Wealth Can Buy 'Almost' Anything

Upper elementary school. The late 1960’s. Howard Hughes.

My school buddies and I enjoyed bringing up the name Howard Hughes. We might have known that he set multiple world air speed records or that he built the ‘Hughes H-1 Racer.’ And who wouldn’t want to talk about the Spruce Goose, the nickname given to the famous wooden aircraft built by Hughes? But his name was most often mentioned in reference to his status as a millionaire.

We talked about Howard Hughes as if we were well-informed. It gave us a sense of pride to throw out a fact about this famous film producer, pilot, engineer, businessman. He was a millionaire and the average annual U.S. household income in the 1960’s was under ten thousand dollars.

If you work out the math, my dad would have had to save all his money for more than 100 years just to make his first million. Of course, Howard Hughes had many millions. In fact, he died a billionaire; but in 1968, that was not a part of our vocabulary.

Wealth is alluring and intoxicating. I think most people believe that life would be better if they just had a little more money. Even Solomon seems to agree:

Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

—Ecclesiastes 10:19

Remember, however, that in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon was looking only at the created universe and asking the question, “Where can I find meaning?” So, looking only at this life, his comment about money is not surprising.

However, Solomon also wrote a number of warnings against hoarding money and against placing one’s trust in money. Here are a few insightful proverbs about wealth:

It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.

--Proverbs 10:22

He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

--Proverbs 11:28

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the maker of them all.

--Proverbs 22:1–2

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

--Proverbs 23:4–5

Do you remember how Jesus spoke about wealth? When observing the gifts that people were bringing to the temple treasury, He took notice of a poor widow. He commended her gift over the gifts of the wealthy because she had given from that which she needed. The wealthy had given, but only from their excess.

Even more startling was His beatitude. Do you remember it? Do you grasp the failure of wealth? The poor of this life who are disciples of Jesus live in true bliss now because they are citizens of the kingdom of God. Money may be the answer to everything in this life, but money simply cannot buy life eternal!

Blissful are you who are poor, 

for yours is the kingdom of God. 

—Luke 6:20

Mark Stinnett

December 19, 2021

Applying Grace

How do you figure out how much to give to the Lord?

Perhaps a different question first, “What does it mean to give to the Lord?” (If the only thing that comes to your mind is the Sunday collection, you may need to rethink your giving.)

The Good Samaritan gave up his time, his energy, his money, and probably some supplies he had on hand. I think we would all agree that the Good Samaritan was using gifts (blessings) from God which he then offered to assist the injured man. In other words, he applied God’s grace that had been shown to him.

Someone might think, "The Good Samaritan is a great example, but it was a parable. What about a real-life example?"

King David wanted to build a permanent dwelling for God that would replace the portable tabernacle. The prophet Nathan assured David that he could do so, but God stopped Nathan and said that David’s son Solomon would be the temple-builder instead of David.

Was David disappointed? No, he was not. King David desired to build a temple for God, but God gave an astounding promise to David:

The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 

—2 Samuel 7:11

God was not referring to a physical dwelling. He was using the word house figuratively for the descendants of David who would reign over Judah. God spoke of David’s son, Solomon:

He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (v. 13)

David was ecstatic. In fact, shortly after that, David applied that gracious promise. David saw the grace of God presented to him, and he wanted to extend grace to someone in a similar way. It was as if he wanted to have the same experience of joyful giving as God. David said,

Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God? (9:3)

David’s servants found Mephibosheth, the crippled son of his best friend, Jonathan. Mephibosheth was brought to Jerusalem, given the inheritance of King Saul, and given a place at the king’s dinner table as if he was the king’s son.

Did you see the intention of David’s heart? He wanted to “show the kindness of God.” He had received the promises of God, that is God’s kindness, God’s grace. Then, in his heart, he wanted to extend the same grace to someone.

The grace given David was a promise, but one that he would never see fulfilled. Yet, by faith, he accepted the promise as having been fulfilled already, because God keeps His promises.

Are you able to make the same kind of connection between the grace of God and material gifts? Consider Paul’s rhetorical question:

For if we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 

—1 Corinthians 9:11

Applied, we, like David, can extend the grace (kindness) of God through our physical gifts. It may be a gift in the Sunday collection, an act of benevolence involving time, effort and/or money, or a gift to a missionary. It is a gift that you give because of the tremendous grace that you have received from God. Are you applying the grace you have so bountifully received?

Take time to read Ephesians 2:1-10. Look for God’s grace, and how you can apply it today.


Mark Stinnett

December 12, 2021

Reflections on Joy and Gratitude

Did you know that joy and gratitude are related? Well, the English words are not related, but the Greek words that are translated joy and gratitude in the Bible are. The way these words are connected is illuminating.

The Greek word translated joy is chara (sounds like kara). It comes from the word charis which means grace and is the root word for a whole family of Greek words. Another word in that family is eucharistos which means thanks, or in its verb form to give thanks, as in a prayer of thanksgiving. [Jesus gave thanks for the cup at His last Passover meal with His disciples. In the 2nd Century some Christians adopted that term for the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist.]

Does your family ‘say grace’ before a meal or do you ‘give thanks’? The two expressions go back to the same Greek word, charis.

When God shows charis to mankind, we call it grace. Charis is also translated kindness and gift.

For us, grace (charis) is an undeserved favor or gift from God. But we can offer charis back to God through prayers of thanksgiving. Another way that we express grace is by showing kindness to others and in the giving of gifts.

God is gracious by nature. In other words, He does not have to try to show grace. In His joy, He naturally responds with grace. His grace is seen in daily blessings enjoyed by all mankind as well as in special blessings reserved for Christians.

A person can say, “Thank you” without sincerity, can be forced to act kind, or can give a gift out of obligation. Yet, expressions of true grace come only from a heart of joy (chara).

In general, joy develops in our hearts because of the tremendous grace of God toward us. In general, we offer prayers of thanksgiving for the many gifts and kindnesses received from God. However, the Apostle Paul taught something different about making a request in prayer:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

—Philippians 4:6 (NASB95)

Does that surprise you? We are to make our requests with thanksgiving; thanks before receiving. Does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense when you think about joy. Our joy is not based on our current circumstances, but on God’s promises. We pray with an expectation that God will answer, that God will provide, that God truly cares for us.

Now, one more connection:
James taught us to “consider it joy...when encountering various trials.” Later, he wrote:

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised those who love Him.

—James 1:12 (NASB95)

The Greek term for blessed is an intensified form of chara, and also in the charis family of words. It could be translated as an interjection: Rejoice! Yet, in the verse above: “Blissful! is a man who perseveres….”

This same term introduces the beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew 5. So, the beatitudes are nothing other than promises of tremendous joy! The joy may not be felt now, but the joy is real because God always keeps his promises. It is as if we already possess the things He has promised.

James included another beatitude in his short letter. Look for bliss in James 1:22-25. (Verse 25 is key.) Do you want to embrace this tremendous joy in your life? James explains how.


Mark Stinnett

December 5, 2021