Money

An old friend called unexpectedly in mid-January to talk about the economy. He has been in the bullion and numismatics business for decades, and he is usually optimistic. But now he was deeply concerned about the future, and for the first time in his life he was “paranoid.” His economic prognostications were bleak, he explained, because God promises to bring judgment on a faithless nation. Since the United States is grossly immoral, he could only expect tough times ahead.

Learn how to identify when professional counseling is needed.

Are you having financial difficulties? Jesus had much to say about money.

by Timothy D. Terrell  »  Bio
The days of the piggy bank and the dollar-a-week allowance are past. You've got a job, and you're making several thousand dollars a year, boosted by those Christmas gifts from your family. Maybe your first tax return is due this April 15. The financial side of your life is definitely different from what it was two or three years ago.

So the question is, what do you do with all that newfound wealth? Certainly your local shopping mall has lots of ideas for you. Or maybe you have your eye on a big purchase, like a car. If you're like most of us, whatever is on your wish list, it's a sure thing your money will run out before your wish list does.

Society today classes people according to their material wealth. Whether that wealth is in the form of money/income, things such as the latest technology gadgets or the hottest fashions in clothes, people are automatically classed into several categories.

Where I live, in Canada, I am considered as living BELOW the poverty line. That means, that according to Canadian standards, I don't make enough money to meet my natural needs.

Do you and your spouse bicker over money issues? When the utilities, credit card bills, and mortgage are due, do you find you are more stressed out when it comes time to pay them?

“Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts.

“Twenty-five years ago most churches just taught people how to handle 10 percent of their income-the area of giving-and left the other 90 percent un-addressed.

Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be one of those who give pledges,
who become surety for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay,

The Bible does not minimize the importance of economics. The Garden of Eden makes mention of gold and precious stones: "The gold of that land is good" (Genesis 2:11-12). Jesus used money as a teaching device in many of His parables. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, Panorama City, California, said that

16 out of 38 of Christ's parables deal with money; more is said in the New Testament about money than heaven and hell combined; five times more is said about money than prayer; and while there are 500 plus verses on both prayer and faith, there are over 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions.[1]