re-visiting last Sunday’s sermon…
Jesus said: And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9)
We cannot take our possessions with us when we die. Things do not last, but people do. People go on for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Hebrews 9:27). And here in Luke 16:9, Jesus tells His followers to be money exchangers, who exchange the capital of the earth (possessions) and change it into the currency of heaven (people).
What does this mean? It means, as stewards of God’s money (Haggai 2:8), we are to be generous in providing funds for ministries that get God’s love and gospel out to the ends of the earth.
Therefore, some prayer points that might be helpful for us are:
Father, could it be that you have raised me up – with the financial assets you have entrusted to me – for such a time as this? Is it more than a coincidence that you, Lord God, have entrusted me with such resources just at the point in history when an unparalleled number of people have such great needs and there are unprecedented means and opportunities to help them?
Jesus, have I over-accumulated? Have I allowed unwise spending and the accumulating of debt to inhibit my giving? Do my spending habits mean that I don’t have enough to give?
Lord, what do I need to let go of in order to be a good manager of your resources?
Father, where in the world do you want me to go, see and participate in meeting physical and spiritual needs through Christ-centred ministries? Is it a soup kitchen? Prison ministry? Is short-term or long-term service overseas part of your exciting plan for me or my family?
(adapted from Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, p 97-120)
So, some help with GIVING! Here are some great ministries who constantly need financial support:
Evangelism Ministries:
Compassion Ministries:
Persecuted Church Ministries:
And let’s not make this a taboo subject. Talk about money!! As fellow disciples, we need to ask, and let others ask us about money – how we’re going at giving it away.
From the master financial planner:
“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
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