Last Day Investments
The Only Secure Investment is in Heaven
James 5:1-8 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
In the last days, as we get closer to the Lord’s return, there will be more and more rich people on the earth, people who get rich at the expense of others. There are many ways for money lovers to get rich, they cheat, they steel, and they do almost anything, if they think they can get away with it, but they forget God is not deceived. God will judge the rich with true justice. The rich may even use the so called justice system, the loophole in the law, in order to cheat others but God’s justice will prevail in the end. The rich set their hope on their riches and not on God; therefore, their riches will become worthless, God Almighty will see to it. There will come a day when the unjust rich man’s riches will be worthless, if he does not loose it all while he lives, he will surely loose it at death. We are not to be like these people who do not know God, storing up their treasure on earth. When these rich people take advantage of us we are not to be overly disturbed ,we are to hope in God, knowing that the Lord is coming soon and that He will make all things right. God will reward all those who trust in Him and judge all those who trust in their riches.
Matt 9:19-21 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
We are told by Jesus Himself that we are to lay up, invest, our treasure in heaven and not on earth as the unbelievers do. We will loose all that we invest on earth, but we will keep all that we invest in heaven, for all eternity. Therefore, investing on earth is foolish, but investing in heaven is wise. When we invest on earth we are showing our trust in the world’s system, but when we invest in heaven we are showing our trust in God. Investing on earth brings honor to us in the eyes of the world, but investing in heaven honors God, and He will someday honor us for honoring Him. We are to store up our treasure in heaven by giving to those who are in need; in this way, we will give glory to the Lord and will be a testimony to the world around us. Furthermore, when we give to others, they give thanks to God for the supply of their need, and God is again glorified. A good steward is not one who invests his money wisely on earth, but is one who invests his money in heaven, by giving his money away. Giving and investing in heaven seems so foolish in the world’s point of view, they simply cannot understand.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
God tells us not to be conformed to the world’s ways, and that in part means we are not to build up treasure on earth as the world does. When we take heed to the word of God we are transformed in our thinking so that we are not like the world around us, investing our treasure in the world. God gives us a new way of thinking so that we invest our treasure in heaven, where we cannot lose that which we invest. Those who are conformed to the world, worldly minded, will invest in the world and those who are transformed, spiritually minded, will invest in heaven.
I Jn 2:15-19 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The world and the things of the world appeal to our sinful flesh, the world is tugging at us with many temptations, to forsake Christ and to pursue the riches of this world. There are many who do forsake Christ for the world and they try to convince us to do as they have done; but, we must not listen to them, we must listen to the word of God which speaks to us of forsaking the world and following Christ. Jesus said that the deceitfulness of riches would choke out the word of God so that our lives will be unfruitful; therefore, we must be on our guard so that we will not be deceived along with the unbelievers of this world, by the love of riches. Sometimes we don’t even recognize that we are being influenced by the world because we are accustomed to having so much. We sometimes confuse our desires with our needs, we think we need something when we really do not need it at all, we only think we need it. We then long for it, work for it, hope for it, and are consumed by our desire for it. We end up wasting our time and resources seeking some unnecessary thing and fail to accomplish God’s will for our life.
1 Tim 6:9-11 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
A person cannot be a man of God, a man who lives for the glory of God, if he loves money or lives to get rich. A person cannot please God, if he is preoccupied with the desire to get rich. Jesus said you cannot serve God and money, you will love one and hate the other. You cannot love God and money at the same time because God’s word tells us to give our money to others, to invest in heaven; therefore, the love of money will not allow us to obey God in giving. Instead of pursuing riches we are to pursue a Christ like character, we are to seek to surrender our lives and all that have to God, and seek to be conformed into the image of Christ. We are to seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and not the spirit of this world. We must be careful that we are not deceived by riches, the temptations are constantly all around us.
I Jn 3:17-18 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
The person that loves God and not money will give to those who are in need, but the person who loves money will find many excuses for not giving to others. If you love money, you will invest in this world and in the end loose everything. If you love God, you will invest in heaven and in the end gain more than this world could ever offer. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not share what he has with others, less fortunate then himself, has not yet learned to love others. Talk is cheep and anyone can say I love you, but true love will result in action, in doing good to others, no matter what the expense to oneself.
1 Tim 6:17-19 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; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
All the saving accounts, investments, and retirement systems of this world are uncertain in this world and will be worthless in eterinty. God is our only hope for the future and our only provider, for all our needs, for all times. God is not against our enjoying good things in this present life, for His word tells us, He richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. God’s word tells those who are rich in this world to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be ready to share. Anyone who has more than someone else is richer than that other person and should share with that other person, if that other person has a genuine need. No Christian is always too poor to give to someone else, there is always someone with less than we have. Giving can involve more than giving money, it may be giving of our things, of our food, or of our time; therefore, we all have opportunity to give something, no matter how poor we may be. But the richer we are the more God expects us to give to others.
Ps 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
The wicked looks for ways to take advantage of others; the righteous looks for ways to give to others. God provides for the righteous so that even when the righteous is in need himself, he has something to give to others, and by God’s grace, the righteous give. Furthermore, giving is a way of life for the righteous, it just comes natural.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We cannot out give God. God gave of Himself, He gave His only Son to die for us, in our place, for our sins; so that, we could be forgiven and have riches for all eternity, in His presences. Because He gave so much for us, we should be willing to give some of what He has given us, back to Him, by giving to others. As God has given to us so freely, we should also give to others freely, with no strings attached. Because God does not require us to do anything to earn His gift of eternal life, we should not expect anything in return for whatever we give to others.
Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God’s word is His promise, He will supply all our needs and His supply is without limit. We cannot out give God. We do not need to worry that we will not have enough for our own needs, after we have given to others, because God is the one who supplies our needs.
All Scripture taken from King James Bible
* Bible Studies by Max Swan
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. (NAS) Jer 9:23-24