Хлеб наш насущный - Деньги

автор: Тим Густафсон

Читать сейчас: Матфея 6:24-34 | Библия за год: Осия 9-11; Откровение 3

Не можете служить Богу и мамоне. — Матфея 6:24

В начале моей карьеры, когда работа была для меня не только работой, но и увлечением, другая компания предложила мне место с более высокой зарплатой. Наша семья определенно выиграла бы в материальном смысле. Была лишь одна проблема. Мне не хотелось переходить на другую работу, потому что я любил свое дело, которое перерастало в призвание.

Но деньги…

Тогда я позвонил своему семидесятилетнему отцу и объяснил ситуацию. Его некогда острый ум затуманился от старости и нескольких инсультов, но в тот раз ответ был четким и ясным: «Даже не думай о деньгах. Чем ты хочешь заниматься?»

Решение пришло в одно мгновение. Деньги были единственной причиной, по которой я мог оставить любимую работу. «Спасибо, папа!»

Иисус отвел значительное место в Нагорной проповеди вопросу денег и привязанности к ним. Он учил нас молиться не о большом богатстве, а о насущном хлебе (Мф. 6:11). Он предостерегал об опасности собирания сокровищ на земле и указывал на птиц и цветы, как доказательство того, что Бог заботится о Своем творении (Мф. 6:19-32). «Ищите же прежде Царства Божьего и правды Его, и это все приложится вам», – говорил Он (Мф. 6:33).

Конечно же, деньги важны. Но они не должны руководить нашими решениями. Трудные времена и важные вопросы – это новые возможности для возрастания в вере. Наш Небесный Отец заботится о нас.

Господь, мы так склонны беспокоиться из-за недостатка земных благ. Помоги нам видеть не трудности, а проявления Твоей любви и новые важные уроки. Благослови нас, чтобы мы могли благословлять других.

Учитесь видеть не трудности, а возможности.

© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Notre Pain Quotidien - Mammon, le dieu de l’argent

par Tim Gustafson

Lisez : Matthieu 6.24‑34 | La Bible en un an : Osée 9 – 11 et Apocalypse 3

Vous ne pouvez servir Dieu et Mammon. (Matthieu 6.24)

Tôt dans ma carrière, que je considérais d’ailleurs davantage comme une mission de vie qu’un emploi, une autre entreprise m’a offert un poste beaucoup mieux rémunéré. Notre famille aurait certainement pu financièrement bénéficier d’un tel changement. Il y avait toutefois un problème. Je ne cherchais pas d’autre emploi parce que j’aimais vraiment mon rôle actuel, qui était en train de se transformer en vocation.

Mais l’argent…

J’ai téléphoné à mon père, qui était alors septuagénaire, pour lui expliquer la situation. Or, bien que des thromboses et le poids des années avaient ralenti son esprit jadis vif, il m’a répondu du tac au tac avec une grande lucidité : « Ne pense même pas à l’argent. Que ferais-tu ? »

Ma décision s’est alors imposée d’elle‑même, car j’aurais quitté l’emploi que j’aimais tant uniquement pour une question financière ! Merci, papa.

Jésus a consacré une grande partie de son sermon sur la montagne à nous enseigner à prier non pour des richesses, mais pour « notre pain quotidien » (MT 6.11). Il nous a mis en garde contre le désir d’amasser des trésors sur la terre en citant en exemple les oiseaux et les fleurs pour nous indiquer que Dieu se préoccupe profondément de sa création (V. 19‑31).

Même si l’argent compte, il ne devrait pas nous dicter notre processus décisionnel. Les grandes épreuves et décisions sont des occasions de grandir dans la foi. Notre Père céleste se préoccupe de nous.

Il ne faut jamais confondre la tentation avec l’opportunité.

© 2016 Ministères NPQ

Commentary: Are you being persecuted?

There is a pernicious rumor that resurfaces every Advent season and spreads across social media faster than a cold in a kindergarten class.

It’s the rumor that God can be “kept out” of Christmas.

You may have heard it from Kirk Cameron or an anchor at Fox News or an army of culture warriors who have once again worked themselves into a frenzy over the “War on Christmas.” Galvanized by fear, they storm checkout counters to demand that clerks issue them a “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” and cry persecution when inflatable manger scenes are moved from public courthouses to private property. They pine after the good-old-days when Christians could force Jewish kids to sing Christmas carols at school and they demand that every gift purchased, every mall opened late, every credit card maxed out must be done so in Jesus’ name or else Christ will be “kept out” of Christmas. They do it because someone told them that God needs a nod from the Empire to show up, forgetting somehow that the story of Advent is the story of how God showed up as a Jew in the Roman Empire.

In a barn.

As an oppressed minority.

To the applause of a few poor shepherds.

The whole story of Advent is the story of how God can’t be kept out. God is present. God is with us. God shows up—not with a parade but with the whimper of a baby, not among the powerful but among the marginalized, not to the demanding but to the humble. From Advent to Easter, the story of Jesus should teach us that God doesn’t need a mention in our pledge or on our money or over the loudspeaker at the mall to be present, and when we fight like spoiled children to “keep” God in those things, we are fighting for idols. We’re chasing wind.

Religious persecution is real. Suffering is real. But sharing the public square is not persecution and being wished “happy holidays” causes no one to suffer. We would do well this time of year to remember the words of the Apostle Paul from Philippians 2:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Read stories about real people being persecuted for their Christian faith here.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - FAITH IS NOT A SECRET

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ… Colossians 4:3

Some twenty-five years ago Boutros from a Middle East country became a Christian. Since then he has revealed a big heart for evangelism. Wherever he goes, he is always very open about his Christian faith.

A couple of years ago he was arrested and questioned by the police. They asked him if he had baptized people and he replied, “I told them that I had baptized 1,000 people—the real figure at that time was only 700 but I increased the numbers because I knew I would probably soon reach that number.” Boutros is a secret believer that when guided by God doesn’t make a secret of his faith.

An Open Doors co-worker reported it was a great joy to meet him. After a visit with Boutros he commented, “At his work place he has a cross hanging. Everyone who comes to his place sees the cross. Recently his chief started asking Boutros if he could go and work for another company. Family members who work for the government told Boutros’ brother that certain people wanted Boutros killed. Our co-worker asked him if he was afraid at all. He paused for a second and then nodded and said, ‘A little bit, now.’”

Boutros meets many people who want to know more about his Christian faith. They ask him, because he openly and clearly is a Christian. “I don’t have enough time in the day to talk with them. I have to work hard to make enough money for my living”, he apologizes. “I earn just enough to buy my daily food.” But even though he has to work hard, sometimes he can work and speak at the same time. “Then I have long conversations about the Christian faith.”

Boutros shared a vision he had recently. “I was lying in a pool of water in a beautiful garden and all around me were many people that I’ve known previously who had since left my country and were living in other countries. All of them were praying for me. Through this I felt that God was assuring me that many people around the world were praying for me.”

Our co-worker was impressed and encouraged meeting Boutros. “What a great testimony of how God uses our prayers for the persecuted Christians. The prayers really are a comfort and support to the secret believers,” he concludes.

After some prayer time together, Boutros and the co-worker moved to a safer place where no one would overhear what they were praying about. “It seemed important for him to have some form of physical contact, so we held hands and prayed for just a few moments before he indicated that we should get back. Although admitting that he was a little afraid at that moment, he seemed in a good mood, and very much encouraged by the vision he had of people praying for him. He did add though that he really needed prayer.”

RESPONSE: Today I will not keep my faith a secret but share openly with everyone I contact.

PRAYER: Pray for Boutros and other secret believers who are so bold in sharing their faith and winning many to Jesus.

Un Dia a la Vez - Lo único eterno

Más bien, acumulen para sí tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni el óxido carcomen, ni los ladrones se meten a robar. Mateo 6:20

¡Qué consuelo saber que aunque nuestra madre y nuestro padre nos abandonen, Dios nunca nos abandonará! Esta es una hermosa promesa que vemos cumplida en cada uno de los que han experimentado el abandono. En realidad, Dios se encarga de recogerlos en sus brazos y decirles: «Tranquilos, no teman, yo estoy con ustedes».

Las cosas eternas vienen de Dios. Todo lo que vemos en esta tierra, trabajos, bienes y demás, son extras, pues en cuanto partamos de este mundo, «nada» nos podremos llevar.

Por eso sabiamente la Palabra dice: «No acumulen para sí tesoros en la tierra» (Mateo 6:19), pues nuestro corazón se puede dañar a causa del dinero que algún día tendremos que abandonar.

Amigos, Dios nos conoce a cada uno de nosotros a la perfección y puede saber si nuestro corazón está dañado por el dinero o las riquezas. Ahora bien, con esto no quiero decir que no puedes ser próspero y mantener un estilo de vida como mereces por ser hijo del Dueño del oro y de la plata.

No obstante, si tus riquezas valen más, ocupan el primer lugar en tu corazón y han desplazado a Dios, tienes invertido el orden de estos principios.

Hoy es tu oportunidad de rendir esta esfera de tu vida a Dios y Él, que es grande y poderoso, te ayudará..

Verse of the Day - December 11, 2016

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Read all of Isaiah 7

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica