BE A SHREWD MANAGER

Luke 16:8-9

The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more shrewd than the godly are. I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.

The parable of the shrewd manager teaches us about a manager that squandered all of another man's wealth  that had been entrusted with him. Just as the manager was about to suffer the consequences for his errors, he leveraged all of his influence and collected debts at a discounted rate from people that owed the rich man money to rebuild the lost wealth. Amazingly, the rich man actually admired the shrewd manager for preserving himself (and his lost money) with such tactics. The moral of the parable is that Christians need to be very shrewd managers when leveraging their money, influence and authority. We need to wisely and strategically operate in this way so that souls can be won to Christ to benefit His kingdom.

LEAD OTHERS TO CHRIST

Acts 20:24

But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.

A preacher and a Christian lawyer were having a conversation when the preacher asked, "Are you bringing other men to Christ?" The lawyer responded, "No, that's not my business." The preacher said, "But that is your business." The lawyer very coolly responded, "Look, I'm not called to do that, I'm called to practice the law. I'm an attorney." The preacher very kindly asked his Christian brother to read Acts 8:4 aloud: "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." Without any hesitation the lawyer argued, "This verse is describing the duty for the apostles, not for regular followers." The preacher smiled and then asked the evasive lawyer, "Would you be kind enough to read the first verse of the chapter, Acts 8:1?" The attorney read from the Word of God, "And all except the apostles were scattered abroad." It's such a silly anecdote, but it clearly displays some common thoughts within the church. The Word of God is nevertheless clear - all Christians have the responsibility of leading people to Christ.

HOPEFUL, HAPPY AND FULL OF PEACE

Romans 15:13

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just because one has a happy and peaceful demeanor doesn't necessarily mean that there's an absence of problems, challenges or issues in that person's life. The Bible teaches us that even though we're going to experience tribulations, we still have Jesus' assurance found in John 16:33, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." If you believe in God, and you faithfully understand that you are clay in the Potter's hands, then you probably understand what hope really is. You know that you're safe even in the midst of dangers, trials, problems and inexplicable difficulties because while in these troubling situations, your heart and mind have a mysterious peace and happiness. The kind of peace and happiness that can only be provided by the Holy Spirit.

NOT BY MIGHT, NOT BY POWER

Romans 14:17

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity of God, a composite unity. The Holy Spirit isn't some kind of power or might, but rather a person as we learn from Zechariah 4:6, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." The Holy Spirit tells us of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ leading our lives to goodness and peace - if we allow Him control in our lives. Ephesians 4:30 gives us some specific instructions to bear when the Word says, "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." Let the Holy Spirit into your life, let Him have His way and it's guaranteed that you'll have a life of goodness.

YOU NEED MORE THAN FOOD TO LIVE

Matthew 4:4

But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.'"

Before Jesus started implementing the redemptive plan of His Father, He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. That's right: 40 days and 40 nights. I recently read a story about a mother whose children had gone on to become very successful and well-rounded who was asked, "What was your secret to parenting kids that would become successful adults?" With complete humility she responded, "In the morning when I washed my children, I prayed that they might be cleansed by the Savior’s blood. When I put on their clothes, I prayed that they be arrayed in the garments of salvation and God’s righteousness. When I give them food, I prayed that they might be fed with the Bread of Life." If you're looking for the secret to a successful life, you need to look no further than the source of complete nourishment which is the Bread of Life: God and His Word.

GIVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND FREELY

1 Chronicles 29:7,29

For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave almost 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, about 375 tons of silver, about 675 tons of bronze, and about 3,750 tons of iron. The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD, and King David was filled with joy.

There's a story that I'd read about a poor little boy who while at church, saw all the people putting their tithes and offerings into the offering plate. The only things that he had to give, however, were marbles in his pocket. Without thinking twice about it, he put all of his marbles in the offering plate. Several people saw what he did, and after the worship service one of the ushers asked the little boy if he wanted his marbles back. He replied, “Oh, no. I gave them to the Lord Jesus.” Inspired, and a little embarrassed, by the generosity that this little child displayed, a wealthy church member pulled the usher to the side and said, “I’ll give a hundred dollars for that boy’s marbles.” It's so amazing how giving wholeheartedly and freely can bless the giver.

IT'S A SIMPLE MATTER OF TRUST

Luke 16:11-12

And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?

Many wealthy people are self-employed, self-made, entrepreneurial owners of businesses. Stanley and Danko's The Millionaire Next Door found that these people, despite their wealth, consciously chose to live below their means although they could afford more. Also interesting is that only 20 percent of those that participated in the study came from wealthy families. These people displayed a virtue of frugality which had been built up not by textbook lessons, but rather by lessons derived from their life's experiences. A great test to see if you'd be good at being rich would be to see if you're any good at taking care of your possessions or, better yet, someone else's possessions under your care. This is the basis of the lesson from Luke 16:11-12. If you can't be trusted with someone else's money, don't expect the Lord to trust you with something big.

YOUNG LEADERS, BE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL

1 Timothy 4:12

Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Many years ago as a young pastor, I found that it was difficult for people that were older than me to receive and accept my leadership because of my age. General Douglas MacArthur once said that, "Youth is a state of mind, it is not entirely a time of life, not wholly a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips, or supple knees. It is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life. It means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease." Let no man stop you from serving God at any age. Always remember that it is always a great privilege to serve God whatever age you might be.

IF YOU'RE INTO PARTIES AND GETTING DRUNK, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU

Romans 13:13

We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.

We all need to be aware that who we are as people is a reflection of how strong or weak our faith is in Christ. Christians need to put some real effort into behaving like Jesus. We put this effort in because we are children of God, not because we're trying to pay or earn our way into God's blessings. We can only gain salvation because it's only by His grace and mercy that salvation can be received. Thomas Paine once wrote that a, "Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and the angels know of us." Let your character be a reflection of the strength of your faith and the decency of your life's walk. Don't participate in things that are obviously wrong, and for things that may not be clearly right or wrong, always try to stay with that which is safe and decent. Your life's walk is important and it should be a walk that you would be proud to have Jesus Christ see you living.

YOU'LL KNOW WHO TO FOLLOW

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

The spiritual leaders mentioned here are the elders or ministers that correctly teach the Word of God. That said, not all religious leaders qualify because some are a counterfeit that would knowingly, and sadly sometimes unknowingly, lead people away from salvation in Christ and toward destruction. Obey those spiritual leaders that lead you to take Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Salvation can only be obtained through Christ according to the Bible as taught in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Salvation is something that we can't earn, obtain through our own personal efforts, through a religion, or even through a spiritual leader. This is why we need to take care to properly identify those spiritual leaders that teach people to follow Christ. If a spiritual leader is teaching correctly and you obey the teachings, you'll find yourself often in the Word, in prayer and in blessings.

EXPERIENCE THE INEXPRESSIBLE JOY

1 Peter 1:8

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a glorious, inexpressible joy. By placing our trust in Him, even though we can't physically see Him, we are blessed for moving with faith. This is what Jesus taught Thomas when he doubted that Christ rose from the dead in John 20:28-29, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway." Put your faith to the test and trust Jesus with your life. Make this faithful action and you'll be blessed experiencing the inexpressible joy that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

ENTERTAINING ANGELS

Hebrews 13:2

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Celebrated Parisian artist, Ary Scheffer, wanted to paint a portrait of a beggar so his friend, the famed wealthy banker Baron Rothschild, volunteered to be the model. He told Scheffer, "Wait 'til tomorrow and I'll dress myself up as a beggar, and make you an excellent model.” As promised, Rothschild came back the next day dressed as a very poor looking beggar. In fact, Rothschild looked so much the part that when a visitor entered Scheffer's studio, he was so overcome with pity that he reached into his pocket to give a gold coin to whom he had presumed was a beggar. Ten years later, Rothschild wrote to the patron who gave him the gold coin, "Sir, you one day gave a gold coin to Baron Rothschild in the studio of Ary Scheffer. He has invested it, and made good use of it. Today he sends the capital you entrusted to him, together with the interest it has gained to the tune of ten thousand francs." In the spirit of Hebrews 13:2, it's quite obvious that we can never know who among us is an angel or a messenger from God. That said, be mindful to show kindness and hospitality to strangers because the person before you might be an angel entertained, a lost soul in need of Christ or even a fellow Christian looking for encouragement. In any event, your good and hospitable behavior (or worse yet, your poor and inhospitable behavior) just might have a long-term effect.

WHAT TO FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON

1 Timothy 6:9

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

Famed American magnate, Andrew Carnegie, told an envious reporter many years before he died, “I am not really to be envied. I cannot digest (my food). I would give you all my millions, if you could give me your youth and health. I’d gladly sell all, to have half my life over again.” This is living proof of the teachings from 1 Timothy 6:9. Be careful about any longings for wealth because that longing may be what opens the door for temptation and sin ultimately making your heart's desire a curse rather than a blessing. It's more important to put your energy into having God at the center of your life. After all, if you seek His kingdom first, things like worldly riches and even possessions will then be added unto you as a blessing.

CANCEL ANY OTHER PLANS

Jude 1:20

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.

Someone once asked Emily Post, the renowned expert on etiquette, “What is the correct procedure when one is invited to the White House, but has a previous engagement?” She replied, “An invitation to lunch or dine at the White House is a command, and automatically cancels any other engagement.” In a similar way, when the Holy Spirit directs us to pray it is a command that provides to us an unsurpassed privilege of fellowship with the King. This privilege is mentioned in Jeremiah 33:3 when God says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.” An invitation from the Holy Spirit to fellowship with God Almighty should absolutely cancel any other engagement. Any other response would be a display of poor Christian etiquette.

GOD FIRST, FAMILY SECOND

Matthew 10:37

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Matthew 20:37 never implies that God wants us to hate our fathers, mothers, sons or daughters. The verse simply says that to be worthy of God, you've got to love Him more than you love your family. This also doesn't imply that your family shouldn't be important to you. To be worthy of God, He must be more important than your family to you. There's really no comparison when you get down to it because nothing can be compared to the King of Kings. Our supreme Creator deserves supreme reverence, obedience and love. Loving anything or anyone more than those that love you the most (or vice versa) can understandably be difficult to fathom, but if the faithful could truly put God above all other things, imagine how He would pour blessings upon those faithful believer's lives, families, desires and dreams. The sequence is simple: God first, family second.

FRIENDS FOREVER

Psalm 25:14

Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear him. With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.

Adam had the great privilege of being able to talk, walk and befriend God while in the Garden of Eden. Their relationship, however, was cut off and strained because of the original sin. Being that God is holy, He very plainly could not have fellowship with sin. In God's perfect desire to restore His fellowship with man, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrificial lamb whose blood would wash away our sin. Romans 5:10 teaches us that upon Christ's crucifixion, “We were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son.” Come to the Lord with a humble heart, recognizing all your sinful mistakes and ask Him for forgiveness so that you experience God's friendship in your life. Just imagine yourself like Adam, freely talking, walking and enjoying a wonderful fellowship with God.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Galatians 3:3

Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

A man once approached Charles Spurgeon asking if he could join the saintly preacher's church because he felt that Spurgeon's church was just perfect. The preacher told this man that he knew for sure that there were many good people in his church, but that there could possibly be a Judas among them. After all, Jesus Himself had a Judas within his small group. The pastor then realized the implications of their conversation and he told this man, "If you should happen to find a perfect church, I beg of you not to join it. It might spoil the whole thing." You can't expect the body of Christ to be perfect because every person within the body is handicapped by sin. In regards to perfection, however, we can always expect our imperfect churches to be loved by Christ our perfect Savior, the Holy Spirit our perfect Encourager and the Father with perfect timing.

MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOME POSSIBLE

Hebrews 11:6

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Many Christians feel that the highpoint of their spiritual lives occurred on the day that they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. If that describes your Christian walk, then it's fair to say that you haven't yet experienced all that God can do with your life. The key to having a developing spiritual life is understanding that God is pleased when you seek Him with all of your heart by communing and talking to Him daily. Compared to God, people are ultimately weak and limited, but when we come to Him with a contrite heart, He indwells us with His omnipotent power that can make the impossible become possible. This is the fruit from Luke 1:37 that teaches us, "for with God nothing is impossible." Open up your life to Christ, and experience all that God can do with you. Remember, the impossible becomes possible in His hands.

WHEN CHRISTIANS WALK THE TALK

Psalm 9:1

I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

Robert S. Kerr, former governor of Oklahoma, received an unusual request from the Oklahoma State Parole Board to grant a pardon to a "model" prisoner. Governor Kerr took the time to personally interview the inmate saying, “You have been a model prisoner. The Parole Board overwhelmingly voted to set you free. What is it man, that turned your life around?” The inmate responded tearfully, “Governor, I was in a holding cell when I heard a preacher shouting at the top of his lungs about the Good News that every man can be forgiven through the blood of Jesus because God loves me. Governor, no one ever cared for me like that before. I began to pray and committed my life to Jesus and, well, He changed me.” Kerr answered him with, “I’m going to pardon you because I can see with my eyes and feel with my heart that Jesus has pardoned you first.” Isn't it interesting that when Christians walk the talk, it's really obvious to onlookers that Christ is responsible for the dramatic change. Take some time today to make sure that your walk is louder than your talk when it comes to your faith. Do this and those around you will know that you're a new creature in Him.

A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT

Isaiah 57:15

The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts."

The trait of humility is one that's very close to God's heart. When compared, humility and pride are kind of like light and darkness, or oil and water. In humility, God is present and active while in pride, however, He is absent and opposed. It reminds me of a saintly clergyman that said, “If you're humble, you have all the graces.” These words ring with so much truth because James 4:6 says, "He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" Be careful with your pride and puffed up nature. It could be any number of things that light the fire of your pride. It may be your physical appearance, intelligence, achievements, social circle, wealth or personal possessions. It could be anything, so be careful about your pride. Make every effort to have a spirit that's contrite and humble because it'll be worth the refreshing courage that God will bless you with.

WILL THE WORLD RECOGNIZE HIM?

John 14:17

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

All around us are members of the media, authors, bloggers, scientists, philosophers and columnists that would have us believe that the Bible isn't really the Word of God, that God doesn't exist and that man as we understand it today is a product of evolution. It's really no surprise because the Bible has actually already warned us about people negating His existence because lies have been stored up in their minds. You see, it's only when a person recognizes Christ as savior, and allows the Holy Spirit to work in their lives that the truth becomes known. Only at that point can the world at large recognize the existence of God, who He really is and how He moves in our lives. Can you comfortably say that the people in your life would recognize Him if they saw Him?

SHINY, CLEAN & NEW

1 John 4:9

God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

There is really no way for man to cleanse himself from the sin running through our veins. The sin that plagues lives and separates men from God can only be cleansed by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. It was only through the His painful death and resurrection that we could be freed from the shackles of sin. Jesus could have ended His painful humiliation just as we are taught in Matthew 26:53, “Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” The harsh reality is that it was only through His death and resurrection that our separation from God could be bridged. Because of this, Jesus voluntarily surrendered His will to His Father so that the world could be healed. Because of His wounds, we are healed. Because of His wounds, we are clean again, just like new.

101% COMMITTED

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Our loving and omnipotent God never ceases to find fulfillment in His original plan to bless man, even if man continues to rebel and disobey. If we would just do a full 180 away from our selfish sins and seek God's forgiveness, we would appreciate the Apostle Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 2:9, "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.'" Live your life fully committed and in obedience of His Word by His law, and His strength and comfort will be with you.

AMASSING WEALTH FOR THE FUTURE

Luke 9:23

Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me."

The command "follow" requires a responsive action. In order to follow Jesus, one must have a radical obedience that could only occur if a person had a proper perspective of God. First, there's got to be a realization that our time on earth to bear trials is relatively short. Second, there should be an understanding that every single saved soul is a priceless treasure in heaven. Understanding these concepts helps build up a big piece of our purpose as Christians: as you carry your cross sharing the Gospel and leading others to Christ, you are building up treasures in heaven. Jesus taught us in Luke 9:25, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” Move throughout your life with radical obedience to follow the Word and you'll be building up massive treasures in heaven.

A TESTED FAITH BRINGS ENDURANCE

James 1:3

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Physical endurance comes from sustained and pressurized training. Charles Zimmy established swimming endurance records as he swam for challenges of 80 consecutive hours, 100 continuous hours, and many more thereafter. The amazing thing about Zimmy is that he had no legs. He had lost his legs beneath the wheels of a trolley at the age of nine. Excuses just aren't part of the makeup of successful people and Charles Zimmy exemplified this. As Christians, we are faced with trials, testings and tribulations constantly. We have to keep in mind, however, that the challenging situations in our life give us the chance to develop the endurance of our faith, for faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. Has your faith ever been tested by circumstances that were out of your control? Did you or the people around you grow stronger in your faith from those challenges?