by admin | Mar 18, 2024 | Bible Study, Budget
“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...
by admin | Mar 18, 2024 | Bible Study, Budget
“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...
by admin | Jan 30, 2024 | Bible Study, Budget
“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...
by admin | Nov 27, 2023 | Bible Study, Budget
“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...
by admin | Sep 18, 2023 | Bible Study, Budget
“For if something is presented eagerly, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” 2nd Corinthians 8:12 The Great Commission commanded by Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) is a very expensive endeavor that has been going one for nearly 2,000 years. This is part of God’s plan for those who have been Saved, for those who have repented towards God and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 20:21) to be a part of, in one form or another. The question arises how much should a Christian give, to whom or what should the money go towards and must they give 10% of their income or not? These questions are going to be addressed, noting that much of this is a heart issue of an individual before the Lord, yet the Bible provides clear guidance and direction, as well as examples on tithing. What sort of example do the members and attendees of a Church set when they allow their building, one set aside for God, to go into disrepair, also allowing a pastor to go without any sort of salary or a salary that would not sustain even a modest form of living? Further said, what about foreign missions funding, money for the distribution of tracts or Bibles, money to support biblical evangelical work or the numerous other things that can/could be done in a fashion that is honoring to God Almighty, as those who proclaim to walk in ‘newness of life’ (Romans 6:4) with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?...
by admin | Jul 5, 2023 | Bible Study, Budget
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah your God. In it you shall not do any work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore Jehovah has blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.” Exodus 20:8-11 Believers are not under the law (Matt. 19:18-19) for we are Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), nonetheless we are commanded to not forsake the assembling of ourselves (Heb. 10:25). So rather than turn a biblical principle of financing written piece into a segment about the Sabbath day, this is simply taking a look at an approach of how much should one work in order to pay the bills. Before proceeding, there are all sort of financial problems that people, including Believers, get themselves into. There could be an occasion where you are forced to work temporarily seven days per week. Perhaps you have made a commitment, perhaps you have a contract for a business that you can not break and things didn’t go as you planned, forcing you to work more (this has happened to me), perhaps your spouse is temporarily unable to work and you have to pick up additional hours or a second job until that source of income can come back or perhaps you need...
