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Is God An Investor?
Contributed by Ron Hicks on Jul 11, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: What stocks does God have his interest in? He only has His interest in two and that is Jesus, His only Son and the Church. (You & I)
Is God An Investor?
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Generally speaking, there is no comparison to be made between the value of a diamond and that of a grain of corn, yet all depends on the disposition you make of the corn. Put both of them away, and at the end of a hundred years the grain of corn will still have no money value, while the diamond’s value, running up into the hundreds of dollars, will be undiminished. At the end of a thousand years the same thing will be true. But suppose, instead, we bury the grain in the warm, moist earth, and year after year throughout the centuries let it go on producing and reproducing. In that time it will have produced a store that the whole earth could hardly contain. Its production represents a money value that makes the diamond’s price not more than an atom in comparison. To have saved the grain of corn would have been to lose all it was capable of producing. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone" (John 12:24). To save your gift from God may seem to be a prudent thing, but let me tell you that in the end it will mean loss. (I don’t remember who wrote this)
What stocks does God have his interest in?
He only has His interest in two and that is Jesus, His only Son and the Church. (You & I)
How much did He invest?
EVERYTHING THAT WAS PRECIOUS TO HIM. ( JESUS)
What’s the yield?
Praise, glory, and honor due His Name from those purchased by the blood of His Son.
The fruits of the Spirit.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
What’s the return?
Rev 7:9-10
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
You and I. For you see that’s why He sent His Son to die, that He might purchase us unto Himself.
When does it pay off?
Any day now,
1 Thess 5:1-2
5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1 Thess 4:13-5:1
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
So, what are you investing in?
How much are you investing in it? Effort and time.
What’s it been yielding? What kind of character has it developed?
What kind of returns are you getting? Could it bless you like God can?
What’s the pay off? Life or death.