What does Jesus Teach About Money and Weath? Mark 8:36

Jesus spoke about money often, he paid taxes and watched people give money at the temple; and sometimes he used money as an example or a teaching illustration. If he had one piece of advice about money what would it be?

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul?" Mark 8:36.

A QUESTION
It is amazing at how well Jesus answered his critics who challenged him with questions. Here it is Jesus who asks a question, and his question may be the hardest one to answer but the most important one, and it is a question each of us must answer for ourselves.

A QUESTION OF VALUE
It is a question of values where one is greater and one is lesser and we determine which.

PROFIT
This may be the most important word in this verse. Here is the bottom line. Here is the ultimate question. It is like saying, "What is the point, or what is the good in it?"

THE WHOLE WORLD
At first glance, the whole world would be the ultimate gain, if you had the whole world you would have it all; every need, every desire, and every pleasure would be yours. If we stop there it would be a nice idea but the next phrase adds a surprising perspective.

LOSE YOUR SOUL
We have gone from gaining to losing. Our soul is eternal and it is the truest part of us. To lose your soul would be a loss that cannot be recovered. The Bible teaches we have one life and experience one death then we face the judgment. Hebrews 9:27.

GAIN
Everyone agrees that you must look to the future and save for retirement or save for kid's college, but when it comes to eternity we become nearsighted.  Yes, we should save for retirement, mortgage, and for kid's college but we must also look beyond.

The reason we save for things like retirement is that we hope to live into retirement, but even if we don't we will still experience eternity. We must make plans for how we will spend eternity just like we plan for our retirement here.

THE ANSWER
All the riches and power for the few years we have here are not worth sacrificing eternity for.

We must work and earn a living but just earning money and acquiring wealth should not be our focus. We need a balanced attitude. We live this life and use its resources for the next. The wealth you gain in this life you cannot keep in the next.

There is no profit in getting wealthy for a short time to lose your soul forever, but if you live your life in such a way that you consider eternity you will have a richer life here; it may not be finically richer but richer in ways the world cannot measure and that heaven rewards.

To learn more about the riches of salvation see my other blog.
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(c) Adron 7/22/16

What Is The Ultimate Standard For Christian Finances? 1 John 3:18

Is there one overriding rule for Christians in business or private that will serve to guide financial decisions?

"Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18.

LOVE NOT IN WORDS ONLY
We are always talking about love. We talk about the love God has for us and other sinners. We quote John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave...." The phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt," comes to mind- sadly. We are so engaged in the love dialogue that we forget to do love.

LOVE IN ACTIONS
The command to love is unique. It does not have a specific mandate such as "Do not do this," or "You must to that." The command to love is individual. We each have our own situations and we must decide personally how to make the command to love relevant to our own lives.

We may ask ourselves if a choice is loving, helps the poor, the ill or lonely. We may need to research how a choice affects others. We may need to turn away from opportunities if they are not loving to others.

We will find ourselves passing up prospects for greater financial gains in favor of greater good. We might find less in the bottom line in exchange for more blessing to others (and ourselves).

These are the words of Our Lord Jesus..
"A new command I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34.

Put love at the top of your decision matrix.

How Should Christians Make Financial Decisions? Insight From The Bible, Luke 9:23.

Is there one imperative that must guide the person of faith when they make decisions about money? Jesus gave one.

"Then he said to them all, 'if any man would follow me he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23.

UNIVERSAL
He said to them all "if any..." not just the special religious few but any who would follow him must do this.

FOLLOW
Every decision about money, time or relationships is a decision about obedience and following Jesus.

DENY
To deny is to say no to something. Here we must say no to our desires or wants and say yes to Jesus.

CROSS
The cross was a death sentence, in today's words, you might say take up your gallows or take your lethal injection. This was one of the hard sayings of Jesus- that we would live a life of death to self and obedience to him.

DAILY
What Jesus was saying here was not that you make a once in a life decision to follow him but live a daily lifestyle of following his example.

AND FOLLOW
You cannot follow someone who you don't know. We must follow Jesus but we must know and be intimate with Jesus to follow him.
     * Spend time with him.
     * Learn his words.
     * Emulate his life.
     * Take up his work.
     * Make his passions yours.

This is more than asking what would Jesus do, it is asking "How can I be like Jesus in this."

We each must make our own decisions based on the light God has given us; that light always points to His Christ. As you decide you must remember following Jesus is the best decision.

(c) Adron 1/14/14

What Did Jesus Say About Owning Things?

We are bombarded with advertisements that tell us we need this thing and should want that thing.  It may be a new car, electronic device, appliance, home, or latest fashion. Is it wrong to have lots of nice stuff?

A man asked Jesus to act as judge and settle an inheritance. Jesus replied, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:14,15.

Christ did not tell the man to do without; or take a vow of poverty, (at least not here, but one may want to read all of Luke 12). He did not condemn owning things either.

BE ON YOUR GUARD
You guard against something because it can do you harm. When it comes to possessions we must be a watchful guard and not allow an enemy to true life enter.

     * A guard protects a location to keep evil from entering.
     * A guard must watch and keep looking for the foe.
     * A guard must be vigilant and not sleep or allow himself to be compromised.
     * A guard must be ready to do battle and even give his life to secure his post.

GREED
Greed always wants more. It has an appetite that is never quenched. It possesses for the sake of possession. Its focus is on the object.

Greed is an attitude of the heart. Two people may own the same object but each may have a different heart attitude, so for the one it is greed but for the other it is noble since he is acting as God's steward of a blessing.

LIFE
Life is not about getting things. There is nothing wrong with things or owing things but when we start to think the things give us meaning we have missed life. When we think things will make us happy we will not find happiness.

Jesus lived his words. He had to borrow a coin for an object lesson, (Matthew 22:19). He had to send Peter fishing to pay the tax,(Matthew 17:27). He had only the clothes on his back the day he died. (Mark 15:24). He said of himself, "Foxes have holes and birds have nest but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20).

WHAT IS LIFE ABOUT?
Jesus points to a relationship with the author of life; he said in his high priestly prayer of John 17, "This is eternal life that they may know You the only true God and him whom you sent." (John 17:3).

To learn more about how to have life in Christ follow this link to my other blog.

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 Adron

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