I’ve been so encouraged lately watching God’s people share resources, love on those who need loved, and join Him in His mission.
I’ve been thinking about two books that make this so compelling to me, both by Randy Alcorn:
Heaven and Money Possession & Eternity.
My guess is anyone who has gone through a Biblical financial course has heard many of the concepts in the latter book. But the uniqueness of it, in my opinion, is how deep he delves in the Stewardship theme. So deep that he focuses much time on eternity and our rewards there.
Here are some of the things he has to say, based on Scripture:
“In reading Matthew 6, many see something negative and miss the positive. They think Jesus is categorically against the storing up of treasures. In fact, Jesus didn’t tell us not to store up treasures. On the contrary, he commanded us to…
What we keep we will lose. What we give and share and do in Christ’s name will ultimately come back to us in heaven, in a far better and permanent form…
A person may give up all earthly treasures without ever investing in heavenly treasures. Jesus is not looking for ascetics or hermits, but eternity-wise investors…
You can’t take it with you, but…you can send it on ahead.
What a stunning qualification. Who would have dared to think such a thing possible – that we creatures of dust could make choices today that would result in possessing eternal treasures in heaven?
Paul spoke about the Philippians’ financial giving and explained, ‘Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account’ (Phil 4:17). God keeps an account open for us in heaven, and every gift given for his glory is a deposit in that account…
Is Jesus speaking metaphorically when he refers to ‘treasures’? Although Christ’s words can be applied in principle to investing in God’s kingdom the treasures of our time and talents, the primary meaning relates to our money and possessions…
Luke 12:33:
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses [money belts] for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys…
Not only will there be rewards in heaven for the cup of water given on earth, but those rewards will never disappear. The act of kindness will be remembered forever and its reward will always last. Hence, eternal rewards are not only ‘rewards we will receive in eternity,’ but rewards that are themselves eternal, imperishable, inexhaustible (1 Peter 1:4)…
Imagine you’re alive at the end of the Civil War. You’re living in the South, but you’re a Northerner. You plan to move home as soon as the war’s over. While in the South you’ve accumulated lots of Confederate currency. Now, suppose you know for a fact the North’s going to win the war, and the end is imminent. What will you do with your Confederate money?
If you’re smart, there’s only one answer. You should immediately cash in your Confederate currency for U.S. currency – the only money that will have value once the war’s over. Keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your short-term needs.
As believers, to accumulate vast earthly treasures in the face of the inevitable future is equivalent to stockpiling Confederate money. It’s not just wrong. It’s stupid.
Kingdom currency, backed by the eternal treasury, is the only medium of exchange recognized by the Son of God, whose government will last forever. The currency of his Kingdom is our present faithful service and sacrificial use of our resources for him. The payoff in eternity will be what Paul called a ‘firm foundation,’ consisting of treasures beyond our wildest dreams.”
Exciting, huh?
More next time!