list of articles #2

To what extent are we to give money to the poor? Are there definitions and examples in order to understand who is considered poor?

We start with the two great commandments (Matt 22:36-40). The first is to love your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

We love God because He first loved us and our love of God should overflow into good works. 1 John 3:17-18 (NKJV) says “But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Good deeds and a concern for the poor seem to be tests of our love of God. 

There are distinct instructions for providing for the poor in the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:9-10 (NKJV) says “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather everygrape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I amthe LORD your God.” This method was not a hand-out to the poor since the poor had to work, gather, and process the harvest. The gifts to the poor were earned.

Our method today uses taxes to redistribute money from the productive to the poor in the form of welfare payments. It seems many welfare payments require no effort from the individual and are considered unearned.

Do the poor have any responsibility to provide for themselves? Scripture provides many references to the unwholesome behaviors of the poor. Proverbs 10:4 (NKJV) “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, / But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 20:13 (NKJV) “Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; / Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.” Proverbs 23:21 (NKJV) “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, / And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NKJV) “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

Each of us has a responsibility to care for our families, and to use personal effort to provide for ourselves. Remember even the birds and animals have instincts and capabilities to provide for themselves. Individuals made after God’s image are much more capable of finding work and creating skills. 

As we are born again with a New Financial Nature we become confident God will provide for us in all circumstances which means we are less likely to be tight-fisted with contributions for the poor. We also are better adapted to discern the intentions of individuals as to honest and true needs versus a scam and laziness. In addition there are scripture passages rewarding attitudes of concern for the poor.

Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV) “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, / And He will pay back what he has given.” Psalm 41:1 (NKJV) “Blessed is he who considers the poor; / The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” Proverbs 22:9 (NKJV) “He who has a generous eye will be blessed, / For he gives of his bread to the poor.” Galatians 6:9-10 (NKJV) “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

We start with several scripture passages about joy to understand the attributes of joy. Luke 2:10-11 (NKJV) “Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The financial joy I am describing will be for all people. There are no barriers of entry or restrictions to receive this joy. The joy is available in all financial circumstances.   

Another passage is Psalm 22:26 (NLT2) “The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.” Financially there will be satisfaction for all who seek the Lord and there will be changes to the heart. Furthermore, hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. Everlasting joy describes a joy that is sustainable through all financial circumstances and is not an emotional response that varies with the highs and lows of each day. 

Galatians 5:22-24 (NKJV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” The list of attributes of someone living in the spirit includes joy which applies to the entire life of the individual including financial joy. Living in the Spirit is not something people create with their own effort or determination. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God through Jesus Christ received by faith. The joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord through prayer, worship, and Bible engagement. 

Hebrews 10:33-34 (NIV2011) “Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.  You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” How is it possible for us to be joyful when we are insulted, persecuted, treated badly, and our property is confiscated? In the ancient world persecution was physical; in the modern world this persecution is financial. We now understand the possibility of financial joy in the midst of financial calamity because our eyes and our attitude look beyond the current financial discord to a better and lasting possession. We look to everlasting life, to heaven beyond our current financial situation, to the unfailing love of God through Jesus Christ. 

We look to the past financial and physical blessings we received and understand with God’s help we moved through the financial stormy waters and reached the other side safely each year and each day. Our financial joy is complete, everlasting, without barriers, and is received through the Holy Spirit. Our joy is not dependent on our income, possessions, skills, or good works. We stand firmly through faith receiving the Lord’s unfailing love and praise Him in all circumstances.

This article deals with scams, fraudulent acts, deceptive deals, cheating, and outright stealing. The cashier and waiter at a restaurant claim you gave them a twenty and not a fifty. A client does not pay his bill. The team goes to see the Olympic gymnasts but one family uses a bad check. An attorney threatens a lawsuit looking for a settlement for an unjust charge. You fell into an internet scam and paid a deposit without subsequent benefit.

These frauds become bitter memories. The bitter taste in our mouths may take years to go away. Often a stronger word like animosity or resentment tending toward active hostility follows and one can remember the person, the place, and the amount of money involved.  

We live in a sinful world and these things happen. How do we get over the financial loss, the bitter memories, and the resentment? How do we become mentally whole, forgive the scoundrel, and move forward?

Here are some reverent scripture passages. Exodus 20:15 (NIV2011) “You shall not steal. Deuteronomy 25:16 (NLT2) All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the LORD your God. Luke 6:27-31 (NIV2011) “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:37 (NIV2011) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 

The first item is to always be on the side of the Lord maintaining our integrity and honesty with financial matters. Naturally, this cannot happen without the New Financial Nature.

Secondly, resolve in your mind not to take revenge because there will be a day of judgement and even though the wicked and the cheat find prosperity in this world, in the afterlife the situation will be different according to scripture.

Thirdly, if someone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. This is accomplished by actually taking pity and feeling sorry for the person who steals since stealing shows a faithless and evil nature. The practicing Christian has a powerful God together with an active Holy Spirit that supports, directs, and supplies.

Finally, forgive the person which may take some effort and resolve. In the forgiving process review the situation in a broader context. Although you suffered with a significant loss of a year’s wages, did you ever miss a meal? Did the loss move you into a new field of employment? Did the children continue in school uninterrupted? Did your spouse’s income increase? 

Quite often God uses suffering as a means of testing your faith, moving one to a new profession, moving one out of harm’s way, and opening the eyes of one to completely depend on Jesus who has complete authority and power to provide.    

This article is a warning that all human activity accomplished, carried out, performed, and developed, apart from God, is meaningless, empty, and a chasing after the wind. The scripture text for this discussion is from Ecclesiastes written by Solomon, King David’s son, who received a wise and discerning heart from God (1 kings 3:12) as well as wealth and honor. 

The opening verses of Ecclesiastes use the word meaningless and in some translations the word vanity is used. Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 (NIV2011): “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?” 

Solomon applied his mind to study and explore all aspects of life including wisdom, pleasure, toil, folly, power, and wealth among others. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (NIV2011): “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” 

So, how then should we live with property and wealth to receive lasting worthwhile satisfaction from our toil? One idea is that we should live humbly without pride. Pride is a natural response to success and places attention and confidence in one’s own skills, accomplishments, and position. As success and wealth increase, there is a decrease in dependence and thankfulness to God for His gifts. Eventually God is eliminated altogether from the life and the activities of the wealthy. Psalm 127:1 (NIV2011): “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

Another idea is to use wealth for the good of mankind. God is the owner and provider of all wealth. Psalm 146:6 (NLT2): “He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.” Our relationship to God’s gifts is one of a steward with the responsibility to make sure everything is used for God’s purposes and for His glory. The steward is to seek the mind and will of God for all decisions to demonstrate love for God and love for others. 

A final idea for this article is to recognize the deceitfulness of wealth. One’s trust and affection for wealth may deny one entrance into the kingdom of heaven. When we pray “Thy Kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer we are asking God to come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and create in us a New Financial Nature. This New Financial Nature comes into our hearts through repentance of our financial sins, our pride, and our misuse of God’s gifts. 

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV2011): “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” Matthew 19:23-24 (NIV2011): “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The conclusion from Solomon is Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV2011): “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” 

Compulsion is an irresistible persistent impulse to perform an act. The act is impossible to resist with human effort. The act is not merely a soft impulse but is persistent and premeditated with an expected outcome of satisfaction and good feelings. The act is repeated. 

There are two areas for discussion in the topic of financial compulsion: one area is the force of temptation fueling a burning desire; the second area is the physical barriers and firewalls available to us for our defense.

A scripture passage for the first area is James 1:13-15 (NIV2011) “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” 

How do we stop from being dragged away by our own evil desires and enticed? The lure of wealth and riches; the desire for status and fame; and the dream of importance and power are all inconsistent with God’s plan for our lives. God desires us to be humble, to love our neighbor, and to be thankful. This is impossible with our normal sinful nature, our inherited DNA. We need to be born again with a New Financial Nature which is accomplished through the Holy Spirit and which extinguishes our sinful burning desires. 

The second area of erecting physical barriers and firewalls against our enticements is illustrated by another verse of scripture. Matthew 5:30 (NIV2011): “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

A dramatic and radical change must take place. The physical area of battle must be purged of temptation. The old habits must be cleansed and replace with new habits. Financial controls must be established with the destruction of credit cards. Automatic receipt of income must be redirected to pay for the mortgage and fixed costs.  

If there is a computer used for gambling, then throw it out. Ask a computer geek to set up firewalls to prevent gaming sites and betting sites. If compulsive shopping is the problem then use only prepaid cards with dollar limits. If drinking is the problem then destroy all liquor bottles in the house and replace the desire with hard physical work or sports. Work an extra job to keep hands and mind active and away from temptation. If the community is a bed of temptation, then move and start anew.

Financial compulsions are destructive. If you have too much excess cash then redirect the excess to accomplish something worthwhile. Fund the emergency fund, the car fund, the college fund. Reduce the amount of cash in the wallet. Be a hero; fund a scholarship program, help the homeless, the poor, the sick, and the needy. 

Mark 10:27 (NLT2): “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” 

We all like to receive gifts, gifts that are unearned and come with love and affection. It is also nice to receive a gift even though we do not deserve it. Someone has forgiven our bad behavior, our nastiness, our selfishness and with a gift attempts to reconcile and renew good feelings toward one another expecting cooperation and repentance. 

The motivation behind the gift, the motivation of the heart of the giver determines an honest gift with love. The motivation for the gift can also be deceitfulness for the purpose to influence and manipulate the person with the expectation of a return favor or action rising to the motivation of a bribe. 

One scripture passage to help us understand the nature of a bribe is Deuteronomy 16:19 (NLT2):“You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.”

Twisting justice and showing favoritism is the result of the failure to fear God and ignoring His ultimate judgement living for the day and thinking dishonest gain is the only gain available. God can provide for you and your family without bribes.

Nevertheless financial bribes are prevalent and pervasive throughout our government and often made legal. Consider the money from lobbyists who represent a common group of voters often by industry or union. The money they give to representatives is legal although they are attempting to purchase government votes for direct benefits to the group. Lobbyists with money in hand receive access and buy influence. 

Consider earmarks which are a provision in legislation that allocates a specified amount of money for a specific project, program, or organization. The amount of money allocated to individual projects is in the billions of dollars. Consider a representative securing a grant of tens of millions of dollars for a project in his district. The effect is to buy votes. The effect is to redirect taxpayers’ money away from the common welfare benefitting everyone to becoming a bribe for votes and power. In addition the money is not available but comes from additional national debt. It is actually stealing from grandchildren for personal fame and power. 

When a company receives millions of dollars, there is an expectation of the representative to receive a reward such as a director’s fee, a speaking fee, or contributions to the political action committee. The personal wealth of senators and representatives rises to the hundreds of millions of dollars which is interesting since salaries are less than two hundred thousand per year. How will God judge these individuals?

Isaiah 1:23 (NLT2): “Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.”