Be Content

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is evident that we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who purpose to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all evils, for which some being greedy, have strayed from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  1st Timothy 6:6-10   Writing this book had been on my mind for quite some time.  Seems like that early in 2024, this book is looking to be very well likely to be useful to some.  Unlike other books about finances, even Christian books, this book doesn’t tell you how to get out of debt, how to save for retirement, pay for college, etc., in fact I would be a very poor example of providing information on some of those things and there are already those who have written such books.   What the focus of this book is, is simply this: to point the readers to understand biblical principles of finances, things that they then can use to make a decision, before God, based upon personal direction, prayer, as well as the foundations of biblical advice, avoiding the snares that come upon doing things that are contrary to the Bible’s way, which is the correct way.   As this has been on my mind for quite some time, particularly this chapter, thinking about just the basis for understanding...

Do Not Worry

“No one is able to 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. It is not possible to serve God and mammon.  Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Observe the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?   Which of you by being anxious is able to add one cubit to his stature?  So why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry...

Birds of the Heavens

“And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field!”  1st Samuel 17:44   Here is David about ready to begin the battle against Goliath.  Please read about it in 1st Samuel 17:19-58.   This story was well known by most adults until the past generation or so.  Nearly every child was taught about David verses Goliath and there are still references made to this day regarding this famous passage of the Holy Scriptures, where David slew Goliath by faith, trusting in the Lord.  Yet how many of those churches that do still proclaim these things, as factual, actually believe it in their heart or even understand it?   Now one problem is many who are professing Christians are indeed not truly Saved, some are deceived (Romans 9:6), others are simply pretenders (Acts 20:29).  In fact, even those who do believe such things, how many really understand it?   Oh…they can ‘sing’ about David, as the others sung about him after his victorious battle (1 Samuel 18:6-7); (the battle was truly Jehovah’s (1 Samuel 17:47)).  The reality is most so-called professing Christians would turn tail and run, most likely never allowing themselves to be in that position.   Was not Goliath taunting Israel, who proclaimed to serve God Almighty, for forty days (1 Samuel 17:16), yet not a professing Believer would dare to take a stand?   “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”  1st Samuel 17:11   So too God has...

Out of What One Has

“I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the diligence of others.  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.  And in this I give advice: It is profitable for you not only to be doing what you began and were intending to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was an eagerness to purpose it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.  For if something is presented eagerly, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.  For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack; that there may be equality.   As it is written, He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”  2nd Corinthians 8:8-8:15   I should think that of most of the financial troubles that people get themselves into, that this little concept found in this passage of the Bible, if followed, would probably prevent the vast majority of troubles caused by spending too much.    The principle found here is ‘according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.’  While the context is not exactly the same and a simple study of...

Onlyist

“For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled.”  Matthew 5:18   “But the Word of Jehovah was to them, Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.”  Isaiah 28:13   My understanding about ‘jots’ and ‘tittles’ is that they were the small parts of the written Hebrew language.  So therein is the seriousness of how everything will be fulfilled (Isaiah 42:9) right down to the smallest detail is declared.   Perhaps I should have used the King James version Bible to write this article, let me explain to you a trapping that I became witness to today.   For years there has been this discussion amongst some about the King James onlyist ‘cult’.  I briefly studied these things out, myself at the time using the 1769 Authorized King James version of the Bible, pondering when I was younger whether I should be using the 1611 version.  So from my research and collaboration with the man who taught me so much about the Bible, the conclusions about why some of the KJV-only crowd were wrong were the following:   1.) Some believe that it is ‘infallible’ as if it is the original Holy Spirit propelled men (2 Peter 1:21) in the Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek.  Some believe it is without any error.   2.) In most cases, as I am at least aware of, most KJV-only people tend...

Good Stewards

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.  Be hospitable to one another without murmuring.  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the words of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.”   One thing that we must remember is that all Christians represent Christ and are in Christ (Romans 6:11).  We are His good stewards and this outward behavior of stewardship should be evident to all, Saved or unsaved.  Let’s start with the definition of what it means to be a steward, a word not used so often anymore:   Steward, n. — A man intrusted with the management of the household or estate of another; especially, among the wealthy, one employed to manage the domestic affairs, superintend the servants, collect the rents or income, keep the accounts.     Stewardly, a. – Provident; attentive; economical.  (Prov.Eng.)     Webster’s Universities Dictionary Unabridged, 1942     We are intrusted with the affairs, not of this world (2 Timothy 2:4), but the affairs where our heavenly citizenship is at (Philippians 3:20).  We are servants of Jesus Christ.   “No one is able to 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...