Subscription Lists
Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We are reading this quite difficult passage in Luke Chapter 16, where Jesus Christ is teaching on money. Remember, that Jesus says more about money than any other one subject.
A few weeks ago we were reading words of Jesus, "Lay up treasure in heaven." You will find Jesus’ words back in Chapter 12. Invest where there are no moths, no thieves, no corruption, no rust. Invest where your investment will never lose value! Many might wish they had heard Jesus Christ on financial matters over these past months, and also on what Jesus said about everything being revealed one day.
Use your money. Use your worldly riches for the work of the kingdom of God.
Use your money to send missionaries - to send Bibles abroad where there are no missionaries and no Bibles.
Remember too that we need both in this nation of ours at the moment.
Use your money, so that the work of Jesus may expand and grow and progress and advance - in this and all nations.
One minute after we die we will not be able to sign one cheque. And, one day, when we die, when everything will be revealed and known, won't it be tremendous to know that someone came to know Jesus Christ, as Saviour and Lord, as a result of the way we used our money. Invest wisely and we need to hear this clearly in these financially dangerous days.
The world can only see as far as the grave. We are called to think of beyond the grave. Jesus expands our minds. Imagine someone coming up to you and saying, "Some of your money which you gave and invested was used to send a missionary to our village, and that missionary told me about Jesus Christ the Saviour, and I came to believe, and I was born again.” I have often thought of that on these recent preaching and teaching visits to Uganda and Kenya.
Jesus began with rogues and rascals present and speaking parables. Now Jesus is teaching us deep truths.
Verse 10. He who is faithful with a little, will know how to handle a lot. Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with a lot. If we cannot be trusted with filthy money, who will trust us with true riches?
Man can love money. Man can be tempted by money. Man can worship money and things that money can buy. To use money in a right way is a spiritual battle. Jesus taught that we cannot serve God and Mammon, the god of money. Some have tried to do this over these past months and years and we are now paying the price for ignoring what Almighty God has said and taught in His Word.
If we learn to handle money sensibly and responsibly, then one day, God will entrust us with true riches. Do you know that some people think that if they have a lot of that stuff they are rich? Not according to Jesus.
Everything we have is in a very real sense on loan. In a few years, none of us will possess what we think is ours today - except our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only thing I know I am going to keep.
Be prepared to give up what you cannot keep, to gain what you cannot lose.
Verse 13. Money can be a master, and no man can serve two masters. If we try, we will slant in one direction. We will love one and hate (reject or despise) the other. We will become emotionally involved as well as physically committed.
As soon as Jesus said this, the Pharisees went for Him. Why? Well, they were covetous. They loved money more than God, and they interrupted Jesus by sneering and mocking. Guilty people normally ridicule the truth.
Jesus said, ‘Look, you may impress men, but God knows your heart, and you don't impress HIM. The very thing that men applaud can be an abomination in the eyes of the Father.
Jesus then says to them, "Don’t bend the law. Don't relax the law of God on money and marriage, and Jesus simply reminds these men of God's unchanging laws.
Today we have so much money, compared with then. Invest your money in Jesus work. Lay up treasure in heaven. It is the best investment we can make, and when we die, and go to be with the risen reigning Christ, we will be truly rich, and we will find we have many friends.
When it comes to money take the long term view.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Word from Scotland" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.