GOD ‘S WAY FOR HIS CHILDREN IS PROSPERITY. HE WANTS US TO HAVE AND HAVE IN ABUNDANCE. SO THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY PROVIDE FOR OUR NEEDS BUT HELP PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER US ( children and grand children).
BUT...
EVERY DAY, PARENTS AND GRANDS DIE AND THEIR CHILDREN FIND THEMSELVES IN THE POSITION OF BEING HEIRS TO PROPERTY (HOUSES AND FARMS AND VEHICLES ) .BUT THE HASSEL THAT THEY GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO CLAIM THE PROPERTY OR MONEY IS NOT ONLY , UNNECESSARY AND STRESSFUL BUT, MANY TIMES’ ENDS UP TEARING THE FAMILIES APART - RATHER THAN BLESSING THEM, AS GOD INTENDED. LISTEN TO THIS EXAMPLE OF WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.
JOHN DOE IS A WIDOWER. DURING THEIR LIFE TIME TOGETHER, HE AND HIS WIFE HAD THREE CHILDREN... WHO ARE NOW ALL GROWN AND LIVE IN DIFFERENT STATES. JOHN DOE DIED. WHEN THE CHILDREN HAD DONE DEALING WITH THEIR GRIEF, THEY TURNED TO LOOK AT WHAT THEIR INHERITANCE WAS. AS AN INHERITANCE, HIS CHILDREN WERE LEFT THE HOUSE (home house) AND A FAIRLY LARGE BANK ACCOUNT. AT THIS POINT THEIR PROBLEMS BEGAN. AS FOR THE HOUSE THEY HAD INHERITED, IT WAS IN ALL OF THEIR NAMES. JOHN DOE HAD , LIKE SO MANY , SAID THAT HE WANTED TO KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY. ONE OF THE CHILDREN THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. THE OTHER TWO SAID THAT THEY HAD NO INTENTIONS OF EVER COMING BACK THERE TO LIVE NOR DID THEY WANT THE HASSEL OF RENTING IT OUT. SO, THEY WANTED TO SELL THE HOUSE AND TAKE THEIR PORTION OF THE MONEY. NEITHER WAS WILLING TO GIVE IN SO THE HOUSE SAT AND CAME TO NOTHING WHILE THEY PAID TAXES ON IT.
AS FOR THE BANK ACCOUNT, JOHN DOE HAD BEEN A PROUD AND SECRETIVE MAN. HE DIDN’T WANT ANYONE IN HIS BUSINESS. SO NONE OF THE CHILDREN WERE AWARE OF HIS FINANCIAL STATUS. NONE OF THEIR NAMES WERE ON THE ACCOUNT. THEREFORE, THE CHILDREN HAD TO GO THROUGH SOME LEGAL DRAMA IN ORDER TO GET ACCESS TO THE BANK ACCOUNT AFTER JOHN DIED. OF COURSE THIS COST THEM (LEGAL FEES). AND SO, HOW SILLY IS IT THAT THEY HAD , TO SPEND MONEY IN ORDER TO GET MONEY THAT RIGHTFULLY ALREADY BELONGED TO THEM.
SO, WHAT AM I SAYING? WHAT IS MY POINT? THE POINT IS THAT , ACCORDING TO THE WORD, A MAN IS TO PROSPER AND CONDUCT HIMSELF IN SUCH A MANNER THAT HE IS ABLE TO LEAVE AN INHERITANCE FOR HIS GRAND CHILDREN. (PROVERBS 13:22). IF HE DOES THAT, THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOME WEALTH THAT WILL PASS THROUGH THE HANDS OF HIS CHILDREN ALSO.
MOST PEOPLE DO WORK HARD DURING THEIR LIVES AND DO ACCUMULATE SOMETHING (HOUSE, SOME LAND, SOME MONEY, SOME STOCKS SOME BONDS) ... SOMETHING OF VALUE THAT THEY LEAVE TO THEIR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN FOR ’THEIR’ ENJOYMENT AND HELP. ON THE OTHER HAND, MOST OF THESE SAME PEOPLE NEVER TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND ACTUALLY PLAN OUT HOW THEY WILL LEAVE THE WEALTH, THEY’VE ACCUMULATED, IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL BENEFIT THEIR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN AND YET NOT CAUSE THEM TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF PROBLEMS TO GET A HOLD OF IT.
AT THIS POINT SOME ONE IS PROBABLY SAYING, “WELL BROTHER, I BELIEVE YOU’VE STRAYED AWAY FROM THE WORD AND GONE TO MEDDLING IN PEOPLES BUSINESS”. I’M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. LET’S GO TO THE WORD AND FOLLOW THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF BEING BLESSED AND BEING A BLESSING TO YOUR FAMILY.
AS WE LOOK AT JOHN 10:10 WE FIND JESUS SPEAKING . HE EXPLAINS THAT IN CONTRAST TO WHAT THE THIEF COMES TO DO... THAT HE ,JESUS, HAS COME THAT WE MIGHT NOT ONLY HAVE LIFE, BUT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY. IF YOU READ AND INTERPRET THIS IN IT’S FULLNESS, MONEY AND WEALTH HAVE GOT TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE ARE TO HAVE IN MORE ABUNDANCE HERE BECAUSE, MONEY AND WEALTH ARE A NECCESSARY PART OF OUR LIVES.
NEXT , LET ME PAUSE AND SHARE A FEW THINGS, THAT THE WORD SAYS WE SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH MONEY (PERSONALLY ) TO DO.
1. PROPERLY PROVIDE FOR OUR HOUSEHOLDS (GOOD LIFESTYLE, EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN ETC.) I TIM 5:8
2. ENOUGH TO HAVE NOT JUST A SAVINGS ACCOUNT BUT, A GOOD ONE. DEUT. 28:5 “BLESSED SHALL BE THY BASKET AND STORE.
3. BE ABLE TO FUND OR PROVIDE A PROPER RETIREMENT FOR OURSELVES AND OUR SPOUSE . PROV 6:6 “GO TO THE ANT THOU SLUGGARD; CONSIDER HER WAYS, AND BE WISE.”
4. ENOUGH TO PAY OUR TAXES . MATTHEW 22:21 RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESER THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESAR’S AND UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S.
5. ENOUGH TO GIVE TO THE POOR PROV 21:13 “WHOSO STOPPETH HIS EARS AT THE CRY OF THE POOR, HE ALSO SHALL CRY HIMSELF, BUT SHALL NOT BE HEARD.
AND SO AFTER WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD AND ARE LIVING AND OPERATING ON THE FINANCIAL AND WEALTH LEVEL THAT THIS OBEDIENCE AND DILIGENCE HAS PRODUCED... THEN WHAT ELSE ARE WE TO DO... ACCORDING TO THE WORD?
WE ARE TO VERY CAREFULLY MANAGE WHAT GOD HAS ALLOWED US TO ACQUIRE (OUR BUSINESS VENTURES, OUR INCOME FROM OUR JOBS ETC.. .. AND IN DOING SO, WE WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM IN MEETING OUR FAMILIES NEEDS. THE SCRIPTURE IS PROVERBS 27:23-27 IT READS..(LAB) “ RICHES CAN DISAPPEAR FAST. AND THE KING’S CROWN DOESN’T STAY IN HIS FAMILY FOREVER - SO WATCH YOUR BUSINESS INTERESTS CLOSELY. KNOW THE STATE OF YOUR FLOCKS AND YOUR HERDS; THEN THERE WILL BE LAMB’S WOOL ENOUGH FOR CLOTHING, AND GOAT’S MILK ENOUGH FOR FOOD FOR ALL YOUR HOUESHOLD AFTER THE HAY IS HARVESTED, AND THE NEW CROP APPEARS, AND THE MOUNTAIN GRASSES ARE GATHERED IN.
MANY HAVE THE IDEA THAT THEY WON’T SHARE WITH THEIR CHILDREN WHILE THEY LIVE BUT... THEY SAY...”BOY , AFTER I’M GONE , THEY’LL BE SET.” WE SHOULD RE THINK THIS. TRULY AS WE THINK BACK OVER OUR YOUNGER LIVES, DID WE NOT REQUIRE OUTSIDE FINANCIAL HELP SOME TIME? SO MATTHEW 7:9-11 TALKS ABOUT US GIVING GOOD GIFTS TO OUR CHILDREN... WHILE WE LIVE.
THEN WE COME TO THE END OF OUR LIVES AND THE WORD TELLS US THAT WHEN WE DIE,WE SHOULD LEAVE AN INHEITANCE FOR OUR GRAND CHILDREN. NOT DEBT, BUT AN INHERITANCE. LOOK AT PROVERBS 13:22 . IT READS..”A GOOD MAN LEAVETH AN INHERITANCE TO HIS CHILDREN’S CHILDREN. THE (LAB) READS.. "WHEN A GOOD MAN DIES, HE LEAVES AN INHERITANCE TO HIS GRANDCHILDREN...”
** AGAIN , THE POINT TODAY ISN’T CENTERED AROUND THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH WEALTH TO SHARE NOW AND AFTER WE’RE DEAD BUT... THE POINT OF TODAY’S MESSAGE IS TO ENCOURAGE AND SHOW THE NEED FOR US PARENTS TO TAKE THE TIME TO ARRANGE OUR AFFAIRS SUCH THAT UPON OUR PASSING, ALL THE WEALTH THAT WE’VE WORKED SO LONG AND HARD FOR , FINDS ITS’ WAY TO OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, JUST AS GOD INTENDED, SO THAT IT CAN BLESS AND ENHANCE THEIR LIVES.
I KNOW THIS HASN’T BEEN A SHOUTING , DANCING HALLELUJAH MESSAGE... BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ON WHAT I’VE SAID. THINGS FOUND IN SCRIPTURE ARE NOT ALWAYS THERE FOR US TO SHOUT AND DANCE ABOUT. SOME THINGS IN SCRIPTURE ARE THERE , ACCORDING TO II TIM 3:16, FOR OUR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUS LIVING. SO THESE WORDS WE’VE SHARED TODAY HAVE BEEN FOR OUR INSTRUCTION IN THE RIGHTEOUS HANDLING OF OUR WEALTH.
WE SHOULD ALL GIVE IT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT, AND TAKE ACTION ON IT. WE WILL HAVE A GREATER SENSE OF PEACE OF MIND AND, OUR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN WILL BE HAPPY AND BLESSED BECAUSE WE DID.
LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS QUICK ILLUSTRATION THAT SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FAMILY THAT HANDLES THEIR WEALTH PROPERLY AND ONE THAT DOESN’T. THE FAMILY THAT MAKES UNWISE USE OF IT’S WEALTH CAN BE COMPARED TO A GRASSHOPPER. EVERY GENERATION STARTS OUT ON THE GROUND (WITH LITTLE OR NO WEALTH),IT SOARS HIGH IN THE AIR FOR A SHORT TIME THEN ENDS UP BACK ON THE GROUND IN THE END (WITH LITTLE OR NO WEALTH) AS IT STARTED OUT. SO, IN THIS FAMILY, EACH GENERATION FINDS ITSELF NO BETTER OFF FINANCIALLY THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE.
ON THE OTHER HAND ,THE FAMILY THAT HANDLES IT’S WEALTH IN THE GODLY WAY, IS MUCH LIKE A MOUNTAIN GOAT... EACH GENERATION CONTINUES TO CLIMB HIGHER AND HIGHER. THEIR WEALTH GROWS FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION SO THAT.... EACH GENERATION CONTINUES TO BE BETTER OFF THE THE PREVIOUS ONE. THINK ABOUT IT.
