2nd Sabbath Promotion: Investment
An American minister, William Branham, once said "I am showing you a real investment to make. Put your life, your time, your money, your talent, put everything you’ve got in Christ. God guaranteed it to us by raising Him up again." Good morning and happy Sabbath brothers and sisters in Christ! Praises honor and glory be unto God for He hath set his great love upon us that He hath gathered us here together to worship His most holy name.
Investment
Hearing the word "investment" you might think about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, interest bearing account, land, derivatives, real estate, artwork, old comic books, jewelry, you name it all... but we are not going to talk about these things rather we are going to talk about investing for eternity, investing our lives to God.
Matthew 6:19-20 says "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
God is not interested in our earthly riches, he is not interested in our position and possession. He is interested in our faithfulness to Him.
There was once a missionary meeting in a church in Scotland. The people were greatly moved. They gave generously to send missionaries into God’s world-wide vineyard. Little Alexander Duff just ten years old sat in a pew. His heart strangely moved. But he had nothing to give. After the offering was taken, the ushers returned to the rear of the church. Little Alexander Duff followed them. Looking into the face of one of the collectors the lad said, "Please, Sir, put the basket low!" The ushers catering to what he thought was a childish whim put the basket on the floor and smiled. How surprised all were when the little boy stepped into the basket and said "O God, I have no money to give, but I give myself in the offering!"
Brothers and sisters in Christ we must invest our lives to Jesus. We must invest our time, our talents, our treasures, and even our prayers. We might ask our selves: How many times we worship Jesus? How many times we pray? How many times we join Him in saving souls? And how many times we study His word?
A pig was complaining to a cow that he was not appreciated. "I don’t understand it," he said, "people are always talking how generous you are, giving them cream and milk and butter for their daily use. That’s nice of course, but I give more than you do — ham and bacon and bristles and feet. Yet nobody has any use of me: they make fun of me and call me a pig "I don’t like it!". "Perhaps the difference". The cow replied after a long time of hesitation, "Is that what I give while I’m still alive?”
Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Brothers and sisters, now is the time to invest our all to Jesus. When we put our time, money, and energy into working for the Lord, the benefits are endless.
2 Corinthians 9:6 "He who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly. And he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” If we give willingly and cheerfully to God, we are ensured for time and eternity. The greatest bank is a weak institution compared with the bank of heaven upon which the God-honoring Christian may draw. Life is short, eternity is long. I encourage you to be the best manager of God’s gifts to you and your family by making an investment that will last for eternity. God’s words assured us in Matthew 16:27 of the blessings to come: "For the Son of Man will come with angels in His father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct."
(Insert a “thank you prayer”)…
May our creator God be good to you all around the compass and the clock!
Blessings to you!
