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then we have our trust in money and
we are worshipers of that god called
mammon about which the Creator
God has a great deal to say.
He uses many analogies regarding
money, such as the parable of the
talents, which shows that we should
use
everything that we have been giv–
en by God to serve Him and to in–
crease-with the power of His Spirit
and according to His laws-those
gifts that He has given to each and
every one of us (Matthew 25:14-30).
He warns ·us very sternly not to put
our trust and confidence in physical
representations of wealth that we
have laid up where "moth and
rust"-and He might well have ad–
ded "inflation and collapse of an
economy"-corrupt, but to make for
ourselves treasure in heaven (Mat–
thew 6:19, 20).
That is not just an ecclesiastical
phrase.
lt
is not justa gimmick to get
the clergy supported. It is a state–
ment from your Savior endeavoring
to get across the important point that
your total trust, your absolute confi–
dence, must be in God who made all
things, and not in any physical repre–
sentation of wealth dictated and sti–
pulated by your fellow mankind–
that you do not trust in
things
but in
the Creator of all things!
Our Creator goes on to command
of us that we be good stewards of the
physical things that we find in our
hands (Luke 16:1-13). That is, that
we use the money, the property, the
abundance that comes from the soil,
to serve and to worship God and not
to worship that abundance itself as a
god.
God wants us to be His business
partners. We establish that partner–
ship, we prove our trust and faith in
Him, by returning to Him one-tenth
of what He gives to us. A very simple
token and a small one, as physical
and monetary proof of our belief.
Those of us who have so dedicated
our hearts and treasures in complete
trust and confidence into the hand of
Almighty God will come with confi–
dence to that place in human history
when all the economies of all nations
dissolve into nothingness. At that
time the great treasure which God
has in heaven will be brought with
Him
from
heaven to this earth and
The
PLAIN TRUTH October/ November 1979
given freely, abundantly, overfiow–
ingly in the currency of
true
wealth-in
the
sharing and possess–
ing ofthe heavens and the earth as a
soN
OF
Goo!
Truth ls Free
Truth should be given freely. "Freely
ye have received,
free/y give"
(Mat–
thew 10:8). Let's see sorne inspiring
things that God has to say about the
spiritual truth of the purpose of life
and the reason for His creation of
mankind: " Ho, every one that thirst–
eth, come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money; come ye, buy,
and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without
price. Wherefore do ye spend money
for that which is not bread? and your
labour for that which satisfieth not?
Hearken diligently unto me, and eat
ye that which is good, and Jet your
soul delight itself in fatness . Incline
your .ear, and come unto me: hear,
and your soul shall live; and I will
make an ever lasting covenant with
you,
even the sure mercies of David"
(lsaiah 55: 1-3).
This is talking about that soon–
coming time when God will be ruling
this earth. The good news of tomor–
row's world! It does not mean that
money or gold or banks will not be
used. It means that the trust and
faith and confidence will be in God
and not in things.
In so warning us ahead of time,
God urges us to recognize what our
true source of wealth is, and so he
says: "Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found, call ye upon him while he is
near: Let the
wickedforsake
his way,
and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him
return
unto the
Lord, and
he will have merey upon
him;
and to our God, for
he will
abundant/y pardon"
(lsaiah 55:6-
7).
Make your investment an eterna!
investment. Make God
your
partner!
Put your heart into the Work that
God is doing in this end-time age–
the Work of warning the world of the
immediately impending troubles
soon to come-the Work that is pub–
lishing the message of the good news
of the world tomorrow-a world at
last at peace living under the loving
auspices of our Creator God. o
JUSTWHAT
ISTHE
WORLDWIDE
CHURCH
OFGOD?
Many people wonder what's be–
hind The P/ain Trufh and other
activities of the Worldwide
Church of God. We have a free
booklet that answers such ques–
tions. lt 's called This ls The
Worldwide Church of God; it
presents the true story of a
unique Church that has found
the solution for the world's ills,
and puts it into a living applica–
tion that is producing a harvest
of peace, happiness and abun–
dan! well-being worldwide. Ob–
tain your free copy today by us–
ing the Literature Request card
in this issue, or write to The Plain
Truth at the address nearest
you.
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