The Investment That Lasts: How we use our Money Matters

As I shared last night, here again is Paul's challenge to us in how we should value and use our time and money:

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Clement of Alexandria encourages, “In the end it is not the one who keeps, but the one gives away, who is rich, and it is the giving away, not possessions, which renders a man happy.”

Additionally, here are the lyrics of Cash or Christ by Trip Lee, a Christian rap artist that I mentioned last night.

CHORUS:
Forget about the cash, Forget about the clothes
Forget about the stash, Forget about the dough
Forget about the cars, Forget about the rims
Forget about the stars, Forget about the benz
Forget about the big crib, tryna get rich, the big 64 plenty dough and tryna sip chrys
Forget the cash and chains, that stuff will pass away
And you cant take it with you to your after days

VERSE 1:
Most are concerned with the cheddar flow, but dawg I gotta let them know
A lot of reasons we should be seeking Jesus instead of dough
Instead of mo material things, the jewelry and fame
I speak of the King, but most ain't feeling me main
They would rather let they money stack, tryna get a hundred stack
They pockets fat, but they not ready when Christ is coming back
If they only knew the real truth about the coming wrath
They would probably race to Him faster than a running back
I know the things the cheddar buys, will attract and catch the eyes
Instead of ice, it'd be nice, if we would invest in life
Instead of all that flashy stuff, tryna get our status up
His wrath is just, so if we don't seek Him dawg then we outa luck
What good is it to gain the world and in the end lose ya soul?
Its foolish bro, there's a loving savior you can truly know
I know you seeking satisfaction, you can't find it though
Tryna dash for the cash and designer clothes

(CHORUS)

Verse 2:
Got money, got whips, got ice
Still broke homeboy! No Christ
Got a debt to pay, some real heavy wages
And the payment for his sin is pretty outrageous
I seen him park the car, suicide doors
Without Christ he walking through a suicide door
The dollar bill say in God we trust
Its funny cause money is the only God we trust
And she say that she a Christian, but I can�t tell
She ain't depending on God, she depend on male
1 stack, 2 stack, 3 stack, 4
They spent they whole life stacking up dough
And when they die not a dimes gone go
Now they physically rich, but they spiritually poor
And they probably never heard of 1 Corinthians chapter four
'Cause they said they can't imagine God's people being poor

(CHORUS)

Verse 3:
You might want you some change, yeah you might want a crib
But tell me where the Bible say that Jesus want us rich?
It says we should be content if we got food and clothing
That's the truth and bro, we tripping really being foolish homie
We shouldn't put no value on falling screens and stylish chrome
Even if you saved that stuff can't go with you when you back at home
So allow me to encourage you, if you agree the Word is true
You can only serve one Master, some of us is serving two
You can't serve God and cash, cant love the world and Christ
Put money out ya mind, focus on eternal life
I can't speak from experience, I ain't seen it but I'm betting
Treasures of this world ain't nothing next to the ones that's up in Heaven
Feel free to store em up, since we found the Lord is just
Amazing let us praise Him main and try to give Him more of us
Let us live our lives with Him, spend our days and nights with Him
Ignore the trash the world has to offer and delight in Him

(Chorus)

Finally, more on the story of Ed go to this link http://www.generousgiving.org/articles/display.asp?id=83.

Always keep in mind: Generosity must be a way of life because for the Christian we have received radical generosity from God. God is rich and owns everything! All that we have is due to Him. More radically, though, God gives us his most lavish gift in this:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

This is our motivation and this is our delight, we generously give because God more than generously gave us Jesus Christ, His Son, to meet our immense need and desperation. He did this because He loves you!

Warmly,

Jeff