I was asked by someone the other day what Kingdom finances looked like and I realised that this is an area that needs some discussion.
This is my opinion of what Kingdom finances look like according to what the Lord has taught me over the years and to scriptures I have been shown, but I am not the be all and end all to thinking, so it is something you might want to check out for yourselves.
The way of the world is to store up riches, to save for a rainy day, to have enough to protect themselves should something happen, that I have earned this and it is mine and therefore I can do what I want with it.
The way of the Kingdom is a way of giving to the poor, giving to God's people in need and practicing hospitality, of not worrying about tomorrow, of trusting God for the future and His provision in that time of need when it arises, of everything is His (God's).
I believe that if you see a need in front of you and you have something in which can help with that need, whatever it is, if it is in your hand to help, then you help simply out of obedience to the word of God and what you believe God is saying to you, you give, trusting that God will provide for your need, when and if the time arises. Many a time the Lord has spoken to us to give to a situation and it may have been the last finances we have had, or finances we have just received and we have known of needs ahead, but we have given anyway that day trusting that God will provide for that time. It is also not our job to judge whether or not someone is 'worthy' of what we give them, that is between them and God. God sees what you do and is pleased with that. It is not dependent on whether or not you think that they deserve your help. And when you give, give not expecting in return and not to put demands on people to whom you have given freely as the Lord is the Judge of everything and not us. We are to give account of our own actions to the Lord, not other peoples.
We are called to be stewards of everything the Lord has given us, caretakers, nothing belongs to us, everything we have belongs to God. But the world's thinking is 'this is my house, this is my car, this is my job', but in actual fact everything we have, and are, comes from God and everything belongs to Him and we are to be caretakers of that. I have seen enough in my time when I have given from one hand what was seemingly the last, within a few days more has come in to cover whatever need that I have.
I know this would provoke a lot of discussion, or thought and questions, in lots of areas with different examples and I know over the years as God has brought various needs to us and especially in China where there are a lot of beggars and many many people with loads of needs, as we have brought various needs to the body for help and seen that help given to us, I realise that in all situations it has been a matter of what is actually going on in my heart. Will I be obedient to what I believe God is saying, or to the hold things have had on my heart that I want to keep a hold of? Or I decide whether they are being honest in their need or deserve my help which says that I am judging them? Or the thinking that this is mine, or that I am not trusting and looking to the Lord for my future. All issues and questions of my own heart and that is really what the Lord is wanting us to see - what are the holds in our hearts that we can't let go of? The Lord owns everything, it is all His.
Imagine what it would look like should a body of believers get a hold of Kingdom finances where we are holding onto nothing as our own, but that we are just vessels for things to go through to others as things come to us at the same time.
This is my opinion of what Kingdom finances look like according to what the Lord has taught me over the years and to scriptures I have been shown, but I am not the be all and end all to thinking, so it is something you might want to check out for yourselves.
The way of the world is to store up riches, to save for a rainy day, to have enough to protect themselves should something happen, that I have earned this and it is mine and therefore I can do what I want with it.
The way of the Kingdom is a way of giving to the poor, giving to God's people in need and practicing hospitality, of not worrying about tomorrow, of trusting God for the future and His provision in that time of need when it arises, of everything is His (God's).
I believe that if you see a need in front of you and you have something in which can help with that need, whatever it is, if it is in your hand to help, then you help simply out of obedience to the word of God and what you believe God is saying to you, you give, trusting that God will provide for your need, when and if the time arises. Many a time the Lord has spoken to us to give to a situation and it may have been the last finances we have had, or finances we have just received and we have known of needs ahead, but we have given anyway that day trusting that God will provide for that time. It is also not our job to judge whether or not someone is 'worthy' of what we give them, that is between them and God. God sees what you do and is pleased with that. It is not dependent on whether or not you think that they deserve your help. And when you give, give not expecting in return and not to put demands on people to whom you have given freely as the Lord is the Judge of everything and not us. We are to give account of our own actions to the Lord, not other peoples.
We are called to be stewards of everything the Lord has given us, caretakers, nothing belongs to us, everything we have belongs to God. But the world's thinking is 'this is my house, this is my car, this is my job', but in actual fact everything we have, and are, comes from God and everything belongs to Him and we are to be caretakers of that. I have seen enough in my time when I have given from one hand what was seemingly the last, within a few days more has come in to cover whatever need that I have.
I know this would provoke a lot of discussion, or thought and questions, in lots of areas with different examples and I know over the years as God has brought various needs to us and especially in China where there are a lot of beggars and many many people with loads of needs, as we have brought various needs to the body for help and seen that help given to us, I realise that in all situations it has been a matter of what is actually going on in my heart. Will I be obedient to what I believe God is saying, or to the hold things have had on my heart that I want to keep a hold of? Or I decide whether they are being honest in their need or deserve my help which says that I am judging them? Or the thinking that this is mine, or that I am not trusting and looking to the Lord for my future. All issues and questions of my own heart and that is really what the Lord is wanting us to see - what are the holds in our hearts that we can't let go of? The Lord owns everything, it is all His.
Imagine what it would look like should a body of believers get a hold of Kingdom finances where we are holding onto nothing as our own, but that we are just vessels for things to go through to others as things come to us at the same time.