Money And Passion
Have you ever thought about trying to live without money? It would be difficult in todays world. But have you ever thought about living without God?
Take a look at yourself! What has the passion of your heart? Is it money, or is it God?
The Poorest Man in the World is ....
The Man who has Nothing but Money
The bible has much to say about money. Jesus knew that it was a stumbling block to both those who have it and those who don't.
He didn't say a rich person can't enter heaven's kingdom. It is just harder if money is your master or if you keep worrying about lack of it and are not grateful for what you have.
Paul writes in Timothy 6v10 "The love of money causes all types of evil, some have longed for money, strayed from their faith and hurt themselves many times" Money is simply a handy form of exchange and can be used for good or evil.
1 Timothy 5 8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
When a man becomes rich, either God gains a partner or a man looses his soul
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Matthew 18:21-35 reminds us of the dangers of letting money control us. A Simple Guide for Behavior "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Do Not Judge Others
The good news is that even if we have loved money in the past and now have none left, we can be accepted by the Father. See Luke 15
One man came to Jesus in Matthew 19:16-26 knowing that he was missing something, but he went away distressed because he was very wealthy . The next chapter shows workers coming late getting paid as much as those who started early.
See Matthew 25:14-46 it doesn't really seem fair that the man who worked hard to bury his money, had that money taken from him, and given it to the man who was able to double his money. Then the rest of the chapter shows what can be done with money and what will happen if we don't use it wisely.
My Rich Dad coach taught me. “Nothing is more tragic than to see people who have sold themselves short on what’s possible for their lives. They try to live frugally, scrimping and saving, and they think they’re being financially smart. In truth, they’re limiting themselves. Most people spend their lives imprisoned by financial ignorance. It shows up in their faces and in their attitudes as they get older. They begin to look like wild lions trapped in their cages, pacing back and forth while they mull over what happened to the life they once knew."
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager Luke 16:1-16 v8 The master praised the dishonest manager because he had acted wisely. Wordly people deal more wisely with their contempories than do the children of light.. He may have been dishonest in the past, like Matthew the tax collecter was, but he acted wisely now. You can too.
Our Generation is falling deeper and deeper into debt, a debt that can't be paid. My wages for my sin is death. Jesus paid that debt for me. Could I ever repay that debt? Never, however I know He has good works prepared for me that I had better be doing. Ephesians 2:1-10
I have a choice. I can allow myself to adopt the attitude "I can't afford that I am just a pensioner, why can't the Government give me more money?" Or I can realise that the government money comes from other taxpayers, who are falling deeper into debt, and change my attitude to "What can I do so I can give more?"
Matthew 13:3-8 (Contemporary English Version)
3Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered
2 Corinthians 9:7-9 (The Message) 6-7Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
8-11God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
"I am the real vine and my Father is the gardner. He removes every branch on me which produces no fruit, so it can produce more fruit." John 15v1,2 Bible as Poetry.v8 "My Father is honored when you produce much fruit and be my students."
We all started from a single female ovum, which would have died, if not given the right nutrients to multiply and reproduce itself.
We were born to reproduce. We started life with cell reproduction,
nutured in our mothers womb.
It is our desire to feed and nuture you so that your dream doesn't die and you do fulfil your purpose.
John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Unless we die to self and start living for others
we will be a lonely old man or woman.
Jeremiah 29 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
