Hello I'm Shelly Quinn and
welcome again to Issues and
00:00:30.43\00:00:33.49
Answers, hey we have got
an exciting program today.
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Something a little bit
different, we are going to be
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talking about women and wealth.
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You know the Bible in Luke
chapter 8:3 the Bible says,
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this, Joanna, the wife of Chuza,
Herod's household manager,
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and Susannah, and many others
who ministered to and provided
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for Him, for Christ
and His disciples out of
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their property and
personal belongings.
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We're going to be talking
about women and wealth and how
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God would help us to acquire
and to distribute that wealth.
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I have returning, as a
special guest, Jeff Wilson.
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Jeff thank you so
much for coming back.
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- joy to be here. - Will
it's a joy to have you and
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you are the Director for
the Planned Giving and Trust
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Services for the
General Conference of the
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Seventh-day Adventist churches.
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That is correct. -
How many years again?
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Let's remind our audience
if they didn't see you before.
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Well I started in 1999 at
the General Conference and
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became a Director
in the year of 2000.
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I am thrilled to know that
your background as a Pastor,
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you are also the Director of
Youth in Illinois Conference.
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So it is good to know the
man who is overseeing the funds
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of the Church, is a man of God.
That is what we always hope for.
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So thank you so much
for returning. - thank you.
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Now also with us
today, is no stranger to 3ABN.
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Rita Westphal, Rita
thank you - nice being here.
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Well it is a joy. - it
is always a joy to be here.
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You are precious, you know it?
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Let me ask you something,
you have never been on Issues
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and Answers before have you?
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- no, this is my first actually.
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Quite often we see you
when your husband, Leonard,
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on 3ABN Today program
because you all work with
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the trust department for 3ABN.
- In Loma Linda California.
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And you have been
doing this for how long?
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About six years.
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- So Leonard for 10 years
and you've joined him four
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years later. - 6 years.
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It's a joy to have
you. - we are very blessed.
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Aren't we all? - very
much. - aren't we all?
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We are going to be
talking today about some of the
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financial partners that
Jesus had during His ministry.
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Jeff, why did you
choose this topic?
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Well it is interesting
that in the last couple decades
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of course women have become
more involved in the business
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world, in employment, and
we sort of talk as if this is
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something totally new.
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But when you go out to the
Bible times, in the text that
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you read there in
Luke four example,
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you see interestingly enough
many women were the financial
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backers actually
of Jesus' ministry.
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One of the most thrilling
stories to me in Scripture,
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that I, it just amazes
me every time I read it,
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is a story of Mary
Magdalene anointing Jesus' feet
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for His burial.
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And it is an event, Mary slipped
into the room, she was an
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uninvited guest, she was
purposely not invited to this
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feast that Simon had
prepared to honor the Lord.
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Who had healed him of leprosy,
even though the Bible says,
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he still didn't believe
or accept Jesus as Lord.
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But the Lord still worked this
wonderful miracle in his life.
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But Simon had not
invited her there.
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You know what,
excuse me for interrupting,
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something just hit
me when you said that.
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He was accepting Christ
as Savior in sense because
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He saved him from this
horrible disease but he was not
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accepting Him as Lord,
how many people do that?
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How many people go to
Him and except Him as Savior
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but won't accept Him as
Lord of their life? Okay!
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Well and the Lord even at
the end of the feast tells
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this parable about the
debtors, the two debtors.
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Even in that parable
Jesus is appealing to Simon,
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I think, to accept
the Lord as Mary had done.
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Mary was just as bad
of a sinner, or maybe not
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as bad of a sinner as Simon,
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but he at that
point hadn't excepted.
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But anyway Mary had carefully
managed her money, and even
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today I think in most
cases women are better managers
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of money than we
men are, it is true.
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Women often look at money
more sacredly than men do.
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And to look at what money
can do in touching lives and
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making a difference rather
than just dressing ourselves
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up or doing things
for the moment that have
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no real lasting
value, but anyway.
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Mary apparently for a long
time had been saving her money
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because when we look the
account there, the value of that
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bottle of perfume, that
alabaster box, that perfume had
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come from way up
in northern India.
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It was very rare, very
expensive, was equal to one
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years wages and that
was a significant gift.
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She had been saving her
money not knowing what for.
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But somewhere along the line,
as she saw things winding up
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she was so grateful to the
Lord for what, she had fallen,
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the Bible says seven times.
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Seven is a perfect number
in the Bible, so she was the
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ultimate sinner we might say.
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You know sometimes we say
I will give you three strikes
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and then you are out, the
one glad the Lord gives us
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more than three strikes.
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He gave Mary seven strikes,
she would fall back into sin
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and He would go and bring
her back and forgive her and
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restore her, she
would fall back again.
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Many times alcohol,
tobacco, some of the things,
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to get away from that is a
long struggle, but the Lord
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is with us through it all.
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But she was so grateful
for what He had done and now
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the rumors were around
that the religious leaders
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were plotting Jesus' death.
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And Mary did
something very special.
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Rather than bring
flowers to the funeral,
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she brought flowers
ahead of the funeral,
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do you know what I am saying?
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- exactly. - Ellen White
talks about, don't wait until
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a person dies to talk, to say
at the funeral what a wonderful
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person they were, because
that doesn't help the person.
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But express that
before they pass away.
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Anyway, so she came uninvited
and she, led by the Holy
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Spirit, thought of what Jesus
had done for her and she began
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to weep, and she broke the
box, and her tears and perfume
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mix together as she anointed
both His head and His feet.
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She thought she would do this
to tell the Lord how much she
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loved Him and that she
knew He was going to the tomb,
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but she appreciated
Him going through for her.
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But what she of course had
forgotten is the aroma of that
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very expensive perfume.
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People could not see her,
she was probably bent down
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very low, but the aroma
filled the room and people
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looked around, what is this?
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Of course there was this great
problem going around really
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started by Judas
saying, why this terrible waste.
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You know the Bible says,
the disciples were indignant.
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Why was this not
spent, sold to help the poor?
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Jesus immediately stood
between her and her accusers
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as He had done
many times before.
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He said, of what Mary
did, remember what she has done
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will be told in memory of
her wherever the gospel is
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preached
throughout the whole world.
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I think it is Matthew 26:3,
so as we talk about it today,
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we are fulfilling a prophecy
that Jesus made 2000 years
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ago in telling that story.
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My point is, she was a
woman, she was saved by grace.
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She encouraged the Lord's
heart at the most difficult
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moment of His life. - Amen!
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In my minds eye I see Jesus
hang on the cross a few hours
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later and there was a
stench of death all around Him.
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There was a cursing,
there was a swearing,
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all His disciples had
forsaken Him and fled.
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I think it was very tempting
for Christ on the cross to
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come down, and the
devil through his embassies'
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was saying, come
down off the cross.
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Why throw your life away
if there are people accepting
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your sacrifice it would be
worth it, but where are they?
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They have all
forsaken You and fled.
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Don't give your life for
nothing, and then I think the
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aroma of that perfume,
He caught a whiff of that.
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You know how it is when
you catch a whiff of something
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that takes you back
40 years in your memory?
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I think He caught a whiff
of that perfume and He said no,
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there is one, there is
one who has accepted Me and
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I will go through for one.
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The Bible says that
Jesus would have died for one.
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He died for Mary, so I
think that is why we all owe a
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debt of gratitude to Mary
taking a years wages, which
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she could have spent on
many of the things on herself.
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They were many hard earned
dollars, or denarii or what
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ever it would've
been at that time.
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She did it for her Lord.
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You know she could have
also said, as some of the
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disciples said, I believe
in Jesus and I'm going to do
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something good for the Ministry
with this money, but I am
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going to really plot out
how I am going to use my money.
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Rather what she did, she
lavished this gift on Him
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in such an extraordinary
way because He lavished His love
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on her, and so it was an
act of complete abandonment.
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Wasn't it? It was a beautiful
story and what a contrast to
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Mary breaking the alabaster box,
Judas what was he busy doing?
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As John Fowler says,
Judas clutched the moneybox.
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Mary gave the
alabaster box. - Amen!
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So there is the two ways
we can deal with material
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things, we can hold it to
ourselves and what happened to
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Judas, it's pretty sad.
00:10:44.90\00:10:47.19
It reminds me just briefly, I
want to add a little something
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I think you will appreciate
particularly because you have
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been a Youth Director.
00:10:53.08\00:10:54.05
Rita if you could've
met this little girl,
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you would have loved her.
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There was this child, I
was over the children's church,
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Which was many
years ago in my church,
00:11:00.23\00:11:02.06
we had a children's church.
00:11:02.10\00:11:03.39
I was the Director and teacher
over that, and this precious
00:11:03.43\00:11:07.59
little girl and her
family was very poor.
00:11:07.63\00:11:12.33
And she had collectively
received from a variety of
00:11:12.36\00:11:17.14
relatives $100 for her birthday.
00:11:17.17\00:11:20.85
And she came, at the time
we were taking the offering,
00:11:20.89\00:11:25.43
I was teaching the children
the principle of tithing,
00:11:25.47\00:11:29.98
she put the entire
amount into... and she told me.
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She said, I don't want
anyone to know, so do I need to
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write my name on this because
I'm doing this for Jesus?
00:11:41.10\00:11:44.88
And I told her, I said
honey you don't have to give it
00:11:44.91\00:11:48.66
all. She said, He
gave His all for me.
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- that is wonderful. -
now isn't that precious story?
00:11:51.58\00:11:53.81
Precious, precious little child.
00:11:53.85\00:11:56.34
There are many women
that we see, now Mary's was
00:11:56.37\00:11:59.84
a lavish gift, what
a one that maybe didn't
00:11:59.88\00:12:03.31
have something that?
00:12:03.35\00:12:04.68
Well sometime before
this, Jesus wanted to give His
00:12:04.72\00:12:10.79
disciples and object lesson,
so He took them to the temple.
00:12:10.82\00:12:15.44
They found a place to observe
very close to the offering plate
00:12:15.48\00:12:20.06
sometimes people say the
Lord isn't interested in our
00:12:20.10\00:12:23.09
gifts and all this
kind of thing. But He is.
00:12:23.12\00:12:25.99
There He sat with His
disciples and watched the rich
00:12:26.02\00:12:28.94
people come and they would
change their large money into
00:12:28.98\00:12:33.15
small money and make a big
production out of placing their
00:12:33.19\00:12:37.32
offering in the offering
plate to say to everyone else
00:12:37.36\00:12:41.03
look how generous I am?
00:12:41.06\00:12:42.76
Then along came a
woman, a poor widow woman.
00:12:42.79\00:12:47.58
She had only two little coins
that were smaller than a penny,
00:12:47.62\00:12:51.97
and I think she was
terribly embarrassed.
00:12:52.00\00:12:54.87
She knew it was an amount that
meant nothing, it couldn't do
00:12:54.91\00:12:59.99
anything because it was so
small, but the Lord was leading
00:13:00.03\00:13:05.08
her to make this gift
out of gratitude for what the
00:13:05.12\00:13:08.80
Lord had done for her.
00:13:08.84\00:13:10.00
She slipped up and just drop
those coins and tried to hurry
00:13:10.03\00:13:12.85
away, and the
Lord said look at that,
00:13:12.88\00:13:14.91
He immediately pointed
His disciples to that gift and
00:13:14.95\00:13:18.15
their heads were
spinning, what that is nothing?
00:13:18.18\00:13:21.80
He said, she has given
more than all the rest.
00:13:21.83\00:13:25.37
We say, how can it be?
That God's accounting principles
00:13:25.41\00:13:30.38
are different than
our accounting principles.
00:13:30.42\00:13:32.76
He was looking at what she
had left, and he was looking at
00:13:32.79\00:13:36.16
what the rich people had
left when they made their gifts.
00:13:36.20\00:13:39.54
At this woman had given
all and so I think in the
00:13:39.57\00:13:44.01
accounting records of heaven
that little woman who gave just
00:13:44.04\00:13:47.84
gave two tiny, tiny coins
may be the biggest donor in
00:13:47.88\00:13:51.12
heaven because she has
inspired so many other people
00:13:51.15\00:13:54.36
to be generous.
00:13:54.39\00:13:56.44
She was giving up
what she did not have,
00:13:56.47\00:13:58.18
she didn't have
anything to give.
00:13:58.22\00:13:59.87
I am very inspired many
times when I talk with people on
00:13:59.91\00:14:04.12
the phone, with our donors,
and the tremendous amount of
00:14:04.15\00:14:09.64
love and sacrifice that is
involved when they want to do
00:14:09.67\00:14:17.02
something for the Lord's
work and they saved a lot in
00:14:17.05\00:14:24.37
order to be able to give some.
00:14:24.40\00:14:27.05
I remember this particular
case that this older lady,
00:14:27.09\00:14:32.26
she was saying that they
were not heating one part of the
00:14:32.29\00:14:37.29
house so they could save and
give that money to the Lord's
00:14:37.33\00:14:42.29
work. - how precious, you know
00:14:42.33\00:14:43.76
that reminds me when you said
sacrifice, and you said some
00:14:43.80\00:14:47.20
people think God's not
interested in our giving,
00:14:47.24\00:14:49.32
Romans 12:2 says, present your-
self a living sacrifice to God.
00:14:49.36\00:14:53.81
Sometimes the way I explain
it to people is the monetary
00:14:53.85\00:14:58.89
gifts we give are the
closest thing we have to
00:14:58.93\00:15:01.12
a living sacrifice, when
you think about it because
00:15:01.16\00:15:03.90
we spend so much
of our life to earn
00:15:03.93\00:15:08.06
what is keeping
us, sustaining us.
00:15:08.09\00:15:12.15
Shelley money, life is
a definition for money.
00:15:12.18\00:15:15.70
We exchange time for
money, that is how we are paid.
00:15:15.73\00:15:20.86
So when we return money
to God, we are saying Lord
00:15:20.89\00:15:25.71
You are the Lord of my
whole life. - absolutely.
00:15:25.74\00:15:30.49
And when Jesus taught there
on the sermon on the Mount,
00:15:30.53\00:15:34.05
He said you cannot serve
both God and Mammon, or money.
00:15:34.08\00:15:37.75
When the Lord Himself look
at the greatest counterfeit
00:15:37.79\00:15:41.42
for Him, the greatest
Antichrist as it were,
00:15:41.46\00:15:44.52
it was money and
possessions and things.
00:15:44.56\00:15:47.56
What is so amazing to me
is that the Lord was actually
00:15:47.59\00:15:51.24
speaking in a developing
country, He was in a very poor
00:15:51.28\00:15:54.90
country when He said
that, it wasn't in the
00:15:54.93\00:15:57.00
United States of America.
00:15:57.04\00:15:58.75
It was a place where people
were very poor, it was like
00:15:58.78\00:16:02.46
saying that maybe in India
or some parts of Africa today,
00:16:02.50\00:16:06.14
when He said, you can't
serve both God and money.
00:16:06.17\00:16:08.31
So the point is as you
said at the beginning, money is
00:16:08.35\00:16:12.61
not the problem, it is
our relationship to it.
00:16:12.65\00:16:15.42
The love of, so I might
not even have money but if
00:16:15.45\00:16:19.60
I have love toward money,
even the lack of it is going to
00:16:19.63\00:16:23.33
take place of God in my life.
00:16:23.37\00:16:25.30
You know with women, and
our topic today is about women
00:16:25.33\00:16:30.10
and wealth, women today
have come to the forefront in
00:16:30.14\00:16:34.35
a way that we are making
more money and we are holding
00:16:34.39\00:16:38.28
more powerful positions
and generating more income than
00:16:38.32\00:16:42.18
we have done in
previous generations.
00:16:42.22\00:16:44.92
Now of course, when I
think about women I always think
00:16:44.95\00:16:49.60
about Proverbs 31 wife and
the Lord said, to praise her
00:16:49.63\00:16:53.48
in the city gates because
she was very industrious and
00:16:53.51\00:16:57.55
she knew how to manage
God's, she was a good steward of
00:16:57.59\00:17:01.60
God's money, and a good
steward of her household.
00:17:01.63\00:17:04.41
But for these women who
are controlling more than most
00:17:04.44\00:17:08.35
generations that have been
before us, recent generations,
00:17:08.39\00:17:12.26
what do, what advice
would you have for these women?
00:17:12.30\00:17:18.50
How do we, we are looking
at God enabling us to make more
00:17:18.54\00:17:21.94
money, but what do
we do with this money?
00:17:21.97\00:17:24.30
It is true that women are
making more money than ever,
00:17:24.33\00:17:28.21
but it is also true
that women outlive men.
00:17:28.25\00:17:32.06
So our work, Rita and my
work and Leonard's work and
00:17:32.09\00:17:36.50
that of about 350 other of
us in north America and the
00:17:36.53\00:17:40.90
world, is to encourage
people in planed giving,
00:17:40.94\00:17:43.93
which means the
final act of giving.
00:17:43.97\00:17:46.56
Giving through a will
or trust or gift annuity
00:17:46.60\00:17:49.30
at the end of my life.
00:17:49.33\00:17:50.54
Well the reality is in
seven out of eight cases, the
00:17:50.57\00:17:55.21
woman is going to
make the final decisions.
00:17:55.24\00:17:58.34
In most cases. - is that
because she outlives the man?
00:17:58.37\00:18:01.91
- because she
outlives the man you see.
00:18:01.94\00:18:03.21
In most cases when the
first spouse dies, everything
00:18:03.25\00:18:06.16
passes to the surviving spouse.
00:18:06.20\00:18:08.80
So in the ultimate case it's the
women, for me that is good news
00:18:08.83\00:18:13.38
because women are more charit-
ably minded then we men are.
00:18:13.42\00:18:17.34
I think it's good news for
God's work and for the children
00:18:17.37\00:18:21.21
and others so in the final
analysis women are going to
00:18:21.24\00:18:25.05
make those decisions.
00:18:25.08\00:18:26.64
So back to your question,
it means that women more than
00:18:26.68\00:18:30.72
ever need to be understanding
about making of money,
00:18:30.76\00:18:34.61
managing money, and
investing money and resources,
00:18:34.64\00:18:38.46
and understanding as
well as they can philanthropy.
00:18:38.49\00:18:42.03
What do I want to do?
What does my children need?
00:18:42.06\00:18:45.56
What do others that
depend upon me need?
00:18:45.60\00:18:48.10
And what are my goals in life?
00:18:48.13\00:18:49.59
What drives me every
morning when I get up?
00:18:49.63\00:18:52.89
What part of God's
ministry touches my life?
00:18:52.93\00:18:56.12
Media Ministry, education,
missions, whatever it might be.
00:18:56.16\00:19:01.96
How can I get some help to
prepare a plan that will meet
00:19:01.99\00:19:07.75
my goals and touch the
future through my giving?
00:19:07.79\00:19:12.12
There is another side
that I want to bring up,
00:19:12.15\00:19:16.45
and I'm talking
directly to women.
00:19:16.48\00:19:21.32
We have a lot of potential,
a lot of Christian women
00:19:21.35\00:19:26.75
have never developed
their potential to make money.
00:19:26.79\00:19:32.12
Now I realize the importance
of having funds to be able
00:19:32.15\00:19:41.46
to reach all kinds of places.
00:19:41.49\00:19:44.25
To be able to share in
all kinds of ministries.
00:19:44.29\00:19:48.37
I see the importance of
having the ability to work
00:19:48.40\00:19:52.44
and make money and
know how to invest.
00:19:52.48\00:19:55.80
For many years, in all the
generations never thought about
00:19:55.84\00:20:01.00
investing per se,
the women especially.
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.49
They left that after the men,
but now it is important that
00:20:04.53\00:20:09.95
women become wise, they catch
the vision of what the Lord
00:20:09.99\00:20:15.59
can do with the money they
may be able to share and become
00:20:15.62\00:20:21.19
really involved at
a really deep level.
00:20:21.22\00:20:25.21
Getting involved in a
way that they can like Mary
00:20:25.24\00:20:28.90
Magdalena, can collect
enough that then they can
00:20:28.94\00:20:31.98
break it and give it all
to the Lord's work - Amen!
00:20:32.02\00:20:34.99
Well it's an exciting time
to be alive because in the 80s,
00:20:35.03\00:20:39.35
especially the 90s, there
was this huge run-up in wealth.
00:20:39.39\00:20:43.80
We live today in the most
prosperous time this world has
00:20:43.84\00:20:47.88
ever known. - in the
United States we are so spoiled.
00:20:47.92\00:20:51.93
- Especially in the
United States, yeah.
00:20:51.96\00:20:53.75
- We're so spoiled. - The
interesting thing is that a
00:20:53.79\00:20:57.33
person who is careful in
saving and managing their money
00:20:57.36\00:21:00.86
over a long period of
time, can collect significant
00:21:00.90\00:21:04.95
resources to make an amazing
difference in God's work.
00:21:04.98\00:21:08.73
And there's something that
I just wanted to bring out in
00:21:08.76\00:21:12.47
this program because
the last time you were here,
00:21:12.51\00:21:14.73
and he was here with your
husband Leonard last time,
00:21:14.76\00:21:18.17
we were talking about the
importance of wills and we did
00:21:18.21\00:21:21.20
dedicate the whole program
to that, but for someone who
00:21:21.24\00:21:23.98
might not have seen that I
was just wondering if you would
00:21:24.02\00:21:26.73
briefly touch on that
because there are many women,
00:21:26.76\00:21:28.94
and particularly single
women who think they do not have
00:21:28.97\00:21:31.93
to worry about a will.
You have got to have a will.
00:21:31.97\00:21:34.50
If you are over 18 years
old you need to have a will.
00:21:34.53\00:21:37.03
A will is a basic
estate planning document and
00:21:37.07\00:21:41.26
everyone needs that will as
you have said, that is of age.
00:21:41.29\00:21:45.67
Wills are scary things, people
are afraid if they do their
00:21:45.70\00:21:50.04
will they are going
to die. - superstition.
00:21:50.08\00:21:52.08
It's superstition because
the reality is that those
00:21:52.12\00:21:55.84
who have wills actually live
longer, up to 10 years longer
00:21:55.87\00:22:00.42
than those who don't have wills.
00:22:00.45\00:22:01.92
Probably their more prudent.
00:22:01.95\00:22:03.35
And they have peace of mind,
they are not worrying anymore
00:22:03.38\00:22:06.60
because everything
is in order you see.
00:22:06.64\00:22:08.54
They are the same people who
wear seatbelts, who drink eight
00:22:08.57\00:22:11.40
glasses of water
a day and so forth.
00:22:11.44\00:22:13.17
They are organized, but
it is not a scary thing.
00:22:13.20\00:22:17.82
In our church we have
planned giving trust service
00:22:17.85\00:22:22.40
departments that are ministries,
in our Conferences, people
00:22:22.43\00:22:25.62
can pick up the phone and
they could call our toll-free
00:22:25.65\00:22:28.81
number, they can
get it on the website.
00:22:28.84\00:22:30.28
We have people who can help
them, not to tell them what to
00:22:30.32\00:22:34.53
do, but to help them
with the scary part, the legal
00:22:34.57\00:22:38.07
documents with all that
legal language they don't
00:22:38.10\00:22:41.57
understand a whole lot.
00:22:41.61\00:22:42.73
But the lawyer is there to
help them understand and make
00:22:42.76\00:22:45.98
sure that their wishes are met.
00:22:46.01\00:22:47.90
And Rita, just, we don't have
time to go into a but just if
00:22:47.93\00:22:52.31
you will run through a
list of some of the options,
00:22:52.35\00:22:54.71
the alternatives people have.
00:22:54.74\00:22:56.28
Well we have wills
and we have trusts.
00:22:56.32\00:23:01.12
We will recommend a trust
rather than a will because it
00:23:01.15\00:23:05.57
is more specific and it
avoids a lot of the legal
00:23:05.60\00:23:10.94
probate and legal
fees and court fees.
00:23:10.98\00:23:13.72
But we also have other
ways that you can share in the
00:23:13.76\00:23:19.62
Lord's work with annuities.
00:23:19.66\00:23:21.58
We have also what we call a
cash trust which is a fabulous
00:23:21.61\00:23:26.07
way to make money on your
money and yet have more to give.
00:23:26.10\00:23:30.41
You see if you know how
to invest your money wisely,
00:23:30.44\00:23:34.68
you can turn around and give
more, and some people they are
00:23:34.71\00:23:40.42
not, they are scared even
thinking about it, so they
00:23:40.45\00:23:44.04
keep the money in the bank,
00:23:44.08\00:23:46.62
or in a savings account
or something like that when
00:23:46.65\00:23:50.45
actually that money could
be producing a lot more money.
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.45
It could be turned around
and put in the Lord's work.
00:23:53.49\00:23:56.97
Absolutely, and those annuities
pays so much higher rate.
00:23:57.00\00:24:00.45
Depending on the age it
can multiply your money.
00:24:00.49\00:24:04.05
Well we only have a few
moments left and I want to get
00:24:04.08\00:24:06.95
into, because you were
sharing earlier we me Jeff, some
00:24:06.99\00:24:10.06
of the stories of people
who have been very stingy, and
00:24:10.09\00:24:13.13
some who have been very
generous in their giving.
00:24:13.16\00:24:15.44
Well if I have a minute I
would sure couple of stories
00:24:15.47\00:24:19.38
that are so thrilling to me.
00:24:19.41\00:24:21.21
There was a lady by
the name of Mildred Terry.
00:24:21.25\00:24:23.82
Her husband died a number
of years before, she had a very
00:24:23.85\00:24:30.87
humble little home
in Washington, DC area.
00:24:30.91\00:24:33.02
She spent about 40 years as
a registered nurse working for
00:24:33.06\00:24:36.65
the government and near
the end of her life she came to
00:24:36.68\00:24:40.00
the General Conference and
she asked if she could prepare
00:24:40.03\00:24:43.34
a will that would remember
her home country which happened
00:24:43.38\00:24:46.65
to be the Czech
Republic because her parents had
00:24:46.68\00:24:49.38
immigrated from that
country years before.
00:24:49.42\00:24:53.05
So estate plan
document was prepared for her.
00:24:53.09\00:24:56.53
Interestingly enough
when she passed away, and as
00:24:56.56\00:24:59.97
I say she lived
in a humble home,
00:25:00.01\00:25:01.53
but she managed her money well.
00:25:01.56\00:25:03.01
Her estate was $455,000 and
it went to the Czech Republic
00:25:03.05\00:25:09.22
at the very
moment it was needed.
00:25:09.25\00:25:11.30
The velvet curtain had
come down and communism had
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.03
fallen and there was this
great need for evangelism but
00:25:14.06\00:25:16.72
our church was very
weak because for decades
00:25:16.75\00:25:19.02
we couldn't have
any organized work.
00:25:19.05\00:25:21.43
Her gift funded nationwide
evangelistic campaigns
00:25:21.46\00:25:27.27
in all the large cities.
00:25:27.31\00:25:28.47
They prepared five
different Bible correspondence
00:25:28.50\00:25:31.06
courses, full-color courses.
00:25:31.10\00:25:33.22
They were able to provide
the book of What Seventh day
00:25:33.25\00:25:37.00
Adventist Believe in 6500
ministers homes in the whole
00:25:37.03\00:25:40.84
country and the last time
I heard more than 4000 people
00:25:40.88\00:25:44.65
have been
baptized in that country.
00:25:44.68\00:25:46.53
Evangelism was started
and spurred on because of the
00:25:46.57\00:25:52.00
gift of one
woman, just one person.
00:25:52.04\00:25:55.25
And it came at the right
time you see, she would not know
00:25:55.28\00:25:59.10
the time, our brethren and in
that country did know the right
00:25:59.14\00:26:02.11
time, but it was right when
the people were hungry for the
00:26:02.14\00:26:05.08
truth that this
money came from one woman.
00:26:05.11\00:26:08.09
I think in heaven she's
going to be like the widow with
00:26:08.12\00:26:12.36
two talents so amazed at
the starry crown she is going to
00:26:12.40\00:26:16.61
have, but she said
how did I win 4000 people?
00:26:16.64\00:26:19.82
And the angel will say let
me tell you the rest of the
00:26:19.86\00:26:22.83
story of what
happened to your estate.
00:26:22.86\00:26:25.06
God bless Mildred Terry.
00:26:25.10\00:26:26.62
Well in about less than a
minute that we have, can you
00:26:26.65\00:26:30.60
tell us a little
bit about Oseola?
00:26:30.64\00:26:33.38
Oseola McCarthy was an African
American woman who had to quit
00:26:33.41\00:26:37.43
school when she was 7 or 8
years old to help her mother and
00:26:37.47\00:26:41.46
her aunt, iron and
washed other people's clothes.
00:26:41.49\00:26:44.58
She saved a little money
over a long period of time.
00:26:44.62\00:26:48.23
Near the end of her
life she had saved $280,000.
00:26:48.27\00:26:51.81
She prepared a will and trust
and she had her local church
00:26:51.84\00:26:56.99
and three relatives
she wanted to remember.
00:26:57.02\00:26:59.14
But she gave $150,000
cash before her death to the
00:26:59.17\00:27:04.48
University of
Southern Mississippi.
00:27:04.51\00:27:06.29
It floored the University,
they were surprised for this
00:27:06.33\00:27:09.47
gift. - probably because
most of her life they wouldn't
00:27:09.50\00:27:12.60
even let her on their campus.
00:27:12.64\00:27:13.86
She wouldn't have even been
able to enroll there, she said
00:27:13.89\00:27:16.26
I could not get an education
there but I want to help
00:27:16.30\00:27:19.17
other deserving young
people receive an education.
00:27:19.20\00:27:22.11
So what one person can do
is thrilling. - incredible.
00:27:22.14\00:27:24.75
So women and wealth, we
are already out of time and
00:27:24.78\00:27:27.35
I'm so sorry Jeff
I thank you so much.
00:27:27.38\00:27:29.06
- thank you for inviting me.
00:27:29.10\00:27:30.28
And Rita it was
good to see you again.
00:27:30.32\00:27:32.19
- it's always good to see you.
00:27:32.23\00:27:33.72
For those of you at
home, I hope that this has done
00:27:33.76\00:27:36.85
something to make you think,
when we talk about women and
00:27:36.89\00:27:39.89
wealth you might not think you
have any, but even like Oseola
00:27:39.92\00:27:42.89
just a little bit, the
widow's mite can go a long way.
00:27:42.93\00:27:45.74
Now may the Lord
continue to bless you and may
00:27:45.78\00:27:49.15
you live for Him. Bye-bye.
00:27:49.18\00:27:51.72