Money Alone Could Not Bring Contentment

            Everybody is looking for money, because money is essential to man’s existence as we live in a materialistic society. Even the Pastors and Evangelists expect to receive money after they have performed their ministry. “A workman is entitled to his meat [or hire]” (Matt. 10:10). In another version, “those who work deserve to be fed [or the worker is worthy of support]” (NLT).

The TV Evangelists will suddenly have an intermission advertising their books for sale, their sermons in DVD for any amount of donation, or soliciting donation, and thanking those who have donated. Of course, it is obvious that they need money to continue their regular TV ministry which is very expensive. There is nothing wrong in all these legitimate ways of raising funds for the Scripture says, “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14; Matt. 10:10 KJV). Frankly, I have no sufficient information about the Priests trying to raise money for the performance of their ministry because it seems to me that for them, everything including their Sutana are provided free by their denominational order, and they do not have any wife or family to support anyway, unlike the Evangelists, Pastors and other Ministers of para-church organizations who, besides their family obligations, should be wearing their best and most impressive which are usually expensive coat and tie and Stateside shoes to add to their personality and dignity of their ministry. This unwritten rule applies to Congressmen and Senators, as well as to lawyers whenever they appear in court. For lawyers, so that their clients will be ashamed to pay less than the standard appearance fee and to look good and successful to the judges or justices because usually “for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7 KJV).

The Lord Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). Test yourself, which occupies more of your thoughts, time and efforts? How much time do you spend serving in the kingdom of God by using your God-given talent or ability? I am sure many will truthfully answer, “Of course, where I will earn money.”

What I know from personal experience is that rich people are not always happy and contended people. Thus, your wallet can be full of money. You may have multi-million deposit in your bank account. You may own a building, a hotel or a condominium. Your head can be full of information both religious and secular, but if your heart is empty because something is lacking, your life is also empty, and you are not truly happy and contented.

Yes, there is always something lacking in the heart of man besides money. Man is always thinking, “what will happen to me after I die or in eternity?”

The apostle Paul told his protégé and young Pastor Timothy, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

Money is for movement or to be traded wisely to produce more, for our comfort and enjoyment and to be able to help our needy neighbor, not for accumulation or for time deposit in the bank. The parable of the talents related by Jesus Christ himself supports this idea (Matt. 25:15-30).

You can be rich in money and property but poor spiritually. Ideally, and seldom this happens, it is best for man to be rich both materially and spiritually, so he will be comforted and will enjoy his earthly life and be able to contribute to the proclamation of the gospel and help the needy, as well as enjoy in eternity in heaven with his creator. Normally, when one is rich materially and in good health, he does not care about spiritual things. This is the essence of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus related by Jesus Christ himself (Luke 19:1-31). Conversely, when one is spiritual, he is not usually affluent. But he has “enough”, and extend help generously to the needy neighbor.

Agur of Bible times who was reputed to be a wise teacher rightly said, “… give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the LORD? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain” (Prov. 30:8-9 KJV). Thus, experience shows that our lives are more likely to be effective if we have “neither poverty nor riches”. Again, from my personal experience, the generous ones or “givers”, are these class of people. These class of people are also the best clients, not really the very rich ones while they are alive, for I have yet to come across a client who is very rich and not very stingy. But these very rich people are the best clients when they die, because when their estate is settled, even if only five (5%) of the value of the estate is charged by the lawyer who will settle the estate, that will amount to multi-million pesos.

I have a corporate client who ranks very very high in tax payment to the government. I filed a case, and as usually required by it, I submitted the Official Receipts issued by the court. The accountant called me, looking for a lacking Official Receipt of only P1,200.00 which I gave to the Sheriff who do not issue Official Receipts. Just to settle the matter, I asked if my own Official Receipt will suffice so that the amount will be considered as part of my attorney’s fee. To my relief, the accountant agreed!

Jesus Christ talked to the rich and the high and mighty in society. He saw a longing in their eyes for something that money could not buy. Nicodemus was a religious leader and a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council (or Supreme Court Justice in our modern times). He was, therefore, highly educated with logical mind and a respectable man in those days as it is today, but he felt something was lacking in him. He came to Jesus late at night, when the crowds were gone, desiring to know something else (John 3:1). What lies ahead of me … where will I be after this earthly life?... are valid questions asked by any sensible human being. These were the primary questions in the mind of Nicodemus. Whereupon, reading the mind and heart desire of Nicodemus, Jesus explained to him that for him to be able to see and enter the kingdom of God in eternity, he must be born again in the Spirit (or what Christians term in modern times, be “BORN AGAIN”). Jesus further elaborated that to be born again means he must believe Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God so that he will have eternal life (John 3:16). The fact that Nicodemus accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to ask permission from Pilate for the body of Jesus and brought with him an expensive mixture of myrrh and aloes, “about an hundred pound weight” eloquently proves that he and Joseph were true believers and disciples of Jesus, and, therefore, in our modern day parlance, “born again”, and will be seen in heaven in eternity (John 20:38-40).

Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector (BIR man in our modern times [Luke 19:1-10]) sought the Lord Jesus by even climbing a Sycamore tree, which is not done by any rich man, wanting something worth beyond his money in abundance. Jesus said, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own” (Luke 12:15 NLT). Being a true believer, despite being a publican (or sinner or more specifically an extortioner in our modern day terminology), Zacchaeus will also be in heaven!

The wise King Solomon said, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Eccl. 3:11 NLT). Thus, a sensible man, like Nicodemus, is always thinking of the future and eternity.

Solomon was a very wealthy king. The Bible tells us, “So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom” (1 Kings 10:23). He had everything material and spiritual in abundance—“everything a man could desire!” and with good fortune of having 700 wives and princesses and 300 beautiful concubines (Eccl. 2:8) of various tribes and nationalities (1 Kings 11:1-3), “the delights of a man’s heart”, the Scripture says, (Eccl. 2:8) yet he confessed: 

 

“I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses (or mansions) for myself and planted vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

¹⁰ I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;  I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.
¹¹ Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done     and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;   nothing was gained under the sun. (Eccl. 2:1-11 NIV).

Jesus knew exactly what the Holy Spirit revealed to King Solomon who put in words his observation: “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Prov. 27:20).

There is something that matters more than money - - THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN A MAN’S HEART.

Only Jesus satisfies and assures eternal happiness of man. It is impossible to be truly happy in this earthly life without Christ in one’s heart. How do we know that Christ is in the heart of a man? The Bible tells us, “Wherefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matt. 7:20). For example, how do we know that a tree is an apple tree? Of course, by its fruit. How do we know that Christ is in the heart of a person? Of course, by that person’s character (or spiritual fruit)—Christlikeness.

The heart that has Christ is an “evangelist”, or a soul winner. He is concerned on how he can, by his God-given talent and assigned ministry, bring at least one soul to the kingdom of God in eternity. For instance, how can a soul be persuaded to accept Christ as his savior through his column in this one and only FGBMFI Bulletin in the whole world? Or being in-charge of the publication, like Anthony Relatado, how can he perform his ministry so that people will be attracted to read it. He must see to it that the printing is perfect, and the articles are well-arranged and the pictorials proper. For example, the arrangement in the Bible is instructive and ideal. First, the Law of Moses (in the O.T.) and the Gospels (in the N.T.). Then followed by the Epistles (or letters of instruction). Then we have the Proverbs (or Words of Wisdom of Bert Miranda) then last the maps or pictorials and advertisements.

Praise God that our bulletin is always short of copies nowadays. In the words of Anthony “it is selling like hot cake”. Although our fellowship had approved a rule that constant contributors are entitled to at least three copies, whenever I come in late, there is no more available copy for me. To God be the glory, Anthony. Rejoice in the Lord for your God-given ministry.

To be an effective soul winner, an evangelist must know the Word of God, like a successful salesman who knows his product from A to Z, so to speak. He loves the Word. He loves God, though he is still a sinner. We see in that person the fruit of the Holy Spirit, namely: “Love, joy, peace, patience (or longsuffering), gentleness, kindness, goodness, faith (or absolute trust in all things in God), meekness, temperance (or self-control)” (Gal. 5:22-23 KJV and NLT), and virtues of Christian character which are like unto it, the foremost of which is LOVE (or charity) for God and his fellowmen. (2 Pet. 1:5-8). He is always genuinely concerned and ready to help the needy like the Good Samaritan in the parable related by Jesus Christ (Luke 10:25-37).

Thus, even if one has just enough money to live by, with Jesus Christ (or the Holy Spirit) in his heart, this one is contented with whatever he has in his earthly life and is assured of his place in eternity with his God. Are you contented?

(FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin September 1, 2012)