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| An Accounting to God |
| Ministry of Gates of Praise Ministries, Inc. © Copyright Gates of Praise Ministries 2008 |
In contemporary culture, money plays a large role in each of our lives. If G-d
does not have a plan for our money, than a major part of our lives is not
under His control. This will then affect other areas of our lives. The truth is
that many Christians, whose lives are not really under G-d's control, try to
solve their problems by becoming more spiritual. If you are not handling your
finances in line with G-d's plan, then your whole life is out of joint. G-d's will
includes our money. It is part of the total counsel or plan of G-d. Romans
12:2 G-d's will is unfolded in 3 successive phases. The will of G-d is good,
pleasing and perfect. G-d never wants anything bad for any of His people.
His will is pleasing or acceptable. The more we perceive it, the more we
want to embrace it. As we move in the perception and application we
realize that it is perfect or complete.
Paul pointed out two essential steps to finding G-d's will. First surrender
yourself without reservation to G-d. We are to become a living sacrifice.
Romans 12:1. He was comparing the body with the Old Testament
sacrifices in which the animals were first killed and then put on the altar. In
this manner they were set apart for G-d. The second step is to renew your
mind. This means changing your whole outlook, including the way you think,
your values, your standards, and your priorities.
Your money is very important, but what does it really represent? It represents
your time, your strength, your talents and your inheritance. Your inheritance
may be money or other valuable things like houses, or land, which is passed
on to you from people who loved and cared for you. Your years of education
are represented by your money because if you didn't have an education you
could not make the money that you do.
When you invest your money, you are investing a major part of yourself for
good or bad. G-d's plan for your life, including your money, is summed up in
the world prosperity. 3 John 2:2. The key word is prosper. It covers 3
areas; your soul, your physical health and your finances or material wealth.
Failure, defeat frustration and poverty are not the will of G-d. Your attitude
toward money actually reveals your attitude toward G-d Himself.
Yeshua had a lot to say about money. Matt. 6:24 Lets look at the word
mammon. The NIV translates it as money, but that does not fully express the
meaning of the word. Mammon is an evil, spiritual power that grips men and
enslaves them through the medium of money. Mammon is not money itself,
but the spiritual power that works in the world and in the lives of millions of
people through their attitudes toward money. Either you will hate G-d and
love mammon, or you will hold onto G-d and despise mammon. That is a
serious thought. If you love mammon, you hate G-d. This attitude is not
hating money, but loathing that satanic force that enslaves men and women.
You can not be neutral on this subject. We must acknowledge in our lives the
claim of one or the other. It is not a choice of whether we will serve; it is a
choice only of whom we will serve. Yeshua points to priorities. Matt 6:33.
Yeshua did not say we have to be without these things, but we must not put
things first. We must put the Kingdom of G-d and His righteousness first in
our lives on a consistent bases. We must be committed to G-d, His
Kingdom and His purposes.
Pursing money leads to strain and frustration. Do not chase after money.
Let money pursue you. If you have followed the right course in your life, then
the money will be added to you. You do not have to lie awake at night or
spend hours hatching plans on how to get money. G-d is faithful.
Sometimes our faith is tested. Sometimes we have to deny ourselves things
that we want. G-d always comes through.
The principle of putting G-d first runs all the way through the Bible. Let's look
at Proverbs 3:9-10. The barns and the vats are all of your material needs.
They will be abundantly supplied and will overflow when you honor G-d with
your wealth. The way in which you honor or dishonor G-d with our money.
There is no neutral ground. G-d does not want your tips. When the offering
plate comes around don't just put a dollar in. You'd slip a dollar to a parking
valet at a restaurant to park your car. Do not treat G-d like that, because you
are insulting and dishonoring Him. The Scripture points out that putting
money ahead of G-d is idolatry. Col. 3:5, covetousness is idolatry. When you
seek money first, you are making money your god, which is idolatry. Our
churches are full of people who are guilty of covetousness and idolatry.
Another Scripture 1 Tim. 6:9-10 carries a warning against making money
your G-d and desiring to be rich. Here is the remedy or alternative: 1 Tim.
6:11, "But you, O man of G-d, flee these things (covetousness, love of
money, materialism) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, gentleness. If we must pursue something else. Faith is necessary
to break the control of mammon in your life.
G-d wants us to see our money as something holy that we offer in worship to
Him, and that without this offering our worship is incomplete.
In Exodus 23:14-15 G-d gave regulations for every male among the Jews to
come up to Jerusalem three times a year. They were to offer worship and
celebrate before G-d in the temple. No one was to appear before the L-rd
empty handed. This was part of G-d's ordinance for worship and celebration
in the temple. Israel had to come up at G-d's appointed time and in G-d's
appointed way. Every Israelite had to have an offering for G-d as part of the
celebration and worship. Psm 96:8-9 says bring an offering and come into
His courts, but do not come without an offering.
1.) Bringing an offering gives G-d glory. How are we to give glory to G-d?
By bringing an offering.
2.) Bringing an offering gives us access to G-d's courts. We have no right to
claim access to G-d if we do not come with an offering. If you want to appear
before G-d and come into His courts, you must bring an offering.
3.) Bringing an offering is a G-d appointed part of our worship. Worship is
not complete until we bring our offering to G-d.
We discussed earlier that when we give our money to G-d, we are giving a
very important part of our lives. We are giving Him our time, our strength and
our talents. Most of us put the major portion of our efforts into the work that
brings our income. When we offer G-d the appointed share of our income,
we are offering ourselves to G-d. There is nothing more holy we can offer
G-d then ourselves. Another important point that many of G-d's people do
not fully understand is that G-d keeps a record of what His people offer. G-d
has an account book for every one of us. To illustrate this go to Num. 12.
This chapter describes what the 12 princes of the tribes of Israel offered G-d.
Each prince offered exactly the same, yet each of their offerings is
described in detail item by item. The Bible is a very economical book in that
it does not waste any space. When G-d enumerated identical offerings in
this passage, He was illustrating for us how very carefully He records what
we offer to Him. G-d kept an absolute record of what each leader offered
and then caused it to be preserved in Scripture in minute detail. We need to
take not of the degree of importance G-d places on our offerings. In Mark
12:41 - 44 Yeshua Himself watches how we give. Yeshua thought it
worthwhile to sit and watch what and how the poeple offered. He does the
same today. We may not see Him, but He is watching how and what we
give. There are two important points here; first Yeshua looked at what
everybody gave and estimated it s true value; second, G-d gauges what we
give by what we keep. Yeshua stated that the one who put in the least in
actual amount gave the most because she had nothing left. When G-d
measures what you give, He looks at what you retained for yourself. One
final point is that one day all of us will have to answer for ourselves to G-d:
Romans 14:12 "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to G-d."
That account lies ahead for every one of us. The phrase in the original
Greek" to give account" is used primarily in reference to financial matters.
So, every one of us is going to give a financial accounting to G-d.
does not have a plan for our money, than a major part of our lives is not
under His control. This will then affect other areas of our lives. The truth is
that many Christians, whose lives are not really under G-d's control, try to
solve their problems by becoming more spiritual. If you are not handling your
finances in line with G-d's plan, then your whole life is out of joint. G-d's will
includes our money. It is part of the total counsel or plan of G-d. Romans
12:2 G-d's will is unfolded in 3 successive phases. The will of G-d is good,
pleasing and perfect. G-d never wants anything bad for any of His people.
His will is pleasing or acceptable. The more we perceive it, the more we
want to embrace it. As we move in the perception and application we
realize that it is perfect or complete.
Paul pointed out two essential steps to finding G-d's will. First surrender
yourself without reservation to G-d. We are to become a living sacrifice.
Romans 12:1. He was comparing the body with the Old Testament
sacrifices in which the animals were first killed and then put on the altar. In
this manner they were set apart for G-d. The second step is to renew your
mind. This means changing your whole outlook, including the way you think,
your values, your standards, and your priorities.
Your money is very important, but what does it really represent? It represents
your time, your strength, your talents and your inheritance. Your inheritance
may be money or other valuable things like houses, or land, which is passed
on to you from people who loved and cared for you. Your years of education
are represented by your money because if you didn't have an education you
could not make the money that you do.
When you invest your money, you are investing a major part of yourself for
good or bad. G-d's plan for your life, including your money, is summed up in
the world prosperity. 3 John 2:2. The key word is prosper. It covers 3
areas; your soul, your physical health and your finances or material wealth.
Failure, defeat frustration and poverty are not the will of G-d. Your attitude
toward money actually reveals your attitude toward G-d Himself.
Yeshua had a lot to say about money. Matt. 6:24 Lets look at the word
mammon. The NIV translates it as money, but that does not fully express the
meaning of the word. Mammon is an evil, spiritual power that grips men and
enslaves them through the medium of money. Mammon is not money itself,
but the spiritual power that works in the world and in the lives of millions of
people through their attitudes toward money. Either you will hate G-d and
love mammon, or you will hold onto G-d and despise mammon. That is a
serious thought. If you love mammon, you hate G-d. This attitude is not
hating money, but loathing that satanic force that enslaves men and women.
You can not be neutral on this subject. We must acknowledge in our lives the
claim of one or the other. It is not a choice of whether we will serve; it is a
choice only of whom we will serve. Yeshua points to priorities. Matt 6:33.
Yeshua did not say we have to be without these things, but we must not put
things first. We must put the Kingdom of G-d and His righteousness first in
our lives on a consistent bases. We must be committed to G-d, His
Kingdom and His purposes.
Pursing money leads to strain and frustration. Do not chase after money.
Let money pursue you. If you have followed the right course in your life, then
the money will be added to you. You do not have to lie awake at night or
spend hours hatching plans on how to get money. G-d is faithful.
Sometimes our faith is tested. Sometimes we have to deny ourselves things
that we want. G-d always comes through.
The principle of putting G-d first runs all the way through the Bible. Let's look
at Proverbs 3:9-10. The barns and the vats are all of your material needs.
They will be abundantly supplied and will overflow when you honor G-d with
your wealth. The way in which you honor or dishonor G-d with our money.
There is no neutral ground. G-d does not want your tips. When the offering
plate comes around don't just put a dollar in. You'd slip a dollar to a parking
valet at a restaurant to park your car. Do not treat G-d like that, because you
are insulting and dishonoring Him. The Scripture points out that putting
money ahead of G-d is idolatry. Col. 3:5, covetousness is idolatry. When you
seek money first, you are making money your god, which is idolatry. Our
churches are full of people who are guilty of covetousness and idolatry.
Another Scripture 1 Tim. 6:9-10 carries a warning against making money
your G-d and desiring to be rich. Here is the remedy or alternative: 1 Tim.
6:11, "But you, O man of G-d, flee these things (covetousness, love of
money, materialism) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, gentleness. If we must pursue something else. Faith is necessary
to break the control of mammon in your life.
G-d wants us to see our money as something holy that we offer in worship to
Him, and that without this offering our worship is incomplete.
In Exodus 23:14-15 G-d gave regulations for every male among the Jews to
come up to Jerusalem three times a year. They were to offer worship and
celebrate before G-d in the temple. No one was to appear before the L-rd
empty handed. This was part of G-d's ordinance for worship and celebration
in the temple. Israel had to come up at G-d's appointed time and in G-d's
appointed way. Every Israelite had to have an offering for G-d as part of the
celebration and worship. Psm 96:8-9 says bring an offering and come into
His courts, but do not come without an offering.
1.) Bringing an offering gives G-d glory. How are we to give glory to G-d?
By bringing an offering.
2.) Bringing an offering gives us access to G-d's courts. We have no right to
claim access to G-d if we do not come with an offering. If you want to appear
before G-d and come into His courts, you must bring an offering.
3.) Bringing an offering is a G-d appointed part of our worship. Worship is
not complete until we bring our offering to G-d.
We discussed earlier that when we give our money to G-d, we are giving a
very important part of our lives. We are giving Him our time, our strength and
our talents. Most of us put the major portion of our efforts into the work that
brings our income. When we offer G-d the appointed share of our income,
we are offering ourselves to G-d. There is nothing more holy we can offer
G-d then ourselves. Another important point that many of G-d's people do
not fully understand is that G-d keeps a record of what His people offer. G-d
has an account book for every one of us. To illustrate this go to Num. 12.
This chapter describes what the 12 princes of the tribes of Israel offered G-d.
Each prince offered exactly the same, yet each of their offerings is
described in detail item by item. The Bible is a very economical book in that
it does not waste any space. When G-d enumerated identical offerings in
this passage, He was illustrating for us how very carefully He records what
we offer to Him. G-d kept an absolute record of what each leader offered
and then caused it to be preserved in Scripture in minute detail. We need to
take not of the degree of importance G-d places on our offerings. In Mark
12:41 - 44 Yeshua Himself watches how we give. Yeshua thought it
worthwhile to sit and watch what and how the poeple offered. He does the
same today. We may not see Him, but He is watching how and what we
give. There are two important points here; first Yeshua looked at what
everybody gave and estimated it s true value; second, G-d gauges what we
give by what we keep. Yeshua stated that the one who put in the least in
actual amount gave the most because she had nothing left. When G-d
measures what you give, He looks at what you retained for yourself. One
final point is that one day all of us will have to answer for ourselves to G-d:
Romans 14:12 "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to G-d."
That account lies ahead for every one of us. The phrase in the original
Greek" to give account" is used primarily in reference to financial matters.
So, every one of us is going to give a financial accounting to G-d.