“IT’S NOT ABOUT MONEY” ?

I’m amazed once again to hear financial advisors consistently, at all cost, avoid applying Jesus’ comments about giving it all away.

“That does not literally apply to us.”
“It’s not your money that I want—it’s your heart.”
—–Jesus’ words explained, revised, devised.

So, it’s not about money ?
It’s about heart ?
Really ?

I thought Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart WILL BE also.”

+ Sounds like money and heart are tied at the hip.
+ Sounds like any attempt to separate is not Biblical.
Can I say my heart is right, and selectively apply only some things God says about money, that confirm my plans ?
+ Sounds like if Jesus told American Christians the one thing they lack is to give it all away to the poor to follow Him, they would “go away sad, because they have great possessions”.
How about sermons on that ! ? ! X
– – –
But you’ll never get anywhere telling them to change their comfortable message about money.

Daddy didn’t get anywhere telling church people what Jesus said about money.

Jesus didn’t get anywhere telling successful (politically, financially), religious leaders to change their ideas about money.

May I strongly suggest reading what Jesus said about money in the Bible—straight from your Bible—not what someone says the Bible says.
– – –
+ Current, American Christian financial teaching . . . is a very narrow, selected part of the Christian experience, at best.
+ Current, American Christian financial teaching . . . applies, at best, to a very narrow slice of Christianity, historically, and worldwide today.

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

Since Christianity and Jesus’ relationship to His Church is compared to a husband/wife relationship, I thought I’d try an allegory with the song and the Christian life.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
— If we live as authentic Jesus followers, we will not be comfortable in this world.
— “In the world you will have tribulation . . .”

But the fire is so delightful
— “. . . be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
— “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

And since we’ve no place to go
— “Who do I have in heaven but You; and there is no one I desire on earth beside You.”
— “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
— “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

– – –

Man, it doesn’t show signs of stopping
— “Relent, O Lord, how long . . .?”
— “My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord—how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me.”

And I’ve brought me some corn for popping
— “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
— “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

The lights are turned way down low
— “When evening had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve.”
— “When evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
— “Let the lower lights be burning,
Send its beams across the waves.
Some poor wandering seaman
You my rescue, you may save.”

Let it snow, let it snow
— “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

– – – – –

When we finally kiss goodnight
— “Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more.”
— “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”

How I’ll hate going out in the storm
— “I send you as sheep among wolves; be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
— “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus.”

But if you really hold me tight
— “I am with you always.”
— “Those whom You gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost.”
— The Holy Spirit is the warmest Comforter ever, forever.

All the way home I’ll be warm
— The Holy Spirit is the warmest Comforter ever, forever.
— The river Jordan only chills the body but not the soul.
— Home, Home, Home at last, forever.

– – – – –

And the fire is slowly dying
— “The love of many will grow cold.”
— “Stir up the gift of God which is in you.”

And, my dear, we’re still goodbyeing
— “Because I said, ‘I Am going away’, sorrow has filled your heart.”
— “I go to the Father, and you no longer see Me.”

But as long as you love me so
— “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”
— “Lo, I Am with you always.”

Let it snow, let it snow, and snow
— “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

RETIREMENT – – – SHORT TERM – – – L O N G TERM

Retirement – – – Short Term
— someday, if you live long enough
— maybe, unless 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 happens
— everybody get ready, if you have enough money
— save, invest, prepare, live for retirement

Retirement – – – Long Term
— one day, no matter how long you live
— definitely, no maybe
— everybody get ready, no matter how much money
— get ready now, or not ? ? ?

WHERE YOU AT ? – – – WHERE YOU HEADED ?

Do you know the answer to the first question ?
Where are you now, in the things that matter in life, “in the things that are for keeps” ?

Do you know the answer to the second question ?
Where are you going in life, and where are you going after life ?

How ? and Where ? do you get answers ?

Most people try to come up with their own answers.
That may work for many of life’s day-to-day decisions, to be successful, to make it another day, year, decade.
But sooner or later, after a number of birthdays, or crises, or close calls, or funerals of friends and family—who can tell you what you really need to know ?

Over and over people have found that the answers are not found where they were looking.
Everyone is looking for God, and how to please Him.
In desperation, people make up ideas, religions, rituals, and behavior to get right with God.
For one thing, they can’t all be right.
So, one must be right—different than all the rest.

Yes, there is one true God.
And, He told us, in writing, Who He is, and exactly where we are, and where we’re headed—and our condition is not pretty.
But, He told us, in writing and in action, how He fixed that.

“God loved the world so much, that He gave His only dear Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus in the Bible is the answer, the only way to God.
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to God the Father except through Me.”

You can stop searching—you’ve found what you’re looking for.
Talk to Jesus, believe what the Bible says about Him , and believe what He says in the Bible (the two verses above).

Tell Him, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”, and Jesus says you will go home justified before God today.

Where you at ? – – – I’m a forgiven sinner.
Where you headed ? – – – I’m going to heaven.

RESERVES, OR ACTIVE DUTY SPECIAL FORCES ?

Christians, where do you stand ?

Are you safe—or signed up, sold out, for special service, for any service, any cost ?

AS YOU GET OLDER . . .

As you get older, spiritual matters will matter more.

Why wait ?

Spend time with Jesus now.
Pray often now.
Read your Bible often now.

THE BEST WAY TO STASH FOR THE FUTURE

Is there a plan that is guaranteed, better than any other, for saving stuff for someday ?

If you let that question be known, you will have no lack of responding advisors.

There is a six-point outline, the very best, for permanent benefits, for sure.

1- Do good, anytime, anywhere, with your money and with your time.

2- Seek to be rich, in good works that help people in need.

3- Look for opportunities ahead of time, so you will notice and be ready to give right away when you have a chance.

4- Condition your attitude about your money and your stuff, so you will always be willing to share with anyone.

5- This involves storing up for yourselves for the future—with an entirely different perspective.
The time to come is so much more than the future in this life.

6- How you give and what you do for others and your willingness to share builds a foundation for the times ahead—after all the times ahead are behind you—to lay hold on eternal life.

– – –

“Do good, be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for yourselves a good foundation for the time to come, that you may lay hold on eternal life.”

CAN GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING RIGHT ?- – – YES, IT DID ONCE

Many decades ago, the government banned cutting down cedar trees in Central Texas and the Hill Country—to ‘protect’ a small bird that nested in cedar trees.

In my lifetime, I have observed the extreme proliferation of cedars, taking over vast amounts of grassland that had been suitable for livestock grazing.

And I observed firsthand the devastation from cedar trees’ enormous consumption of water from the ground, actually killing much more desirable trees like oaks and elms.
– – –
Over fifty years ago I had the privilege of working with a rancher, driving a big skidsteer with a sheer, participating in a government program reflecting a change in policy.
The government paid the rancher half the cost of removing all the cedars from a specified area, leaving all the good trees.
In the rancher’s house, I saw the ‘bales’ of natural grass seed, provided by the government, to restore the land to its original, productive grazing potential.

One day the rancher’s son showed me a creek below where we were working, and said,
“We used to swim in that creek—if all the ranchers in the area would do what my dad is doing, that creek would run again.”
That was profound, and gave me food for thought to this day.

The government did one thing right.

The Colorado River runs through the Texas Hill Country, with numerous lakes that suffer from lack of water, due in large part to the enormous increase in cedar growth over several decades of the ban on cutting cedars.

Government could do one more thing right in this scenario affecting thousands of acres destroyed by the takeover of cedar trees.
Using the same logic of paying ranchers half the cost of removing cedars and leaving good trees and providing native grass seed to recreate the natural landscape—on a larger scale, the government could fund the removal of cedars, mulching in one operation to protect from erosion, and then re-seeding.

I sent a letter to a Texas state senator with this suggestion, but never heard from him.

“MURDER FOR PAY”—PAY FOR MURDER

In the 340 years of slavery in America, an average of 80 blacks per day became slaves.
This country paid dearly for that, in the Civil War.
As many as 800,000 Americans died.

Today in America an average of 800 blacks per day are murdered.
This country is about to pay dearly for that, in the coming civil conflict between life and death, good and evil, right and left, Christ-followers and Christ-haters.
– – –
Rephrasing Abraham Lincoln’s speech from 1858, for today, after Roe was struck down:
“‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.
I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half death and half life.”

– – –

Read “HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE” – – – HALF DEATH, HALF LIFE ? on this website, posted the day after Roe was overturned.

CHRISTIANS AGREE ?

How to get to heaven ?—that’s ‘all cut and dried’ ?

How do we get to heaven ?—Yes, that is indeed all cut and dried—all who want to be Christians must agree on this:
+ Admit you’re a sinner.
+ Believe Jesus died for you, to pay for your sins.
+ Ask Jesus to be in charge of all of your life.

That’s how we get to go to heaven.

Now, just how and when will we go to heaven ?
Well, Christians obviously don’t agree on this.
So, what do we do about that ?

– – –

++ Don’t get hung up on differences over the end-time time-line.
++ Don’t ever let proving interpretations overshadow sharing salvation.