ttob19

The Testimony of Believers

Lesson Nineteen: by turtle

Today the subject is responsibility to God for what He gives us. God forgave our debt, not
just part of our debt, but all of our debt of sin. All we had to do was believe and receive
this gift of God for salvation for our sin, which is Jesus. Our lesson begins with the unjust
steward being unfair to those he collected debt from. He accumulated much but it was
going to cost him his job. When he realize his hand been caught in the cookie jar so to
speak, he began to cut those that owed him much debt in half, figuring because of this act
he have a place to stay.

Luke 16:1-13
(1) And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a
steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
(2) And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an
account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
(3) Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from
me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
(4) I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive
me into their houses.
(5) So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How
much owest thou unto my lord?
(6) And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit
down quickly, and write fifty.
(7) Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred
measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
(8) And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the
children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
(9) And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness;
that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
(10) He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust
in the least is unjust also in much.
(11) If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to
your trust the true riches?
(12) And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you
that which is your own?
(13) No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

The Lord of this steward said you did what was right. The reason being the world is wiser
in the ways of money then God’s people. That sounds insane, but people of the world trust
in their knowledge of finances and money to enable them to survive in this world. The
more money a rich man has is the more money he can pay for doctors, lawyers, and
anything he cares to have. Those that depend on God sacrifice the things of this world for
the things of God. One must choose between God and mammon. His the wealth of this
world worth what you will not have in heaven. It is wise for believers to have friends of
wealth and greed. Something about friends of money they usually will give you a way to
make a little extra money. If they are true friends they will respect your beliefs, even if
they disagree with you. Not even people of mammon, which if by now you don’t know is
money have compassion for poor and religious people. People of money understand the
value of religious teaching in the since of good works, love and peace. They often do not
agree with the idea of God. With that said wealth know how to make more. The choice
seems mammon has it benefits. Yet Jesus made it clear we are to serve to God. Can these
too things mix. Nothing wrong with honest day of work. However there things the world
does for money that Christians can not if they love God.

The next few verse deal with covet ness and putting away God for something else.

Luke 16:14-18
(14) And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided
him.
(15) And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God
knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the
sight of God.
(16) The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is
preached, and every man presseth into it.
(17) And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
(18) Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and
whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

A believer sacrificing his family for work is not sacrificing God. But if a believer sacrifice
love of money for his greed for money. For his own lust, for his own desires, he is
sacrificing God. Must like a man or woman in marriage who commit adultery sacrifices
there first marriage for their own desires. The Pharisees putting their love of God on the
back burner and putting their greed for money first. The bottom line God knows the heart
of man. You can not fool God to believe money you earn for greed is the same as the money
you earn to provide for your family basic needs. There are Christians in the business
world that give and help people just like the people of the world do. They do not allow
desires of this world to interfere with their relationship with God and God blesses them.

The next story is about the rich man and a man named Lazarus. It has to do with the cost
of greed. This rich man would not even allow the poor man Lazarus to have the crumbs
from his table and was sent to hell.

Luke 16:19-31
(19) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day:
(20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of
sores,
(21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table:
moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
(22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
(23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom.
(24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that
he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame.
(25) But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
(26) And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which
would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence.
(27) Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's
house:
(28) For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this
place of torment.
(29) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
(30) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will
repent.
(31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Rich man was in torment and desired water to cool his tongue, but there was gulf between
him and Abraham. And the rich man in hell begged for at least for someone to send
someone to tell my brothers. Yet Abraham seeing the future said even if someone rose
from the dead your brothers would not believe. They had Moses the prophet, but he had
believed not and neither did this man brother. It takes much for a rich man to lay his
wealth aside and trust in Jesus. To trust Jesus in ever aspect of business and every aspect
of his life. Yet it is the same for a poor man running after greed, yet it easily seen in the
rich man that desire the wealth so much he even hordes his crumbs.

No one lives for Jesus perfectly, we all have desires of many things. The difference is when
we allow our greed, our desires to interfere with others that we know especially personally
that are suffering. Where are your priorities, can you take your wealth and help the
hurting. Can you help your neighbor with a loaf of bread. Can you take time to talk to
someone in need or answer a few questions. Can you at least take time to pray.