Money
Should We Become Millionaires?
I remember an incident where I won little amount of money in one of the lotteries
that I played many years ago, and it was indeed a great joyous moment. I did
not realize how much I lost in the previous attempts, but what mattered to me
was the small amount I won once.
No wonder, we see youth play such risky games depending on chances when they
get attracted toward those games through advertisements promising great deal
of money by putting at stake little amount. Sooner or later they get addicted
to playing such games and end up in disasters leading to financial losses and
mental agony besides losing peace of mind. In majority of the cases playing
lotteries would not yield lasting favorable results; but will eventually result
in loss. It is truth that no one keeps winning lotteries or games that they
play involving such chances. One day one might win, but the day will not be
far off when the same person ends up in huge loss.
We have God who is eternal and living One, the One who offered His own son,
Jesus Christ, for the remission of our sins; and in his blood are our sins cleansed.
He is the one asking us to invest in his eternal kingdom and wants you and me
to test him to see if our barns do not overflow with riches! Depending upon
God and remembering him, who gives us power and wealth and establishes his covenant
that he swore to our fathers, will be the wisest thing we can think of doing
rather than risking our money in winning games by chance. Did we ever consider
the biggest lottery we can play is to depend upon our God? Deuteronomy 8:18
says, "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee
power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto
thy fathers, as it is this day." Our Lord is the provider and he provides money
for you and me for all our genuine needs. Psalmist acknowledges that he has
not seen the child of God begging for bread. What is wealth? Do we take literal
meaning of the word, "Wealth". Does wealth mean to us possessing immovable property,
beautiful cars, and a big bank balance? What if God takes away health, and gives
us big bank balance! Does it mean we are rich? Let us take the word of Jesus
Christ to heart, that it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
There is nothing wrong to be rich and acquire riches in righteous way, but it
is certainly wrong to misuse our resources to acquire wealth by fraudulent methods.
The property inherited by a person from his parents, and the property one gains
through hard work are one's assets. No body wants to put such hard earnings
in stakes and lose unless the person is really insane or foolish. Proverbs 6:6
reads, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise"
Lazy person looses money rather than increasing his wealth. Prudent men and
women save money and increase in wealth and invest and increase money.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 reads, "For even when we were with you,
this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."
It is true that if we do not work, we do not earn. Prudent Christians also think
in investing in God's work, which will certainly bring forth fruits that are
pleasing to the Lord, and result in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. There
is no doubt that we need to pay our attention to paying our bills and take care
of our family needs. Let us also remember that it is God, who gave us health
and wealth. He, therefore, deserves to be honored with our wealth.
We should, therefore, be careful when our minds wander in pursuit of earning
money illegally. Jesus told us that no man can serve two masters as we
read in Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Any earning, which is not legal
and that which comes to us as "quick-bucks" will not last for our good. Our
desire to earn more money keeps increasing as we increase our pursuit for earning
money and focus increases much on such endeavors. Now, let us also consider
another point here.
Does investing in God's work a loss or gain? The contributions many pour
out for God's work, such as establishing a church, or buying a church building,
or spreading the gospel, or helping God's workers, are the good works for God
that He never overlooks. What do we gain amassing huge health and yet lose our
health or lives? That was the question Jesus asked once. What if a man gain
whole world and loses his own soul? Are we here on earth, only to eat, enjoy
and amass wealth for ourselves and for our own children? Or, are we here to
serve God while we live on this earth.
No doubt, our physical needs are to be met with. Nevertheless, we need to look
after the needs of God's work as well. Do we need to become millionaires on
this earth? Actually, for a true Christian life is not a bed of roses. A Christian
has to face innumerable challenges and tread the path of thorns. The best way
to become millionaire in heaven is to work for God or support the work of God.
Each one has one's share of responsibility to partake in spreading the word
of God. Jesus Christ said "unless you remain in me, you can not do any thing".
And at another place He said, if we do not bear fruit for Him we are not worthy
to be as branches of His body. Giving money for God's work is a great investing.
God will never be our debtor.
We reap from our investments in Him the fruit that overflows our barns. When
we cast our bread on waters we will surely find it. "Cast thy bread upon the
waters: for thou shalt find it after many days" (Ecclesiastes 11:1) Nevertheless,
when we owe to Him, we should never fail to give what we owed to Him. It is
He who made heaven and the host there in. It is He who made the earth and all
that is on it, and it is He who made seas and all that is therein. There is
nothing that we can give to Him and boast that we gave something for Him to
become millionaire. If we want to become millionaires in heaven, we need to
work for Him and give to Him with whole heart. Please read Genesis 4th Chapter
vs.3 to 5 "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of
the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought
of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect
unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not
respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell" (Genesis 4:3-5)
We see here the difference between giving wholeheartedly and negligently. Abel
brought fat portions from some of the first born of his flock; while Cain brought
some of the fruits of the soil. There is nothing like honoring God with our
first fruits and giving pre-eminence to God in our lives. All that God demands
from is honoring him, praising him, worshipping him. The attitude that we need
to develop is to honor God. He needs something from the first, and not something
from some that we have.
In Old Testament we read that we should not rob God of that belong to him, and
we need to give to him tithe from our earnings. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye
have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings".
(Malachi 3:8) God says our barns will overflow if we honor him. "Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10)
We do not find such a stringent asking in the New Testament. Yet, we read how
Jesus honored a widow, who gave "all" that she had. "For all these have of their
abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast
in all the living that she had" (Luke 21:4) Jesus laid emphasis in our
attitude of giving to God, what belongs to God, and give to Government, what
belongs to Government. Jesus is asking us to give what belongs to God.
The prominence should go to God.
The answer to the question "how to become millionaire" is simple. Do not think
of become millionaire in this world; rather gather riches in heaven. Invest
in Lord's work and give to God that which belongs to God, and test Him to see
if He does not open heavens to see your barns overflow.
Voluntary Offering
[Meditations from Luke 21:1-4, Psalm 104:1-4, Psalm 50:9- 15, Genesis 4:3, Ecclesiastes
5:4, Malachi 3:10]
The widows offering, which she cast in to the Jewish
treasury, while Jesus was watching, was very less. It was only two mites, but
that was all that she had. It was all the living she had . The offering was
an outpouring of her love. It was all that she could give. Jesus considered
it to be more than the offering the rich people gave. Rich men gave some thing
from the abundance they had, but the poor widow gave all that she had. It was
from her heart.
That shows she was worshiping God with all her heart. The offering must be voluntary.
Our offering can never be greater than the offering God the Father has offered
for our sake, by giving His one and only son Jesus Christ for the remission
of our sins. It pleased the Father to bruise Jesus and to shed blood for our
sake. "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand". (Isaiah
53:10) Jesus bore our sins and died for our sake. He was buried, rose
from the dead on the third day, and later he ascended into heaven and seated
on the right hand of the Majesty. He is now pleading on our behalf. God offers
Salvation free of cost for those who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
When we make a vow voluntarily to God saying that we would pay an offering to
Him, we should not delay. God does not take pleasure in fools. It is better
not to vow rather than make vow and fail to fulfill it. God says, Test me .
He is asking us to pay sincerely from our heart to Him as an honor to Him. His
assurance is that our barns will be filled and to watch if we have room enough
to receive blessings from him when we honor Him with our sincere worship and
our wealth. He challenges to see "...if I will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it". Malachi 3:10b
Our God is Almighty. He moves on the wings of the wind. He
moves on the clouds. He stretches out heavens like as we do with the tents.
He is the creator of heaven, earth and the seas. He is the creator of animals
and man as well. He does not need the flesh or blood of the bulls or goats as
sacrifice for Him. What he needs is the sacrifice offered unto Him voluntarily
and sincerely. Let us not say to God, O God, give me this and I will give you
that in return: please take this as an advance and after the work is over, I
will pay you double this amount.
Brothers and Sisters let us understand that God does not take bribes. He is
the creator of everything there on the earth, in the seas, and on the heavens.
What is the difference between the offerings made by Cain and Abel? Cain offered
to God some of the fruits, whereas Abel offered the first and fat portions from
some of his flock. Cain s offering was not sincere. This is the first offering
we see in Bible and it forms the basis for the type of offering we must make
to our God.
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