The Wealthy

Are you wondering what bread and wine have to do with wealth?
Let me ask you something else:
Are you wealthy?

I asked my husband that a few months ago and was surprised by his answer.  Without hesitation, he replied, "Yes!"  I was surprised because....well, it is a "loaded question".

What IS wealth, and why is it a spiritual matter?  As we wind up Philippians, let's see what the apostle Paul had to say about it.

10 I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.)  11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. 12  I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. 13  I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me. 14  Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my trouble.

Philippians 4:10-13 (NET)

Remember that the apostle Paul was writing this letter from "house arrest".  Although he was a tent-maker by trade, he was unable to "earn a living" while on house arrest for preaching the gospel.  He was, at this point, a working missionary who was unable to work and support himself.  Like all missionaries, he had to either work to support himself or ask for financial support; or, as is the case with 99% of missionaries, he had to ask others to financially support him to some extent.  It appears that this is one of those times when he needed to be pretty much totally financially supported by the small churches he had started across that part of the world.

Still, I'd argue that Paul was one of the wealthiest people who ever lived.  Now, to justify that statement:

1.  Paul knew Jesus Christ as Savior.  In Ephesians 2:7, he referred to "the incomparable riches of His grace".  In other words, the grace of Jesus Christ, which utterly transformed his life forever, was/is priceless.  Nothing is more valuable.  Anyone who has surrendered his/her life to Jesus Christ as Savior is already incomparably rich.  Jesus is "our Daily Bread" (Matthew 6:9-13) and the Bread of Life, "broken" for us (John 6:35).

2.  Paul stated in his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:6) - - -

6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.

In other words, the godliness that Jesus Christ's salvation provides, plus being content with the material gifts God gives, is the best investment anyone could ever make.  These life decisions pay the greatest dividends this earthly life offers as well as guaranteeing eternal reward.  When we "live out" the salvation Jesus has given, we literally "increase our wealth".  Godly living almost always results in material needs being met.
But, then, why is contentment important? Why did Paul add that in here?

3.  Paul realized that godly living would potentially produce material wealth.  He also realized the potential for material wealth to become a trap for the Christian, just as it does for many non-Christians.  What can happen is that people begin to worship material wealth.  Oh, they would not say they "worship" it.  But, if they put accumulation of wealth ahead of their relationship with Christ, letting wealth (and the power it brings) guide their lives instead of God, then that is a form of .... worship, a lifestyle which breed discontent, because no matter how much is gained, it is never "enough".  This is why Paul later on in the 1 Timothy 6 passage declared  "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6:10).  Our love and passion belong to Jesus Christ, if we are Christians, after all.

4.  One last point - - "contentment" does not equate with laziness or envy.  Neither laziness nor envy have a place in either godliness OR in contentment.  God expects us to live out our salvation by exercising the spiritual gifts He gives us.  Our doing so brings Him glory.  We do our best to serve Him faithfully, and He is faithful to supply all our needs.  We trust; He supplies.  We don't look at the gifts given to our neighbors and gripe because they have "more".  What a contentment-killer!
The companion verse to Philippians 4:10-13 is Philippians 4:19-20 - - -

19  And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 

20  May glory be given to God our Father forever and ever. Amen.

So, I ask you again - - - are you wealthy?  And, if so, are you content with the gifts God has given you?

Father, thank you for meeting all my needs, in every way.   I want to pray specifically for those who do not have a relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus, the only name given to mankind for salvation.  I pray that you will reveal to those who are reading this post and who do not yet know You the great riches that can be theirs through Jesus, as Savior.  Open their hearts, Lord, so that they, too, can be eternally rich!  For those who know You already...teach us about contentment.  Please reveal to us where we have let "the world" with its lusts for money, fame and power creep in.  Remind us of the humility of Jesus who focused on serving Father God, while having no "foxhole" or "nest" of His own.  He was the "picture of contentment".  Mold us more and more into His image, Father!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Daily Bread

Good morning,

We continue on into The Lord's Prayer with the next phrase/petition:

"Give us this day, our daily bread."

Matthew 6:11

After the portion of the prayer that aligns our will with that of our Heavenly Father, we are then allowed to ask for Him to meet our needs.  The first one is, on the surface, representative of our physical needs.

Obviously, we need more than bread.  We need clean water, clothing, shelter and basic resources. However, "bread" is representative of basic, physical needs.  In that day, the bread consumed was freshly made, with non-GMO wheat or other grain, with all-fresh ingredients, with no added gluten, and it was healthful.  In fact, it was the most fundamental food of all.  This is why I am unable to agree with folks today who argue that "all wheat is bad".  Non-GMO wheat is most certainly NOT bad for most humans.  There are a very small few who truly have a gluten allergy.  The rest of us eat bread products which, although tasty, have become so terribly perverted our bodies react to them in a negative manner.  Well, enough about that.

In comparing Himself to the manna that God provided in the wilderness for the Hebrew people (Exodus 16) Jesus called Himself  (John 6:32, 58) "the true bread from Heaven".  Therefore, there is a double-meaning in this prayer for daily, physical sustenance.  Having our physical needs is not enough.

This morning, I slept uncharacteristically late and was very tired upon arising.  (I taught a lengthy class last night and ate a late dinner.  I guess that was the cause.)  One of the first places I went after awakening was the kitchen to get some "physical sustenance".  Our bodies let us know when we need it, don't they?

Our souls need regular, daily sustenance also, in order to be healthy.  As Father provides for us physical "bread", He also provides through the Person of His Son and Holy Spirit spiritual bread.

In John 6, Jesus had just fed over 5000 people by miraculously multiplying 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish, humbly donated by a young boy.  The people were so excited over this miracle they were ready to crown Him as their king, right then and there.  Their attitude was somewhat analogous to people today who get so excited over a politician who will give them "free stuff".  Jesus even escaped to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (Capernaum) to distract them.  However, they followed Him! The lure for free goods is great.... They were making that miraculous bread their "gospel".  They didn't care if Jesus took away their sins.  They merely wanted Him to meet their needs.

In Capernaum, then, Jesus began to reveal to them, in a rather cryptic yet graphic fashion, who He was/is.  See John 6:26-55.  Most of the crowd did not understand such bizarre statements and, predictably, began to leave, shaking their heads in amazement.

In The Lord's Supper, Jesus gave a visible demonstration of the meaning behind these bizarre statements.  The ingestion of the little piece of bread and the sip of juice/wine symbolize our taking Jesus into our souls as Savior.  We commemorate that decision we made, every time we "take communion" (eat The Lord's Supper).  It is like...celebrating our spiritual anniversary!

Jesus Himself is our daily bread.  He is the true bread, and all the fulness of the Trinity abides in Him (Colossians 1:19; 2:9).  We need to feast on Him daily. This is why I routinely eat from His Word and break bread with you in this blog.  His words are Spirit and they are Life!  In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said,

"Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Jon Bloom says, "He {Christ} did not come to save us from starvation, but from damnation."1
Do we feed our bodies and not our Spirits?  Or, rather, do we feed our Spirits "junk food"?  Don't be fooled....you ARE feeding your soul something.  

Lord Jesus, please give us our daily portion of Yourself, so that we may grow spiritually, as well as physically. Teach us to pray, to seek Your face in everything, to "pray without ceasing".  Thank you for providing just what we need, when we need it, and through Your provision teaching us to trust in You for all things.  In Jesus name, amen.

Source:
1 http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/don-t-miss-the-true-bread