark 10:17-31 (ESV),
The Rich Young Man

“17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 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.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,[b] “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Many have used this story to show that rich people will not get into Heaven and that having money is a sin.

But Jesus in this story was testing the young man and it set up his next lesson. He told them that with God all things are possible and that shows that yes even the Rich man can get into Heaven. Once again the message is clear do not value money over God but God does not condemn the rich for being rich.

So what is a good example that fits the theme of money?

It is non-other than King Solomon. He asked for wisdom from God over monetary blessings.

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

“3 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.”

You see Solomon asked for wisdom and because he valued that over wealth and power God chose to give him those things in addition.

Remember that is not a guarantee it is God’s will and any money should be considered a blessing.

We can also use what happened to King Solomon as a lesson since he fell into temptation and misused his wealth and power.

We must be on guard as sin is the issue not the material things. An object is never the sin it is what we do with the object.

Money like many physical things are still dangerous Paul sums up that danger in, 1 Timothy 6:10, “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

So love God over any money you have.

Let God guide you on what to do with it and treat any money like a blessing.

Have a Blessed Week,

Chris
Links:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2021%3A1-4&version=ESV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010%3A17-31&version=ESV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+3&version=ESV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206%3A10&version=ESV

You’ve Already Won

Life on this Earth can be hard. Sometimes it feels like the struggles are never ending. Sometimes it seems like we are failing or losing.

Truth is we all on this planet struggle and feel overwhelmed by the problems in our life, Christians are not immune to this. We Christians might even feel guilty for these feelings, we question ourselves and wonder if we have lost faith.

But we must remember the Good News, even in our struggles.

Jesus has defeated satan, death and the grave, He bore our sins on the cross. Jesus has won the battle for us.

If it seems like you’re losing, you’re are not. Fight with confidence because you’ve already won through Jesus.

When the enemy attacks you know that even if he lands a blow God is there to defend you. God is there to heal you. And when you’re ready God is there to fight back. You have the power of God on your side.

The race is won.

The fight is won.

Your faith has saved you.*

So go in peace.*

Have a Blessed Week,
Chris

*https://biblehub.com/luke/7-50.htm

Here is a link to some good verses about the battle being already won.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/battle_is_already_won

 

 

Finish The Race

The Pastor at the Church I attend preached on 2 Timothy 4 on Sunday it really hit home with me, rather than writing a lot about it I am going to post the section he spoke about and give a few thoughts.

Paul’s Valedictory

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

No matter what you are going through, no matter the struggle, no matter what lies ahead.

Stay in the race.

Stay in the fight.

Keep the faith.

God is with you through it all.

He is the great I Am.

And He loves you forever and ever.

You will be rewarded in the end.

Go to Him, He is there.

Have a Blessed Week,
Chris

Who, What, Where, When and Why

Do you remember in school being taught the 5 W’s? That when you’re studying anything you should understand the Who, What, Where, When and Why of the topic?

These crucial questions should be answered when researching anything, yet how often do we forget to do this in our walk with the Lord? How often do we read a Bible verse than use it in conversation or even to try to win an argument but really have never studied the verse or in some cases even read the entire chapter?

It is crucial to understand who the Bible was referencing or what the story was about, why it was occurring or why God said or did what He did, to know what the context of what you’re reading is, know where this part of the Bible took place and when. Know every detail about what is going on.

Remember the Bible doesn’t contradict itself. When you’re reading the Word if the section you’re in seems to contradict another then you don’t understand the context of the Bible and you should use both study resources and the Holy Spirit to guide you to wisdom.

With technology being so advanced the Bible and information on the Bible is so accessible which is outstanding.

However with the ease of gaining information on the Bible, people can pick and chose Bible verses that fits their own narrative.

This falls on both the skeptic and believer.

A skeptic can find sections of the Bible take what is written out of context then create their own meaning behind the Word of God.

And if a Christian is unprepared to respond both mentally and spiritually you leave yourself vulnerable to this attack.  Be ready, have the Armor of God on you at all times.*

Another dangerous side to the accessibility of the Bible and study tools is a Christian can easily create their own doctrine on the Bible and actually think they’re right because all they did was find verses without asking the basic 5 W’s.

But don’t just ask the questions on your own.

Ask God the Who, What, Where, When and Why’s, because who better to ask then the Author of the Word, the World and the Universe.

Have a blessed week,
Chris

*Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version (NIV)

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-18&version=NIV

Choose Love, Not Hate

Anger, coldness, bitterness and an overall lack of empathy seems to be the norm in today’s culture. It is becoming increasingly hard as a Christian to handle these situations in a way God would want us to.

I think it is important when you see someone behaving angrily towards you or something or someone you love that you pity them rather than becoming angry towards them. Don’t behave the same way as they are.

Their behavior is toxic and they need to establish a relationship with God. Pray for them and try to help them, if they are unreachable remove yourself from the toxicity and continue to keep them in your prayers.

Remember they deserve forgiveness just as much as you do.

You may see some that behave that way in the church. They will shout and proclaim who is on the path to Hell, criticizing the sinners of the world. Or maybe speaking out against all those who are “back sliding” from the faith.

I’ve heard many times about how it is up to us to correct other brothers and sisters. That is true but many use God’s word as an excuse to be angry and hostile to others. Tearing others down in order to build themselves up.

Don’t take the Bible out of context in order to fit your own agenda. Even atheists do that. Know the meaning of the Word, not just the words of the Word.

Paul wrote to the church on how to handle believers who need correction. He told us to do so with love not anger and hostility.

Remember the story of the prodigal son, God wants us to come back to Him, He will wait with open arms and restore the person who has fallen away.

Don’t be the road block on the persons path back to his Father.

We as Christians cannot respond to sin with hate, we need to do so with love. Just as Jesus did.

I am of course not perfect, far from it. I have spoken negatively and had negative thoughts about certain people.

Sometimes I see people criticizing God or mocking Him and I get angry and I think about what is going to be their consequences for what they’re doing. It feels good for a moment but only a moment. Then I feel sorrowful for having those thoughts.

Jesus loves those who mock Him just as much as He loves us.

Don’t get angry or be afraid of those who lash out at you about your faith. Fear Who can destroy both body and the soul.

It breaks my heart knowing what awaits so many.

That is why it is so important to choose love over hate. Show God’s love through our actions to bring others to Christ.

Have a blessed week,
Chris

Hearing God and God’s Love

My wife shared a nice story with me about her Valentine’s Day commute to work. She told me right as she parked, she said, “Happy Valentine’s Day God, I love you.”

She heard a loud booming voice say, “I love you too.”

She told me she had to hold back tears as she walked into work.

I love that story and it is one I will always remember.

Many Christian’s want God to talk to them but can’t hear Him. The best advice I can give is the more you listen, the more God will talk, the more you talk to God the more opportunity He has to talk to you.

Go to a quiet place and pray, remember Jesus did this. Follow His example to get closer to Him.

The key is to calm your brain and listen.

Remember how much you don’t like it when someone won’t let you get in a word in? Let God get a word in and work through you.

Sometimes it’s better to pray in silence, or ask God to lead you in prayer.

The most important part is to listen.

To conclude this week’s blog, as I mentioned Valentine’s Day was last week so let’s talk about God’s love.

Love is mentioned 310 times, 131 times in the Old Testament and 179 times in the New Testament. That’s outstanding.

The new most famous verses about love in the Bible are famous for a reason, they fit God’s word and mission perfectly.

John 3:16, “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

AND

1 Corinthians 13:13, “13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Truly the Word of God is true. Love is the most important aspect in all of our lives.

Have a blessed week,
Chris

Sources:
https://www.reference.com/art-literature/many-times-love-mentioned-bible-f8eb228f4fe0a4

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A16&version=KJV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13%3A13&version=NKJV

Toxic Environments in Christian Culture

I really wanted to write a Christmas blog this week but this has been on my heart.

Why are so many Christian discussions like comment sections so toxic? It makes me sad. Where is the love? Just because you can quote scripture doesn’t mean you know scripture.

So many Christians take a few scriptures and use that as a license to judge.

Didn’t Jesus tell you not to judge?

Stop taking a few verses out of context in order to behave like you are God, you are not.

All you’re doing is pushing people away from the Lord, your job as a Christian on Earth is to bring others to Jesus and take care of the needy. Not tear down your brothers and sisters in Christ.

It’s okay to go to other Christians and attempt to reconcile them with God. But it seems that many only wish to “expose” false preachers or pastors. They’re obsessed with certain scriptures and want to comment on every video that doesn’t go along with their beliefs. I notice many people like this also mock, laugh and insult others. I see people like this say, “LOL” at someone’s response to them or call them a bad name. I have even seen people curse as they argue.

This leads to the other side becoming heated as well.

Watching Christians argue over the Lord in such hateful ways is really heartbreaking.

Others see it to, imagine if you weren’t a believer and go to check out a video sermon and see Christians behaving this way?  How does that make the church look?

Unfortunately many are leaving the faith not because of God but because of a toxic environment they’re experiencing. It’s up to us to show the Light of God to those who need it, not cover that Light up and let darkness take over.

Read Paul’s letters, when speaking of correcting the peoples ways he did so in a loving manner, not an angry, judgmental way.

Speaking of Paul, after reading some of his letters recently, it hit me. We are still dealing with the same problems in the church 2,000 years later. In Paul’s day people argued over scripture, some were abusing their grace and letting the outside world influence them, while others were still holding on to the law so harshly that there appeared to be no grace at all. People were arguing over who they followed, saying they were followers of Paul or Titus or Peter or James or another, the predecessor to all the denominational differences of today. Some were complaining about giving any money to their church and didn’t want to tithe. Believers didn’t know what do believe so it was chaos and bickering.

Does this sound familiar?

Paul addressed all these issues. Now in this day and age people take a bit of Paul’s letters and other scriptures out of the Bible in order to win arguments but they don’t realize they are behaving in a way that he spoke out against.

What it all comes down to is you have to pray to God, you have to LISTEN to God, if you can’t hear the voice of God that is a problem. But fear not, you still have the Bible.

WWJD is not just a bumper sticker or a bracelet. Know how Jesus would have handled a situation, don’t just look at one situation, but follow His entire story. Jesus was the most loving and forgiving person to ever walk this Earth. Try to show the same love and forgiveness God does, He knows best.

I am not going to be a hypocrite and judge those who lash out in comments sections or any other platform. I have run theories in my head to why they people behave that way but I am not going to entertain those thoughts and tear those people down. I don’t know what is truly in their hearts, only God knows.

I just pray that we all do God’s will.

Have a blessed week,
Chris

God’s Birthday Gift To Me

Philippians 4:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

That is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It is something I repeat to myself and pray about when I am scared or anxious or feeling depressed.

The only One who knew this was God, it was one of our special prayers.

However, recently  I have been feeling depressed about a few things, the biggest being my writing. I am trying to be a children’s author and the process of finding an agent is very difficult, you put a lot of effort in to querying and most agencies will only send a reply if they’re interested.

This can become frustrating and makes me question if I am good enough.

I have been struggling to even continue writing.

While all this is going on my birthday came and my wife did a great job throwing me a mini party, it was a lot of fun, yet nice and relaxing. She handed me one of my last gifts, it was a small box.

I opened it, it was a wooden pen with a Bible Verse,
Philippians 4:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I couldn’t believe it. I had never told her how special that verse was to me and haven’t  even opened up to her about my struggle lately.

How amazing is that?

It truly was a gift from God.

I am very blessed man, thank you God for everything.

Thank you God for my wonderful wife, she is the best gift I have ever received.

Have a blessed week,
Chris