2018 November

renewing and enriching life

contents eDITORIAL Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew

Stewardship in Ministry Dr. George Cherian

PROSPERITY vs POVERTYA CHRISTIAN APPROACH Dr. Saji Kumar K. P.

God and Mammon Dr. Domenic Marbaniang

God’s Manna Economy: Money and Wealth, an Old Testament Perspective Jison Saju Joseph

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Christopher Varughese

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Financial Stewardship – An Ethical Perspective Greed as Idolatry: Jesus and Paul on the love of Money Rev. Ratheesh A. P.

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Counseling Corner Mrs. Janet Joy

Vol. 11 Issue No. 11 November 2018

A magazine that will enrich and renew your spiritual life and give Christian perspective on current events. e-mail : revivemegod@gmail.com igotoibc@gmail.com visit us : www.revivemegod.org CHAIRMAN PASTOR Dr. T. VALSON ABRAHAM MEMBERS BRO. JACOB THOMAS BRO. SUNNY KODUMTHARA EDITOR PASTOR DR. JOHN K. MATHEW ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR PASTOR SAJU JOSEPH ASSOCIATE EDITOR MRS. STARLA LUKOSE

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QUIZ

MANAGER PASTOR T. J. ABRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JUNE THOMAS ANN ABRAHAM PUBLISHER & PRINTER Lt. Col. V. I. LUKE (Retd.)

HEBRON, KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA for K. E. Abraham Foundation PRINTED AT VIANI PRINTINGS, LISSIE JN., ERNAKULAM, KERALA PLACE OF PUBLICATION KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA - 689 547 DESIGN Beam Design S2dio Ph: 93870 73135 beamfine@gmail.com

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The views and ideas expressed in each article are those of the writer. - Editor

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Letters

Watch and Wait

Dear revive, The recent theme for revive is most applicable in the current world. My appreciation to all the writers for their very sincere presentation of the theme from different angles. The Editorial by Rev Dr. John K. Mathew states well that a Christian is unique because of his faith, trust and hope in the return of Jesus Christ. In the words of Billy Graham, “We can't go on much longer morally. We can't go on much longer scientifically.

The technology that was supposed to save us is ready to destroy us. New weapons are being made all the time, including chemical and biological weapons. The only bright spot on the horizon of this world, today, is the promise of the coming again of Christ" The heavens and the earth shall pass away, but not a single word from the Bible shall be unfulfilled. Both history and contemporary events prove the veracity of the Bible prophecies.

My prayers that the ministry of revive be blessed for the Kingdom of God. George Kurian, Bangalore

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Second Coming in the Old Testament Dear Editor, I am greatly impressed and enlightened by the articles in the recent issue of your magazine. My understanding about the Second Coming of Christ as it is taught in the Bible has been deepened by Rev. Phinni Joseph’s article highlighting references to the same in the Old Testament. The underlying idea of God as King and Judge of all creation implies the establishment of His kingdom here on the earth. The royal language of God can be seen in the Old Testament. It envisages that the King of the universe shall vanquish evil and establish righteousness and justice. This is when Zion will be the center of the world and the divine king shall rule from there.

May we live each day, with the eternal and spiritual perspective in place expecting Christ's'imminent Second Coming at any time.

John Mathew, Pune

Two Phases of Second Coming Dear Editor, Pastor P.T.Thomas' article on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ was a very scholarly one. He reminds us about the two phases of Jesus’ coming. Jesus told His disciples that both His going to the Father and coming back was for them. He was going to prepare a place for them. He would come again to receive them unto Himself so that they would be with Him. Jesus also promised the disciples: “After a little while, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me…”

The disciples meeting Him ‘after a little while’ will be a private affair. The world will not see Him then. Like a thief stealthily collects valuables and leaves unseen by others, so the Lord will gather His dear ones He has redeemed with His own precious blood. This will be the first phase of Jesus’ Second Coming. In the second phase, He will come publicly.

Thank you revive for helping me and other believers understand the Bible prophesies on the Second coming more accurately.

Joy Isaac, Coimbatore

Clear Expectations Dear Revive, Rev. P. Abraham writes well on the expectations of our God from those who choose to follow Him. This does not mean that we are saved by piling up enough good works to satisfy God. It only means that any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ will be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of a transformed life. For the followers of Christ, anything that becomes more precious than our relationship with the Lord becomes destructive. It was clear from the very beginning of the history of mankind in the Bible. The Biblical prophets have handed down to us clear prophecies concerning the hope for the future and the Second Coming.

Neethu James, Canada

Our Blessed Hope Dear Editor, In his ‘Just One Minute…’ by Rev.Dr. T.Valson Abraham, the writer truly states that too few believers spend time in preaching, teaching and learning about our “Blessed Hope”. This loss of perspective robs us of hope and purpose. It is a trick of the enemy to make us forget our rightful inheritance and sure destiny in Christ. Let us deny him this attempt to usurp what our Lord has guaranteed to us! Let us pray the Holy Spirit will revive His people to a new urgency to complete the task He has given us the command to preach the Gospel and hasten the wonderful day of Jesus’ return. To realize our “Blessed Hope” means learning to trust Him more, to work and pray in His power in new ways. He will help us in our weakness. Let it be! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! May God bless revive and the readers.

Varghese John, New Delhi

renewing and enriching life

Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew

Money is the God of this world. Some scholars think the word 'mammon' comes from an Aramaic

Money Matters

root meaning 'that in which people trust'. According to Warren Wiersbe, ' some people trust God, some people trust wealth, and some people try to do both.

But when Jesus used the Aramaic word 'mammon', He personified wealth and described it as a god', and He said we cannot serve both the God of heaven and the god of gold'.

The scripture says, 'For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1 Tim. 6: 10). Of all the people who came to the feet of Jesus, the only one who went away worse than he came was the young rich ruler. In every way, he was an ideal young man who obeyed all the laws of Moses. But Jesus said to him that he was lacking one thing. Jesus knew that money was his god.

His morality and good manners only concealed a covetous heart. To quote Warren Wiersbe once again, 'money is a marvelous servant but a terrible master. If you possess money, be grateful and use it for God's glory, but if money possesses you, beware'!

We Christians need to realize that from beginning to the end, the Word of god repeatedly emphasizes God's ownership of everything we possess. In the words of David, 'Praise be to you Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. your's, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty, and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. your's Lord is the kingdom, you are exalted as head over all. wealth and honor come from you. you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all' (1 Chro. 29;11,12). Again in Psalms 24, he adds, "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it"(1). Therefore, we are only stewards of everything we have. A steward defines, Randy Alcorn, " someone entrusted with another's wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owner's best interest. A steward is entrusted with sufficient resources and the authority to carry out his designated responsibility.

Stewardship is living with the awareness that we are managers, not owners; that we are caretakers of God's assets, which he has entrusted to us for this brief season here on earth. Campus Crusade for Christ's founder Bill Bright and his wife Vonette are sterling examples of this attitude. A 1997 Christianity Today article by Wendy Murray Zoba says that although the Campus Crusade had worldwide revenues in 1996 of $ 300 million, Bill Bright, at age seventyfive, and his wife Vonette, still raised their own monthly support from individual donors just like any other Campus Crusade staff worker. Together, they earned $ 48,000 annually ($ 29,000 for Bill and # 19,000 for Vonette).

We

Christians need to realize that from beginning to the end, the Word of god repeatedly emphasizes God's ownership of everything we possess.

After Bill won the Templeton Award for progress in Religion in 1996, he relinquished the prize money in excess of $ 1 million - for a purpose of developing a ministry of prayer and fasting.

All royalties from his books go to Campus Crusade. He lived in an apartment somebody donated to Campus Crusade.

At a time when Christian leaders sell their character just to make more money, may the life of Bill and Vonette Bright remain a comforting example.

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Dr. George Cherian General Secretary, Mission India, Tiruvalla

Stewardship in Ministry

Church as it functions as the body of Christ in the world, monetary transactions and material possessions is inevitable. Functioning of the local congregation

necessitates financialresource and also for fulfilling the great commission finances becomes essential. But collection and dispensing of money has to strictly adhere to scriptural principlesto please the Lord and to maintain a shining testimony. Departing from the divine principles andimitating the world’s way and standards have resultedin scandals bringingembarrassmentto the church and even ruin of some congregations.

In the church three groups are linked to the financial transactions. The givers, the managers or the administrators and the receivers. All these groups of people must possess integrityand disciplinesto maintain a testimony to the outside world and the approval of God.

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Chapters 8&9 of Paul’s second epistle to Corinthians gives us an insight into the teaching of financial stewardship in the church. We observe the grace of giving among the Macedonian believers, the accountability and integrity of those who collected and dispensed the contributions and spirit of gratitude seen among those in leadership and the recipients.

Stewardship of believers- the grace of giving.

Apostle Paul illustrates the grace of giving exhibited by the Macedonian church.

Even in the midst of severe trials and even poverty, the Macedonian church generously gave gifts to comfort their fellow believers in Judea who were in need due to poverty and famine.

First of all, it was willingly or voluntarily given. It was not given out compulsion from anyone. (8:3) A truly spiritual person is moved spontaneously to give. Then we also note that they gave generously and joyfully. Joyful giving is always reflected in the generous nature in the donation (8:2). Then in 8:5 we also see that it was a spiritual giving. They first gave themselves to the Lord. It was out of the deep relationship of love to their Lord that they gave the contribution. It was not done to be seen and appreciated of men but given as unto the Lord and for the blessing of others. Lastly it was sacrificially given. We see that even while they were undergoing trails and poverty, they gave liberally and joyfully. Church with such sense of stewardship of giving is a mature and strong. Let us remember that only when one spontaneously, joyfully, generously, sacrificially and joyfully give that authentic Christian stewardship is exhibited through our lives.

Stewardship in administration of church funds.

Although all our wealthbelongs to the Lord, the money and material possessions offered by the people of God is to be treated as holy or as things separated unto the Lord. It is instructive to watch how Paul administered the offerings and gifts he received for the work of the Lord.

The fundamental principle he followedis seen in 2 Corinthians 8:20&21. “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.”In administering this liberal gift, he is taking pain to do what is best and right. It means that he is taking extreme care and caution that he does what is right in the sight of the Lord and men. Anyone who operates on these principles will consistently function with integrity and honour. It calls for transparency, honesty and absence of even a tinge of deception. Keeping the ministry accountable and the financial transactions open for scrutiny of the congregation and governmental authority will authenticate the financial operation of the churches and organisations.This necessitates to appointing godly and committed men to administer the finance of the church. Paulenlists a group of men under the leadership of Titus to carry the funds collected for the relief of the saints in Jerusalem. In recent times, godly qualities and character are overlooked for talents and qualifications. The passage under consideration specifies the essential character traits of those handling church finances.

1. He must be a person with concern and passion for the work of the Lord.

Paul says, “I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.” (8:16) Titus had the same burden and concern which the Apostle Paul hadfor the believers.It is not uncommon to find financial administrators in the ministry with no real burden for the work of the Lord and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They follow the schedule and routine yet fail to share the concern and love for those whom they are serving.Only when one has a deep concern for ministry, love for the Lord and passion for the gospelcan the life and conscience be keptspiritually sharp and hence be faithful in what he does. So Paul verified that the man he chose for the managing of money had a heart of concern for God’s glory and love for the people.

Keeping

the ministry accountable and the financial transactions open for scrutiny of the congregation and governmental authority will authenticate the financial operation of the churches and organisations.

This necessitates to appointing godly and committed men to administer the finance of the church.

2. He must be a person prayerfully chosen by the congregation and a person consecrated to the Lord.

(8:19) Concerning Titus Paul comments that “He was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering.” Approval by the body of believers makes him responsible to them.

Independent ministers are prone to become unfaithful since they are not held accountable for their life and actions to anyone. Titus and the brother chosen to travel with him were men approved and appointed by the Church.

In addition, Paul commented that Titus was a trusted partner and a fellow labourer in the ministry. It is always prudent to have a tested and proven man to handle church finances.

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In a world

where dishonesty and deception is dramatically increasing, the church needs to have men and women who are honest and pure in all their dealings.

When many are compromising principles to make easy and faster growth and gain, we need to stand firm in our commitment for honesty and truth.

just one minute Continued from cover 2

3. He must be an honest and upright person.

Verse 22 says that the person must “do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” Impeccable honesty must be the special mark of those who handle the funds of the church. In a world where dishonesty and deception is dramatically increasing, the church needs to have men and women who are honest and pure in all their dealings. When many are compromising principles to make easy and faster growth and gain, we need to stand firm in our commitment for honesty and truth. It is told that a Godly man wrote “Lord keep me and my book honest.” on the first page of his account book. Let our righteousness exceed that of the people around us.

4. He must be a diligent and hard-working person.

Although a good heart and excellence in character is what is essential for those who administer the funds, it is vital that he be a person with enthusiasm an initiative.

Paul demonstrated his diligence by having Titus and another brother from the congregation travelling with him as they carried the monetary gift. Keeping himself accountable to the group pre-emptied the critics from accusation of dishonesty and mishandling of Church funds.

Conclusion The Church remains spiritual and alive when it honestly and wisely uses its resources for the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom. Love of money is one of the very secretive sins that can enter into the heart of a believer or the minister of the gospel. Attitude of thankfulness to God and developing a spirit of contentment is the antidote greed that so easily tempt and enslave us.

May we always be on guard against this cancerous sin that can destroy our life and the Church.

expenses include your house payments or rent Negotiable expenses include those things that vary from month to month.

4. Faithfully record expenses. Many resources are available to help you do that.

what your priorities are. Someone else also said, “Show me your checkbook and calendar, and I will write your biography.” When you have a budget, you have an opportunity to work and pray as a family on your spending decisions.

Here are some essential steps to sound Christian budgeting: 1. Determine your goals, based upon God’s purpose for your life.

2. Determine your income.

3. Estimate your expenses, both fixed and negotiable. Fixed

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5. Avoid unnecessary and paralyzing debts, especially with the easy availability of credit cards. This causes untold misery because down deep, you are unconsciously trying to keep up with others. As someone has said, that means “buying what you don’t need with the money you don’t have to impress people you don’t like.”

6. Use common sense when you buy, and develop sales resistance.

What kind of budgeting plans should the Christian adopt? If you are new to budgeting and depend upon the Lord in financial matters, you may want to start with the “80-10-10 plan”-80% for living expenses, 10% for savings and investments, and 10% for giving. The “70-15-15 plan” moves you to trust the Lord even more as you adopt God’s purposes for material needs and responsible living. Keep in mind that with God, it is not so much what we earn but how we use it that makes all the difference in the world. Let all of us as Christians learn the joyful life of stewardship and become “good economists” for His glory, our blessing, and the blessing of many others.

Prayer: Lord, help me to understand that you own everything. Spirit of God, help me to manage well what you have given to me so that it expands your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

renewing and enriching life

Dr. Saji Kumar K. P. Ph.D; IBTS

Areeparambu, Kottayam

PROSPERITY vs POVERTY

- A CHRISTIAN APPROACH ( LUKE 16 ) “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.� - Edmund Burke

A great

part of the teachings of Jesus contained teachings on wealth and prosperity and the futility of money and riches. We understand that Jesus ministered at a time in the history of Jews where they were terribly suffering under the yoke of Roman government. Poverty and unemployment were at a rampage in that society. That is the reason we find people waiting for someone to call them to work even at the eleventh hour in the market place (Mathew 20: 6-7). While ministering to a community stricken by poverty and starvation, Jesus did not want to give them promises of prosperity and November 2018

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wealth but designed His teachings towards the Kingdom of God which is of great value than the riches of the world. The life of Lazarus was full of agony and poverty but the eternal bliss and comfort awaited him than the rich man. The shrewd manager made people friend through generosity and wise usage of wealth.

The discussion of money influence and prosperity is part of life today because of the severe

Many

people understand their life in terms of amassing wealth. They live for money and they crave for more wealth.

Their life revolves around only one objective called money. They are never satisfied and ultimately they lose their relationship to people. disparity in our society and also the partiality and favoritism people show towards others on the basis of money and influences.

As long as the society continues to be divided in terms of rich and poor, poverty and prosperity, the concern on this subject will be at the forefront. It is much more when we talk about the Christian community which is a called out society for the existence of love and peace goes after the world for prosperity and wealth. What we need today is a balance of understanding and this chapter 16 of the Gospel of Luke helps us in that concern.

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CERTAIN MYTHS TO BE CLEARED 1. MYTH 1: RICHNESS IS OPPOSITE TO KINGDOM PRINCIPLES OF GOD There are people who misunderstand the parable of rich man and Lazarus in terms of the curse of money and they say richness is not at all permissible for a Christian.

There is no truth in it because of two reasons. First reason is that there are many faithful people of God who love the Lord and honor the Lord with all their heart despite being immensely rich. Abraham was immensely rich and very close to God at the same time (Genesis 13:2 -3). Second reason is that it was not just because the rich man was rich that he went to hell. Richness was not given as the sole reason for his destiny. The reason for the destiny of hell was that he never listened to the laws of Moses and the instructions of the prophets (Luke 16: 27 -31) 2. MYTH 2: POVERTY IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE RIGHTEOUS There are many so called “prosperity preachers” today who preach that poverty will never come upon the true children of God. Look at the way the life of a righteous and faithful man of God Lazarus is depicted in Luke chapter 16. He went to the bosom of Abraham after his death because there was nothing blemish in him all through his life. He knew the Lord and kept his faith upright. But on the other hand he was poor, sick and thereby sidelined, mocked upon and deprived of an elite social life. Prestige and power was never his portion because he was terribly battling with his lot in life.

So the conclusion is there is all the possibility of severe affliction of sickness and poverty even to those who are fully faithful to the Lord. After all, Jesus said you will have troubles in this life, people will misunderstand you and judge you, you will be taken to court rooms and you might have to leave your family ties and relatives for my sake. (John 16: 33; Luke 12: 11-12; Mathew 5: 11-12; Mathew 19: 29) 3. MYTH 3: PROSPERITY IS THE GOAL OF LIFE Many people understand their life in terms of amassing wealth. They live for money and they crave for more wealth. Their life revolves around only one objective called money. They are never satisfied and ultimately they lose their relationship to people.

They can never give to others because they have trained themselves to receive. The myth by which the shrewd manager in Luke chapter 16 was entrapped was the same concept. He never thought to make friends out of people. He saw relationship only in terms of money and what he had to gain out of others. This caused him to naturally lose patience love and care. This is the entrapment of devil. The moment you are brainwashed by the lord of this universe you tend to believe life that the motto of life is only earning wealth. Watch yourself! You slowly begin to lose people from your life.

You don’t bother the suffering of others you never value relationship because money rules you. It is a great myth that has poisoned many people of God today. The myth that the goal of life if prosperity. The moment lot was misguided by this myth; he had no guilt feelings to fetch a fight with his guardian Abraham. He became blind towards God and His words the very moment he was enchanted by the prosperity.

THE REALITY OF POVERTY AND WEALTH IN CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 1. LIFE HAS MORE VALUE THAN WEALTH Luke chapter 16 teaches us about a great realization that happened to the shrewd manager. The moment his master realized that the manager is sightless by wealth and is not showing any kindness to people, he decided to give him a greatest learning in life. He said, "I am going to fire you from your prestigious job!" That was more than enough. You suddenly realize the other side of life when all of a sudden your power and resources are taken out. Being in a situation where you are deprived of power and position gives you a great lesson. Life brings in sudden shifts and that you can lose your prosperity any moment. Infact, people even lose their life in a moment.

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This realization is the realization of the transitory status of life. This is in fact an eye opener. It really worked for the shrewd manger and all in a sudden he became a good man. He began to love people than money. He began to be real human and that has impressed the master. This is same even today. Our master will be pleased in us in that moment we realize the vanity of life. Then we begin to exhibit Christ likeness than greed. It was the after-life experience that gave rich man in Luke chapter 16 a different attitude to God as well as to the word of God. He lavished with wealth in the earthly life and probably might have never thought of a life or existence beyond this world. Wealth becomes life itself when people are not bothered about a life to come. The perspectives get more God centered for rich man while he was in hell. But it was too late.

2. THERE IS A SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATION OF WEALTH People are poor not necessarily because they are condemned by God. In fact God is for the poor. Master is more concerned about the poor than about his manager (Luke 16:8). God was more pleased in the poor Lazarus than the rich man. The wealth was to be used wisely and ultimately to earn friendship with people around. (Luke 16: 8-9).

The book of psalms is full of verses that say God bothers the poor people. Psalms 9: 18 say that the needy will not always be forgotten and the hope of the afflicted will not be perished forever. The recovery of certain people from the marginalization and the upliftment of a society from infringing poverty will take time. But there must be agents of social transformation who could act on behalf of God. The care and comfort to the needy and poor is always the responsibility of Christian community(James 2:14-17).

3. THE SPIRITUAL STANDING BEFORE GOD The individual’s wealth and social standing, or the lack thereof, is not necessarily an indication of that person’s spiritual standing before God. Many of the Jews believed that the fact that they had accumulated wealth that afforded them social status and prominent positions in the religious community proved that they were under the blessing of God. They also thought, according to their logic, that those who were poor were under the curse of God. They no doubt appealed to the promises made to Israel in the Law of Moses concerning the blessings of prosperity for obedience to God’s Law and the curses of poverty because of disobedience, failing to recognize the national rather than the personal nature of those promises (see Deut. 28:1-45ff.; etc.). They were also ignoring the many warnings found in “Moses and the Prophets” that were directed towards the leaders of Israel who selfishly misused their power and wealth (see Isa. 56:10-12; Ezek. 34:1-4ff.; Micah 3:1-4; etc.).To challenge their seriously flawed thinking, the Lord Jesus told the parable of the unjust (or dishonest) steward (Luke 16:1-13). The point of this parable was that the dishonest steward, was wiser than the “children of light,” a reference to the sons of Israel, who were to be a channel through which God’s light would reach the Gentiles, i.e., the nations of the world (Isa. 42:5-7; 49:5-6; 60:1-3; 62:1-3).

4. GOD VALUES YOUR HEART THAN YOUR WEALTH The rich man’s failure to help Lazarus, a fellow Israelite, revealed that he had a wicked heart, a non-repentant heart. By refusing to provide for the poor beggar sitting at his gate, the rich man was rebelling against God who, through Moses, had given Israel specific instructions on how those with resources were to treat their poor fellow countrymen (see Deut. 15:7-11). They were to open their hands wide in providing for the poor and needy in their land. This man showed that he did not love the Lord God of Israel with all of his heart, soul, and might as commanded by the Law (Deut. 6:4-5; cf. Mark 12:28-30). The evidence of this was that he did not love his neighbor, who in this case was Lazarus (Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:34-40). Although he thought he could force his way into God’s Kingdom, his heart attitude, which was demonstrated by his actions, proved him to be unworthy to enter.

Jesus spent much of His time with the poor and needy. Although Scripture speaks

of the poor in three senses--the economically poor (those with little money), the politically poor (those suffering powerlessly as victims of social injustice) and the spiritually poor (those who are humble, meek and spiritually hungry), it remains so that Jesus spent much of his time withthe poor peasants of Galilee, the literal poor, and had a great affinity for all those at the bottom of the heap. He was very critique about the arrogance of

People

are poor not necessarily because they are condemned by God. In fact God is for the poor.

Master is more concerned about the poor than about his manager (Luke 16:8). God was more pleased in the poor Lazarus than the rich man. heart money brings in to people although he allowed rich people and wealthy individuals to be with him. The focus is something beyond the richness and poverty and that is the immediacy of the kingdom of heaven. The very core principle of the teachings of Jesus that helps people to overcome the influences of vanity of riches as well as the pain of poverty is the vision beyond the realities of this world. Christians are called to look upon wealth from this great perspective of eternity. This is the very message of Christianity.

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Dr. Domenic Marbaniang Christian Minister and Provost at Central India Theological Seminary. He is also author of several books on Amazon, Lulu, and Google Playstore.

He prolifically blogs at Marbaniang.com

God

and

Mammon “You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt.6:24)

Life is a

bundle of choices. We are confronted daily with choices between good and evil, truth and falsehood, faith and unbelief, the broad way and the narrow way.

The choices we make today determine the kind of future we will experience. Among life’s many choices of the day, the one that every believer faces on a more deceptive scale is the choice between serving God or serving mammon. Sadly, many believers do not realize that while they think they are serving God, most of their services are actually being consumed by God’s arch-enemy, mammon.

The word “mammon” refers to the idolization of money and wealth to supplant the place of God. While it may be true that “money answers everything” (Eccl.10:19), in the sense that most of our basic requirements can be bought with money, it is false to

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assume that money is everything. In fact, the Bible tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim.610). God’s word warns us not to “trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). The Bible warns us: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Prov.23:4,5). In fact, “people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1Tim.6:9).

Many years ago, a pastor of a growing church sarcastically asked me what the definition of “leader” was. Before I could say anything, he replied, “A leader nowadays is someone who has money.” I think he was right in describing the false mentality of many who, instead of serving God, are actually serving mammon when they easily switch organizations, leaders, and places just for the sake of monetary benefit. One pastor was asked why he had left ministering at a particular village and moved on to somewhere else; his prompt reply was, “There were not many customers over there.”

Shocking as it may seem, it is heartbreaking to God when the church Christ died for is treated as a business center and the believers are treated as “customers”. The words of Jesus resound, “It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" (Luke 19:46). Sadly, “they are experts in greed-an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness” (2Pet. 2:14-15).

In short, those who serve for money only serve mammon.

The same is true regarding all those who come to church or switch churches not because of Christ but because of social acceptability, luxurious facility, haughty spirit, and the secret love for mammon. It is true regarding everyone who hates giving to the work of the Lord. It is true regarding everyone who is fascinated with material things rather than being zealous after the Spirit of God. Those who pursue Christ for things that perish will be eternally destitute of God. But, they who pursue Christ because for them “to live is Christ and to die gain” will love His appearing and will be where He is.

Jesus said, “"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).

The Problem is with the Heart Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt.6:21).

The Bible talks about a rich young man who came to Jesus to enquire how he may get eternal life. When Jesus talked about keeping the laws related to fellow humans (do not steal, do not kill, etc), he replied that he never violated them. Then, Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matt.19:21). The Gospel tells us that when the young man heard this, he left with sadness, because he had a lot of wealth. Obviously, it was difficult for this rich young man to part with his wealth now, though it is a common fact that when a man dies he can take none of his savings along with him beyond the grave. Jesus exposed it that this rich young man loved his perishing wealth more than eternal life. He valued pursuing mammon more than pursuing Christ. Instead of regarding wealth as a thing to use for the good of all, he loved and hoarded it for no lasting gain. The problem was with his heart.

Jesus commanded His disciples, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt.6:19-20).

The Wise Invest for Eternity Jesus told the parable of a disloyal property manager (steward) who squandered the wealth of his boss (Luke 16:1-15). His boss called him to fire him and instructed

him to give an account of his management before he was removed from the position. The disloyal manager began to think, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg--I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' So, in accordance to his own cunningness, he called each of the debtors who owed

Jesus

commanded His disciples, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt.6:19-20). to his boss and helped them each get a reduction on their debts. Obviously, he was trying to secure a better future once he realized that his present job position was not secure anymore.

He was unlike the rich young man who, even though he knew that his wealth could not buy him eternity, persisted in pursuing his perishing wealth. This disloyal

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Jison Saju Joseph Old Testament Lecturer, New Theological College, Dehradun

God’s Manna Economy: Money and Wealth, an Old Testament Perspective

God is the Owner of Everything

The Hebrew Bible clearly states that God is the sole owner and creator of everything. The theology of God’s ownership can be seen in many passages of the

Old Testament. Psalm 24:1 says “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.” Some passages even reveal the specific items that God owns. Offspring are gifted to us from God. They are God’s. Psalm 127:3 says that, " Children are a gift from the Lord and they are a reward from him." In Leviticus 25:23, we see that God is the real owner of the land. Haggai 2:8 tells us that “the silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of hosts.” And in Psalm 50:10, the Lord tells us: “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.”

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1 Chronicles 29:11-12 says “Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone, and you are the ruler of all humankind; your hand controls power and might, and it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength.”

Abraham was asked to give back his own son to God. By being ready to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham acknowledged that Isaac is God’s gift and God’s possession. Job lost all his possessions and even his children. Job also acknowledged God’s ownership and said “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked will I depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised.”

Manna Economy- No Room for Need, No Room for Greed Much before Communism or Marxism arrived on the scene, God’s economic principles were clearly revealed to the Israelites in the biblical narratives of wilderness wandering. God miraculously provided manna as food for them. After a dramatic escape from Egypt, the Israelites find themselves wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. They are free of their servitude to the Egyptian economy, but they are at a loss to know how they should now live. Just like the addict who is terrified by the unknowns of a new life, they begin to contemplate returning to the slavery of Egypt: “There we sat round pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted ...” (Ex 16:3).It is here that the Israelites are offered a strange new economy, one based on ‘bread from heaven’ (v.4), and the perplexity of the Israelites is underscored by their naming the bread manna, meaning ‘What is it?’ (v.31). However, there are rules associated with this new system: Firstly, ‘Each one is to gather as much as is needed’ (v.16) - this is an economy based on everyone achieving enough rather than everyone pursuing unlimited wants. Not only is it important that none have ‘too little’, it is also important that none have ‘too much’. Within this framework, the provision of manna is abundant - there is no need to compete. Secondly, don't store it up - in the manna economy, stored wealth turns rotten (v.19-20).

The Israelites were instructed to eat only the manna they had gathered for each day the exception being that stored the day before the Sabbath (Preparation Day), when twice the amount of manna was gathered. This manna was not spoiled. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. - Exodus 16:18-20.Needless to say, the principles of the manna economy are the exact opposite of the Egyptian economy from which they have just been liberated. Not only do the Israelites have to learn a new way of living, they have to unlearn the old way, and as the story indicates, this is not easy for them. Israelites needed to learn the lessons of the manna economy before they came to Canaan. Israelites were trained as they wandered in the desert to learn to look at resources as a daily provision. Not to try and accumulate more than what is needed. Gluttony is not about eating too much food; it is about taking more of anything than you really need for today. It is a solid economic foundation.

The lessons of the manna economy echo through the life and teachings of Jesus.

When modeling prayer, Jesus addresses material needs by invoking a manna economy, asking “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is exactly what we find in the Sermon on the Mount which tells us not to worry about tomorrow as to what we will eat or what we will wear, but to look at the lilies of the field or the birds of the sky and see how God provides for them and learn how much better God will provide for His own children. Prophet Elijah, after he prophesied during the time of King Ahab about the stop of the rain depended on God for daily provisions. God used the ravens to give food to Elijah each day. Even in the house of the widow to whom the prophet went, we see that the dough and oil in the jar never finished. There was no abundance, but the daily needs were met at proper times. To take more than you need for the day is to rob someone else of their resources. The more and more people feel safe to only take what they need for the present, the more there is for everyone else. When

we have more than we need, it begins to rot. Anyone who has cleaned out their fridge knows the wrath of leftovers. Money and resources are the same way.

When wealth is hoarded it begins to lose its value. When wealth is invested back into a community, it grows more wealth. Sharing and investing are the staples of a rich and strong society.

The

lessons of the manna economy echo through the life and teachings of Jesus. When modeling prayer, Jesus addresses material needs by invoking a manna economy, asking “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Israelite Land Theology- Yahweh’s Land is Not to be Sold Permanently The land and the state of Israel were intricately related, that one cannot examine the covenant of Israel with God, if no account is taken of the place of the land.

The basic idea is that the land is Yahweh’s land (Psalm 24:1, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12). Leviticus 25:23 identifies God as the owner of the land. It says “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine, with me but you are aliens and tenants.”

In Genesis 1-2 chapters, we see how a relationship between God, November 2018

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people and the land develops.

He is the creator who made everything from nothing and has ownership rights over everything He created. Throughout the book of Joshua chapters 13-19, land is first and foremost an inheritance given to Israel by Yahweh, gift to be passed on from generation to generation. The idea that God owns the land has not only theological meaning, but also

The idea

that God owns the land has not only theological meaning, but also sociological significance.

The land in Israel was not to be considered as a private property instead, it was a loan administered by Israel on behalf of Yahweh. sociological significance. The land in Israel was not to be considered as a private property instead, it was a loan administered by Israel on behalf of Yahweh. The land was divided for the tribes and the tribe apportioned the land to the families. Each family enjoyed their own rights to the use of the land, but never as a commodity that could be bought or sold for private gain. Deuteronomy 24:19-22 states emphatically that a part of the harvest of the land be left for the alien, the orphan and the widow.

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God’s Economic Principles in Sabbath and Jubilee Sabbath rest - everyone has a right, even a need, to rest from work and to stop and think about what they are doing. Not only is this a radical industrial relations policy in the ancient world, it is also a statement of the underlying abundance of God's economy - it is not necessary to work all the time. Perhaps, most importantly, it enforces recognition of the greater truth that 'man does not live by bread alone' (Deuteronomy 8:3). Shmita (literally “release”), also called sabbatical year, is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by Torah for the land of Israel. During Shmita, the land is left to lie uncultivated. Jubilee largely deals with land, property and property rights. In Lev. 25, the family land that had been lost was to be returned to the original owner in the year of Jubilee. The fiftieth year is sacred- it is the time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families (Leviticus 25:10).

Jubilee was probably the development of the Sabbatical year. Rather than waiting for the 49th or 50th year, the Deuteronomic Code (laws set out in Deuteronomy 12-26), requires that Hebrew slaves be liberated during the 7th year of service as does the Covenant Code (laws set out in Exodus 21:1-22:16).

Approval of Wise Investing and Warnings against Illicit Profit, Interest and Bribe in the Old Testament The Hebrew Bible however is not to be understood as standing totally against saving or investing for the future. The Old Testament contains several passages that emphasize investing for future. Nevertheless, that should not be done in a way that takes away our daily dependence of God. Our security doesn’t lie in money, but in God alone. Proverbs 21:20 says “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” Again Proverbs 21:5 says “Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.” Because of their instinct for saving for future, ants are commended for their wisdom: “Four things on earth are small, yet they store up their food in the summer” (Proverbs 30:24). There is also warning against illicit profit.

Proverbs 15:27 says “He who profits illicitly troubles his own house.” “Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it.” cf. Proverbs 21:6, 13:11. God had also given warnings for Israelites not to charge interest on loans given to another Israelite (Deuteronomy 23:19). A bribe is defined as anything given to a person to influence him or her to do something illegal or wrong. Bribes are sometimes subtly disguised as a gift. Only a deliberate evaluation of such offers may confirm whether it is bribe or not. Taking a bribe is clearly prohibited by Scripture: And you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just (Exodus 23:8)

The Concept of Tithe and the Importance of Giving in the Hebrew Bible If giving is merely to a church, a ministry or to a needy person, it is only charity.

But when it is to the Lord, it becomes an act of worship. Those who have difficulty in understanding the concept of giving to people should recognize that each gift is actually given to the Lord Himself. An example of this perspective is found in Numbers 18:24: “For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites.” Tithe, or 10 percent of a person’s earning was the requirement to be given in the Old Testament. When the children of Israel disobeyed this commandment, it was regarded as robbing God Himself. This is what Yahweh says in Malachi 3:8-9 “You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due to me. And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you, for the whole nation had been robbing me.”

In addition to the tithe, the Israelites were to give offerings. Furthermore the Lord made special provisions for the needs of the poor. The real blessing lies in giving with the right attitude. Proverbs 11: 24-25 reads, “ There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but results only in want.

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Christopher Varughese Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad

Financial Stewardship – An Ethical Perspective

The Bible speaks volumes on money and material possessions. Out of the 38 parables of Jesus, 16 are concerning money. Approximately 2,000 verses in the Bible

deal with this subject. Jesus asks us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven… For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” We also see a strong message where Jesus speaks of a servant not being able to serve the two masters, namely, God and mammon (materialism). Thus, we must seek to use our financial resources to invest in heavenly and eternal purposes as clearly mentioned in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Most people are satisfied by being faithful in giving to the Lord. By giving tithe

or a share of their income, they believe that their duty is over.

Mark Allen Powell states that, “Financial stewardship is not only a matter of faithful giving but of faithful living.” He describes four areas where we need to be ethically careful in attempting to lead a life toward biblical financial stewardship.

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1. Be Ethical in how we Acquire Income When we are faithful stewards, we acquire our money in Godpleasing ways. Assuming that we are healthy enough, Bible expects us to work for our financial needs (2 Thes 3:10-12). Furthermore, this work has to be done with honesty.

The law of Moses provides details for business dealings (Lev 19:3536; Deut 25:13-15), maintaining that "all who act dishonestly are abhorrent to the Lord" (Deut 25:16). The prophet Amos cries out against merchants who

Thus,

stewards are encouraged to view their material possessions as gifts of God and to be thankful for them. In our modern age, notions of entitlement run rampant and have become increasingly easy to adopt. practice deceit with false balances (Amos 8:5-6; Lev 19:35). In the New Testament, John the Baptist tells soldiers not to supplement their wages by extorting money or accepting bribes (Luke 3:14), and he instructs tax-collectors to gather no more than the prescribed amount (Luke 3:13).

Thus, honesty is intended to typify persons who are faithful stewards of God. The Bible further forbids us from taking advantage of others.

God says, "Do not take interest

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in advance or otherwise make a profit from them" (Lev 25:35-37; see also Exod 22:25-27). Amos also rails against those who gain wealth at the expense of the poor (Amos 2:6-7; 5:11). In the New Testament, Jesus castigates religious leaders who have become rich by confiscating the homes of widows (Luke 20:47). The ethical treatise by apostle James also speaks to wealthy landowners who fail to pay their field hands a decent wage (James 5:1-6).

We also need to have the right attitude regarding our work. Martin Luther encouraged every worker to view his or her job as a calling from God. In his exhortation to the slaves in Colossian 3:22f Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.� Of course, there may be some professions that stewards of God should simply avoid; work that is intrinsically immoral or contrary to the purposes of God. When we understand that we cannot change the corrupt practices of our work place, despite repeated attempts, the best option for us is to step out. But, generally speaking, we can all be faithful stewards of God by pursuing occupations that involve us in useful and worthwhile activities.

2. Be Ethical in our Attitue Toward Money Our attitude toward the use of money is a revealing barometer of spiritual health and maturity. Scripture says that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" and maintains that one "cannot serve God and wealth." (Matt 6:24). If money is the primary source for joy or that which brings meaning in our life, then we are inclined toward loving money. Similarly, if we allow money to exercise a controlling influence over our decisions we are thereby serving money. Money, then, is to be something that we use for our needs, not something that we love or serve.

The above does not mean that we should have an immediate aversion to anything connected with money or materialistic. Bible generally encourages us to take a positive attitude toward our possessions. God is often identified as the ultimate source of prosperity (Prov 28:25) and Moses tells the Israelites to view affluence as something to celebrate (Deut 8:10). Jesus says that the Father in heaven gives "good things" to his children (Matt 7:11) and we might conclude from other stories in the Gospels that such good things include nice clothes (Luke 15:22), fatted calves (Luke 15:23), perfume (Mark 14:3-6), houses and fields (Mark 10:30) and other things associated with pleasant living in a material world.

If there is a problem with affluence in the Bible, it is not that there is anything wrong with prosperity itself but that material abundance leads to spiritual amnesia.

Moses has to warn the Israelites, "Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own hand has gotten me this wealth,' but remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth" (Deut 8:17-18). Thus, stewards are encouraged to view their material possessions as gifts of God and to be thankful for them. In our modern age, notions of entitlement run rampant and have become increasingly easy to adopt. Such notions are a surefire prescription for joyless living: we find it difficult to appreciate what we have when we think that we are only getting our due, and we find it easy to complain about what we lack when we think that we are not getting our due. The good news of biblical stewardship provides an antidote to such notions.

It inculcates genuine gratitude.

Acknowledgment of God as the giver of all that we have also implies trust in God's continuing benevolence. The Bible cautions us not to be anxious (Matt 6:2533). "Do not worry about tomorrow," Jesus says (Matt 6:34). "Do not worry about anything" (Phil 4:6). When we trust in God to provide for us with what we need, we can have less stressful and more satisfying lives. It is trust in God that accounts for Paul's startling claim, "I have learned to be content with whatever I have" (Phil 4:11).

Such contentment is grounded in the confidence that we not only will have enough to survive, but that we already do have enough. We have enough to be the people God wants us to be and to have the lives God wants us to have.

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Thus, we should be careful from extremes of teachings that speak of poverty as true Christianity on one hand and prosperity as a sure sign of God’s blessings. God will provide for our needs and not our wants. Thank God for the beautiful house, car, clothes, and rich food He provides. Nevertheless, we are not called to seek after these things. A close reading of Matthew 6:32 would render us as gentiles if we work or live for water, food or clothing. It is God’s duty to provide for us. He does His work excellently.

3. Be Ethical in how we Manage Money Several biblical stories and parables make clear as to how we ought to manage our money. Storing up treasures on the earth or hoarding is one such principle that Bible opposses. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where theieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

Money is to be used wisely, not hoarded. The best example of this may be the parable of the rich fool that Jesus tells in Luke 12:15-21. This man has so many goods that his barns will not hold them. He had enough space to accomodate all his needs but it wasnt sufficient for his wants. Instead of trying to reason with himself on reducing a little bit of what he had hoarded over the years, he does just the opposite. His ultimate solution to the problem was to tear down the barns and build bigger ones. His decision results in God calling to him a fool. Bible is not against saving money for some definite purpose. However, admonition is given to store our wealth in heaven. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where theieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). One such means of achieving this is is by contributing toward the cause of the Kingdom of God. Money or wealth used unwisely also leads to another ethical misfortune. Bible denounces hoarding not in the sense of permitting to squander money. Luke 15 clearly indicates otherwise. The younger son who wasted his wealth in wild living is found to have landed himself in trouble when a famine strikes suddenly.

To avoid the problem of hoarding and squandering, we need to think through our intentions and prayerfully submit them to God, asking, "How much should I set aside for this or for that? When am I storing away too much and when am I saving too little?" Jesus told yet another parable that might be apropos to this subject. In Matthew 25:14-30, he speaks of a man who gives money to three of his servants and waits to see what they will do with what they have been given. Two of the servants are deemed "good and trustworthy" because they successfully engage in the commerce of the day and manage to double what was given them. The third servant is denounced because he simply buries the money in the ground and digs it up later, proud that nothing was lost. Like most parables, this story has a metaphorical moral with a wide range of application, but there is certainly something to be learned at a literal level about financial management: doing nothing at all is seldom the best course.

Concern for money management is mostly overlooked. The pervasiveness of high-interest credit-card debt in our modern society is evidence that mismanagement of personal finances has reached epidemic proportions. The world of the Bible knew nothing of stock markets, tax brackets, or pension plans, but the Bible does have more to say about money management than we might imagine.

Faithful stewardship must begin with a basic commitment to getting our finances under control. Faithful stewardship might mean altering our spending habits, developing a budget, or learning to invest and save our money wisely. It might mean seeking the counsel of trained financial advisors, and approaching all of our decisions about money management with prayerful consideration of what God would have us do.

4. Being Ethical in how we Spend Money Christian stewardship generally commends the virtue of frugality, a way of

moderation that encourages Christians to distinguish between luxuries and necessities and to place some limits on acquisition of the former. The apostle Paul is of the opinion that it is not a matter of concern if he is rich or poor, having plenty or little. He knows that he will be content and that he will be a faithful steward of Jesus Christ regardless (Phil 4:12). Paul does not assume that either poverty or riches would be his undoing because he knows that God is at work in him (Phil

Faithful

stewardship must begin with a basic commitment to getting our finances under control. Faithful stewardship might mean altering our spending habits, developing a budget, or learning to invest and save our money wisely.

1:6) and that he can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13).

Accordingly, Christians may view the commendation of frugality and moderation not as a requirement but as an invitation to a joy-filled life. We all know that acquisition of possessions does not in itself bring joy. What is called for, then, is not an arbitrary distinction between "necessities" and "luxuries" but discernment regarding what is truly worthwhile and what is not. Ultimately, such decisions must be matters for Continued on page 24 November 2018

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Rev. Ratheesh A. P. Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad

Greed as Idolatry: Jesus and Paul on the love of Money

We have reached a time when we need to live with less! India's economy is facing a lot of challenges. The value of money is going down, prices are hitting all time peak.

Demonetization has badly affected all classes of our society namely farmers, small and big scale industries and the common people. The recent floods that hit Kerala not only badly affected the houses and buildings but also our wealth. Obviously, this is right time to think about how Christians should handle the money wisely. We realise that the money we trust is no more secure and we will not have abundance of money all the time.

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Our spending habits have gotten out of control. We spend lavishly on clothing, cosmetics, luxurious houses and cars. On the far side we forget our obligation towards the people who are less fortunate than us. Therefore, it is necessary to think what Jesus and his disciples, particularly Paul, taught about contentment and greediness of money.

There are a few Christians who materialize spirituality. They insist that faithful christians will be blessed materially and encourage them to easy path; to obtain those blessings. Ben Witherington articulates, money is just a stuff or material good that exists in the world. If we look into the spiritual aspect of money we understand that, when God created everything in the world he did not have any regret of his work. Scripture says “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen.1:31). Therefore, all the material that he made has no evil, but human being has a capacity to turn good into bad. Therefore, the strong desire to gain more money left human beings greedy.

Cambridge Dictionary defines 'Greed' as a “strong desire to continually get more of something, especially money.” Ancient Greek philosophers also talked about greed in their ethical writings. Plutarch says a greedy person is discontent with present blessings, a discontent which leads to greed and immoderate hopes for the future.

Greed for wealth is the cause of discontent. According to Aristotle, “Both one who breaks the law and one who is greedy seem to be unjust.” Thus, for him the greed is “having more,” “overreaching,” “getting more than one’s fair share.” Therefore, greed is something that we want more in order to satisfy our earthly aspirations.

Many of us don’t realize that the greed is a serious problem. We don’t consider it as a sin. R.C.H Lenski narrates an experience: “A Catholic Priest states that during his long years of service all kinds of sin and crime were confessed to him in the confessional but never the sin of Greed.” Therefore the sin of greed can replace God, any desire that replaces God is an idolatry. Idolatry is so central to biblical faith and that it is the unspeakable sin that alone arouses God’s powerful jealousy. Both Jesus and Paul vehemently criticise the person who has a strong desire for wealth in order to satisfy his self, will misplace his devotion to God, which is obviously an idolatry.

JESUS’ PERSPECTIVE ON the LOVE OF MONEY Greed as foreign god In the Gospel of Matthew and Luke Jesus emphatically says that to serve, love, obey and trust anything other than God is an idolatry. Matt. 6:24, Luke.16:13 says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The image of “Master” which is used in this passage shows the religious, imperial, and social context of the Jewish and Roman Empire.To serve or be enslaved denotes relationship with God/gods (Exod 23:33; Deut 13:4; Judg 2:7) in Jewish and GrecoRoman religions. The image shows the God’s ownership and power and the worshiper’s dependence. When a person offer his whole service and devotion to gain wealth, he becomes the slave of the wealth. So he turns his dependence and obedience from God to wealth. Greed or covetousness is the trigger that forces a person to become a devotee of wealth and he becomes the idolater.

The Aramaic word 'Mamonas' means wealth, the personified word is 'Mamona' which means the force that makes people to try and become as rich as possible and the belief that this is the most important thing in life. Few nineteenth-century scholars claimed that mammon was known Syrian deity, and in some later Christian sources 'Mamonas' is depicted as the demon of wealth. Ralph Martin denotes, “To that extent greed is no better than a spirit of idolatry, the worship of mammon.” Therefore, greed is depicted here as idolatry.

Two models of idolatry can be seen in the Old Testament. First, is a Material model: Israel is often portrayed as married to God. Israel’s idolatry is often described

as unfaithfulness to her husband, God. This model supports the view that sees idolatry as love and devotion. And the second is a Political model: Here God is King and the Israelites are His Subjects must depend on their King for their existence; they must be loyal. This model supports the view that sees idolatry as trust and confidence.

The great reminder that comes to the Christians is that, where do we trust? Where do we put our confidence? When we trust and put our confidence in our

The

Aramaic word 'Mamonas' means wealth, the personified word is Mamona which means the force that makes people to try to become as rich as possible and the belief that this is the most important thing in life. financial security, we are already under the influence of greed and started worshiping the idols. Do I trust in anything other than God for my daily bread and future needs? What role do material possessions and money have in my life?

Greed/Wealth as a stumbling block: Parable of Rich Fool Jesus got an opportunity to expresses his followers’ attitude towards the material possessions.

There came a man from the crowd and complained to Jesus about his brother who possessed November 2018

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an inheritance and do not want to share with him. What we see here is that the brother who has nothing, desperately wanted his brother to share with him the inheritance. Usually we think it is the rich who crave for more wealth but often the less one has the more greedy one is. Jesus narrates a parable to answer him more clearly (Luke 12:16-21).

The man in the story is not told to redistribute his goods or to

Jesus

wanted his disciples to follow him wholeheartedly, so he insisted them to store their treasures not on the earth but in heaven (Matt.6:19-21; Luke.12:31), because one’s heart follow one’s first love.

When a person invest his heart with wealth, his devotion will be placed in wealth not in God. share them with the poor. Nor is the man “punished in any way

by God. The man’s life ends that very night not as a sign of divine punishment, but rather to make an eschatological point: we never know when our lives will end because we live only briefly and temporally. we should not be overly considered with the things of this life, but rather we should focus on the Kingdom of God. Some day we must say good bye

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to those things are so precious to us. A Spanish proverb says, “There are no pockets in a shroud (garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial), we don’t carry anything with us from this earth.” But we wrongly believe that Jesus is criticizing the rich fool for being rich. On the contrary he is criticizing the rich fool for being fool! He is criticising him for being preoccupied with material possessions and neglecting the Kingdom of God. Jesus is not criticizing anyone who is preoccupied with the material matters of this world rather he is criticizing anyone who gives priority to wealth than godliness.

Jesus wanted his disciples to follow him wholeheartedly, so he insisted that they store their treasures not on the earth but in heaven (Matt.6:19-21; Luke.12:31), because one’s heart follow one’s first love. When a person invests his heart with wealth, his devotion will be placed in wealth not in God. Greed is regularly viewed as a form of idolatry (Lk.12:15; Eph.4:28; Col.3:6). Wealth and possessions tend to hinder discipleship. This doesn’t mean that poverty is moral purity, but is only as means of security for undivided obedience and loyalty to God’s reign.

PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE ON LOVE OF MONEY Greed as idolatry There is a sin called greed or covetousness. The Greek word 'Pleonexia' is used for greed which is one of the ugliest of sins. This word is the combination of two Greek words; the first half of the word is from pleon, which means 'more', and the second half is from echein, which means 'to have'. So Pleonexia means the desire to have more. Greek people themselves defined it as desire which cannot be satisfied, like a water bowl with a hole in it. So it is the desire to have what belongs to others. The opposite of the desire is ‘to give.’ Paul compares this desire with idolatry Col.3:5 and “the greedy person is an idolater” Eph.5:5. In this verse, Paul has used the metaphor “idol” for greed. C.F.D. Moule says, ‘idolatry is an attempt to use God for man’s purposes, rather than to give oneself to God’s service.’ The central focus of idolatry is to have more, those whose lives are dominated by the materialism in the place of God. Therefore greed is slavery imposed by the economic system. It is to show the danger of wealth that leading a person away from God. Paul also talks about people who use godliness to achieve financial gain.

Love of Money Paul had a strong objection against the people who do the ministry for financial gain. He warns against the use of godliness for financial gain 1 Tim. 6:6-10, 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Titus 1:10-16. In these verses Paul expresses the danger of prioritizing money, says, the love of money is the root cause of all sin. A Cynic teacher denotes, “money is the mother of all evils.” The Greek writer Athanaeus quotes, ‘The belly’s pleasure is the beginning and root of all evil.’ Money is not in itself evil, but it is great responsibility.

It has a power to do good and evil. So we must understand the vulnerabilities that are concealed in the love of money.

The desire for money makes people selfish (ITim.6:9,10) In this passage Paul is referring to the false teachers who aspire to gain more money at the expense of godliness. So they make personal gain rather than God’s glory the prime object of life. The reckless pursuit of money leads a man to misplace his priorities and questionable integrity. These people think that godliness is a way of financial gain (Tim. 6:5). Even we find these categories of people today. They materialize the gospel in the name of spirituality and channelize it to earn more money. They only follow “The Profession of Christian Faith” not true holy living in the power of the spirit.

They consider ministry as a profession and not a service. They use the scripture and interpret, “workman being worthy of his hire.” They use their religious profession as a means to make money. What they did was not true ministry; it was just a religious business. Many Christians today are not far from them.

renewing and enriching life

Paul was always careful not to use his calling and ministry as a means of making money. In fact, he even refused support from the Corinthian Church so that no one could accuse him of greed (I Cor. 9:15-19). Too many of us know the “Price of everything and the value of nothing.” We are so glutted with luxuries that we have forgotten how to enjoy our necessities. The economic and energy crises that the world faces will probably be used by God to encourage people to simplify their lives.

The desire for love of money cause divisions (I Cor.11:18) In the Corinthian Church there were significant conflicts between the different economic classes. This conflict becomes apparent in how the members of the church celebrated the Lord’s Supper (Love feast). It was observed by the scholars that socio-economic factors (1:26-31; 6:1-8; 8:1-11:1), are responsible for the Corinthian’s fractured fellowship. Some of the wealthier and socially superior members had been dishonouring the poor. What exactly emerged during the Lord’s Supper that led to the humiliation of the poorer members who were present.

Greed cause divisions (I Cor.11:18). Instead of treating one another with brotherly love and acting as the family of God, those who have more than enough to eat and drink at the Lord’s Supper are treating shamefully those who have insufficient quantities (I Cor.11:21-one person is hungry and another person is drunk, Those who do not have anything (11:22), whose members are humiliated by the actions of their wealthy colleagues. Jerome Neyrey argues that the division in 11:18 threaten not only the wholeness but also the holiness of the body, just as in Lev.21:16-20 the wholeness of the animal determined its holiness. So the greed for the power or identity which is gained by the money caused division in the Corinthian church. Many today are affected by this greed and gain the power and fame by the influence of money.

Jesus and Paul are strongly admonishing the people that “to flee from these things” (ITim.6:11), because it causes much grief (1 Tim. 6:10). We see the message of ‘contentment’ in the teachings of Jesus and Paul.

CONTENTMENT/GODLINESS The Greek word 'autarkeia' is used for 'contentment' which means ‘inward selfsufficiency.’ The demand is that man should be content with the goods allotted to him by God. A person who has greed, always wanted to store more wealth. Arthur Schopenhauer says, “wealth is like sea water: the more you drink, the thirstier you become.” But a person who has Christ will find contentment always in Christ. Paul explains that godliness is indeed “great gain” (ITim.6:6, 7) in a sense. Since true godliness is characterized by contentment, he is referring to something different from the false teachers. While they are motivated by the love of money, godliness is motivated by sufficiency in God. Love of money is slavery but contentment is independence.

Godliness and Independence or self-control are contrasted with ungodly desires such as greed, which leads to slavery and the manipulative use of religion to feed greed’s addictive hunger or pining. A person who is truly godly is free from or at least not enslaved to such addictions. Vincent Cheung says, ‘Christian contentment is not the elimination of all desire but it is an intensification of one’s desire toward God to a point where all other

things become insignificant.’

Jesus taught his disciples to pray for their daily bread, “Give us our daily bread” which

Jesus

taught his disciples to pray for their daily bread, “Give us our daily bread” which means to be content in what you have and not to be worried about the future (Luke.12:13-34; Matt 6:9-13, 19-34). means to be content in what you have and not to be worried about the future (Luke.12:13-34; Matt 6:9-13, 19-34). Jesus says everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life (Matt.19:29). True godliness, the kind that does not lust after money but that exhibits profound contentment is more profitable than the love of money. A Christian can be content in various circumstances because God has strengthened his soul. Thus contentment is never a sign of weakness or resignation, but one of spiritual strength and maturity.

Today’s Christians should realize that greed the ugliest of sins can even replace God. Both Jesus and Paul strongly explain about greed as idolatry which take our trust, obedience, confidence and love from God and give to the wealth. We need to use our godliness to spread the gospel and not to use godliness to earn money. Christians should be learned to live the lives of contentment.

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God and Mammon Continued from page 13

manager gave up all desire for mere wealth; rather, he used his present position to make more lasting friendships, in his own earthly way. The boss appreciated his wisdom. Even worldly people know that it is foolish to just live for the present moment or just for money, that it is foolish to not make plans for the future. When it comes to the matter of eternity, Jesus teaches us to not love, squander, or worship mammon, but use it wisely in order to have a

place in eternity. In fact, bad management (wastage) of money is as wrong as hoarding up of money for covetous reasons (rendering it useless).

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11).

This begins with understanding that all wealth belongs to God and we are only stewards (wealth managers) of whatever is entrusted to us here on earth. Those who acknowledge God in all things and live a life free of covetousness and worldly worries will have a more fruitful life of discipleship. Their heart is free of “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things” (Mark 4:19). They do not idolize the world but use it properly- “those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.” (1Cor.7:31). They focus on doing good, and are rich in good deeds. They are generous and willing to share. In this way they “lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Tim.6:18-19).

God’s Manna Economy: Money and Wealth an Old Testament Perspective The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”

Finally, the great challenge of our time is to rediscover what living by a manna economy might actually look like. We need to acknowledge that God is the owner of everything. We just

need what we require for our growth and sustenance by the Lord. We need to learn to use God’s resources as a steward, because we are accountable for the way we manage God’s money and resources. We should learn to be content with our need satisfaction and not look for our greed satisfaction. How much is ‘enough’ and how much is ‘too much’? Our need to learn these lessons come into stark relief when we apply them to even the use of the earth's natural resources: contrary to being scarce resources (the way in which we normally think of them), can we learn that they are actually abundant for our needs, if only some of us can learn not to gather ‘too much’?

Financial Stewardship – An Ethical Perspective personal conscience or family discussion. Christian stewards may not always be consistent or predictable in such deliberations, but the mere fact that they consider such matters prayerfully, seeking the guidance of God's Spirit, will set them apart from the general population.

If we begin consciously spending our money in ways that we believe are pleasing to God, we will not miss out on the pleasures of life. If anything, we will begin appreciating such pleasures all the more, knowing that God approves and applauds our enjoyment of this good world and much that it affords. Discerning people lack no

24 November 2018

Continued from page 16

Continued from page 19

appreciation for the wonder and value of life but, to the contrary, appreciate what they have and do not regret the absence of what they choose to forego.

We need make no apologies for showing such discernment. John Westerhoff points out, for instance, that parents often deflect the more extravagant desires of their children by saying, "We can't afford that." The implicit message is that the parents would buy the costly item if they had the money, which may or may not be true. In any case, the children are left feeling sad and, worse, believing that such sadness could be remedied if only the family had more money. Instead, he suggests that we say, "We don't think that getting this would be a good use of our money" or even, "We don't believe that God would want us to use our money in this way"? Of course, such a response might invite arguments from the children regarding why the purchase would be a good use of the family's money or why God would favor the purchase, but such discussions involve the entire family in thinking about the use of money in broader terms.

When we are faithful stewards, we spend our money in God-pleasing ways. We please God when we use our money in ways that serve others (1 Pet 4:10-11) and that demonstrate appropriate self-care. May the Lord help us to live in content with the resources that we have and use our resources wisely.

renewing and enriching life

Counse ing

Corner

Mrs. Janet Joy A family counselor with open hearts, Lucknow, U.P. Part of her calling is to help young people identify their purpose and pursue their calling

Building Relationships My name is Sushila and I am 27 years old. My parents are forcing me to get married but I have a fear that it won’t be a successful relationship. I am having difficulty having

healthy relationships with my colleagues at work. I keep having conflicts with my parents, other significant relationships and I have had to say good bye to some people who I thought would always be by my side. I end each day feeling lonely and miserable but I do know that marriage is not the answer. I can’t handle another unsuccessful relationship.

Please do help!!!

Sushila!! Thank you so much for writing in. I want you to know that it took courage to own up to your feelings and seek help. You are on the road to finding healing and building healthy relationships. Remember, finding healing is a journey. Many a times we expect things to change overnight. But it takes time to discover yourself and as you do that, you will be able to manage your relationships better.

I can only imagine how hard and lonely it must be to be in the place where you are.

You seem to be trying hard to keep up with the relationships you mentioned but you feel stuck. Sushila, we are created to be relational beings and enjoy friendships and relationships but sometimes it just doesn’t seem to happen for us!!! It can be quite frustrating. Eventually we end up feeling unlovable and unwanted.

Sushila, if this is how you feel, I want you to know that this is not true!!! You are created in God’s image and hence you are significant and wanted. Unhealthy relationships need not define who we are. Learning how to manage conflict and communicate better will enable us to enjoy relationships that are nurturing to our spirit and soul.

Sushila, I want you to understand that conflict is inevitable In any relationship.

God has created us uniquely. Our likes, dislikes are just so different from one another.

Conflict arise when we don’t know how to communicate what we want in an appropriate manner. Reaching out to a professional counselor will help you learn such skills and would enable you to have much healthier relationships. Learning such skills will not just help you manage your emotions and communicate better but it will help you manage other people emotions and their unhealthy communication style too.

Marriage is an Institution created by God which is meant to be nurturing to our spirit and our emotional self. You are right when you said that you don’t want

to struggle in your marriage relationship. But the fact is that it doesn’t have to be that way. As you continue to walk in God’s will and purpose and equip yourself to manage relationships better, you will be able to have a healthy married life. I know that it can be frightening to step into a marriage relationship when you see so much of unsuccessful relationships happening around.

But you don’t have to do this by yourself Sushila. Before you step into the marriage, I would recommend that you go through Pre- marital counseling which will help you deal with their fears and anxieties of marriage.

Remember Sushila, you are not meant to walk this journey by yourself.

Marriage

is an Institution created by God which is meant to be nurturing to our spirit and our emotional self. You are right when you said that you don’t want to struggle in your marriage relationship. But the fact is that it doesn’t have to be that way. As you continue to walk in God’s will and purpose and equip yourself to manage relationships better, you will be able to have a healthy married life.

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renewing and enriching life

QUIZ–67

Answers for Quiz - 66

TAXES, EXTORTION AND BRIBES

Builders of Cities

1. What noble prophet’s sons were notorious for taking bribes?

2. Who advised that the Egyptians be taxed 20 percent of their produce in order to prepare for famine?

3. Who taxed the Israelites in order to pay off Paul, the king of Assyria?

4. Whom did Jesus send fishing in order to get money for taxes?

5. Who warned the people of Israel that having a king would mean having taxation?

6. What was Judas given to betray Jesus?

7. Who offered Delilah silver if she could find out the secret of Samson’s strength?

8. According to the Law, how much tax did all adult Israelites have to pay when the census was taken?

9. Who laid a tax on the whole Persian Empire?

10. Who made for Jesus a feast that was attended by many tax collectors?

The ABC of becoming a Christian

Admit that you are in

need of someone to save you from guilt, shame and bondage or addictions.

Admit that you have violated God’s Laws.

1. Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10) 2. Cain (Genesis 4:17) 3. The enslaved Israelites (Exodus 1:11) 4. Nimrod (Genesis 10:11) 5. Jeroboam (1 King 12:25) 6. Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:17) 7. Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:6) 8. Omri (1 Kings 16:23–24) 9. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30)

Believe that Jesus Christ is the

only One who is able to save you and to bring deliverence and offer forgiveness of sins. Believe that Jesus is the only One to conquer death and is the risen Saviour.

Confess with your

mouth that Jesus is your Lord and submit to His rulership in your life.

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26 November 2018