RELATIONSHIP & STEWARDSHIP
By Pastor Jim Jarman

Well praise God forever more 2012 is here and we are coming out of the gate full steam ahead and this month I really want to minister to you in this article in the realm of our relationship and our stewardship. So let's take a close look at the word of God in Mark 10:17-22, Now we see here that Jesus is going out on the road when a rich young man comes before him and kneels down, asking Jesus how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus answers and say's, You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother. The man answers back to Jesus and says that he has kept these commandments. But Jesus, knowing the young man's heart, in quoting the commandments has omitted one: do not covet your neighbor's house (which speaks to greed and envy). Jesus then gives instructions to the young man to go and sell everything he has and give it to the poor, but the young man turns and goes away sorrowful and heavy hearted because he is not able to do as Jesus asks. You see he was not able to let go of his riches.

You know it may seem that stewardship is all about money but it is actually about our heart and relationship with God. Now money does play a vital role in our relationship with God but not because of God, but because of our attachment to wealth. You see, God does not need our money; God is after our heart, an obedient heart. He is after that intimate relationship with us and Him. Let's take a look at a few keys that we need to grab a-hold of and understand.

1. It's not our life.
We read in Genesis 2:7 that God formed Adam, the first man, from the dust of the ground (which He created as well) and breathed life into him.

Job acknowledges that his life is from God, "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Job 33:4
There is nothing we have done to create our lives or give ourselves breath. These are the gifts of God. We serve the one true living God who is the giver of life.

2. It's not our job.
"And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deuteronomy 8:18

God created each one of us in this world today and He has given us talents and skills to live and do what we do to earn a living. We need to understand that employment is not deserved or a right, it is a gift! We should always remember and be grateful for that which God has blessed us with.

3. It's not our money.
"The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine," says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:8

Did you know that money is the most recurring topic in the Bible, and rightfully so. We allow money to grab us just as much as we desire to grab it, and we don't want to let it go. God knows this, and for this reason, the Word of God speaks to us often about money and how to handle it. The first commandment is that we shall have no other gods before God; sadly, a lot of people allow money to become a god in their life and that often gets in our way. To have that devoted relationship with God, we need to let go of our desire for money so that it doesn't control us. This will allow us to do God's will for our lives.

4. It's not our stuff.
Psalm 50:10-12 tells us that God will call to His people, "For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beast of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness."

Everything belongs to the Lord, and all we own and can see around us is a gift from God. Because of this, we need to place our things in God's care, trusting Him with everything. We need to place God first, where He belongs, giving Him glory for the blessings that He has given us.

5. How we use our money reveals the true condition of our heart.
Our spending habits and decisions are spiritual ones. So are the decisions that you and I make like what to wear, who we spend our time with, and the education and career's we pursue! These choices are spiritually influenced and they will influence our future spiritual condition.

Your checkbook is an indicator of where you heart is. Would you like to see yourself have a change of heart? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to change your habit first. Redirect your treasure (your money and your time)! Stop investing hours in watching ESPN, stop throwing money away on pointless shopping, and watch your heart change.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Luke 16:13

6. God has given us clear and overwhelming directions on how we should use our money.

We made this statement earlier but I want you to see this again. Did you know that the Bible talks about money more than any other topic? Here is just one example in the story of the poor widow in Mark 12:41-44:Now Jesus sat opposite of the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and put in two mites, which makes a farthing. So Jesus called His disciples over to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

In this passage, Jesus is not trying to communicate that poor people who give are better than rich people who give, or that someone must give away all their money, or that a wealthy person will never get into heaven. What we see here is that God is interested in the condition of your heart, and He appreciates a heart that is willing to surrender everything and do whatever He asks.
As we close this article out I have a few questions that are listed below, that I want you to ask yourself. Now take your time to answer them and let us know if we can be a help or blessing to you with them.

• Are you satisfied with your spending patterns and your financial security?
• Do you think that a Christian with a heart surrendered to God should spend money the same way as a non-Christian does?
• Do you want to be able to give more? Save more?
• Are you ready to get out of debt?

Would you like to learn skills to help your marital communication about money?

Here at Agape Life Family Church we are able to connect you with the right people to help you build a financial roadmap and to show you Godley principals that will help to teach you how to pay your bills on time, how not to live above your means and how to save money for your future. For more information please contact us at (910)-324-6300 or you can email us at mmaready@alfconfire.com

Well praise God forever more, Joyce and I want you to know that we love you, we believe in you and we call you blessed. And that 2012 is your greatest year ever!!!

CATCH THE VISION
Our mission at Agape Life Family Church is to take back the family, evangelize the lost and awaken the saved so they can live empowered lives by the Word of God and through the power of the great Holy Spirit. At Agape Life Family Church we're making a difference for the Kingdom of God by preaching, teaching and training believers how to study and grab hold of God's Word, and how to walk by faith and not by sight. At Agape Life Family Church we're reaching our community one heart at a time.
ALFC, we're more than a church, we're family!!!