i've been seeking our Lord as to why His continued leading of me to understand more and more of so many of the intricacies of the happenings in our world today when most folk (myself included were He not steering me in this direction) are so pre-occupied with their present until they have no time for learning from the past, and staunchly refuse to entertain anything but "rosiness" for the future - even tho all the signs point to a future far less than "rosy" ... The Icy Wind of Poverty Blowing in the Air ...https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9924&forum=35&35Nobody wants to hear "gloom and doom" reports upfront and will do whatever's necessary to avoid it and it's messengers - we got the OT accounts of Israel to verify ... i thank God that i no longer am unctioned to share these learnings with others in my every day life anymore (tho i still feel unction to share them here), as for one thing unless someone comes into a big bundle of cash quickly there isn't enough time left for us working class to get out of the kind of debt most Americans are in now (it took me 10 years) before the bubble bursts ... In fact i've seen most folk i know get into even deeper and deeper debt over the years, especially in these home Re/Fi's ... i've even had saints say to me "What's the scare, if i get all that i can get now and enjoy it if the economy collapses at least i enjoyed it while i had it" ... i used to think that same way until God in His gracious mercy began to really shake me up regarding how important "stewardship" is to Him in all matters of His "entrustings" to us ...The burden i believe our Lord has given me is for His saints/Church, particularly here in America ... i would say that i probably now spend about 90% of my prayer life in petition for the saints/Church, with SERIOUS emphasis on His sending us Revival ... i was in the midst of just such yesterday when Holy Spirit began strongly recalling this scripture to me ...Luke.16[10] He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.[11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?[13] No servant 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.... Now i must share with you that this leading has now somewhat stymied me because while Holy Spirit recalled to me this portion of Jesus' parable that i remembered and thought i thoroughly understood, it was vs.1-9 that He was really intent on focusing my attention to and He did ... Luke.16[1] And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.[2] And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.[3] Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.[4] I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.[5] So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?[6] And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.[7] Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.Now i take it back then Jesus was making reference to the Pharisees because vs. 14 & 15 go on to say;[14] And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.[15] And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.e3But was has struck me is that in the midst of beseeching our Lord regarding His saints/Church this is the scripture i recieved in my spirit from our Lord for contemplation, if not in answer ... It's so obvious to me that we (American) saints have so much to be repented of, and while i'd appreciate any illumination anyone has to offer the following questions now fill my mind in just how this parable could, or does, have a parallel lesson/message to us modern day (particularly American) saints ... So to take a page from bro. Jeff (rookie) here are a few of my questions re: this parable ...- Who is the "unjust steward"? ... Are we "unjust steward's today"?- In vs. 1 what did this unjust steward "waste" of His Master's? ... Are we today "wasting" our Master's goods, and if so what.- Via vs. 2 is it possible for us to lose our "stewardship" position, and if so will we even further short-change our Lord by selfishly doing what's recorded in vs. 3 & 4? - i surmise that the "they" in vs. 4 are the same as the Lord's debtors in verse 5 ... But who are these "Lord's debtors" in vs. 5?- It seems to me that the unjust steward had already short changed his Master in his initial dis-service to him and that in vs. 5-7 he further short changes his Master again by collecting only a percentage of what was owed to the Master for his own future selfish benefit ... So ...- Why did the Master "commend" the unjust steward in vs. 8 as having "done wisely", and what did the Master mean by "for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light"?- And what does "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."i know God is displeased with our stewardship today, but to me by the very fact that He's prompted me to post this thread shows He's still in His business of grace towards us ... We all still have a small window of pro-active "repentance from dead works" if we own ourselves up to being "unjust stewards" in ALL His provisions entrusted to us ... - What will some of us be prompted to do if our "talents" of stewardship (especially financial) be taken away from us? ... i shudder to think.
WHAT IS THE LESSON OF LUKE 16: 1-13? ...
Nobody wants to hear "gloom and doom" reports upfront and will do whatever's necessary to avoid it and it's messengersI recently was listening to a documentary on the Federal Reserve called 'monopoly men'. Kind of 'alarmist' and conspiracy theory based, but interesting and alarming to say the least.
Luke.16[10] He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.[11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?[13] No servant 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.I think that one of the great tests as believers is how do we treat money. Does the money make the decisions or does God? When God says to 'pray' we pray, but do we give without hesitation when He says give? You don't have to be rich to serve the God of mammon. All you have to do is obey 'it' instead of God. Do we take John Baptists 'fruits worthy of repentance' seriously? I mean, do we horde things knowing we have neighbors or brethren in need? Will we give as quick as pray for needs? I wonder if sometimes we think we need to hear from God in order to give, but we don't need to hear from God to spend on ourselves. If I love my neighbor AS myself, I will spend as quick for their needs as mine when it is in my power to do so. As a parent, have you ever told your child, "I should not have to tell you to do everything, you should do it just because you see its needs to be done and you were 'right there'." Wonder if God ever feels like that? Just wondering? Should it not be our nature to give? Art Katz has a sermon called something like, "The good, the enemy of the best." In it he states that we should basically hear from God before we do about anything. I love Art, but I cannot agree with this. Some things should be our nature and to love our neighbor as ourself should be a natural expression. There are a lot of needs out there. It is still more blessed to give than it is to receive. It is always more fulfilling to meet a need than to spend on 'self'. I tell my kids that 2 things gratify me as concerning money; to pay off a debt and to give in the name of a disciple. :-)
Who is the "unjust steward"? ... Are we "unjust steward's today"?I think this is just a generic man who was a bad investor. He loaned his money out to investments that did not bring a return and also in which the folk defaulted on the loans. They were not sound investments, but I do not think this has as much meaning for us today as the last passage is what seems to be the lesson:[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.Notice that the man quickly forgave much of the debt that was owed. That would seem to be such a foolish thing to do? But, note that what those who owed the money could not pay in monatary value, they could return in the form of 'friendship'. When times go bad they will remember what you did in forgiving the debt and will show you mercy or some other thing that you may have need of at the moment. In a broader sense I see that the Lord is saying something like, "that they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation." I have seen folk who were backslid come back to God as a result of the goodness He showed them through the cheerful sacrificial giving of one of his Saints. I mean a sacrificial gift that is entirely out of the ordinary. Knowing this that it is the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. how much more effective would it be if they received it 'directly' from the hands of the Body of Christ? Not wondering if it was God's blessing, but knowing it was God's people who cheerfully gave. All our evangelistic efforts? Wonder what would happen if we turned from mammon to God in a real sense and took the teaching of our Lord on money, giving, etc. seriously?God bless,-Robert
Bro. Robert you wrote;"I recently was listening to a documentary on the Federal Reserve called 'monopoly men'. Kind of 'alarmist' and conspiracy theory based, but interesting and alarming to say the least."There are a couple of word/phrases that i'm very familiar with in reference to attempting to alarm folk in the past about where we are now, "alarmist" and "conspiracy theory" were certainly amongst them, along with "chicken little" and "the sky is falling" ... i just think that it's so interesting that men like Addison Wiggin, Co-Author of a new book entitled “Empire of Debt” was once rated a "chicken-little" and couldn't get the time of day from so-called legitimate TV but was just recently interviewed on C-Span;http://www.c-span.org/VideoArchives.asp?z1=&PopupMenu_Name=Economy/Fiscal&CatCodePairs=Issue,EF;There are more and more such "alarmist" now beginning to be taken more seriously ...
Bro. Robert,i think i've got a pretty good grasp on Luke 16: 10-13 ... it's the 1- 9 that i'm needing help with ... i'm doing some commentary research now but so far have come up with similar vagaries as when i did research on Rom. 9 ...You know when Holy Spirit first started convicting me way back when about my own "unjust stewardship" (not only with $, but that's what He came at me first about) it was out of Jesus parable about the "stewards and their talents", what's recorded at Luke 12:42, and here at Luke 16: 10-13, but it was as if i'd never even read or seen 1-9 until the other day ...i got serious about cleaning up the $ part of my stewardship about 15 years ago, because i kept hearing Holy Spirit say to me that it was "essential" i prove myself to Him in what is least ... It took me about 10 years to clean up my prior mess and get to where i felt wiser in my handling of what by then i'd come to call His $ ... In fact by then i'd began to call everything that He entrusted me with His, so much so that some told me that i'd become overly pre-occupied, and obsessed with God ... Duhhhh-yeah! ... Anyhow that was about 5 years ago and i thought surely then i could start putting something away toward these economic hard times that i believe our Lord was telling me about ... Not so, because everytime i'd begin to sock away anything that i concidered substantial, Holy Ghost would come right along and not only tell me to give it away, but who to give it to, and how much ... i remember Him asking me once if i trusted more in my nest egg than i trusted in the Lord to supply my every need ... Of course i had to answer yes, and it was then that i felt instructed of Him to give it ALL toward Christ kingdom ... My giving since has rarely been to organized churches, ministries or missions (tho sometimes), oft times to orginizations that truly care for the poor, but most times to actual fellow saints in need of way more than a "i'll be praying for you" ... And in this latter mission Holy Spirit has always instructed me to tell the saint that it is a provision straight from our Lord, that He loves them, that they owe me nothing as i am only His "steward" toward His supplying of their need ... You know one night when i was praying i heard Holy Spirit say to me, "You don't need money" ... i stopped dead in prayer and actually said out loud in troubled questioning, "I don't"? ... It was harder for me then to actually get the grasp of that, and even now sometimes i have a better handle on it than at others, especially when i see a need for "self" looming and i can't see how i'm gonna be taken care of ... Oh me of little faith ... Bless Him that He helps my/our unbelief ...i totally understand where you're coming from about freely giving as that's something i do also, especially to the street poor and homeless which just tears me up to see, but when it comes to what i've come to call "unctioned giving" i don't do it unless i hear from Holy Spirit, and i only do it explicitly in the instruction that i hear ... No more ... No less ... Thanks for you comments, i'll be taking all into concideration, but somehow i think there's a lesson in this parable for we the children of God ... If not, i pray God to make that plain to me ... If so, i pray even all the more ardently ... Blessings in Christ to you pastor!Bro. R
I wonder if sometimes we overanalyze Christ's parables, looking for allegorical meaning in every detail when Christ didn't intend them that way. For instance, in this parable, my sense is that the business about the manager wasting his master's wealth and being fired is all there just to set up this question: If you were in charge of someone else's resources and were about to lose that job, what would be the shrewdest thing to do?And Christ uses the wordly man's answer as a lesson for us. In verse 8, Christ says, "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Christ isn't commending the dishonesty to us. Rather, I believe he's saying, "Look how shrewd even the unrighteous are with their money. You could learn a lesson from them." For that reason, I don't think we should look for an analogy to ourselves in the person of the manager. He's an unrighteous guy who is cheating his boss. But there's a lesson to be learned from this shrewd guy nonetheless.Christ's point is this. The manager knows he's getting fired and, of course, he won't be taking any of his master's finances with him. So what does he do? He uses that money in the short time he has left to win friends who will help him after he gets the boot.Getting fired seems to be a picture of death, especially since Christ says in verse 9, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings"The point of the story is that, since we know we will one day lose our job as money managers (i.e. die), there's no point in hoarding our worldly wealth. Instead, we should invest it in the only thing that will last - eternal relationships. The manager, knowing that he was about to lose his job, realized that the only value that money had to him was what it could do for him after he lost his job. By giving it away, he effectively kept it. (He who saves his life will lose it.) In the same way, we need to realize that the only way we can get lasting value out of our worldy wealth is to give it away.As a tight-fisted person by (sinful) nature, this parable has helped me realize that speding my money on other people is actually the best investment I can possibly make with it.If anyone sees more to the analogy, I'm all ears, but that's my take on it.
bro RobertAs a parent, have you ever told your child, "I should not have to tell you to do everything, you should do it just because you see its needs to be done and you were 'right there'." Wonder if God ever feels like that? Just wondering? Should it not be our nature to give? Art Katz has a sermon called something like, "The good, the enemy of the best." In it he states that we should basically hear from God before we do about anything. I love Art, but I cannot agree with this. Some things should be our nature and to love our neighbor as ourself should be a natural expression.i tend to agree with art in this regard. i think the things which the Lord hasn't said for us to do are of no use. i've had many instances when i've had a bright spark and acted on it only to hear the Lord say "I didn't tell you to do that." many things we think to do seem good enough but if they are born of the flesh as opposed to the Spirit then they don't glorify God. i mean even the heathen love their neighbours and give to them and so on but we are called to be above and beyond that and the only way is to follow the leadings of the Spirit of God. bro Rahmani knew this would find it's way onto the boards!
i mean even the heathen love their neighbours and give to them and so on but we are called to be above and beyond that and the only way is to follow the leadings of the Spirit of God. Yes. This is another critical aspect of giving. I believe it takes to the Holy Spirit at work in a believer for them to give with absolutely no strings attached. The parable is interesting because it seems to lend to the attitude of the recipient being one of gratitude resulting in some sort of 'friendship', but it don't work the other way. In other words, it is totally up to the receiver to respond rightly to the gift. The giver is not allotted the priveledge of pressing the matter. The world 'gives' and expects something in return. This does not mean we can't hope for something in return (in terms of them being turned to Christ, etc.), but at the moment we press the issue with them and remind them of the gift, the whole effect is lost.
The point of the story is that, since we know we will one day lose our job as money managers (i.e. die), there's no point in hoarding our worldly wealth. Instead, we should invest it in the only thing that will last - eternal relationships. The manager, knowing that he was about to lose his job, realized that the only value that money had to him was what it could do for him after he lost his job. By giving it away, he effectively kept it. (He who saves his life will lose it.) In the same way, we need to realize that the only way we can get lasting value out of our worldy wealth is to give it away.As a tight-fisted person by (sinful) nature, this parable has helped me realize that speding my money on other people is actually the best investment I can possibly make with it.This is a great summary. And I believe, along with contentment, a person who gives lives a very fulfilling life here on earth. The blessedness of giving here and the reward after. One of the more provoking passages in NT scripture on giving:And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; (II Corinthians 9 KJV)A lot in this passage. But it is certain that God regards alms giving. That is evident from the passage on Cornelius. But, here it seems that God will keep feeding resources to the one that is faithful to keep 'sowing' them. Not into mega-ministries necessarily as some have taught, but 'abroad' and to the 'poor'. This is a river of wealth flowing through the hands of a good steward.
Canuck you wrote;"I wonder if sometimes we overanalyze Christ's parables, looking for allegorical meaning in every detail when Christ didn't intend them that way."Interesting point, whereas i on the other hand wonder if we can ever over analyze anything that Christ said in light of the scriptural admonition to meditate on the Word of God day and night - Somehow i don't think over anylization of the Word is the problem of most modern (American) saints, unless it's to somehow work it toward ones own benefit - as in "health & wealth" (but i understand what you mean) ... Then also in my case on this parable i'd have a ways to go in over-analyzation since i've not quite gotten a grasp on it yet ...But last night i researched it an old (1929) Abingdon Bible Commentary i have and it says a lot close to what you've posted ... Praise God for this fellowship in which i can learn from others (thank You Jesus) ...I'll post what the Commentary says as soon as i can have the text broken down ... Thanks again!Blessings in Christ Jesus ... :-D
i totally understand where you're coming from about freely giving as that's something i do also, especially to the street poor and homeless which just tears me up to see, but when it comes to what i've come to call "unctioned giving" i don't do it unless i hear from Holy Spirit, and i only do it explicitly in the instruction that i hear ... No more ... No less ... I also agree with God giving us specific amounts to give to specific needs. I hope not to come off as though I don't listen to God, as that is not what I am saying at all. I also don't want to come off as though I hear God like a prophet or something. However, I have even seen God move in circumstances as regards to obedience with money. I don't see a formula in it, as there is no ryme or reason to how God works; its whatever he says to do. Many things are foolishness to our minds, but it brings to nothing the wisdom of the wise that none will glory in His presence. But as regards the general 'good steward' principals I think we need to have a cheerful giving heart, as God loves a cheerful giver. Thats two things. Its a 'giver' but its a giver that gives 'cheerfully' and not grudgingly.
bro RobertYes. This is another critical aspect of giving. I believe it takes to the Holy Spirit at work in a believer for them to give with absolutely no strings attached. The parable is interesting because it seems to lend to the attitude of the recipient being one of gratitude resulting in some sort of 'friendship', but it don't work the other way. In other words, it is totally up to the receiver to respond rightly to the gift. The giver is not allotted the priveledge of pressing the matter. The world 'gives' and expects something in return. This does not mean we can't hope for something in return (in terms of them being turned to Christ, etc.), but at the moment we press the issue with them and remind them of the gift, the whole effect is lost.thanks bro that was most insightful. it is by the Spirit of God that we conduct ourselves and give in a no strings attached manner. without that we are just like the heathen.
[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.Its actually weird that people of the world are actually investing there money better in the things they think are important then we do in the Kingdom of God... they work better together in spending and reaching their goals then we do. (replace we with I actually)As for my life, as soon I get money I want to buy things. A new keyboard, a new mountainbike..But recently I've read a book about world missions from Yokhannen and I know thats more important. Making friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness.... I should use money to invest it in things that have eternal value which a keyboard and a mountainbike have not.Its not wrong for me to buy these things, but what do I give God and what do I give myself?Thanks to whoever made the list of what minstry leaders earned! Made me get Yokhannens book. :-)
bro WarriorIts actually weird that people of the world are actually investing there money better in the things they think are important then we do in the Kingdom of God... they work better together in spending and reaching their goals then we do. (replace we with I actually)i think you're onto something here, by God i think we're onto something here!
brethrenbro Warrior said and it jumped at me and smacked me in the face:Its actually weird that people of the world are actually investing there money better in the things they think are important then we do in the Kingdom of God... they work better together in spending and reaching their goals then we do. (replace we with I actually)isn't it amazing the amount of materal we read through, listen to or in some other way investigate to see if a stock is worth us putting money into it? we listen to all manner of pundit, expert and guru to see if we should invest. we are exceedingly meticulous as it pertains to things of this world and yet not anywhere near as meticulous as it pertains to the things of God. it is weird that people in the world go to such trouble and indeed reap some reward for their efforts in terms of getting wealthy and yet we have yet to attain all the riches in God we're supposed to have. we don't search the word enough, nor search God enough and the thing is we know and have the true wealth which is Christ. my brother-in-law James said to me that those who worship the enemy or other demons do so with such verve that they are able to perfom all manner of false miracles and supernatual things yet we for the most part are inept in that area. we've got to become more dilligent in terms of investing in the Kingdom. this is what the Lord just dropped on me to share here.
My quote: The world 'gives' and expects something in return. This does not mean we can't hope for something in return (in terms of them being turned to Christ, etc.), but at the moment we press the issue with them and remind them of the gift, the whole effect is lost.I need to qualify something here in that at 'times' it may be necessary to remind someone who has cast off the goodness of God by dismissing what God has done for them. Out of sight and out of mind as the saying goes. Sometimes it might be necessary to bring something up, but by and large I think the above quote is true.
Bro. Robert you wrote;"I also agree with God giving us specific amounts to give to specific needs. I hope not to come off as though I don't listen to God, as that is not what I am saying at all. I also don't want to come off as though I hear God like a prophet or something."No brother you don't come off as someone who doesn't listen to God, for if you did i don't think you'd be His pastor since in order to be so you had to hear and answer His "calling" ... And as for the latter, for me, i hear God like i hear Him, and when i talk to most folk about what i hear, and in the same intensity in which i hear it ... Well you know ... :-P You continued;"However, I have even seen God move in circumstances as regards to obedience with money. I don't see a formula in it, as there is no ryme or reason to how God works;"Amen ... i agree that we don't often see the formula in His "moves", particularly when His "move" is via us, but i disagree that "there is no ryme or reason" in how the ultimate Mathematician works ... He has the - no He is the formula, and bless Him that He not only saved us to the purpose of His formula thru Jesus, but even then also sent His Spirit to strive with us to get us in line with His formula ... The way i see it, thru Christ, we His Church are a much needed and integral part toward the positive outcome of His formula, and things sure go more smoothly when we toe the line ... But can we honestly say that we, particularly as American saints, are toeing God's line? ... And even more specifically in matters of financial stewardship individually, and so importantly as His Church ... If all wealth is His, and we are stewards of the particular part of His wealth He's allotted us, if He were to call us out right now to an accounting of our books individually, as church congregations, and as His segment of His Body here in America, do you think our books would pass His Almighty audit, or do you think most of us would be fired?See bro. Robert i'm a weird sort ... My life verse is Jer. 33:3, so when i call out to our Lord i expect Him to answer me since He is not a man that can lie, and i expect to hear from Him ... To bring it on up to NT venacular when He say's that He's a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, i expect to be rewarded in my knowledge of Him in that seeking ... In my foolish logic this is how this thread has come upon SI ... i figured that if i was in prayer about His Body, and Holy Spirit drops Luke 16 in my spirit, He's answering me, and the beauty of it all is that in His answer He didn't explain it to me from Himself but prompted me to bring it to SI where not only would He eventually explain it to me, but would open up that door to all Holy Spirit will draw to participate, and think about this parable ... to me it's like where the Apostle Paul said that we all see thru a glass darkly ... Well many may find complacent contentment in that passage to live this life with Stevie Wonder/Ray Charles shades on, and tho i know on this side of heaven i'll never have clear lenses to the deeper mysteries of God, by His Spirit i'm gonna try my best to get my shades to the tint of photo grays ... Now the Word also says that to whom much is given (which i think has a lot to do with the degree of seeking) much is required ... So that placesseeking folk in an almost catch 22 situation in that if He blesses such efforts of those who want lighter shades in order to see Him more clearly, and we don't tell others content in wearing blind man glasses He'll hold it against us ... At this point in my life the last thing i want to hear Jesus say to me is "but i have something against thee".You finished;"But as regards the general 'good steward' principals I think we need to have a cheerful giving heart, as God loves a cheerful giver. Thats two things. Its a 'giver' but its a giver that gives 'cheerfully' and not grudgingly."Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-men! ... This was a hard enough lesson for me to learn in "giving" materialy, but it got so much easier as it really began to dawn on me that all that i have is not mine, but His, and the joy that comes from seeing the look on someones face (if it's not given anonymously) when as a "cheerful steward" He uses you to minister to someone else His supplying of their "need" ... But the real joy is the spiritual sense of well being one hears in one's spirit, His saying, "Well done" ... Now my harder lesson is becoming a like obedient steward when it comes to my time to others ...Blessings pastor!Bro. R
Yes we have, I certainly do. And this is not only about money, however I am not supporting anyone at the moment in the kingdom of God with money which I could if I make some small offers and put back my desires.I've asked God who I could support as I am not blindely giving my money to someone or some organization. Now the Lord has shown me Yokhannen's ministry which gives me an opportunity to support someone.It's a well made investment in the kingdom of God as Yokhannen puts 100% of the funds he receives into local missionaries!Bro IRONMAN wrote:we've got to become more dilligent in terms of investing in the Kingdom. this is what the Lord just dropped on me to share here.
Warrior4Jah you wrote;"As for my life, as soon I get money I want to buy things. A new keyboard, a new mountainbike..But recently I've read a book about world missions from Yokhannen and I know thats more important.Making friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness.... I should use money to invest it in things that have eternal value which a keyboard and a mountainbike have not.Its not wrong for me to buy these things, but what do I give God and what do I give myself?"Aaaaaaaaaaa-men ... we all do ... that's our (self) first reaction ... what can i get to gratify myself ... Now i don't know how things are over there in The Netherlands, but here in America we don't wait till we get money, we stretch ourselves way out into massive debt to get what we want "NOW" at the expense of leverging out our future earning with the extra added millstones of robber baron interest compounded daily!i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say (my personal opinion and why i check myself now) "Yes it is wrong to be buying ourselves ridiculous things that we don't need at the expense of our giving to God and His work - particularly when it comes to "missions" and "alms" ... Now is this such a wrong that it would affect our salvation, i personally don't believe so ... But is it a wrong that will affect my effectiveness in and to the work of Christ? ... To that i think Yep! ... The reason i think our Lord laid this scripture on my heart is that we as individual saints, which make up His Church, are not "wise stewards" but "unjust stewards", and how would we fare if He called an accounting of us? ... Would we come out like the steward with 5 or 10 talents, or like the one with one?About a year ago i heard a rather well dressed sister in church complaining to another well dressed saint about not having any money, while her little boy was sitting there playing a $200.00 Play Station ... Our Lord gave me a similar awakening many years back when i too was complaining about not having any money, and He began to point out to me all the reasons (un-necessary purchases) why ... Blessings in Jesus!
Bro. Ironman you wrote;"we've got to become more dilligent in terms of investing in the Kingdom."Amen ... and whatever idol(s) is keeping we children of God from doing that ... In His own time will be removed!Excellent points on how we study "storing up treasures on earth" instead of "storing up treasures in heaven"
Hi All,This is what The Abingdon Commetary says on Luke 16 ... Emboldened are some things that jumped out at me and in ((( ))) are my subsequent question, with the preface that none of us can be perfect stewards but do we even try? ...Luke 16: The Unjust Steward, and Some Sayings.This story from Luke has caused difficulty to Bible students, because it seems to involve an approval of dishonesty. Jesus is not holding the steward's conduct up to admiration, except in one particular. He is using a corrupt social order as an illustration, not setting his seal upon it ... The steward is a "steward of injustice", not because he was dishonest, but because he was involved in a way of life which Jesus condemns without argument. ((( Is our "spending life" of whatever commodities God has entrusted us with an involvement in a way of life that Jesus condemns? )))He worked on comnnssion, as all agents, including tax-collectors, did in the Levant until recent times. In other words, he was not paid a wage, but was expected to maintain himself out of the rent, part of which went into his own pocket, and part to the landlord ... He was accused (v.1), not of fraud but mismanagement: ((( Are we as individial saints, church congregations, the Body of Christ in America (as this is my burden) guilty of mismanaging our Lord's goods? )))Sending for the books meant notice of dismissal. Hewas not robust enough to go on to the land, yet wished to retain his self-respect. So he called a meeting of tenants, two of whom were in arrears with their rent, which was paid in kind ... Remitting his own share of the rent they owed, he knew he would earn their gratitude, not at the Master's, but at his own expense.((( This jumped out at me but i don't quite understand how it would pertain to a modern day saint/church ... As Canuck pointed out i don't want to over analyze but it jumped out at me non-the-less ...)))They, he calculated, would find him work, or hospitality, until he could get work for him self. He was a shrewd business man, who knew that friends go further than money ... We are all stewards, for the only independent capitalist in the universe is God. ((( This really gave me chills! ... )))We are concerned, not with the ownership of material goods, such as money, health, time, etc., butwith their circulation. ((( Can this be truly said of we saints here in America today, that we're more concerned with circulating God's goods than obtaining and hoarding them for ourselves? )))Like the steward, we work on commission, being allowed to use a proportion of these good things for ourselves in return for service to the community. We are all set under authority, some people above us, others below us; we are not better than those who have less money, health, time, than we. We are unjust stewards; if our accounts were required for audit, they would not bear strict examination. In any case, we are all under notice of dismissal, as the steward was. What can we do? Jesus says, make friends with the people dependent upon us for the time being; before long we shall be dependent upon them. They will receive you into the eternal tent's (v. 9) means that the friendship of those we have helped will be ourlasting possession, while the money, health, time we give up to secure their friendship will not be ours for long anyhow. ((( Do our action prove that we believe this? )))Life, as ordered by God, depends on giving and taking, and it is not selfishness, but humility, to be willing to make use of one another.((( Lord teach us what this means ... Somehow this staement makes Acts 2 come to my mind ...)))
the friendship of those we have helped will be ourlasting possession, while the money, health, time we give up to secure their friendship will not be ours for long anyhow. ((( Do our action prove that we believe this? )))This is also a great key to all this. What is your life, it is even a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. I fear to think of how much of my time and resources have actually been wasted on temporal things! We need an eye on eternity in all things. We need an eternal perspective.
Can this be truly said of we saints here in America today, that we're more concerned with circulating God's goods than obtaining and hoarding them for ourselves?Put to death, then, your members that 'are' upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5)Paris Reidhead has a message titled "The Tragedy of Third Generation Religion" that deals with Baal as the god of 'things'. Baal means 'owner'. What things? things that soon break. things that get old and you have to pay to have them dumped or hauled off someplace. 'Things'. Col 3:5 calls covetousness 'idolatry'. That is quite troubling to think that hoarding goods is actually akin to idol worship.
Bro. Robert you wrote;"I fear to think of how much of my time and resources have actually been wasted on temporal things! We need an eye on eternity in all things. We need an eternal perspective."You? ... Bro. Robert how about us all? ... It reminds me of when our Lord began to really ripping off the covers on my sin and began revealing to me how much i hurt Him, and then He said "multiply that times millions!" ... We saints here in America put a lot of heart ache on our Lord whom we say we love, and cause far to much grief to His Spirit ... The latter of your statement (to me) is but a shortened version of Jesus' statement; "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."What's the only key to our obtaining our much needed, yea and even required by Him "eye on eternity" and "eternal perspective"? ... The ugliest word in the human vocabulary: R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E ...You also wrote;"That is quite troubling to think that hoarding goods is actually akin to idol worship."Brother "hoarding goods" ain't akin to "idol worship" ... IT IS IDOL WORSHIP! (bold letters as a proclamation of my own personal take and not directed at you) ... i've went in search of some sermons on Luke 16 and could find none here on SI ... i've found some on Sermon Audio and am in the process of listening ... i will post them as/if our Lord leads ... There's a few things i believe He wants us to know out of Luke 16 ...
I have a strange question (as usual),Someone mentioned “contentment”, the question I have is it ever possible for contentment to actually become selfish?Allow me to explain…….I can be happily cruising down the freeway in my 11 year old Kia, 145k on miles, great MPG, cold a/c, very content and thankful, oblivious to the fact that the rings are shot and it is spitting out noxious fumes blasting everyone behind me, helping to destroy the environment.And so again I wonder… Is it ever possible for my contentment to be at the expense of others around me? Friends, a spouse, children.tonys
the lesson in luke16 describes your works/Faith!!!!!!!
Someone mentioned “contentment”, the question I have is it ever possible for contentment to actually become selfish?This is a good question. Reason being is that one could truly believe they were 'content', when in reality it is an excuse for laziness. Poor does not = spiritual and poor does not = 'content'. I think of the passage: Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.(Proverbs 6) Imagine that, robbed by our own slothfulness. This is not contentment, this is an excuse to live beggarly because of laziness. Paul gives a few exhortations also:Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Ephesians 4:28)There is a benefit here of having our own needs met and also to 'give' to those in need. But still, there is a further benefit as we find in 2 Thessalonians: For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. Here we find an added benefit of working and it is that of keeping busy to prevent ourselves from becoming 'busybodies'. Paul writes; For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. I see a connection to the later part of the passage where he writes, Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work,... Here I see Paul protecting the congregation from the non-quietness of a 'busybody' with too much time on their hands. Too much idle time is a bad thing for anyone. A busybody in scripture is busy about trifles and neglectful truly important matters. They are busy about other folks' affairs. Interesting that I did a word search and found that the Greek word for busybody is two words; one is 'to work' and the other I found translated 4 times in the NAS as 'against'. the connection is a little flimzy, but its interesting that we could actually "work against" what God is doing in place of "working the thing which is good." The extreme of this is to work, work, work as to displease the Lord and serve mammon in covetousness. This can also be masked by 'giving' large sums of money. In other words, I work, work, work, so I can give, give, give. There has to be a Holy Spirit led balance in it. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)We cannot find our fulfillment in 'things'. We need 'things' and it is no sin to have 'things', but we must not find our fulfillment in them. Our fulfillment has to be found in Christ.
And so again I wonder… Is it ever possible for my contentment to be at the expense of others around me? Friends, a spouse, children.This is another good question. Everything we do sends some sort of message to our family. Its a sword with two edges. If we try to elevate our lives and live above our means that sends a message. If we live within our means that sends a message. The problem now is defining our terms. If you are the type of person who don't mind being in debt then your definition of "within our means" will be one thing. If your definition of "within our means" means debt free, that is quite another. There are also other variables to consider. If mom works outside the home to provide more material luxury for the kids is that biblical? Is it biblical for her to work at all? There is also the ongoing issue of how to allocate your funds within the budget. More debt generally tends to reduce giving. Less debt generally frees up more resources. You may also want to spend certain funds on Christian schools, etc. in the place of new cars and such. Beyond all this I also think it is a matter of prayerful decision making in all things. I made some terrible financial decisions in 2005 that we are paying the price for today. We are not broke or anything, but I should have sought the Lord earnestly in some key matters. I suppose what I mean is, it is more about finding God's will than anything else. Some believe it is God's will to take on a huge mortgage, while others may strive for moderation. My personal feeling is, that being debt free is the best thing for all parties if it can be accomplished. Thats just my conviction. God Bless,Robert
Brother "hoarding goods" ain't akin to "idol worship" ... IT IS IDOL WORSHIP! (bold letters as a proclamation of my own personal take and not directed at you) ... AMEN! AMEN! and AMEN! You are absolutely correct and there is just no way around this without being in danger of twisting scripture to fit in with the "American" way of thinking and this "American Jesus" we see being preached everywhere today. Patrick
Brother Rahman wrote:This story from Luke has caused difficulty to Bible students, because it seems to involve an approval of dishonesty. Jesus is not holding the steward's conduct up to admiration, except in one particular. He is using a corrupt social order as an illustration, not setting his seal upon it ... We are called to be priests...This parable is taught to the Pharisees, have you considered this section of Scripture in Ezekiel:Ezek. 34:1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” Ezek. 34:7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! 10 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” If we look at this parable in Luke and hold it to the context that it is writen in, why are the Pharisees being judged by Jesus? What is it that they have done to loose their stewardship? I believe the shepherds spoken of in Ezekiel 34 are under that same judgment.In ChristJeff
Brother "hoarding goods" ain't akin to "idol worship" ... IT IS IDOL WORSHIP! (bold letters as a proclamation of my own personal take and not directed at you) ...AMEN! AMEN! and AMEN! You are absolutely correct and there is just no way around this without being in danger of twisting scripture to fit in with the "American" way of thinking and this "American Jesus" we see being preached everywhere today. I think that sometimes we just get accumulating things and need to clean out our closets and garage ;-).
Brother Robert wrote:I think that sometimes we just get accumulating things and need to clean out our closets and garage . Brother Robert, you are careful in the way you teach from Scripture. Have you considered cleaning out the closets in terms of what is often taught from this section of Scripture?In Christjeff
Hi Bro. Jeff ...Just for the record, the quote you attributed to me is actually from my Abingdon Bible Commentary ...Then you wrote;"If we look at this parable in Luke and hold it to the context that it is writen in, why are the Pharisees being judged by Jesus? What is it that they have done to loose their stewardship? I believe the shepherds spoken of in Ezekiel 34 are under that same judgment."See bro. Jeff, now this gave me chills as your statement sorely hits where i believe Holy Spirit has me coming from Re; Luke 16 for we individual saints, congregational bodies and the entire American segment of His Church, and yea most in particular in regards His leadership, His pastors - preachers - bishops - His undershepherd's He's placed over us - His annointed who are supposed to not only proclaim His Word to us, but set an example by their lives and conduct being above reproach ... - What type of examples toward being "wise stewards" are many, if not now most of American church leadership, showing us today? ... - Could it be that many have settled into the snare of the devil and have become slovenly, self serving, self excusing, "unjust stewards"? ...- Do many now have something in common with a more selfish Pharasaic type service to God instead of the unselfish type service God truly requires? ...- Are such "unjust stewards" of God's houses about to lose their jobs, if they don't repent and do so quickly? ...- Is our Lord finally about to act upon His warning of Rev. 2: 1-5 in an unmistakable way in our present day? ...Rev: [2] I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:[3] And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.[4] Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.[5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.Call me crazy, but that's what i believe i'm hearing ... Time, and i believe soon, will tell.May we all be diligently praying for our pastors
Bro. Robert ...Bro. Jeff wrote;"Brother Robert, you are careful in the way you teach from Scripture. Have you considered cleaning out the closets in terms of what is often taught from this section of Scripture?"i want to say that was the same thing i was thinking but lately i've been trying to tone down my "black or white" way of saying things ... But i must say that when our Lord has busted down my own excusings and pardonings of myself on this issue, and by Himself Has enabled me the victory over it BY REPENTANCE, i have a tendency to not like to molly-coddle anyone else that i think is doing the same thing ...i've found from experience that God's not interested in our excuses when He points out our error(s) as He's doing right now via this thread to all whom Holy Spirit is drawing to it, He's only interested in our sorrow before Him of our mistake(s) and the soothing balm to His ears and heart when we say, "Forgive me Lord, i'm so sorry, i repent and by your grace, mercy and power will never pain You in this way again" ...If our pastors would lead the way in "repentance" i know the congregations would change ... So does He, and that's why (i believe) He wrote the 7 letters to the "angels" of the congregations ...In Christ love,Bro R
Beloved joint heirs in The Way,The following is a sermon series i just got finished listening to and it's so very informative ... i believe that everyone who Holy Spirit brings to this thread (as has been my own experience with every other thread i've been led to here on SI) He's brought here for the reason of ministering to you something you need to hear/know ... Why? ... Only He knows what He's heard from heaven on our behalf until He's able to impart it to us if we'd but only humble ourselves before His teaching ... Be blessed of our God and Father, His beloved Lamb and our beloved Saviour, by power and might of our loving Comforter to becoming what and who it is that He wants us to be ... AmenDiscipleship and the Use of WealthLuke 16:1-13http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonssource&sermonID=2210511153(this is a wonderful interpretation w/ Q&A at the end) The Unjust StewardLuke 16:1-9http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=11804131157 The Stewardship of MoneyLuke 16:10-12http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonssource&sermonID=11150410189 Why One Can't Serve Two MastersLuke 16:13http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=11220484935Wise StewardshipLuke 16:1-13http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonssource&sermonID=7705122446 Blessings in Christ Jesus!
Brother Rahman wrote:'ve found from experience that God's not interested in our excuses when He points out our error(s) as He's doing right now via this thread to all whom Holy Spirit is drawing to it, He's only interested in our sorrow before Him of our mistake(s) and the soothing balm to His ears and heart when we say, "Forgive me Lord, i'm so sorry, i repent and by your grace, mercy and power will never pain You in this way again" ...Sister Diane began a thread a couple of weeks ago concerning the parable of the prodigal son...this is found in Luke 15. Jesus continues to teach the Pharisees, to convict the Pharisees in Luke 16...In Chapter 15, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of not ministering to the lost sheep. In Chapter 16, Jesus points out the motivations for which the Pharisees strive...In terms of what you have said above Brother Rahman, we too have been given individual stewardships according to His will. We too hear His voice and where He is calling us. We too know that if we choose to continue on in His calling we will also experience what Jesus promised those who are His disciples...John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.There are many shepherds whom God calls, yet according to Scripture we find that many do not choose to speak the words that God calls us to speak... for these men and women... this Scripture applies...Luke 16:3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’These men and women know that if they preach according to God's calling, their ways of obedience might put in jeporady, the comforts of this life that the ministry brings. For Paul warns Timothy that people in the last days will want to surround themselves with preachers who tickle their ears...So these men and women must make a choice...do I risk this life I have for the one that God has called me too. Many choose to walk away from the stewardship...and a result of this decision is that they become shrewd in the ways of this world...They tell the sheep what they want to hear and in return the sheep sustain the preachers standard of living in this world. Luke 16:5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, “A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?’ So he said, “A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.Jesus convicted the Pharisees of this. Isaiah convicted the shepherds of his days. And these Scriptures today warn those who contemplate this decision...In ChristJeff
Hi Bro. Jeff,Brother Robert, you are careful in the way you teach from Scripture. Have you considered cleaning out the closets in terms of what is often taught from this section of Scripture?I really meant we need to go through our goods and give what we don't need and use to those who could us it. But, yes, I do think we could use some clear teachings on these issues. The hard thing is trying to teach in a way that will not come off wrong or condemning. I really believe being debt free is the best way to go- but God has led me in that path. He has not allowed me to accumulate unnecessary debt. Quite liberating it is not to have to be servant to lenders. Just my experience.God Bless,-Robert
Brother Jeff,i'm on the same page with what you've posted ... God's talking to us, but we ain't listening ... He's knocking on our doors, but we ain't answering ... You know something profound has happened in me since Holy Spirit dropped Luke 16 into my spirit ... i can't quite define it but it's like my spirit man is leaping high in boundless joy at these higher lesson(s) in "management and giving" He's taught me so far in this discussion, and most notably from that first sermon i posted, while within my heart/soul i feel so much sorrow, a gut tightening sorrow actually about the degree of our blindness and deafness to His Word ... It's like i'm both joyous and sad at the same time :-P :-o ...i praise Him that it seems i'm no longer in "the warning work" that over the years oft times took me to a place like unto JER: 20, and that now He seems to be preparing me for "a new work of explanation and provision" ... The sadness that my heart/soul feels is that so many of our brethren here are about to be caught by total surprise in the enevitable "correction" of His House, and many are gonna want to know how and why these things have come upon us ... i think that's one of the reasons why Holy Spirit moved bro Greg toward the creation of SI ... This forum reaches the world, and while a lot of things posted toward present insights and future warning on this forum may now appear the "works" of overly spiritual, hyper-faithed Christian cuckoos, many of such postings won't be viewed in such disdain after the fact ... Blessing in our only wise, and true Savior
Brother Robert you wrote;"I do think we could use some clear teachings on these issues. The hard thing is trying to teach in a way that will not come off wrong or condemning."See this is where my sorrow, exasperation and sometimes anger (both which i now instantly repent up to God) comes in with so many preachers/pastors/teachers of God today ... First off if any man of God preaches what scripture says is wrong and condemning it's not what the man is preaching but what God Himself is preaching, and it's Holy Ghost Who convicts ... It seems to me that God is pretty black and white even in grace ... If He tells us "the wages of sin is death", and there are many ways to die, case in point if we prove to be "unjust stewards" one day we're gonna die to that job, we'll eventually even under grace die financially ... How do we get back to health? ... We "repent" ... We "turn around" ... How does the Body of Christ usually hear from God, from the "pastors" ... What happens when the pastors turn into "unjust stewards"? ... First God gets shortchanged by His steward, then God's debtors get short-changed by that same "unjust steward" by not having to pay "all the debt owed" ... As the pastor said in one of the sermons, those debtors who now only had to pay a portion of the debt owed the Master had a party! ... Maybe that's also a part of why we have such a "party atmosphere" in so many churches today because our "unjust stewards" are only requiring a portion of God's payment and not ALL ... i think that's what's wrong in America today with our seeker-sensitive, let's not offend anybody, Jesus is soooooo understanding, preaching today ... Sin is wrong period! ... Wrong is always condemned by God and His Word ... How do we stop sin and it's condemnation? ... WE REPENT! ... Repentance is His message and warning down to the very last (The Revelation), and if God's preachers don't preach His message and His warnings then we get an entire nation of Harvey Milktoast saints who don't operate in the "selfless" power of our risen Savior sitting at the right hand of the Father, but operate in the "selfish" weakness of the under-shepherds over them ... i think that if many preachers of our Lord really, trully, believed that they have to account before God their stewardship over the segment of His House that He's alloted them they wouldn't be "unjust stewards" ... i think that many see thier having to answer to God in this regard as some far off encounter in glory that they'll deal with then, and really think who cares because at least they'll be in heaven ... i wonder how they'd react if they thought for a second that God just might require the loss of their own stewardship (which surely has become their livelyhood) on this side of glory?Christ blessings upon you and yours ...Precious Lord Jesus please raise us up pastors after your own heart, with the conviction and assurance of Pss.118:6 ... If your present pastors will not repent then please for Your sake, and the sake of Your Bride, erase from us our worthless self serving 10,000 instructors and provide us with fathers whose only intent and interest is the welfare of we Your children ... Amen
Hi Rahman,See this is where my sorrow, exasperation and sometimes anger (both which i now instantly repent up to God) comes in with so many preachers/pastors/teachers of God today ... First off if any man of God preaches what scripture says is wrong and condemning it's not what the man is preaching but what God Himself is preaching, and it's Holy Ghost Who convicts ... Yes. I understand. I don't want to say I would be afraid of offending folk, because I preach repentance and allow God to be God. I just think that some things will take some time and God will have to do most of the 'pushing'. Sometimes He has to strait intervene in our circumstances to say, "NO!" you can't have that (At least thats I I reason it happens). Not rude, but an abrupt cutting off of the supply (as it were). We need to tell the truth, but I have to speak that word when God puts it on me. He is working on other things right now in our camp. That season is coming. ;-) I'm glad you brought it up though.
Hi Rahman,Quote:I think that many see their having to answer to God in this regard as some far off encounter in glory that they will deal with thenDo you think Jesus might be talking about this type in Matt.15:14. Where He says,Leave them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.These would be the same types refered to by Paulin 2 Tim.3:1-8. and in 4:3,4. where he says,For the time will come when they will not enduresound doctrine; but after their own lust shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.Any man who will not preach what the Word saysbecause it may offend someone, is a hireling andthe truth is not in them. This also applies to the flock that accepts this type of minister, they only want their ears tickled and do not care about the truth.For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are savedit is the power of God. 1Cor.1:18We must preach the power of God, no matter what any man thinks!For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man aliar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Rom. 3:3,4Yes, we MUST preach the PURE unadulterated WORDOF GOD.We must answer the question, Who will stand for the WORD OF THE LORD? Here am I Lord, send me.To all in Christ our Lord,pastorfrin
Every shepherd, every believer is given stewardship of the calling that God has ordained for that person. God leaves all without excuse. We all have been given the free gift of the blood of Christ. We all have entered into the relationship by which we have access to all grace that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are given all the spiritual blessings. We are given the mind of Christ. The question remains before us...will we fear God or man. In ChristJeff
candlesticks are about to be removed brethren...