Meeting needs, Muffling wants

From Matt 6:24-33, John Wesley uses this text to teach Christian the spirit of simplicity, which is to give away everything beyoind the basic necessity of life. He himself is also a example of a man who escaped the grip of materialism and refused to bow to the god of money. When he was making 30 pounds as a minister, he would use 28 pounds and give the rest away. Later on in his ministry, when he starts writing books, he makes 1400 pounds. However, he still spends 28 pounds and give the rest away.

Passages to meditate on:

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you as well.

John 4:34 'My food', said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

To consider as well : Psalm 27:4 Luke 10:42 Philippians 3:13

Therefore, armed with the above, there are several keys to simplicity.

7 keys to simplifying our lifestyle

1. Buy for Utility value rather than for Prestige

Does this mean we cannot buy branded goods? No, just be sure we are buying for quality and not for status.

2. Develop the Habit of Giving Things Away

3. Beware of Modern Advertising

4. Stop Impulse buying

It may seem buying a $100 dress for $50 is a good idea but the question is, do we really need what we buy?

5. Eat Sensitively and Sensibly

6. Enjoy Things without having to own them

Rejoice with others when are are blessed without feeling that God must grant us the same blessings.

7. Enjoy nature and See God in It

Not all things need to be electronic. Many good things in life are free: such as fresh air, sunshine, beaches, hills, trees and flowers. God has created all thses for us to freely enjoy.

GK Chesterton said, "there are two ways to get enought. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less and less." Let us all resolve to live simply so that others may simply live.

The Danger of Greed

The story of the Goose and the golden eggs ended with the farmer deciding to kill the goose in order to get all the golden eggs at once. Once the goose is killed - no more eggs and no more goose. The farmer driven by greed, lost everything! The god of greed and materialism is prevalent in every afflebt society today. There is an exaltation of the earthly over the heavenly and the material over the spiritual. Jesus called this god Mammon.

The encounter between Naaman, commander of the army of King of Aram, and Gehazim, the servant of Elisha in 2 Kings 5 illustrate the nature of greed.

There are 6 character of Greed from 2 King 5

1. Greed is hidden

2. Greed rationalises

Greed always gives us a reason for wanting to possess or accumulated more. It can be hard to draw the line between need, greed and providence.

3. Greed is compulsive

The more you get, the more you want. This infact is tantamount ot idolatory (Eph 5:5, Col 3:5-6). Greed affects not just the rich; the poor can be too. It is the condition of the heard and altitude towards money and possession.The issue for believers is this: why do we who have tasted the life of the kingdom want to go back to the death of greed and materialism? Let us ask God to set us free from discontentment and greed, and to enjoy whatever He has blessed us with instead of striving for more.

4. Greed is Deceptive

5. Greed Distorts (our values system)

6. Greed Destroys


Choose Christ

The biblical alternative to a lifestyle of greed is to dethrone the god of Mammon and pull down the stronghold of greed in our lives. 1 John 3:17 "If anyone has material possissions and see his brother in need but has no pity in him, how can the love of God be in him?"


Using the golden eggs for different stages of our lives:

More golden eggs: Some of us have reached the stage if being able to share some golden eggs with others. Perhaps God is challenging you to increase the number of golden eggs with others.

Some golden eggs: Confront and dethrone greed by being generous.

The golden goose: God may be challenging yet others to taken an even greater step of faith, He may be asking us to surrender the golden eggs and the goose - do not fear because we may be surrendering our resource to the One who them to us in the first place.

The Delight of Giving

Do you know that 16 out of 38 parables refers to money and possessions. Since Jesus speaks of those, let us dwell on it as well.

One of the myths concerning money is that it is the root of all evil. This is misquoting 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." The root of evil is not 'money' but the 'love' of money.
When the Bible talks about giving in terms of money, it always speaks of tithes and offerings. Tithe means 'a tenth'. When we tithe, we are recognising that God is the Sovereign Lord who owns everything and we are but stewards of what He has given us.

The act of giving is not simply a act but the altitude that God is looking at.

There are 6 Principles of Giving:

1. The Principle of Proportion - 1 Cor 16:2
Setting aside a proportion - the most basic is tithing.

2. The Principle of Priority - Malachi 3:10
To set aside for God first.

3. The Principle of Purpose - 2 Cor 9:7-8
Prepare purposefully, give as a act of worship.

4. The Principle of Privacy - Matt 6:1

5. The Principle of Privilege - 2 Cor 9:7
How can you give willingly and cheerfully? Only if you recognise that giving is a privilege! You do not have to give. You get to give.

6. The Principle of Profit - 2 Cor 9:6

From Scarcity of abundance
The biggest hindrance to giving is the scarcity mentality. Using the example of Elijah and the widow in 1 King 17. Notice the language:

Language of Scarcity
I don't have....
only a handful of flour
a little oil
a few sticks
eat it and die

Language of Abundance
Don't be afraid
bring it to me
will not be used up
will not run dry
the LORD gives

Are we living with a scarcity or abundance mentality? We are challenged to take a step of faith in the area of giving. Make this year a breakthrough year in giving.

Perspective on Wealth

Reflecting on the words of a wise king who spent his most of time observing life. One key area he reflected on concerned mone and riches. As he was a wealthy man himself, he was very qualified to do so. From Ecclesiastes, we see what King Solomon noted about the world of money.

4 Observations about Wealth


1. The Materialistic Grip of Wealth (Ecc 5:10-11)


2. The Danger of Hoarding Wealth (Ecc 5:13-17)
There is danger in hoarding wealth - you will lose it, not only once but twice! You could lose it before you die, and you will definitely lose it when you die.


3. The delight of Having Wealth (Ecc 5:18-20)
Despite the dangers inherent in having wealth, the wise man went on to say that it could still be a gift from God. Wwalth can be a blessing from God, to be enjoyed by man. When we see our wealth a gift from God and not something we have acquied by our own hands, we will not fight to keep it.
We must learn to have an "open palm" approached to riches. Hodl every blessing that God brings to you wih an open palm - be it condominiums, cars, cash or every country clubs. Enjoy the blessing while you have them without desire to possess them. Then, if God should choose to take them aswat, He need not pull your fingers apart! This way, it would be a delight to have material possessions.


4. The Grace to Enjoy Wealth (Ecc 6:1-3)



Have a blessed day!

Mitigating risks of investing in Foreign Currency Fix Deposits

One of my instrument of getting higher than the current T-bills interest is through Foreign Currency Fix deposits. While I have some rules to mitigate the risks, Panzer Grenadier wrote his rules which I also abide in. Do read his blog here

http://fivecentstencents.blogspot.com/2007/10/mitigating-risks-of-investing-in.html

(for those who just want the summary, the 3 options are:
1. Rollover of both principal and interest
2. Rollover principal but collect interest
3. Invest in foreign currencies whose economies are strong)

Have a blessed day!