 Before David and Maura Reza hand out the $5 weekly allowance to their children, David reads a scripture from the Bible about money. This is a shift for the family which has retreated from what Maura Reza calls years of “self-spending.” Now they have turned to a higher power for managing their budget: the world of biblical financial planning.
Their 5 children gather around the dining room table to listen to their dad then light up when mom walks in with the cash. “The important thing to remember is that all of this,” David Reza says, as he opens his arms wide gesturing to everything in the house, “belongs to God.” It may not belong to the Reza’s much longer because the family is in danger of losing their 5 bedroom, 2,900 S.F. home. Even if they do, they believe their faith will help them with their finances. The Reza family turned to their church for help to climb out of their debt. Courses on biblical financial planning, how to get out of debt, and saving and tithing are now begin offered at many churches these days. These programs teach tithing to God must be first. Before, the Reza family gave sporadically to God, but now they give about $300 a month to their church. “What we have given we’ve gotten back in blessings,” said Maura Reza. (The Sacramento Bee, July 29, 2008; Faithful find fiscal salvation in church; pg. 1, by Jennifer Garza) And yes, it is amazing how absolutely true the Word of God is. It teaches us how to be saved, blessed, healed, get out of debt, and how to turn a bad situation into a positive one. God’s word tells the reason people are suffering and doing without, which is always conducive to disobedience. If people will pay attention to the Word of God then implement it, the blessings will rain down on them. God is not a man that is able to lie because He is the absolute truth. His one and only desire is to bless us, but He will not and cannot bless disobedience. God says, “Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:8-12). If we will obey God’s word and meet His conditions He will bless us right out of our socks. The problem with too many is they want the blessings of God without participating with God. God wants His people to cooperate with Him so they can say, “The Lord has blessed me! He has turned gloom into boom!” I am not talking about some Wall Street gamble or some get rich quick scheme. This has everything to do with integrity in God’s Word. Yes, it is just simple faith that God can do anything. And in this economy, many people, like the Reza family are finding out that it is better to give than to be a selfish tight-wad. It is true: you can’t beat God giving no matter how you may try. He will turn your curse into a huge blessing. You can get more info by visiting us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com  A small boy was walking along the beach when he saw a woman sitting alone under a beach umbrella. He walked up to her and asked, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes I am,” she answered. “Do you read the Bible every day?” Puzzled, she nodded her head, “Yes.” “Do you pray very often?” the boy asked. And again she said, “Yes.” With that the boy asked his final question: “Will you hold my wallet while I go swimming?” Obviously, he felt safe with her because she was a Christian and that is what trust will do: it makes us feel secure.
To be a Christian is more than having a title: It is a lifestyle of trust and honesty. Anyone who calls himself a Christian must be honest and trustworthy, because he exemplifies the character of Jesus Christ. Truth is solid. It is the same always. There is a story of a man who came to his old friend, a music teacher, and said to him, “What is the good news today?” The old music teacher was silent as he stood up and walked across the room, picked up a hammer, then struck a tuning fork. As the fork sounded out the note throughout the room, he said, “That is A. It is A today, it was A five thousand years ago, and it will be A ten thousand years from now. The soprano upstairs sings off-key, the tenor across the hall flats on his high notes, and the piano downstairs is out of tune.” He struck the tuning fork again and said, “That is A, my friend, and that’s the good news for today.” There is trust in truth; it is accurate, dependable, and unfailing. Maybe you know someone who calls himself a Christian but is dishonest. That is an oxymoron. Christ, which is where we derive the name Christian, is truth. He doesn’t have truth, He is truth. When a person becomes a Christian, Christ lives on the inside of him and his character becomes likeminded: old attitudes pass away and everything becomes new like Christ’s. This is solid evidence of a Christian. How can you know fool’s gold from solid gold? By acid testing! And in the same way a Christian must be tested: is he honest or dishonest? It doesn’t matter if a person is a president or a pauper, he can be known by his words and character. Personally, if a person identifies himself as a Christian I pay much attention to what he says and what he does; because, the nature of a Christian is consistent across the board. If you are driving down the highway and encounter a sign that reads, “Sharp Curve Ahead,” you have a choice to make. You can slow down or you can ignore the sign and maintain your rate of speed. Whatever choice you make you will not change the truth of the sign. The curve remains sharp and dangerous. The outcome will be largely determined by what you decide to do. If you make a decision based on honesty you will be kept safe and secure, but if you make a decision based on untruth you will suffer and experience much trouble. So, know the truth, trust it, and live in peace. You can find out more online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com. |
Pastor J.C. Myers, III
Pastor J.C. founded Joy Christian Ministries in 1992. He was Sr. Pastor at Joy Christian Ministries in West Sacramento, California from 1992-2016. He was succeeded by his 2nd son, Pastor Brandon Myers who had been under his father's ministry and teaching for 39 years. Archives
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Joy Church is a Jesus loving, Spirit filled, non-denominational, Christian church in West Sacramento, California. We exist to 'Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.' We are a church that honors the Holy Spirit, a church that wins souls, a church that makes no apologies and feels no guilt for believing the Bible, and a church that is a blessing to your family and to this nation.
Joy Church is a Jesus loving, Spirit filled, non-denominational, Christian church in West Sacramento, California. We exist to 'Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.' We are a church that honors the Holy Spirit, a church that wins souls, a church that makes no apologies and feels no guilt for believing the Bible, and a church that is a blessing to your family and to this nation.
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825 Sunset Ave. West Sacramento, CA 95605
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