DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO RETIRE?

A man came to Jesus complaining because he

did not get the part of an inheritance he wanted.

This first comment is not the essence of the post.

But over many, many years I have noticed something.

Nearly every inheritance I have seen people receive

was SQUANDERED.

We want to do good for our children and pass something

on along to them.  But I am beginning to think that 

passing on material things to them - only hurts them.

But this situation is what cause Jesus to say;

"Then he said, 'Beware!  Guard against

every kind of greed.  Life is not measured

by how much you own.'" 

(Luke 12:15 NLT) 

Then Jesus told the people a story about a rich

man with a very prosperous farm.  The crops 

were excellent and he decided to store up enough

to retire.

"But God said to him, 'You fool!  You

will die this very night.  Then who will

get everything you worked for?

"Yes, a person is a fool to store up

earthy wealth but not have a rich

relationship with God."

(Luke 12:20,21 NLT)

This is the only precedent in the Scriptures 

I am aware of for retiring [Other than one 

exception - if you are a Levitical  priest.] and

even in this one God calls the retiree a fool.

What made him a fool.  Concentrating on 

material acquisition rather than a relation

ship with God.

In truth, the poor widow that Jesus tells us

about in chapter twenty one of Luke is better

off than this rich man.  She only had about two

cents, but she gave all she had to God.  And 

Jesus tells us that she gave more than all the

rich people who were putting into the offering

out of their surplus.

Yes, prepare for retirement if that is your 

desire.  But. if you don't put God first in 

your planning you will end up being a fool.

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

“Whenever I found the peace of God

ruling in my heart and obeyed His

voice, my meetings were a success.”

- A.C. Valdez -

 

 

 

KEEP ON KNOCKING

Do you have some unanswered prayers?

I do.  Over the years I have had literally

hundreds and hundreds of prayers answered.

It has become a normal thing for me to ask

God for help, direction or for something all the

 time. Yet, there are still some that are not 

answered, at least yet.

Perhaps that is why one time the disciples

came to Jesus and ask, "Lord, teach us to

pray, ...".

We need to note that Jesus is talking to his "disciples".

Not just the people of the world.  His obligation is to

his "people", not just anybody,  though He often does

answer sincere prayer offered to Him by those in no

relationship with him.

When Jesus answered his disciples He of course 

mentioned keeping the name of God holy and 

forgiving etc.  But the thing that stands out to me

is His spending more time telling us to keep on

asking and asking.  He goes into a lengthy illustration

of going to a friend in the middle of the night asking

for bread and the man don't want to get out of bed.

"But I tell you this - though he won't do it for

friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long

enough, he will get up and give you whatever

you need because of your shameless persistence.

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will

receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and 

you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door

will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks,

receives.  Every one who seeks, finds.  And to 

everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

(Luke 11:8 - 10 NLT)

God wants us to "pester" Him with our prayers

until it is time for Him to answer the prayer.

Just a closing illustration.

George Mueller that great man of faith in England

years ago kept track of his prayers and their answers.

He had thousands of prayers answered.  But two men

he knew he prayed for their salvation for twenty five

years.  When George died they still had not been saved.

But one of these men turned to the Lord at George's 

funeral and the other within a month after George died.

LETS KEEP ON KNOCKING.

TODAY'S PROMISE

“For the LORD God is our sun 

and our shield.  He gives us 

grace and glory.

The LORD will withhold no 

good thing from those who do 

what is right.” 

(Psalms 84:11 NLT)

 

FIRST THINGS FIRST

FIRST THINGS FIRST.

You no doubt know the event where Jesus was a guest

at the home of Martha and Mary as well as I do.  Martha

was very busy trying to prepare a big dinner for Jesus 

while Mary just sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to 

him talk.

You and I would be just like Martha, we would be

upset over our lazy little sister just sitting there 

doing nothing but listening to the conversation

Jesus was having.  And like Martha we would

complain.

"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha,

you are worried and upset over all these

details!  There is only one thing worth being

concerned about.  Mary had discovered it, 

and it will not be taken away from her.'"

(Luke 10:41,41 NLT)

The Scriptures teach us that God saved Christians

to do good works.  So, I want to be obedient about

doing good.  You know.  Be in Church every time

the doors are open.

Give all I can to help the poor.

Encourage people in their walk of life.

Pray for the sick.

Be kind to my neighbors.

In my case, fix all the broken things I can for 

people.

etc. etc. etc.

But the truly important thing is,

am I getting my Bible out and sitting at the

feet of Jesus letting him talk to me.

Or, am I too busy?

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

 

“In reality a Western university education

or even theological training is often more a 

hindrance than a help on the mission field.

In frontline situations it can erect another

barrier that has to overcome in relations to

lost souls.

“Indeed, most native Christians find that a 

Western education had to be consciously

unlearned before they can begin to minister

to their own people.”

- K.P. Yohannan in Why the World Waits 

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE.

 

Yep!

That is the mirror in my bathroom.

And I took it at that funny angle so you would

not see my ugly face.

You kids will not understand this.  But us old folks

find that everything about us seems to fail.  We get

weaker and weaker.  Our memory is not as good as 

it use to be, etc. etc. etc.

Well, the last couple of months as I shave, wash my

face, comb my hair or whatever old men do, I was

not seeing a clearly as I used too.  I was beginning

to think that perhaps I should go have my eyes

examined again.

Then one day I finally noticed something.  The

mirror was getting dirty.  My wife passed away 

about nine months ago and she used to keep it clean,

but I had never once washed it.

Would you believe that getting all that dirt off

cleared up my vision.  Even I looked better.

As a professed Christian I knew that I am supposed

to reflect the image of Jesus Christ.  That is, my life

should show the change in it because of my relationship

to Christ.  But does it?

"For those whom He foreknew, He also

predestined to become conformed to the

image of His Son, so that He would be the

firstborn among many brethren".

(Romans 8:29 NAS)

Now I have to wonder.  Have I allowed so much

of the ways and thinking of the world enter my 

life that when people see me, they do not see 

Christ in me?