Follow Christ – Page 2 – The Arrow Preacher

The Money

There are more then a few bible verses regarding the use of money. Dave Ramsey’s course Financial Peace University revolves around scripture’s instructions on how to handle money. There’s no doubt that when handled correctly money can be a great asset, however if not handled correctly it can cause some of the most dire strife you may ever encounter in your life.

People love money; they love it so much peoples entire life revolves around the collection of dollar signs, the accumulation of riches. This accumulation of money makes people feel powerful. It makes people feel as if they can do anything they want. 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” When we focus on money and we misuse the gifts given, we fall to the desires Satan wants us to fall to. Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity.” We are told not to allow ourselves to fall to the allure of money. Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” And finally Proverbs 22:7 “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender.”

When money comes we must understand how to use it. We must first give thanks to the giver and all things the giver is God. When we are given a gift we must understand that we cannot squander what we are given. We must understand the nature of what we are given is given to us with the understanding we will share our gifts with others. Proverbs 22:9 “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” When we are given money, especially in large sums we must learn to give back, pay back debts, and with work never get into debt again. Proverbs 28:27 “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.” When the going gets tough we must respect the rules. Give according to your own ability. Your giving will be bountifully repaid. Acts 11:29 “So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.”

When we are given this gift use it to give, use it to set up a good future, and always remember to thank the giver. In all things it’s important to remember that if we make things messy we will only be given messy. We have to keep things neat and tidy. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Being debt free is a gift after years of trying. Pray not to squander that gift and use what you’re given for the benefit of God’s work.

As the house sells, and a new future begins, all I can do is thank God for my gift, and pray I use it in a pleasing way.

Everybody’s Got a Price

Price Tag Bardon Bella’s

Seem’s like everybody’s got a price,

I wonder how they sleep at night,

When the sale comes first

And the truth comes second,

Everybody look to their left

Everybody look to their right

Can you feel that, yeah

We’re paying with love tonight

It’s not about the money money money

We don’t need your money money money

We just wanna make the world dance

2 Samuel 6:14 “And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.” When was the last time you danced for the Lord? When was the last time you put the sale second, and you paid in love? When was the last time you rejoiced knowing that Jesus Christ was our Lord and Savior? When was the last time you fell to your knees and cried in front of the alter, at the foot of the cross and you let all the worry, the sorrow, the guilt, the pain, to flow in a river of tears and you surrendered to the Lord above?

We spend so much time worrying about money, about fame, about prizes, about that next promotion, the next vacation, but when was the last time you truly let all that go long enough to realize it’s not about the money, it’s about making the world dance, rejoicing in the fact we have a hope that pays far better then any worldly conquest. Don’t you see that Jesus Christ, the perfect lamb sacrificed and rose again in fulfillment of the scripture. Christ bridged the gap that had fallen on mankind after the fall from Eden. Sin swept over the world like a plague, and we were held in quarantine for lack of a better term. Christ was our medicine, our inoculants to prepare us for the long road ahead of us. Jesus Christ’s death tore the tapestry in the temple, the divide between Man and God. Eternal death was finally no longer a punishment, but a choice. We’ve got the magic in us, we have the righteous fruit, the music to lift our souls, Christ. Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,” Turn your sorrow into gladness. Let go of the pain inside and rejoice that the King of Kings is still on the throne.

Jesus wants us to come to him. When you listen to the music in this world, the stuff that really makes you joyful, what if you imagined it was Jesus talking to you?

Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
Love’s strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on

When you surrender your fears and doubts up to the Lord how can you not lift your hands in praise, how can you not cry the tears of joy, and how can you not dance like you’ve never danced before, all in the name of our Lord.

Don’t let the price you pay be eternal death. Salvation is a choice we must all make. There’s only one way to salvation, it’s not through good works, its not through being a “good person” it’s accepting the Son of the Father.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Following Christ is difficult because you paint a bulls eye on your chest. The deceiver has wanted mankind to fail from the beginning. The world is tempting and has many traps. It’s a hard life to live avoiding the traps and the quicksand of the world, but for those who truly relinquish themselves will naturally forgo some of those problems. Don’t be deceived just because you follow the Lord doesn’t mean it won’t be a difficult life. But make no mistake there is only one way to heaven. Know we are ridden with sin, but know that Christ loves us despite of that sin. Know that when we reach the cross we must do so with a repentant heart, live a life with means and dedication to the cross. Rejoice in times of trouble because even then we know that this life is only a temporary skin and our everlasting bodies will be perfect. When life is hard, and you can’t seem to make a single step because of pain, because of discouragement, turn on the music of the heart, and dance for the Lord. Dance your heart out to Christ, and when you show the Lord that you trust in Him, you will not fail because Christ will always be with you. Be prepared for trouble, but don’t forget to dance.