Hello, I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again to
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Issues and Answers.
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Today is an issue you will
not want to miss because we will
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be talking about Biblical
principles for money management.
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Let me share a scripture
from the Bible with you.
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It's Deuteronomy 8:18
and this is what it says:
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But you shall earnestly remember
the Lord your God, for it is he
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who gives you power to get
wealth, that he may establish
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his covenant.
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God is the one who gives
us the ability to gain wealth,
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and God has a way
of managing money.
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Here today to talk to us
about money management is
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an expert, really.
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His name is G. Edward
Reid and he is the Stewardship
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Director for the North
American Division of the
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Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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Ed we are so glad that you've
come from Washington, D.C.
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to share with us today.
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It's my pleasure.
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I'm looking forward to this.
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This is an interesting
Bible topic and beyond that
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it's life changing.
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Following the Biblical
principles can make a great deal
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of difference in peoples lives.
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Amen.
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You're one who is quite
knowledgeable on this topic.
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You've written a wonderful book
called It's Your Money Isn't It?
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Practical Money
Management for Christians.
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Even your wife
has written a book.
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This is Dollars and
Sense from Grandmamma.
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So this is a wonderful
topic to be talking about today.
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God does want us to manage
our money according to His
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Biblical principles.
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Why?
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Well, the real interesting
thing is that there's a lot of
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ignorance on this topic.
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Everybody has to manage money.
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Unfortunately, even in school
we don't learn these things.
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Even in Christian schools,
at least when I was growing up,
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You can to go through elementary
school, high school, academy
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and college and never actually
be required to take a course
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that teaches you just simple
things about money management.
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So the problem is
not that we are stupid,
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it's just that we're ignorant.
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We haven't been in touch
with the Biblical principles,
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and those are very,
very valuable, I think.
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It's been life changing
for my wife and I to learn
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these principles.
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Even midway through our lives
it's been dramatic the change.
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And Ed, there are so many
verses in the Bible on money.
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Where do you begin, or how did
you and Kathy begin to establish
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these Biblical principles?
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One thing is that we read
the Bible through together every
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year out loud,
and that's unusual.
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I don't know very
many people that do that.
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We just take a half an hour
every morning and read three
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or four chapters.
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So we read the Bible
clear through out loud.
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So you can learn them.
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There's hundreds of Bible texts.
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But since you ask, Where do you
begin?, I'm going to give you
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two answers.
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Okay.
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The first one is that in the
very first verse in the Bible
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God is introduced as the
creator of heaven and earth.
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Believe it or not, that is
actually a stewardship verse
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because it tells us
who God is and who we are.
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He's the creator and the
owner and we're managers.
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We're never
going to be the owner.
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We're never going
to be the creator.
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He's the one
who made everything.
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So you start right
there with Genesis 1:1.
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That's very good.
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Then there's another one.
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You go over to the gospels;
the first gospel of Matthew.
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That's in the New
Testament, of course,
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in Jesus'
famous mountain sermon.
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We call it Sermon on
the Mount, but it's Matthew
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chapters 5, 6, and 7.
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Right in the middle of Matthew
5, 6, and 7, it's in chapter 6,
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there's about 13 verses
that deal with money management.
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They're very, very good.
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In the longest recorded sermon
of Jesus the body of the sermon
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is about money management.
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Isn't that interesting?
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That is interesting.
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I know that we all need to
learn how to be better stewards
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of God's money,
because it really is His money.
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He gives it to us to
be able to live our lives.
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But when we are looking at
this there's over 2300 verses,
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you told me, on Bible principles
for management of our money.
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Now you have reduced
this to seven points.
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Could you share those with us?
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You know that's kind of
interesting because people say
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the Bible has sixty-six
books, and there's hundreds,
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and hundreds, and hundreds
of verses, chapters, and so on.
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Couldn't God just tell
us ten ways to do something?
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Well He did.
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He gave us the Ten Commandments.
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So I thought if it's that simple
we could be able to say about
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seven things
about money management.
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So I teach that when I go
out, and I think it's very, very
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valuable to know,
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So I can go through those
real quickly and we can comment
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about them.
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The real interesting
thing is since they're Biblical
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principles I'm going to give
you a Bible verse for each one.
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That's going to be helpful.
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Viewers may want to jot down
or take notes and look it up
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themselves because the Bible
is transforming in its nature.
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Amen.
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So the very first one that I
have recorded before is that God
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is the owner of everything.
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Now I've given you
Genesis 1:1 for that.
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He's the owner
because He made everything.
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By the way, it's
very, very interesting.
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You travel a lot and you
talk to people and so on,
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but especially when you talk
to people of other cultures.
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For example, I had the
opportunity of doing an
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evangelistic meeting in India.
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Many of the people who come to
meetings over there are Hindus.
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They have like 300,000 gods.
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So I thought to myself, well,
if I tell them about Jesus fine.
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They'll just have 300,001.
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So what's the difference?
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We have a God who is
the creator of everything.
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He is the main God.
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He is The God, the
King of Kings, as we say,
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the Lord of Lords.
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All through the Bible you have
Him creator of heaven and earth.
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This is very, very interesting.
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Even in the three angels'
messages God says He is the
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creator of heaven and earth.
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Worship Him that made
heaven and earth, you know,
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that kind of thing.
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So that's basic.
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That's really number one.
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But there's another one
that is real good and that is
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Psalms 24:1 where David
says the earth is the Lord's
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and the fullness thereof.
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So the earth is,
and everything in it.
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Then it says, and the people
and they that dwell therein.
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So even the
people belong to God.
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We do too.
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So that's why we have healthful
living because we're stewards
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of our body.
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So there's much
that we can understand.
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Then there's another real
interesting one, and everybody
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needs to know this.
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We don't return our tithes and
offerings to God as part of our
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money management
because God needs the money.
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He doesn't need the money.
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It's only a response from
me from the experienced grace.
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I'm just thankful.
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I want to say to
God that I'm thankful.
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It would almost be like a child
giving their parents something
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they did with finger painting.
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I mean it's almost worthless,
but since the child did it,
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the parents love it, you see.
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And the same thing
as it comes from us.
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God loves it.
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So Psalms 50:12 is
the other one in that one.
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It says God says, If I
was hungry I wouldn't tell you
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because the world is
mine and everything in it.
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So we're not trying to
satisfy any need He has;
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we're satisfying our own
need to say Thank You when we're
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involved in
Christian money management.
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And, you know, I like the
word that you used there that we
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return the tithe.
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We don't give the tithe
because it's God's gift to us.
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He just simply asks that
we trust Him in returning
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that portion.
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Another real interesting one;
the second principle I would
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tell you about, is
that since God is the owner,
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the second one is
that we are managers.
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Now this is really,
really interesting because
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1Timothy 6, I believe it is also
verse 6, says Godliness with
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contentment is great gain.
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We brought nothing into
the world and it's certain that
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we're taking
nothing out with us.
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In other words, what we've been
given while we've been here,
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that's what we manage, and
that's God is going to give us
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an account for.
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There's really nothing more
sure in the scriptures than that
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there is a day of judgment,
and we have to tell the Lord
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what we've done
with what we have.
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Now it might be important
to talk about this right now.
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A lot of people wonder what
it would be like to be rich.
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Most of us are just
kind of above the poor class,
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in the middle class, you know.
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The middle class is kind
of evaporating in America.
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The rich are getting richer
and the poor are getting poorer,
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as you know.
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It's an absolute fact.
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Well, the interesting thing
is people wonder what it would
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be like to be rich.
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But do you know that it
is harder for rich people to
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respond properly to
God than poor people?
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Percentage wise the
poor are much more generous
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than the rich
people are in the world.
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It's a fact.
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It's just really,
really incredible.
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And you know what I think
sometimes is that maybe part of
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the reason for that is because
the wealthy people begin to
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depend on the wealth and what
they have and they forget their
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dependence on God.
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That's right.
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So the poor people understand
total dependence on God
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and they're willing to share.
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The third one that I want
to tell you about is that our
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purpose in life
is not to get rich.
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You see these people, you know,
with lots of stuff and they're
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saying they're spending their
kids inheritance, and you know,
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their toys, and their
expensive toys, and so on.
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But the purpose in life from
God's perspective is for us to
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glorify God.
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1 Corinthians 10:
31 is a good example.
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Most of us remember years
ago when we memorized this,
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Whether therefore you eat
or drink, or whatever you do,
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do it all to the glory of God,
so that would include the money
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management that we make.
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By the way, if I were
in business for myself,
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as a businessman, and I had
to make some decisions about my
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business; what to do about this,
that, or the other, to add to it
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or to make it
bigger or whatever.
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If you just know those three
things: that God is the owner,
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that I'm the manager,
and my purpose in life is to
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glorify God.
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Can you see how
much that will help?
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It's awesome, isn't it?
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It is.
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Because people sometimes
think decisions are just for
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themselves; what they do.
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And I'll tell you another
one, and this is kind of an
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interesting question.
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There are people on
various television programs,
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even of a religious
nature, that would tell you that
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God wants you to be wealthy.
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You've heard about that.
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Oh yes.
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These people, you know, they
have the appearance that they
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are wealthy; the name it and
claim it type people, and so on.
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But, you know, I read the
Bible through myself every year,
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and I've never found any verse
that God tells us that He wants
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us to be wealthy by
the worlds standards.
00:10:05.72\00:10:07.54
As a matter of fact, He says
you may have to sacrifice things
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to follow Him.
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You know, and people have
actually done that before,
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however, there are
many, many promises.
00:10:14.61\00:10:18.20
You know we talked about
more than 2,300 verses that talk
00:10:18.23\00:10:21.19
about money and possessions,
but there are many of them that
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God has asked us to be
responsible stewards and that
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kind of thing, but
there are promises in those.
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Amen.
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One of them is Philippians 4:19,
where it says My God will supply
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all of your needs according
to His riches in Christ Jesus.
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Now that's an
incredible promise.
00:10:38.97\00:10:40.85
And you know, when I think about
the people who preach that you
00:10:40.88\00:10:45.15
should be wealthy, they usually
go to Psalms 37:4 that says,
00:10:45.18\00:10:48.97
Delight yourself also in the
Lord and he will give you the
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desires of your heart.
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Uh huh.
00:10:52.68\00:10:53.65
But they forget about that
delight yourself in the Lord...
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That's right.
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...they're just talk about
God will give you the desires
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of your heart.
00:10:58.82\00:10:59.79
Yeah.
00:10:59.80\00:11:00.77
But what I have found, and
as I teach it, is that when you
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delight yourself in the Lord
His desires become your desires.
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That's incredible, isn't it?
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And then as you're praying
and going out God is putting His
00:11:08.93\00:11:12.00
desires in your heart, and
that's what you're praying for.
00:11:12.03\00:11:14.46
He does give you the
desires of your heart.
00:11:14.49\00:11:16.49
I do our taxes every year, and
when I did our taxes last year
00:11:16.52\00:11:19.69
I was surprised myself.
00:11:19.72\00:11:20.95
I said we're going to get
audited because of how much
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.80
we gave away of what we have.
00:11:22.83\00:11:24.38
Yes.
00:11:24.41\00:11:25.38
With our kids grown now and
our home paid for and so on,
00:11:25.39\00:11:27.26
we can be much more generous.
00:11:27.29\00:11:28.88
We have actually proven
it is more blessed to give
00:11:28.91\00:11:32.01
than to receive.
00:11:32.04\00:11:33.01
That's one of the things
that Christians really enjoy.
00:11:33.02\00:11:35.79
The real bottom line about
this, because we've already just
00:11:35.82\00:11:38.36
covered it in these principles,
since we have to give an
00:11:38.39\00:11:40.46
account to God is, to me this is
pretty amazing, that when we do
00:11:40.49\00:11:45.47
give away we know we're not
going to take it with us anyway.
00:11:45.50\00:11:47.97
You can store up treasures
in heaven by helping others
00:11:48.00\00:11:51.05
and helping
advance the cause of God.
00:11:51.08\00:11:52.71
Now that's along the same
line here of our purpose in life
00:11:52.74\00:11:55.67
is to glorify God.
00:11:55.70\00:11:56.67
God says in Matthew 6:19
Do not store up treasures
00:11:56.70\00:11:59.93
on this earth.
00:11:59.96\00:12:00.93
The reason He says that is not
so much that it is wrong to have
00:12:00.94\00:12:05.02
savings, but He's talking
about hoarding, of course.
00:12:05.05\00:12:07.93
Yes.
00:12:07.96\00:12:08.93
He says, this is real
interesting, because thieves
00:12:08.94\00:12:10.46
break in and moths and rust
corrupt, and so on, but store up
00:12:10.49\00:12:13.66
for yourselves
treasures in heaven.
00:12:13.69\00:12:15.64
Now this is real interesting
because you could read through
00:12:15.67\00:12:19.08
casually and wonder,
How would I ever do that?
00:12:19.11\00:12:21.59
But when you read the story of
the rich young ruler in Matthew,
00:12:21.62\00:12:24.63
Mark, and Luke, all three
synoptic gospels mention him,
00:12:24.66\00:12:27.29
Jesus said, Sell what
you have, give to the poor,
00:12:27.32\00:12:29.75
and then come follow Me and
you'll have treasure in heaven.
00:12:29.78\00:12:32.16
So we know for sure helping
others stores up treasures
00:12:32.19\00:12:34.78
in heaven.
00:12:34.81\00:12:35.78
Isn't that incredible?
00:12:35.79\00:12:36.76
That's true.
00:12:36.77\00:12:37.74
And it's safe there.
00:12:37.75\00:12:38.72
That's the most amazing thing.
00:12:38.73\00:12:39.70
You do store up
treasures in heaven.
00:12:39.71\00:12:40.78
So those are important points.
00:12:40.81\00:12:42.33
Sometimes people will
say, You can't out give God,
00:12:42.36\00:12:45.49
and I'll say to
them, Who's trying?
00:12:45.52\00:12:47.54
Yes, right!
00:12:47.57\00:12:49.37
Well, another
verse is in Matthew 28.
00:12:49.40\00:12:52.19
You know, Matthew 28:19,
20 is the great commission.
00:12:52.22\00:12:55.40
Well, verse 20 is the
second half of that and it says,
00:12:55.43\00:12:58.16
and lo I am with you always,
even to the end of the world.
00:12:58.19\00:13:01.91
So we've got God's promise
that He will supply our needs.
00:13:01.94\00:13:05.39
He'll go with us wherever we go.
00:13:05.42\00:13:06.81
And then I always add a
third one to that and that's
00:13:06.84\00:13:10.08
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace whose mind is
00:13:10.11\00:13:14.32
stayed on thee.
00:13:14.35\00:13:15.32
Now you could not be happier
than that in this life knowing
00:13:15.33\00:13:19.46
that we...
00:13:19.49\00:13:20.46
You know, this is interesting.
00:13:20.47\00:13:21.84
As a financial planner I can
tell you that I try to plan my
00:13:21.87\00:13:24.94
life, and I've been encouraged
and trained to do this,
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.10
that you think of your education
here is your earning years,
00:13:27.13\00:13:30.48
and your savings years,
and your returning years,
00:13:30.51\00:13:32.93
because everybody is
going to grow old and die.
00:13:32.96\00:13:35.76
Now this is very sad but
what I'm going to tell you next,
00:13:35.79\00:13:38.88
hopefully, it doesn't
look this awful, but I've lived
00:13:38.91\00:13:42.14
three fourths
of my life already.
00:13:42.17\00:13:43.63
You see what I'm saying?
00:13:43.66\00:13:44.85
What I've done so far is
going to impact how I live
00:13:44.88\00:13:48.55
the rest of it.
00:13:48.58\00:13:49.55
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:13:49.56\00:13:50.53
Absolutely.
00:13:50.54\00:13:51.51
If I were in debt, for example.
00:13:51.52\00:13:52.49
If I didn't own
my house and so on.
00:13:52.50\00:13:53.55
My later years might
be really, really awful.
00:13:53.58\00:13:55.92
We're going to talk in another
segment about retirement.
00:13:55.95\00:13:58.96
I can help you learn how to plan
to do those kinds of things,
00:13:58.99\00:14:01.72
but the fact is God says
you won't have that stress that
00:14:01.75\00:14:05.23
others have because you're not
in that rat race of trying to
00:14:05.26\00:14:08.64
accumulate more stuff.
00:14:08.68\00:14:09.65
You really want to be content
with what you have and bless
00:14:09.66\00:14:12.77
others as you go through your
life journey, because this life
00:14:12.80\00:14:15.62
is not all there is.
00:14:15.65\00:14:16.65
There's something much better
for all of us in the kingdom.
00:14:16.68\00:14:19.24
Amen.
00:14:19.27\00:14:20.24
Now, was that the seventh point?
00:14:20.25\00:14:22.13
Oh, no, no, I've only
gotten through four of them.
00:14:22.16\00:14:24.12
Four of them!
00:14:24.15\00:14:25.12
Yeah.
00:14:25.13\00:14:26.10
Okay.
00:14:26.11\00:14:27.08
Alright, let me get with number
five here, and that one is very
00:14:27.09\00:14:28.59
important and
that is debt is bad.
00:14:28.62\00:14:30.99
Now you quoted something
interesting from Psalms 37
00:14:31.02\00:14:34.33
earlier.
00:14:34.36\00:14:35.33
Psalms 37:21 says the
wicked borrow and do not repay.
00:14:35.34\00:14:40.67
Yes.
00:14:40.70\00:14:41.67
Now this is
very, very interesting.
00:14:41.68\00:14:42.66
People who follow God, when
they borrow from somebody...
00:14:42.69\00:14:46.30
If I were to borrow something
from you, and I say I'll pay you
00:14:46.33\00:14:48.11
back next Monday.
00:14:48.14\00:14:49.11
You'd better believe I'm
going to pay you next Monday.
00:14:49.12\00:14:51.15
If I'm a committed Christian,
then that's going to be a high
00:14:51.18\00:14:53.65
thing in my mark, when I give
you my word to do something.
00:14:53.68\00:14:56.31
Do you understand?
00:14:56.34\00:14:57.41
But debt has been a
real scourge in America.
00:14:57.44\00:15:00.94
We understand this is a
great and prosperous nation,
00:15:00.97\00:15:04.87
and so on, but incredibly there
have been so many bankruptcy's
00:15:04.90\00:15:09.00
in our country.
00:15:09.03\00:15:10.00
I fact, in 2005 the
Federal Government changed the
00:15:10.01\00:15:13.20
bankruptcy laws because
the year before over 30,000
00:15:13.23\00:15:17.04
Americans had filed
for bankruptcy protection.
00:15:17.07\00:15:19.05
Every week in America...
00:15:19.08\00:15:20.71
30,000 a week?
00:15:20.74\00:15:22.40
There's 30,000 a week.
00:15:22.43\00:15:23.40
Now this is in a
prosperous nation.
00:15:23.41\00:15:24.70
What would there be in a time
when the economy is doing great
00:15:24.73\00:15:27.88
and so on?
00:15:27.91\00:15:28.88
This is really,
really incredible.
00:15:28.89\00:15:30.12
So what I tell people is
Proverbs 22:7 says the rich rule
00:15:30.15\00:15:34.47
over the poor, and the
borrower is the servant or slave
00:15:34.50\00:15:37.47
of the lender.
00:15:37.50\00:15:38.47
That's very, very true.
00:15:38.48\00:15:39.96
It's really, really incredible.
00:15:39.99\00:15:41.57
In fact, there are laws
right now to try to change this,
00:15:41.60\00:15:46.05
but people who have credit
cards, let's just say I have
00:15:46.08\00:15:48.25
three credit cards.
00:15:48.29\00:15:49.26
If I'm late paying one of
them they all learn about it
00:15:49.27\00:15:54.12
and the next month they will all
raise my percentage of interest
00:15:54.15\00:15:58.65
to the highest maxim.
00:15:58.68\00:15:59.74
This is incredible!
00:15:59.77\00:16:01.16
It's just a real burden.
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.67
I've counseled with many
people who are at the point of
00:16:02.70\00:16:05.53
bankruptcy, they felt, because
of their credit card debt.
00:16:05.56\00:16:08.10
We'll talk about that in another
session, but I just want you to
00:16:08.13\00:16:10.69
understand from the
Bible's perspective.
00:16:10.72\00:16:12.35
The Bible says, Owe no man
anything, except the continuing
00:16:12.38\00:16:15.72
debt to love one another.
00:16:15.75\00:16:18.14
That's Romans 13:8.
00:16:18.17\00:16:19.37
There are many, many promises
also to those who are faithful
00:16:19.40\00:16:23.80
in their money management.
00:16:23.83\00:16:24.80
Then Deuteronomy 28, starting
with verse 15, and clear to the
00:16:24.82\00:16:28.64
end of the chapter.
00:16:28.67\00:16:29.64
It's like fifty verses on the
curses that happen to those who
00:16:29.65\00:16:33.92
don't manage well.
00:16:33.95\00:16:35.09
I would never want to give a
sermon on that, but people need
00:16:35.12\00:16:37.30
to know where they are.
00:16:37.33\00:16:38.30
It's awful really
when you think about it.
00:16:38.31\00:16:39.93
I want to mention the sixth one.
00:16:39.96\00:16:41.84
This is important.
00:16:41.87\00:16:42.84
I'm not saying this because I'm
the Stewardship Director of the
00:16:42.85\00:16:47.39
Adventist Church.
00:16:47.42\00:16:48.39
I'm saying this
because of personal experience.
00:16:48.40\00:16:51.42
That is the tithe.
00:16:51.45\00:16:54.35
This is the sixth point.
00:16:54.38\00:16:55.52
The tithe is the minimum
testimony of our Christian
00:16:55.55\00:16:57.86
commitment.
00:16:57.89\00:16:58.86
Amen.
00:16:58.87\00:16:59.84
No where in the Bible does God
suggest that less than a tenth
00:16:59.85\00:17:01.46
is His.
00:17:01.49\00:17:02.46
By the way, the Bible of the
disciples of Jesus themselves
00:17:02.47\00:17:06.82
was the Old Testament.
00:17:06.85\00:17:07.82
People wonder about, well,
that's Old Testament stuff.
00:17:07.83\00:17:10.16
We know it's in the New
Testament too, and I'll share
00:17:10.19\00:17:12.48
that with you at some point.
00:17:12.51\00:17:13.65
The real basic point is the
tithe is my way of telling God
00:17:13.68\00:17:19.87
I'm thankful for what He's
blessed me with and I'm honest.
00:17:19.90\00:17:22.82
He's not really appealing to
my gratitude or my generosity.
00:17:22.85\00:17:25.66
It's a matter of honesty.
00:17:25.69\00:17:26.66
I return it back to Him.
00:17:26.67\00:17:27.74
And it's a
matter of trust as well.
00:17:27.77\00:17:29.53
Oh yes, but see that lets
God know I trust Him to take
00:17:29.56\00:17:33.54
care of me.
00:17:33.57\00:17:34.54
He says, If you'll
trust Me with the first part,
00:17:34.57\00:17:37.07
I'll bless the rest.
00:17:37.10\00:17:38.13
Kathy and I were just a
few weeks ago thinking back
00:17:38.16\00:17:42.15
on our lives.
00:17:42.18\00:17:43.15
Early on in our marriage
we decided we were going to be
00:17:43.16\00:17:45.84
faithful no matter what.
00:17:45.87\00:17:46.85
You know, people when they first
get married they don't have
00:17:46.88\00:17:49.90
a lot of assets.
00:17:49.93\00:17:50.90
They don't have a big income.
00:17:50.92\00:17:52.53
That's when they're
first earning and so on.
00:17:52.56\00:17:54.43
We actually, I mean I sold
blood one time to buy food.
00:17:54.46\00:17:58.24
You know, I mean
this is incredible,
00:17:58.27\00:17:59.33
people do goofy things.
00:17:59.36\00:18:01.12
Well, the whole point that
I'm going to make is now when I
00:18:01.15\00:18:04.83
see that I have two kids that
have graduated from college,
00:18:04.87\00:18:07.49
and law school, and so
on, there's no student loans,
00:18:07.52\00:18:09.92
and that our house is paid off.
00:18:09.95\00:18:11.09
God has blessed us.
00:18:11.12\00:18:12.09
And on our income, which we know
what it has been, working as
00:18:12.10\00:18:15.00
a pastor and an attorney
for the church, and so on.
00:18:15.03\00:18:18.02
But I can just say, we know
it's because God has fulfilled
00:18:18.05\00:18:21.62
those promises to us.
00:18:21.65\00:18:23.03
Now that's the one.
00:18:23.06\00:18:24.33
Let me give you the seventh one
and then we'll talk about some
00:18:24.36\00:18:26.51
more ideas in how people
can learn these principles.
00:18:26.54\00:18:30.02
The seventh one that I would
talk about is that we must all
00:18:30.05\00:18:33.56
give an account to the Lord.
00:18:33.59\00:18:34.82
This is very, very
clear at Matthew 25, you know,
00:18:34.85\00:18:38.07
those parables.
00:18:38.10\00:18:39.07
The middle parable
talks about the talents.
00:18:39.08\00:18:43.36
After a long time the Lord
came and asked them to give an
00:18:43.39\00:18:46.10
account of their stewardship.
00:18:46.13\00:18:47.58
So there's really no question.
00:18:47.61\00:18:49.90
So the bottom line
is God's the owner.
00:18:49.93\00:18:52.21
I'm a manager, and I'm
going to be responsible to
00:18:52.24\00:18:54.83
tell the Lord.
00:18:54.86\00:18:55.83
Now this is why I mentioned that
it was so important even for
00:18:55.84\00:18:59.01
wealthy people.
00:18:59.04\00:19:00.01
You see, if I just have $10.00
it's not a big deal to give
00:19:00.02\00:19:02.76
a dollar of tithe, but if I get
a million dollars profit in a
00:19:02.79\00:19:06.17
big sale, would I
give a hundred thousand?
00:19:06.20\00:19:08.42
Do you get the point?
00:19:08.45\00:19:09.54
It's a bigger deal.
00:19:09.57\00:19:10.65
People, somehow, it's
very difficult for them.
00:19:10.68\00:19:14.24
We find that it's true in life
that people become more selfish
00:19:14.27\00:19:19.01
the more they
have, the more they want.
00:19:19.04\00:19:20.55
Isn't that interesting?
00:19:20.58\00:19:21.76
It's interesting also, you know,
I could name some names that
00:19:21.79\00:19:24.88
would be very recognizable,
our brothers in the Lord,
00:19:24.91\00:19:28.35
and in our denomination,
who have been blessed beyond
00:19:28.38\00:19:32.55
their wildest imaginations.
00:19:32.58\00:19:34.35
They actually began, when they
were beginning their business,
00:19:34.38\00:19:37.82
giving not just returning, a ten
percent tithe, but just saying,
00:19:37.85\00:19:42.02
Lord you're blessing me.
00:19:42.05\00:19:43.02
I'm going to give you a twenty
percent, or thirty percent,
00:19:43.03\00:19:45.21
a triple tithe.
00:19:45.24\00:19:46.21
God saw that He could trust them
with this money, this wealth,
00:19:46.23\00:19:54.61
so He just poured out
His blessings on them.
00:19:55.18\00:19:57.38
They've been doing
wonderful works for our missions
00:19:57.41\00:20:00.92
and supporting ministries.
00:20:00.95\00:20:02.41
I've heard them talk about it in
this sense through ASI and other
00:20:02.44\00:20:06.33
organizations
I've been involved in.
00:20:06.36\00:20:07.90
Many of these people, who are
committed Christians, say their
00:20:07.93\00:20:10.80
goal in life is to give
away to advance God's cause.
00:20:10.83\00:20:13.44
Isn't that incredible?
00:20:13.47\00:20:14.66
It is.
00:20:14.69\00:20:15.66
So it is true.
00:20:15.67\00:20:16.64
But now, Ed, we're talking with
people out here who may find
00:20:16.65\00:20:20.79
their self where
you and I once were...
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.53
Yes.
00:20:22.56\00:20:23.53
...in our earlier years
where we didn't understand these
00:20:23.54\00:20:25.31
Biblical principles.
00:20:25.34\00:20:26.60
So how do people get started
in putting these Biblical
00:20:26.63\00:20:30.12
principles into practice?
00:20:30.15\00:20:31.76
That's a very good question.
00:20:31.79\00:20:32.96
Probably the
most difficult of all.
00:20:32.99\00:20:35.28
You can learn the principles,
but getting started takes
00:20:35.31\00:20:38.22
a real commitment.
00:20:38.25\00:20:39.28
I think that it has not only the
knowledge factor, but also has
00:20:39.31\00:20:43.02
the commitment
spiritually factor.
00:20:43.05\00:20:44.69
Here's the reason: sometimes
people will tell me, You know if
00:20:44.72\00:20:48.21
I had a couple months salary
ahead I could do this because I
00:20:48.24\00:20:51.73
could have a budget.
00:20:51.76\00:20:52.73
I could have a little savings
for emergencies and all those
00:20:52.74\00:20:54.57
kinds of things, but what do
I do when I'm in debt and so on?
00:20:54.60\00:20:56.96
Nobody's going to give
you the money though to start
00:20:56.99\00:21:00.11
so what do you do?
00:21:00.14\00:21:01.48
So that's why the
question is so important.
00:21:01.51\00:21:03.23
What I share with people is get
into the word and make the word
00:21:03.26\00:21:06.61
your counselor, which is
God talking to you, not you just
00:21:06.64\00:21:09.11
talking to Him in prayer.
00:21:09.14\00:21:10.17
But make the commitment
when you know what to do.
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.53
For example, when you understand
tithing begin tithing and God
00:21:13.56\00:21:16.96
will bless you, not just
physically or economically,
00:21:16.99\00:21:20.51
but also with wisdom to know
how to manage your business.
00:21:20.54\00:21:22.91
So I would
suggest starting there.
00:21:22.94\00:21:24.76
Start with a simple budget
not something big and complex.
00:21:24.79\00:21:27.89
In our book we have just
a little one page budget,
00:21:27.92\00:21:29.83
which is a guideline budget.
00:21:29.86\00:21:31.14
That's what I suggest to people.
00:21:31.17\00:21:32.71
Make it very simple.
00:21:32.74\00:21:33.91
Then as you learn things
and you begin to trust God,
00:21:33.94\00:21:36.93
and He blesses you, actually
miraculous things can happen,
00:21:36.96\00:21:40.71
and do happen.
00:21:40.74\00:21:41.71
I've had people come to me at
camp meeting and say, you know,
00:21:41.72\00:21:44.13
we didn't think this would work,
but when you were here last time
00:21:44.16\00:21:47.07
we did this, and this, and
this, and we feel so much better
00:21:47.10\00:21:50.52
and so on.
00:21:50.55\00:21:51.52
So there's a simple point
in the beginning which makes a
00:21:51.53\00:21:54.23
a commitment.
00:21:54.26\00:21:55.23
By the grace of God our
family is going to follow
00:21:55.24\00:21:57.53
God's principles.
00:21:57.56\00:21:58.54
Amen.
00:21:58.57\00:21:59.54
Now I know you've written a
book, It's Your Money Isn't It?
00:21:59.55\00:22:01.15
that is about Biblical
principles of money management.
00:22:01.18\00:22:04.52
What about all the rest
of these financial guru's
00:22:04.55\00:22:07.54
that are out there?
00:22:07.57\00:22:08.54
Are any of those
books good to read?
00:22:08.55\00:22:10.37
Well, it is true that there are
many out there, and there are
00:22:10.40\00:22:13.22
many of them that are
what we would call secular.
00:22:13.25\00:22:15.27
They have kind of
an unusual premise.
00:22:15.30\00:22:19.32
We say put God first
in everything you do like
00:22:19.35\00:22:21.28
Proverbs 3:5 and the following
says, but they'll say pay
00:22:21.31\00:22:24.81
yourself first.
00:22:24.84\00:22:25.81
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:22:25.82\00:22:27.29
So it's an unbiblical thing.
00:22:27.32\00:22:28.79
That's why someone once said
blessed is the man who walks not
00:22:28.82\00:22:32.81
in the counsel of the ungodly.
00:22:32.84\00:22:34.18
So, in my opinion, based on
what I know, if someone is just
00:22:34.21\00:22:38.32
trying to make you wealthy,
and you're going to spend $450
00:22:38.35\00:22:40.96
to learn their
plan, or whatever.
00:22:40.99\00:22:42.44
I would shy away from
those kinds of things.
00:22:42.47\00:22:44.52
But if you read things that
are just good money management
00:22:44.55\00:22:47.38
and you say, well I
could use that principle.
00:22:47.41\00:22:49.09
I could tax, tip, or whatever.
00:22:49.12\00:22:50.47
You can benefit from that.
00:22:50.50\00:22:51.88
But if you're looking at it
from a Christian perspective
00:22:51.91\00:22:54.46
you'll put God first, establish
the tithe and be faithful,
00:22:54.49\00:22:57.27
and so on.
00:22:57.30\00:22:58.27
From that point on you
can, once you know God's plan,
00:22:58.28\00:23:01.42
you can read other people's
materials and just glean what's
00:23:01.45\00:23:04.70
good and what's bad.
00:23:04.73\00:23:05.75
Sometimes when I write a book
I'll read a whole book just to
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.57
write two pages.
00:23:08.60\00:23:09.57
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:23:09.58\00:23:10.55
You've done that.
00:23:10.56\00:23:11.53
The point is, once you know
God's will then you can find
00:23:11.54\00:23:14.89
ways of practical
application, even from other
00:23:14.92\00:23:17.03
people's materials.
00:23:17.06\00:23:18.03
Amen.
00:23:18.04\00:23:19.01
You know, when we talk about
tithing, we're going to have you
00:23:19.02\00:23:20.93
come back and do a
program on tithing.
00:23:20.96\00:23:23.01
I'll share our testimony
of the terrible place we were,
00:23:23.04\00:23:26.88
and when we began tithing
on no increase, how God blessed
00:23:26.91\00:23:30.83
in ways that I can't explain.
00:23:30.86\00:23:32.97
But now let me ask you
a very pointed question.
00:23:33.00\00:23:37.66
In your knowledge of Biblical
scriptures, Is it possible that
00:23:37.69\00:23:44.49
someone out there who is just
totally ignoring God's way of
00:23:44.52\00:23:48.87
managing money, is it possible
that it could become an issue
00:23:48.90\00:23:54.02
that would affect
their eternal security?
00:23:54.05\00:23:56.23
Well I think so because the
Bible actually gives all these
00:23:56.26\00:24:00.35
stories, and it's
very, very interesting.
00:24:00.38\00:24:03.29
Paul says in 1 Corinthians
the stories are given for our
00:24:03.32\00:24:06.80
learning so we don't make the
same mistakes that they made.
00:24:06.83\00:24:09.15
There's two real quick stories
that I can tell you that are
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.09
contrasting.
00:24:12.12\00:24:13.09
One is the rich young ruler who
came to Jesus, and apparently
00:24:13.10\00:24:16.15
was a wealthy person, a new
management, and could do well.
00:24:16.18\00:24:19.48
What could I do to
inherit eternal life?
00:24:19.51\00:24:21.25
Jesus first told him
keep the commandments,
00:24:21.28\00:24:22.97
which is important.
00:24:23.00\00:24:23.97
He said, I've been
doing that since I was little.
00:24:23.98\00:24:25.71
What do I lack yet?
00:24:25.74\00:24:26.79
Jesus said, Sell what you
have and give to the poor.
00:24:26.82\00:24:29.38
Then, of course, he said
you will store up treasures
00:24:29.41\00:24:31.19
in heaven.
00:24:31.22\00:24:32.19
The Bible says he
went away sorrowful because
00:24:32.20\00:24:34.05
he had great possessions.
00:24:34.08\00:24:35.66
Now that's one story.
00:24:35.69\00:24:37.29
Obviously he lost his
eternal life because he was more
00:24:37.32\00:24:39.63
interested in this
earth than he was eternity.
00:24:39.66\00:24:42.03
Now there's another story
in the Bible about Zaccheus,
00:24:42.06\00:24:45.20
who was an attorney, a
rich guy, a tax collector,
00:24:45.23\00:24:47.72
a little short guy.
00:24:47.75\00:24:48.72
He wanted to see Jesus.
00:24:48.73\00:24:49.96
So, this is really an incredible
story to me, because when you
00:24:49.99\00:24:53.36
want to see Jesus,
He wants to see you too.
00:24:53.39\00:24:55.21
Amen!
00:24:55.24\00:24:56.21
So Zaccheus was a tax
collector, like an attorney,
00:24:56.22\00:24:58.26
or a businessman, or a
CPA, dressed in a business suit
00:24:58.29\00:25:00.83
like I am today.
00:25:00.86\00:25:01.83
When he began thinking if I keep
going in the road I'm going now
00:25:01.84\00:25:06.53
I probably won't make it where
I want to go, so he decided
00:25:06.56\00:25:08.98
to see Jesus.
00:25:09.01\00:25:09.98
When he went, this was in
the little town of Jericho,
00:25:09.99\00:25:12.14
to the main street, it
was just filled with people.
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.29
He was a little
guy so he couldn't see.
00:25:14.32\00:25:15.83
The Bible says he ran
ahead and climbed a tree.
00:25:15.86\00:25:18.35
Well, the most amazing thing
is that Jesus came right under
00:25:18.38\00:25:21.57
his tree, called him by name,
and asked him to come down.
00:25:21.60\00:25:24.79
Then he did something
none of us would ever do.
00:25:24.82\00:25:27.25
He invited
himself home to dinner.
00:25:27.28\00:25:28.69
I'm going to
your place for lunch.
00:25:28.72\00:25:30.03
Well Zaccheus was excited,
of course, but then he thought,
00:25:30.06\00:25:32.50
Oh, my wife isn't
expecting company.
00:25:32.53\00:25:34.17
When you get Jesus you
get twelve hungry other men.
00:25:34.20\00:25:36.43
You know thirteen
guys are coming for lunch.
00:25:36.46\00:25:38.01
Well, at any rate the
story is very, very interesting.
00:25:38.04\00:25:41.24
Jesus was a guest
in Zaccheus' home.
00:25:41.27\00:25:43.97
At the end of that one encounter
with Jesus Zaccheus said,
00:25:44.00\00:25:48.39
If I've taken anything from
anyone that I haven't returned,
00:25:48.42\00:25:51.77
he had apparently been
wanting to return the things
00:25:51.80\00:25:54.42
that he had taken, I'm going to
return four times what I took.
00:25:54.45\00:25:58.10
Half of what I have left
I'm going to give to the poor.
00:25:58.13\00:26:01.03
When he said that Jesus then
said, Today salvation has come
00:26:01.06\00:26:06.38
to your house.
00:26:06.41\00:26:07.38
One encounter with Jesus
changed his whole attitude
00:26:07.39\00:26:10.61
toward money.
00:26:10.64\00:26:11.61
He began thinking more of others
than himself, and being honest
00:26:11.62\00:26:14.15
and straight with God.
00:26:14.18\00:26:15.15
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:26:15.16\00:26:16.23
Amen.
00:26:16.26\00:26:17.23
Jesus said, Today salvation
has come to your house.
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.16
I love him to say that
at my house, wouldn't you?
00:26:19.19\00:26:21.00
I mean this is incredible!
00:26:21.03\00:26:22.21
This story is amazing.
00:26:22.24\00:26:23.81
It is incredible.
00:26:23.84\00:26:25.01
We have about
forty-five seconds.
00:26:25.04\00:26:26.80
Can you re-cap those
seven points for us briefly?
00:26:26.83\00:26:29.18
Well, it's really
amazing that they're there.
00:26:29.21\00:26:30.96
God's the owner, we're
stewards, we're managers.
00:26:30.99\00:26:34.08
Our purpose in life is to
glorify God not ourselves.
00:26:34.11\00:26:37.18
Then, of course, prosperity
God says is having what you need
00:26:37.21\00:26:41.56
when you need it.
00:26:41.59\00:26:42.56
Not just the
accumulation of stuff.
00:26:42.57\00:26:44.33
Debt, of course, is bad.
00:26:44.36\00:26:46.49
We'll talk about that in another
program, but debt is really the
00:26:46.52\00:26:49.34
scourge of American
today, it seems to me,
00:26:49.37\00:26:51.14
even in Christians.
00:26:51.17\00:26:52.14
The tithe the minimum testimony
of our Christian commitment.
00:26:52.16\00:26:55.30
Then we have this idea of
we must give an account of our
00:26:55.33\00:26:59.77
stewardship in the future.
00:26:59.80\00:27:01.42
I mean, it's not a legalistic
thing, it's God just saying,
00:27:01.45\00:27:04.73
What have you done with what
I've entrusted to your family?
00:27:04.76\00:27:07.08
Amen.
00:27:07.11\00:27:08.08
To me this is very important.
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.06
It's wonderful.
00:27:09.07\00:27:10.04
I just thank you so much for
joining us today, and I'm glad
00:27:10.05\00:27:12.73
you're coming back to
do some other programs with
00:27:12.76\00:27:14.88
us on money.
00:27:14.91\00:27:15.88
Thank you.
00:27:15.89\00:27:17.29
And I just want
to encourage you.
00:27:17.32\00:27:20.14
If you'd like to get a
hold of Ed, or his book,
00:27:20.17\00:27:23.92
It's Your Money Isn't
It? it's by G. Edward Reed,
00:27:23.95\00:27:26.55
you can go to the 3ABN website.
00:27:26.58\00:27:28.76
We've actually got
a link to his website.
00:27:28.79\00:27:31.55
But remember it is God who gives
us the ability to gain wealth,
00:27:31.58\00:27:36.55
and God wants you to use the
principles that He has put into
00:27:36.58\00:27:41.55
place that will bless you with
that wealth, and make you happy
00:27:41.58\00:27:45.24
and contented, and have peace.
00:27:45.28\00:27:47.64
So thank you so much
for joining us today.
00:27:47.67\00:27:50.19
Now, May the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:27:50.22\00:27:52.86
the love of the Father, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:27:52.89\00:27:55.94
be with you.
00:27:55.97\00:27:56.94