Introduction
1.
Laws of the Bible are
paradoxical to the laws of the world
Laws of
the Bible are more authentic and fruitful
Eg. Giving is
better than receiving
Acts
20:35 - I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to
support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It
is more blessed to give than to receive.
2.
You cannot change natural laws
Laws are
decreed by the creator
It is not
you who fixed natural laws
No man was
consulted while formulating and fixing the natural laws
No man was
alive when God created nature
God fixed
and finalized them as and when He created nature
Genesis
8:22 - While
the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease. {While...: Heb. As yet all the days
of the earth}
3.
Wealth in this world was created by
God
God
created wealth in the Garden of Eden
Genesis
2:8-12
8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward
in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to
grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and
evil.
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the
garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it
which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where
there is gold;
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is
bdellium and the onyx stone. (gold, spices & precious stones)
4.
Wealth is not money
Money represents
wealth
Money is a
medium by which success in this world is measured.
Wealth
= Human resource + time + Land resource
Wealth is made
on the basis of how you manage your money, health and time.
If you
fail in the management of any one of these three, you may not create or sustain
wealth
Everything
in this world is created by God
Man cannot
create any thing
He can
only redistribute resources
Money
represents wealth
Money is
created by God
Money has
its own rules
WHAT IS MONEY
Money is a
convenient means of transaction based on value.
“Money is any object or record that
is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and
repayment of debts in a
given country or socio-economic context.” (www.wikipedia.org)
Notes – ‘a written promise of payment’
(Pocket Oxford Dictionary)
Barter system
During the
age of barter system goods or services were
directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money
Participants
brought things they do not need and exchange them for the unwanted goods of
another participant.
Exchange
is easier when more than two persons are involved.
What
they need
A
Mango
|
B
Rice
|
C
Wheat
|
How
the system works
A
Rice
|
-
|
B
Wheat
|
=
|
A
Wheat
|
B
Rice
|
A
Wheat
|
-
|
C
Mango
|
=
|
A
Mango
|
C
Wheat
|
Gift
Economy
A gift
economy (or gift culture) is a society where valuable goods and services are
regularly given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards.
Ideally,
simultaneous or recurring giving serves to circulate and redistribute valuables
within the community.
Informal
custom governs exchanges, rather than an explicit exchange of goods or services
for money or some
other commodity.
What
they need
A
Mango
|
B
Rice
|
C
Wheat
|
How
the system works
A
Rice
|
-
|
B
|
=
|
B
Rice
|
B
Wheat
|
-
|
C
|
=
|
C
Wheat
|
C
Mango
|
-
|
A
|
=
|
A
Mango
|
Basic Wealth
So before
money came into existence there existed economic systems that allowed trading
of goods and services.
In another
sense, money is not the real wealth, but what we own, services and goods we can
trade are our wealth.
Our wealth:
Human
Resource (our health)
|
services
|
Time (it
is personal and everybody have an equal portion)
|
|
Land
Resource
|
Goods
|
All these
three will worn out as time goes
Land
resources include gold, water, food etc. – some may withstand time and others
may not
So what we
do
We
exchange or convert them to money
Human
Resource
|
service
|
-
|
Money
|
Time
|
|||
Land
resource
|
goods
|
UNCHANGEABLE LAWS OF GOD
God has decreed
certain laws for our health – we cannot
change it – they do not change with time, place or social situation
God has decreed
certain rules and laws for time – we
cannot change it – they do not change with time, place or social situation
God has
decreed certain rules and laws for land resources
– we cannot change it – they do not change with time, place or social situation
God has decreed certain rules and laws for wealth or money – we cannot change it – they do
not change with time, place or social situation
Birds are
governed by God’s laws
Plants and
trees are governed by God’s laws
Rivers and
seas are also governed by God’s laws
So wealth
or money is also governed by God laws.
Money has its own rules
Money is governed by these rules
Leviticus
19: 13 - Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the
wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the
morning. (KJV)
Deuteronomy
24: 15 - At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun
go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry
against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. {setteth...: Heb. lifteth
his soul unto it} (KJV)
Malachi
3: 5 - And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false
swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow,
and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear
not me, saith the LORD of hosts. {oppress: or, defraud} (KJV)
James
5: 4 - Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which
have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. (KJV)
1
Timothy 6: 17 - 19
17 Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to
enjoy; {uncertain...: Gr. uncertainty of riches}
18 That
they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to
communicate; {willing...: or, sociable}
19 Laying
up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that
they may lay hold on eternal life.
VIOLATION IS DISASTER
Food,
shelter and clothes are three basic necessities of man.
Man was
placed in a natural surrounding which was ordered by God to provide shelter and
food for man
Later man
found clothes also from nature.
So far
nature has never said ‘no’ to any man who demanded anything from its resource
Nature
means whatever that has life and that has no life
Man is a
part of nature and he is different
Only man
has free will – a free will to obey or disobey God’s commands.
Nature
obeys only the laws of God
Man cannot
subdue nature or bring it under his control
Nature
never obeys man’s laws
Man cannot
subdue money or bring it under his control
Money never
obeys man made laws
So nature
is governed by certain laws decreed by God
If you
violate these laws disaster is sure
Money is
governed by certain laws decreed by God
If you
violate these laws, disaster is sure
SUPPLY IS NOT CERTAIN
No plant
saves for tomorrow
No bird
saves for tomorrow
No animal
saves for tomorrow
Their
needs are guaranteed
Supply is
certain
Man saves
for tomorrow because his needs are not guaranteed
Supply is
not certain
God’s
blessings on man is guaranteed, but conditional
Man
has conditional promises
If you
obey His laws, He shall prosper you.
Plants
Birds
Animals
|
-
|
No free
will
|
-
|
Supply
certain
|
Man
|
-
|
Free
will
|
-
|
Supply
not certain
|
Genesis 2: 16, 17
16 And the
LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest
freely eat:
17 But of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Man
violated the condition by committing the racial sins
So his
life in the Garden was cut short
He was
pushed out of the blessed place
surely
die
|
-
|
No human
resource
No time
No land
resource
|
After
sinning, man was placed in a cursed land
A land
which refuses to provide for him
Man has to
work hard on it for his livelihood
Genesis
3:17-19
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast
hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I
commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy
sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth
to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; {bring...: Heb. cause to
bud}
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for
dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
FUTURE IS NOT GRANTED
Man became
anxious of tomorrow
So man
saves for tomorrow
No one can
say that you should not save for tomorrow
What
Christ advised is to keep away from worry
It is an
advice to His disciples of all ages
Do not
worry, because God cares for you.
Birds in
sky and lilies in the field are not worried about tomorrow
They do
not save for tomorrow
Still they
live better than the richest man on earth (Solomon)
Luke
12: 22 - 34
22
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have
storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the
fowls?
25
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26
If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for
the rest?
27
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say
unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of
doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after:
and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.
33
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither
moth corrupteth.
34 For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. (KJV)
Worrying
and saving are two things
Saving is
for tomorrow
For a
tomorrow when:
Your needs
grow larger
You cannot
work and earn
You need a
large sum of money for a particular purpose like building a house, children’s
education etc.
Saving for
tomorrow is not a sin
Worrying
is unnecessary
Prudent
care is never forbidden by our Lord.
BE PRUDENT
Be prudent
is an advice of our Lord
Proverbs
30:25,26
25 The
ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 The
conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The ants may truly be called a people, as they
have houses, towns, public roads, etc.; and shew their wisdom and prudence by
preparing their meat in due season
Conies - a small
animal different from our coney, living among the rocks, and distinguished for
sagacity (showing insight or good judgment).
Proverbs
6:6-11
6 Go to
the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which
having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long
wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a
little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So
shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
The
story of the prodigal son
His
tragedy was aggravated by spending all he had
Luke
15:11-14
11 And he
said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the
younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that
falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not
many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey
into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all,
there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Let wealth be a
blessing of God
Proverbs
8: 18 - 21
18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable
riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine
gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the
midst of the paths of judgment: {lead: or, walk}
21 That I may cause those that love me to
inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. (KJV)
Proverbs
22: 4 By humility and the fear
of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. {By...: or, The reward of
humility, etc} (KJV)
Proverbs
10: 22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow
with it. (KJV)
Jesus
teaches us to invest all we have – money, time and health – in such a way that
we will have a rich harvest in this world as well as the Kingdom of God
THE PARABLE OF A RICH FARMER
Luke 12: 16 -21
16 And he
spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought
forth plentifully:
17 And he
thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where
to bestow my fruits?
18 And he
said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there
will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I
will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take
thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God
said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is
he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
He was not rich toward God.
He had no inheritance in the kingdom of God.
He laid up no riches in heaven.
His affections are all fixed on this world,
and he has none for God.
He is guilty of folly in the eyes of God.
Wisdom requires that we should lay up treasure
in heaven.
If our treasures are laid up in heaven, death
will be but going home, and happy will be that moment when we are called to our
rest.
WISE INVESTMENTS
There is a
difference between investment and saving
Saving is simply
keeping aside some money for future use
Investments are made
with an intention of getting back in many fold, once or for a long period of
time
Matthew
25: 14 - 30
14 For
the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his
own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And
unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man
according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. {talents: a
talent is one hundred and eighty seven pounds ten shillings}
16 Then
he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made
them other five talents.
17 And
likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But
he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's
money.
19 After
a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And
so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents,
saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained
beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good
and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He
also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto
me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His
lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then
he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou
art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou
hast not strawed:
25 And
I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast
that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou
wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and
gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou
oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my
coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take
therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from
him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
Investments
we make in this world according to the laws of man will give us a return only
in this world .
Investments
we make in this world according to the advises of Christ will be treated as
investments we make in Heaven
Every
investments you make in Heaven will give you return while you are in this world
as well as while you are in heaven till a period of eternity.
Wise investments are
investments made in the Kingdom of God
Matthew 13:44-46
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto
treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for
joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a
merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great
price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Let us look at a comparison between
investments made in Worldly Banks and investments made in the Kingdom of God
Worldly Bank
|
Kingdom of God
|
Our heart will be in this world
|
Our heart will be in the Kingdom of
God
|
Moth and rust doth corrupt
Thieves break through and steal
|
Neither moth nor rust doth corrupt
Thieves do not break through nor
steal
|
Accepts only money
|
Accepts investments in any kind –
health / time / land resources / money
|
Return is prefixed and limited
|
Return not prefixed
The highest return - 30, 60 or even
100 times
|
Return as money
|
Return in any kind we want
|
Return only to the investor or to
the nominee
|
Return to 1000 generations
|
Return only while you live in this
world
|
Return in this world as well as in
eternity –
1000 generations + in eternal life
|
Matthew 6: 21 For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:19,20
19 Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Deuteronomy 7: 9, 10
9 Know
therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth
covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a
thousand generations;
10 And repayeth them that hate him to
their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he
will repay him to his face.
Matthew 19: 29 And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother,
or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
LAWS OF WISE INVESTMENTS
There are
5 laws
1.
When to invest
2.
What to invest
3.
How to invest
4.
Where to invest
5.
What should you do to get an ample return
1. WHEN TO INVEST
Isaac
sowed in famine and he reaped a 100 fold
Genesis
26: 1 - 6
1 And there was a famine in the land, beside
the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech
king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go
not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all
these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy
father;
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the
stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and
kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
Genesis
26: 12, 13
12 Then
Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the
LORD blessed him. {received: Heb. found}
13 And the man waxed great, and went forward,
and grew until he became very great: {went...: Heb. went going}
Famine
is the best time to sow
Sow in
tears and reap with joy
Psalms
126: 5,6
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
{joy: or, singing}
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him. {precious...: or, seed basket}
Babylonian Law of Financial Success
George
Samuel Clason – His best seller, “The Richest Man in
Babylon”
In this
book, the man who lends money for interest advises:
“ A part
of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter
how little you earn. …. Pay for yourself first.”
If it is
made more clear – whenever you have an income, whether it is small or big,
before you spent money for other purposes, keep aside and invest a tenth part
of your income, for a brighter tomorrow.
Investing
is letting go
The story of the rich
young man
The rich
young man came to Jesus
He wanted
a certificate of justification
But he
misunderstood the person he approached
Jesus was
not the kind of person who give certificate of justification for all rich
people
Jesus
could see into his heart
There He
saw love for money
So Jesus
asked him to sell off everything and invest in the heavenly kingdom
Matthew
19: 16- 22
16
And, behold, one came and said unto him,
Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou
me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments.
18
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said,
Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19
Honour thy father and thy mother: and,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things
have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come and follow me.
22
But when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Those who
have love of money cannot invest
Acts
20:35 - I have shewed you all
things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to
receive.
Where, or
on what occasion, our Lord spake these words we know not, as they do not exist
in any of the four evangelists.
But that
our Lord did speak them, St. Paul's evidence is quite sufficient to prove.
Give
bountifully
Luke
6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you
again.
2
Corinthians 9: 6-12
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound
toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to
every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad;
he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister
bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness;)
11 Being
enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us
thanksgiving to God. {bountifulness: or, liberality: Gr. simplicity}
12 For the
administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but
is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
Principles
of Bible are paradoxical to the principles of the World
These
days, many worldly people have discovered that Biblical principles are correct
Money is
controlled by God’s laws and regulations
So what
God says about money is more correct than what world says
Worldly
wisdom does not help you understand this principle
But the
creator of gold and silver says that giving is more blessing
Love of
money is not the rule of wise investment
Love of
the heavenly kingdom is the rule of wise investment
You miss
the seeds you sow
It will
never be back again
But new
crops + new seeds in 100 folds will be back
2. WHAT TO INVEST
The poor
widow’s 2 paise offering
She gave
all she had
But she
gave more than anyone else and all of them together
Mark
12: 41-44
41 And
Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into
the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. {money: a piece of brass
money}
42 And
there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a
farthing. {mites: it is the seventh part of one piece of that brass money}
43 And he
called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That
this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the
treasury:
44 For all
they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that
she had, even all her living.
Invest
what you have
Invest
all you have
Kingdom of
God accepts all kinds of things as investment
It can be
your:
Money
Houses
Brothers,
sisters, father, mother, wife, children
Lands
A glass of
water
Anything
and everything you own
Matthew
19: 29 And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother,
or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Investing
all we have at a time on a long term basis is not practical
We need some
for day to day living
Then what
should we invest?
Let
us learn from a farmer
wrong
|
He makes
a harvest
Stores
grain in the granary
Start
eating them
When the
sowing time comes, if he has anything left, he sows them
He is
impoverished.
|
Right
|
He makes
a good harvest
He
selects and separates the best grains as seeds
Stores
seeds in a protected area
He never
eats up this seeds
He eats
only grains that is separated from seeds
He sows
the seeds and reaps a rich harvest again
|
So, if you
are intending to do an investment, plan it before you spend any money from your
wealth.
Invest
the first fruits not the left over
The first
fruits invested makes it sure that you will have a rich harvest later on
The first fruits may be attractive, tasty, but give it
up as an investment
Proverbs
3: 9, 10
9 Honour
the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So
shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new
wine.
Deuteronomy
26: 1, 2
1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it,
and dwellest therein;
2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the
fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God
giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which
the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
Proverbs
3: 9, 10
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with
the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So
shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new
wine.
Malachi
3: 6 - 12
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are
gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I
will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we
return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.
But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have
robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the
tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it. {pour...: Heb. empty out}
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine
cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. {destroy:
Heb. corrupt}
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye
shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Matthew
23: 23 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of
the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone.
Proverbs
19: 17 - He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that
which he hath given will he pay him again. {that which...: or, his deed}
Proverbs
21:13 - Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall
cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Proverbs
28:27 - He that giveth unto the
poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Galatians
6: 6 - Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that
teacheth in all good things. (KJV)
Galatians
6: 6 - But let those who receive instruction in Christian truth share
with their instructors all temporal blessings. (Weymouth’s New Testament)
Galatians
6: 6 - And let him who is instructed in the word share with him who is
instructing--in all good things. (Young’s
Literal Translation)
3. HOW TO INVEST
Our Attitude
We
are investing nothing of our own
King David
is exhorting the people to contribute to the construction of the Tabernacle
David
explains why not he but his son Solomon will build the Tabernacle
1 Chronicles 28: 1 - 6
1
David assembled all the princes of
Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that
ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and
captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and
possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty
men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.
2 Then
David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my
people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of
the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready
for the building:
3
But God said unto me, Thou shalt not
build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed
blood. {blood: Heb. bloods}
5
And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath
given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of
the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
6
And he said unto me, Solomon thy son,
he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and
I will be his father.
David is
setting an example by contributing to the cause of the Tabernacle
David
exhorts people to contribute
1 Chronicles 29:2 - Now
I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things
to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for
things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx
stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all
manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
1 Chronicles 29:9- Then
the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect
heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with
great joy.
1 Chronicles 29:14 - 16
14 But who
am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after
this sort? for
all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15
For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our
days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O LORD
our God, all
this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine
holy name cometh
of thine hand, and is all thine own.
Invest
with an attitude that we are only investing what God has entrusted us
It has a
likeness to the way we pay Income Tax to the Government from the salary the
government gives to us.
HOW
TO INVEST
1. Suffering for the sake of
Christ is an investment
Matthew
5: 10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake. {falsely: Gr. lying}
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
2. Invest not to get a return
from man
Matthew
6: 1 - 4
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before
men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not
sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy
Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward
thee openly.
If we
invest and receive a reward in this world, that investment will not be
considered for a return in eternity
Because
the reward is already paid
So do it
not for the honour in this world
Let
your right hand know not what your left hand does – that is
the principle
Luke
14: 13, 14
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor,
the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot
recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
3. Every loss for Christ’s
sake is a valuable investment
Matthew
19: 29 And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother,
or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
4.
Whatever you do for
Christ’s servants are investments in His kingdom
Matthew
10: 41, 42
41 He that
receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward;
and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall
receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And
whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water
only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose
his reward.
Hebrews
6 : 10 - For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of
love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the
saints, and do minister.
4. WHERE TO INVEST
Of course,
the most simple statement to this question will be: invest
in the Kingdom of God.
But where?
Where
while we live in this world?
We are
investing not for sake the of investment
We are not
investing to please our fellow men
We
are investing with an aim to get back a high return
So
generally speaking, Invest on God’s altar
Matthew
23: 19 - Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the
altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Jesus once
asked the crowd: which is great, the sacrifice or the altar
The answer
was there in his question itself
The altar is great
Investments
made on the right place brings blessings
Investments
made on other places may bring you worldly honour
But it is
not treated as an investment in heaven
The bank
in the Kingdom of God offers you 3 prestigious products
1.
Tithe
2.
Offerings
3.
Helping the poor
All the
three means of investments are governed by their own rules
Rewards of
tithe and offering are similar
1. Tithe and offering
Malachi
3: 6- 12
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye
sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are
gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I
will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we
return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.
But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have
robbed me, even this whole nation.
10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine
house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine
cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. {destroy:
Heb. corrupt}
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye
shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
2. Helping the poor
Matthew
25: 34 - 40
34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and
ye came unto me.
37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred,
and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the
King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Proverbs
14: 31 - He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that
honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
Proverbs
19: 17 - He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that
which he hath given will he pay him again. {that which...: or, his deed}
5. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO GET AN AMPLE RETURN?
Every
investment has a lock in period
Worldly
investments too has a lock in period
The return
grows as the lock in period is longer
Wait
like a farmer for the harvest
Long
suffering is a must
Do not be
dismayed
Do not be
disappointed
The farmer
knows that while he is waiting, the seed is growing to maturity and will yield
a good harvest.
Look
far and see the small cloud in the sky
It is
growing and growing
It shall
rain soon, sure
It will
nor fail.
Ecclesiastes
11: 1 - Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after
many days. {upon...: Heb. upon the face of the waters}
James
5: 7 - Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the
precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive
the early and latter rain. {Be...: or, Be long patient, or, Suffer with long
patience}
Allow
your investment to work and earn more for you.
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