Good economic thinking flows from what we believe about God. Exercise posotove energy. Be constructive. Don't buy anything Jesus wouldbn't by. Be holy. The consequences are not mere politics. It’s about loving God and our neighbor. Labor, thrift, wise investment, long-term planning, and generosity are theological principles rooted in God’s created order. In high school, all i wanted was revenge on my lying granny's saying my promised truck was a dream. I wanted her to feel my pain. So i unbuckled & prayed for death. If the state encourages their exercise, financial blessings are widespread, providing ample resources for gospel ministry. The most people i saw at church is the time groups put 1000s of door hangers out. alm.tv. Just taxes, financial responsibility, and the proper use of authority allow people to retain the fruit of their labor. People living under economic liberty better reflect God’s image as we manifest the glory of His creation via the re-creation of work. God used 225 rejectors to show me a better path. Our economics will be grounded either in Bible-centered theology or in humanistic thinking. Stay blood-bought. Only a true faith that applies God’s Word to everything—including economics—will lead to the revival and reformation our culture needs so badly. Secular is winning. Most people are on the path of destruction. The ebst selling media is secular. Help Christians learn and apply Scripture’s teaching in every arena, including economics. Help Christians. Help Christians. Help Christians. Find insightful, entertaining, and unconventional ways to spread the gospel. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." 11We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the LORD Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. The Bible says that God cares more about our attitude toward money than about money itself. According to the Bible, God values money in a very different way than man does. God wants us to keep money in perspective. If we "serve" money, then we cannot also serve God. What Does the Bible Say About Money? Many people are confused by what the Bible has to say about money. Misconceptions abound about money being "evil," when money in and of itself is neither good nor evil. It is what we do with our money that matters. The Bible says that God cares more about our attitude toward money than about money itself. According to the Bible, God values money in a very different way than man does. God wants us to keep money in perspective. If we "serve" money, then we cannot also serve God. While money has its place, God wants our focus on eternal things. Jesus pointed out that we need not worry about things like what to eat or wear. If we seek God's kingdom first, then God will give us these other things as well. See Matthew 6:19-34.
Misconceptions
Many people mistakenly believe the Bible says that money is the "root of all evil." This is incorrect. What the Bible says is that the "love" of money is the root of all kinds of evil. See I Timothy 6:10. Some people have allowed their love of money to overshadow their faith. An example is Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the apostles about donating all proceeds from a property sale to the church when they actually kept some for themselves. See Acts 5:1-10.
Considerations
God measures the value of our money differently than man does. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus observed rich people donating large amounts of money to the temple while a widow gave only two very small copper coins. Jesus said that the widow put more in the treasury than everyone else, because the others gave out of their wealth while the widow gave out of her poverty.
Benefits
In Malachi 3:8-12, God makes it clear that he expects His people to tithe, which means give a tenth of your income to the church. God actually says to "test" Him on his promise of blessing those who tithe. Verse 10 states that, if we tithe, He will "open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." By giving our money, we get the benefit of receiving generous blessings from God.
Warning
The Bible warns us against loving money. God does not like usury. See Nehemiah 5:9-11. God does not even like charging interest when we loan money to a "brother." See Deuteronomy 23:19-20. The Bible also warns that those who love money will never have enough money and will never be satisfied with what they have. See Ecclesiastes 5:10. Jesus, who rarely got angry, also took offense at money-changers doing business in the temple, because their love of money caused them to turn a place of worship into a "den of robbers." See Mark 11:15-17.
How Many Times Is Money Mentioned in the Bible?
Money is mentioned 140 times in the King James Version of the Bible. If we include the words gold, silver, wealth, riches, inheritance, debt, poverty, and related topics, it turns out that the Bible pays a great deal of attention to financial matters -- more than nearly any other subject.
History
The word "money" in the Bible refers to gold and silver, the two forms of currency used in that part of the world during Biblical times. Looking at the King James Version, the book also specifically mentions gold 417 times and silver 320 times.
Gold is referenced more often in the Bible than any other metal. It is mentioned already in the story of Adam and Eve in the second book of Genesis, verses 11-12, speaking of the land of Havilah "where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good."
Silver first appears in Genesis 13:2, telling of Abram's "riches of cattle, silver, and gold."
Significance
For an example, financial matters are mentioned more often in the Bible than prayer, healing, and mercy. The topic of sin, however, is addressed more frequently than finances, with even the specific word "sin" and variations on it appearing nearly 600 times!
Features
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/396185/
With all the discussion in this book about money, what does the Bible actually have to say about it? The New International Version will be used for all examples below.
The main theme advises against being too attached to money, and pointing out that wealth can be fleeting. The Bible encourages trusting in God to provide rather than trying to build up and hoard large amounts of wealth.
Proverbs 23:4-5 states: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
Hebrews 13:5 says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and learn to be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you.'"
Warning
The Bible warns that the pursuit of money can cause problems in one's faith and in other areas of life.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 notes, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless."
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
1 Timothy 6:10 states, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
Considerations
The Bible states the importance of tithing (giving a tenth of one's income to charity) and sharing. Jesus advised giving away more than a tithe. He says in Luke 12:33, "Sell your possessions and give the money away to those in need."
The followers of Jesus had a communal way of life. In Acts 4:32-35, we are told: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had . . . There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
The Bible commands Christians to give a tenth of their income as a tithe to the Lord.
Tithing has a long history rooted in the Bible. Traditionally giving a tithe entails donating ten percent of income to the church. Baptists believe that everything a person owns is a gift from God, and individuals are merely caretakers of their material possessions. Within this context tithing is not viewed as generosity from a Christian to the church, but a way to worship God by returning to him a small portion of that with which he has blessed the believer.
Biblical Mandate
Baptists base their practice of tithing on biblical precedent set forth in the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 14:22 instructs "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus explains giving monetarily is less about quantity and more about generosity of spirit. After witnessing a poor widow tithe only two coins Jesus says "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Stewardship
Baptist churches teach tithing income as outlined in the Bible, but they also instruct parishioners in a more holistic view of Christian giving. Baptists believe that everything a person has, including their time and talents, are gifts from God. Behaving as a good steward of these resources entails using them for God’s glory and the service of the church. Baptist teaching emphasizes God receives glory when Christians joyfully, rather than begrudgingly, give of the blessings he has bestowed.
Blessing
Tithing is an act of worship, and Baptists believe blessings, though not necessarily of a material nature, will follow this act of trust and obedience. In Malachi 3:10 God instructs the Israelites to “bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Baptists point to this scripture and others like it as evidence of God’s promise to show favor to those who tithe.
Legalism
Pastors within the Baptist church caution congregants and clergy alike that tithing is a worshipful act, and should not be motivated by legalism. Through donating money, a person giving a tithe is able to help the needy in ways otherwise unavailable to them. Tithing also allows parishioners to grow spiritually when they are motivated by love as opposed to a sense of obligation. In this model, tithing not only sustains churches, it enriches the spiritual lives of Christian believers.
No comments:
Post a Comment