Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

I usually write on the concentration of living for the world and the warnings of chasing after wealth, materialism, and not being a good steward with one’s resources that have been entrusted to them.

That brings us to the other end of the spectrum.  One I have to watch more closely as I am a frugal person.

2  Corinthians 9:7 – ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Tithing is an obedient act that we are told to do by the Lord.  This has never been a problem for my family and we have been blessed and our needs have always been met.  I only bring that up, because I just mentioned being frugal.  However, giving goes beyond tithing.

I have known people to have died and they were misers with everything they had.  The type which would stop the engine in their automobile on a big hill, just to save gas back when it was 25 cents a gallon.  The type to sit in a cold house to save on electricity.  The result of these people many a time is they end up leaving a nest egg to someone else after they die.  For these people it becomes an obsession.

What does that type of living do for the Lord? 

It is a selfish lifestyle still, even though it’s different from other lifestyles that focus on self.  Here is a proverb written by Solomon.

Proverbs 23:6- 8 – ⁶ Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
   do not crave his delicacies;
⁷ for he is the kind of person
   who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
   but his heart is not with you.
⁸ You will vomit up the little you have eaten
   and will have wasted your compliments.

I underlined the part that jumps out when I read it.  Our hearts is where the whole issue is.  Our heart is where we either grow closer to God and what He wants, or not at all. 

Here is a parable of someone who is stingy and unproductive.

Matthew 25:24:30 – ²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

   ²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

   ²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Lord loves a cheerful giver.  We need to give our time and our resources toward the Kingdom of God.  This takes faith.  It also takes going against the flesh and trusting God.  One is supposed to be responsible, but when responsibly done one is more obedient to the Lord.

If I had to guess the thoughts of many Christians based upon their actions; it would be this.

Heaven is wonderful and I’m looking forward to it someday.  Hopefully it’s a long time from now.  I want to live my life to the fullest on this earth.  Then when I got my foot on a banana peel and can’t get around and do everything exactly the way I want, then I want to go.

Is this what the Lord wants us to be like?

Colossians 3:1-3 – ¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

God wants us to put our FAITH into Him.  He wants us to live for Him.  This takes a change of our normal human outlook of putting self first.

Romans 12:2 – ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:22-24 – ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We don’t automatically think the way we’re supposed to and that’s because we are fallen sinners.  All of us are sinners.  We need to seek God and get our spirit and head back on straight.  This starts with a change of the heart.  It’s man’s heart that decides rather he wants to seek God.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 – ⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?
 ¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

You see the idea isn’t to play to win in the worldly game.  We should be setting our eyes on the Lord and worshipping Him.  We need to figure out what it is that He wants from our lives.  If we do that He’ll take care of our needs and more importantly than that He is looking forward to rewarding those who live by faith for Him.  He warns us not to build our empire on earth, but obey Him and store that treasure up later.

Matthew 6:19-21 – ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God wants our hearts.  He knows if you’re chasing after success and money that your heart is there instead.

Proverbs 23:4-5 –⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.  ⁵ 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.

 The old adage you’re not taking any of it with you is true.

So the question is, where is your heart and your home? 

Philippians 3:20 – ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

If your heart is in loving the Lord and your home is Heaven then we need to take heed of what the Master’s manual says.  What I read is beware of living for the world and lets live by faith that we really believe the Lord wants us to seek Him, work for Him, and to reward us for that in Heaven.

Earth now, Heaven later, doesn’t match up with what God’s Word has to say.  It matches up with what the sinful human heart wants.