Nobody
will be rewarded in Heaven for the prosperity he acquired on earth, the number
of houses he built, the cars he drove or the private jets flown; NO. But rewards
and a place in Heaven are guaranteed by a saved life, lived in holiness, and then
how divinity (Heaven, its processes and projects – the things of God) and
humanity profited from the man’s prosperity.
Is
prosperity therefore wrong? NO. But as much as to whom much is given, much is expected;
the man whom God has given prosperity will give account of how his prosperity
affected the gospel and his generation. And above all, how many people (including
him) escaped Hell and made Heaven because he had the money and the resources.
A
miser to Heaven cannot have a place in Heaven. People have missed Heaven and in
Hell, not because they killed or stole, but because their money never helped
anyone find the way to God. They sowed their money in “wrong places.” They were
philanthropists, but they only gave to the people who recognized and sang their
praises. They gave as an appreciation for good they also had received and not
because necessity was laid upon them to give. The church and the kingdom of God
never benefitted from their resources; rather they complained and murmured
whenever the church made announcements for a need. If only they knew that they
were in the kingdom (with all the resources) for such a time like that.
Mordecai
told Esther;
“And
who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther
4:14b).
Paul
charged Timothy to say it loud;
“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.” (1 Timothy
6:17-19).
When
Jesus sent Peter to get money from the mouth of a fish which is a reflection of
divine provision, He told Peter clearly how the money should be spent.
“Go
thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up;
and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that
take, and give unto them for me and thee” (Mathew 17:27).
Did
you notice Jesus said the money is meant for 2 persons? Firstly, Jesus said, “For me” (Christ), and then secondly, “For you” (Peter). Whatever money/resources
God gives you is firstly for Him, and then for you. How can you give to Him? You
can through tithes, offerings, seeds for kingdom growth and evangelical
missions, and then for the needy, the poor and the less-privileged.
“For
I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or
naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For
I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked,
or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer
them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Mathew 25:35-46).
It
is obvious that many are missing Heaven and going to Hell because they lived as
misers to Heaven while on earth.
The
rich man was not called a fool in the beginning, but became a fool when he
gathered his resources and had no one on his agenda. “And he spake a parable unto
them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully”...In
the beginning he was a certain rich man. But in the end, God called him a fool;
“And
I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take
thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this
night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be,
which thou hast provided?” And Jesus concluded; “So is he that layeth up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).
The money you gather and refuse to let out for
God and His purpose; that money ends up hurting you in eternity. “There
is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the
owners thereof to their hurt.” (Ecclesiastes 5:13).
Today,
people lay claim to ownership of the money in their custody. “My money, My
money” they say, and I ask, “Who gave you the money?” It is the Lord’s money,
He only gave you so that you can be His financial custodian and help others in
need and also promote the works of His kingdom.
How
are you spending your money and resources? How are you going about fulfilling
your life’s purpose? No matter what your calling is or how big your purse is,
if it does not blank the signboard to Hell, and help man find the way to
Heaven, that calling or prosperity is of no eternal significance and a
disappointment to God.
In
the end, when everyone of us shall stand before God in judgment, He will not
say to those of us with money, resources, houses, cars, etc, “Well-done, thou
prosperous servant.” NO. He shall say, “Well-done, thou good (fruitful) and
faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Therefore, these two (2) I find the
chief among all callings;
1. The call to faithfulness
2. The call to fruitfulness
And
as long as it is not yet eternity, it is not too late to make it right with
God. May God find us faithful and fruitful in all eternal work. Amen.
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