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[SIZE=14pt]“And he said[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt] also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do” for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their house. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, write fifty.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16: 1-15[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Interview with an Unjust Steward[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]The interviewer pushed the record button. “What is your profession,” she asked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Small business owner,” he answered. “Installation and repair.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt] “As a business owner…what does the parable mean to you?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Well,” he paused, “the first time I had read it I was like everybody else, I thought it was saying you have to give ten percent of your tithe. Because that was pretty much what I had been told. That I had to be faithful in the unrighteous mammon and give my ten percent. Because the way man approaches everything, is it is based on my works. I have heard the parable explained as: some people just don’t understand the difference between five dollars or five thousand…they have no concept of the value of money. But, just like every other aspect of God’s word, there is always a much deeper meaning to the parable.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What has God spoken to you through the parable?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“He’s shown me that, as far back as I can remember, I have lied, and I have stolen, and I have cheated to try to get the things that He gives freely… through obedience. A long time ago…if I would have come to Him and made the effort to read His word, there is a good possibility I could have saved thirty years of struggling and looking over my shoulder, um…being paranoid and fearful.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Fearful of what?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Of man…finding out the truth.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“The truth about what?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“That I am a liar and a cheater and a thief. Pretty blunt?” He laughed. “You said you wanted the truth.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“How do you see the parable of the unjust man in everyday life now?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“The way I see it now, is I am sure, it is like every other aspect of His holy word, is that, I am just now seeing specific areas but I am sure there is going to be a lot more revealed. I am sure there is going to continue to be revelation. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“As a business man, how have you seen the parable displayed in the Christian world? Is there any difference between the church and others? How they operate and conduct business?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Dishonest is this world. Dishonest is everything this world represents. All the things that I have cited that I have done, is what Jesus said the destroyer comes to do. To steal, to kill, to destroy.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Don’t you think you are being a little hard on yourself?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Do you think Jesus was being a little hard on Lucifer?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What would you say to Christians out there that believe that they are doing what God has told them to do, in business?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“I would say that, the same thing I spoke with my friends today…do all things as if unto the Lord, and even in that, there is a much deeper meaning. And that is, anything that I do for an individual …not just an individual…anything I do, I should do it as if that person standing before me is Jesus Himself. Ponder on that, and look at the person and take them out of their place and put Him in their place and say ok this is Jesus that I am doing this for. I struggle because I know that, if the Lord was before me and He inquired of me the simplest task, even getting him a glass of water…I know for a fact that I would have to do so much more than just a glass of water. I mean, I would want it to be…a perfectly clear glass, inside and out Without a spot on it. I wouldn’t just take one out of the dishwasher that was covered in spots and say, here Jesus. Here is what you asked for. I would want it to be top-notch. To the best of my ability. And there you have to question yourself…what is the best of your ability? I struggle with that because…how can I do that? For every person? How can I be that? I would want everything about the delivering of His glass of water to be perfect. What He deserves.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What did the Lord mean when He said: And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“I don’t know,” he paused, “I have wrestled with this one. I know it is not anything good. In Luke twelve Jesus says: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, an treasure in the heavens that faileth not. Jesus tells the Pharisees immediately after the parable: Ye are they which justify yourselves before men. And that is exactly what the unjust steward did. He justified himself before men. We all want to look good before men so they (men) will accept us.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“How do you see Christians not being faithful in the unrighteous mammon?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“They cheat. They take cash money and hide it. They don’t pay taxes. They install equipment they are not licensed to install. It goes on all the time. I have done the same thing. But there are laws that we all have to abide by, even Christ himself fulfilled this. When He commanded His disciples to go and take the coin out of the fishes’ mouth and to give it to the tax collectors. He has commanded us to be faithful…even in the laws of man and that is the unrighteous mammon. All things that pertain to business, or anything we do in this life, we are supposed to do it in accordance to the laws of the land.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What does it mean when the parable instructs that if God cannot trust you with the unrighteous mammon, then He won’t trust you with heavenly riches?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“That means that, well, what it says…if I can’t even be faithful in the small riches that He gives me in this world, how can I be faithful with His heavenly riches? Why would God trust me with His spiritual gifts? Or with his eternal riches. If I can’t even be faithful within the laws of a corrupt land. We can find numerous ways to justify ourselves, like “well they’re just trying to feed their family” or “well, it’s what everybody is doing...Everybody hides cash. Everybody manipulates the law. Everyone wants to be accepted, to look good on the surface. It’s what the whole world is doing but the bottom-line is…it is unfaithful. Because it is not in accordance to the laws of man. We are not being faithful in this little bit of mammon that He has entrusted to us with. It’s a test. I shared this with a friend. We talked about the parable of the unjust steward. My friend mentioned that he has struggled with this a long time and he never saw it this way. He had always heard the parable to mean that it is okay to manipulate, lie and cheat a little. But the truth is, he said he is always looking over his shoulder. Afraid his boss is going to catch him because he is trying to make his numbers every month…trying to make his number of sales. Because of this though… he has also noticed that a lot of reputable companies that install these items, that are reputable in the area, don’t purchase from him and it could possibly be because they know that the reputation is there that he sales to the unlicensed. There are many variables. Many ways to look at this. Many ways for all kinds of people to look at this and how it applies in their life. Lying about your income, giving a lower amount so you will qualify for government assistance. How are we applying the riches He has trusted us with? Are we faithful in the unrighteous mammon?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“So, it sounds to me, that even though this has thrown a curve in how you conduct business and where you will go from here…I have heard you refer to it as: growing a conscience.…it sounds to me as if it this realization has also given you freedom and peace?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Freedom and peace are on the way. Because I know that His word proclaims that, in Romans chapter eight, that He is working all things to the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose and His will. Not my purpose and my will. But His purpose… If I am called to that, and I truly feel I am…then He will work this to my good. I know I am tired of looking over my shoulder. I am tired of being paranoid. It’s not good. That is not what He wants for us. He wants to give us more.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“If you were talking to people…what would your plea be?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“My only plea would be…and not in any way saying that I am there because I have a long way to go, but, I would say…examine yourself. Are you being faithful? Are you justifying yourself before man? His Word says: He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do” for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their house. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, write fifty.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16: 1-15[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Interview with an Unjust Steward[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]The interviewer pushed the record button. “What is your profession,” she asked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Small business owner,” he answered. “Installation and repair.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt] “As a business owner…what does the parable mean to you?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Well,” he paused, “the first time I had read it I was like everybody else, I thought it was saying you have to give ten percent of your tithe. Because that was pretty much what I had been told. That I had to be faithful in the unrighteous mammon and give my ten percent. Because the way man approaches everything, is it is based on my works. I have heard the parable explained as: some people just don’t understand the difference between five dollars or five thousand…they have no concept of the value of money. But, just like every other aspect of God’s word, there is always a much deeper meaning to the parable.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What has God spoken to you through the parable?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“He’s shown me that, as far back as I can remember, I have lied, and I have stolen, and I have cheated to try to get the things that He gives freely… through obedience. A long time ago…if I would have come to Him and made the effort to read His word, there is a good possibility I could have saved thirty years of struggling and looking over my shoulder, um…being paranoid and fearful.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Fearful of what?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Of man…finding out the truth.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“The truth about what?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“That I am a liar and a cheater and a thief. Pretty blunt?” He laughed. “You said you wanted the truth.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“How do you see the parable of the unjust man in everyday life now?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“The way I see it now, is I am sure, it is like every other aspect of His holy word, is that, I am just now seeing specific areas but I am sure there is going to be a lot more revealed. I am sure there is going to continue to be revelation. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“As a business man, how have you seen the parable displayed in the Christian world? Is there any difference between the church and others? How they operate and conduct business?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Dishonest is this world. Dishonest is everything this world represents. All the things that I have cited that I have done, is what Jesus said the destroyer comes to do. To steal, to kill, to destroy.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Don’t you think you are being a little hard on yourself?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Do you think Jesus was being a little hard on Lucifer?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What would you say to Christians out there that believe that they are doing what God has told them to do, in business?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“I would say that, the same thing I spoke with my friends today…do all things as if unto the Lord, and even in that, there is a much deeper meaning. And that is, anything that I do for an individual …not just an individual…anything I do, I should do it as if that person standing before me is Jesus Himself. Ponder on that, and look at the person and take them out of their place and put Him in their place and say ok this is Jesus that I am doing this for. I struggle because I know that, if the Lord was before me and He inquired of me the simplest task, even getting him a glass of water…I know for a fact that I would have to do so much more than just a glass of water. I mean, I would want it to be…a perfectly clear glass, inside and out Without a spot on it. I wouldn’t just take one out of the dishwasher that was covered in spots and say, here Jesus. Here is what you asked for. I would want it to be top-notch. To the best of my ability. And there you have to question yourself…what is the best of your ability? I struggle with that because…how can I do that? For every person? How can I be that? I would want everything about the delivering of His glass of water to be perfect. What He deserves.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What did the Lord mean when He said: And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“I don’t know,” he paused, “I have wrestled with this one. I know it is not anything good. In Luke twelve Jesus says: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, an treasure in the heavens that faileth not. Jesus tells the Pharisees immediately after the parable: Ye are they which justify yourselves before men. And that is exactly what the unjust steward did. He justified himself before men. We all want to look good before men so they (men) will accept us.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“How do you see Christians not being faithful in the unrighteous mammon?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“They cheat. They take cash money and hide it. They don’t pay taxes. They install equipment they are not licensed to install. It goes on all the time. I have done the same thing. But there are laws that we all have to abide by, even Christ himself fulfilled this. When He commanded His disciples to go and take the coin out of the fishes’ mouth and to give it to the tax collectors. He has commanded us to be faithful…even in the laws of man and that is the unrighteous mammon. All things that pertain to business, or anything we do in this life, we are supposed to do it in accordance to the laws of the land.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“What does it mean when the parable instructs that if God cannot trust you with the unrighteous mammon, then He won’t trust you with heavenly riches?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“That means that, well, what it says…if I can’t even be faithful in the small riches that He gives me in this world, how can I be faithful with His heavenly riches? Why would God trust me with His spiritual gifts? Or with his eternal riches. If I can’t even be faithful within the laws of a corrupt land. We can find numerous ways to justify ourselves, like “well they’re just trying to feed their family” or “well, it’s what everybody is doing...Everybody hides cash. Everybody manipulates the law. Everyone wants to be accepted, to look good on the surface. It’s what the whole world is doing but the bottom-line is…it is unfaithful. Because it is not in accordance to the laws of man. We are not being faithful in this little bit of mammon that He has entrusted to us with. It’s a test. I shared this with a friend. We talked about the parable of the unjust steward. My friend mentioned that he has struggled with this a long time and he never saw it this way. He had always heard the parable to mean that it is okay to manipulate, lie and cheat a little. But the truth is, he said he is always looking over his shoulder. Afraid his boss is going to catch him because he is trying to make his numbers every month…trying to make his number of sales. Because of this though… he has also noticed that a lot of reputable companies that install these items, that are reputable in the area, don’t purchase from him and it could possibly be because they know that the reputation is there that he sales to the unlicensed. There are many variables. Many ways to look at this. Many ways for all kinds of people to look at this and how it applies in their life. Lying about your income, giving a lower amount so you will qualify for government assistance. How are we applying the riches He has trusted us with? Are we faithful in the unrighteous mammon?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“So, it sounds to me, that even though this has thrown a curve in how you conduct business and where you will go from here…I have heard you refer to it as: growing a conscience.…it sounds to me as if it this realization has also given you freedom and peace?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“Freedom and peace are on the way. Because I know that His word proclaims that, in Romans chapter eight, that He is working all things to the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose and His will. Not my purpose and my will. But His purpose… If I am called to that, and I truly feel I am…then He will work this to my good. I know I am tired of looking over my shoulder. I am tired of being paranoid. It’s not good. That is not what He wants for us. He wants to give us more.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“If you were talking to people…what would your plea be?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]“My only plea would be…and not in any way saying that I am there because I have a long way to go, but, I would say…examine yourself. Are you being faithful? Are you justifying yourself before man? His Word says: He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”[/SIZE]
