O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FINANCES WISELY

    With the rising cost of living and the recent GST increase, many Singaporeans are getting anxious about the financial pressure on their limited resources. As Christians, our management of finances must be governed by biblical principles. Here are eight principles that we should apply:

1. Choose to Serve God, not Mammon

Luke 16:13 – “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.”

    Your view of material wealth must change. Do not let it rule and dominate your life. Do not regard it as an end in itself, but rather, as a means to an end. Someone once said that “Money is a marvelous servant, but a terrible master!” Let God rule your life, and let Him direct you to put your money to good use. Let Him be the Lord of all your possessions.

2. Beware of Covetousness

Luke 12:15 – “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

    Be careful not to love money, “for the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10). The rich are often tempted to trust in their wealth to solve their problems rather than in God. (Proverbs 11:28; 30:8,9) This is why Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)

    One way to tell whether you love money or not is to observe how you respond to large personal monetary losses. Are you able to say, like Job, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”? (Job 1:21)

3. Get Your Priorities Right

Matthew 6:21,33 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also… But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

    Examine your budget to see what things you are now spending most of your money on. This provides an indication of your present priorities. People commonly think of Christian stewardship as the giving of tithes and offerings. This idea is mistaken. Since everything you have ultimately comes from God, stewardship has to do with how you use everything you possess, including your money. You are to be a good steward in the way you use your mobile phone, your computer, your house, your car, your clothing, your books… everything you have. Stewardship does not mean giving only ten percent to God as your tithe and keeping the remaining ninety percent for yourself. It means using the hundred percent wholly for the Lord as He directs.

    And the Lord does direct you to use part of it to feed and clothe yourself and the ones you are responsible for. The Scriptures teach that ‘the labourer is worthy of his hire’ (Luke 10:7) and also ‘if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:8) The Lord would also direct you to save part of it for future anticipated needs. (See principle no. 6 below) But the rest should be used for the Lord and for others – to bless the needy (Ephesians 4:28), to encourage Christian brethren (Galatians 6:10), and to provide for God’s work. (2 Corinthians 9:7-11) Ask Him to show you specific needs that He wants you to meet and what He wants you to do with His funds.

4. Get an Income by Honest Means

Thessalonians 4:11-12 – “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

    Proverbs 21:6 warns against any attempt to acquire money by deceit: “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.” One of the greatest challenges facing Christians in business is the challenge of maintaining strict godly principles, without succumbing to the fear of losing out to others who seem to enjoy advantages from their use of unethical means to secure profits. Some will say, “It is impossible to do business without doing these things!” Even though a Christian will face difficulties in today’s business world to keep his hands clean and his testimony shining and still be blessed with sufficient profits, he can succeed by applying biblical principles.

    The Bible teaches us to earn an income by diligent employment. According to 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” The exception of course is those who want to work but are unable to, because of illness. Man was made to work and to find fulfilment in his work. When God made the first man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, his work was to take care of the garden. Therefore work already existed before the Fall. The Fall of man only made his work more difficult.

    However, we should not become ‘workaholics.’ Work is a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Do not allow your work to damage your physical, spiritual or mental health, or to make you neglect your family responsibilities. If you allow your work to take up all the time you should be spending at home with your loved ones, you will have to answer to God for failing in your parental and marital duties.

    What if you have tried your very best but your income is insufficient to make ends meet? God knows your needs and He is able to provide for them. Philippians 4:19 – “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Learn to trust in His provision for all your basic needs – food, shelter and clothing. (Matthew 6:25,30; Psalm 37:25)

5. Do Not Seek to ‘Get Something for Nothing’

Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”

    Gamblers often dream of striking it rich overnight and making fortunes merely by risking a small amount of money. Remember at all times that wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished. They will ‘make themselves wings and fly away as an eagle.’ (Proverbs 23:4,5)

    One of the hardest things to do in business is to know when to take more risk, and when to take less risk. The highest risk investments often have tantalisingly higher potential returns, but this easily crosses the thin line into gambling. To take an investment risk without gambling you need to assess your motive for taking that investment. If you aim to get something more through higher risk-taking or if you invest on impulse or ‘gut feelings’ you are probably gambling.

6. Save Sufficiently for Anticipated Needs

Proverbs 6:6-8 – “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”

    It is good to set aside funds for a rainy day. When Joseph was the prime minister of Egypt, God gave him the foresight to institute a national policy of saving all the surplus produce of the land during the seven years of plenty, so that there would be enough provisions to sustain the country’s economy during the seven years of severe drought. It is therefore wise to save and make sufficient (but not excessive) provisions for the future both for yourself and those you are responsible for.

7. Avoid Being in Debt

Proverbs 22:7 – “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

    Borrowing puts the borrower at the mercy of the lender. If the borrower is unable to pay back what he owes, the lender can make life very miserable for him. The Bible is not against legitimate buying on credit or paying by instalments or borrowing, but it is against being in debt. A debt exists when payment is past the due date that had been agreed on, for money, goods or services. Psalm 37:21 tells us, “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again….” The practice of borrowing money from others because of an opportunity to make huge gains through investing or leveraging is also wicked. Do not take financial risks with funds that are not your own.

    However, there are times when it becomes necessary to take loans, e.g. a housing loan. There is nothing wrong with this provided we can afford the loan and have the means to pay it off. But do not assume that since your business is now doing well, you will have the means to pay off the loan.

    There are some who keep borrowing only from those who would not be harsh with them when they are unable to pay off the loan. This is not a good Christian testimony and should not be encouraged. If a fellow church member comes to you to request a loan, and you feel that he really needs help, please advise him to approach the Mercy Ministry committee of our church. The committee will make all the necessary enquiries, study his case thoroughly and come up with a comprehensive plan of action to help him.

8. Spend Wisely, not Wastefully

Proverbs 18:9 – “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”

    Remember that all your money is not your own to spend, but entrusted to you by God. He wants you to be wise and faithful, not foolish and wasteful. Do not buy things impulsively, but take time to consider whether the need is proportional to the cost. Unfortunately, much of the advertising in the media is cleverly designed to convince people to spend money on items they don’t really need, and many who are convinced by this experience buyer’s remorse later on. The purchased items often cannot be resold without incurring losses, and they end up as white elephants collecting dust in their home.

    In an article that was published on CNA recently entitled, “Consumers, it’s time to stop the huge spending driving inflation”, Richard Hartung commented that Singaporeans are spending more on discretionary goods that they don’t need, and the extra spending caused half of the rise in core inflation in the third quarter of last year.

    You can avoid wasting your money like this by putting less money into your credit card account and by setting a modest limit on the amount that it can be used to spend each day. If you make online purchases frequently, delete your credit card information from your Amazon account so that you will have to enter this information manually. This will force you to think more carefully about each purchase.

    When in doubt on whether to spend on an item or not, compare prices and consult others. Be as conservative as you can in your spending, without stinging on necessities. And always count the cost before you make any major financial commitments. (Luke 14:28)

Conclusion

    Thus, we have seen eight biblical principles of managing your finances wisely: Keep applying them, and you will be a good steward of God’s resources, and look forward to receiving His commendation: “Well done, good and faithful steward, you have been faithful in little things – Now you will be entrusted with greater things, with greater opportunities to bring glory to the Lord.”

– Pastor

Appointments for the Week

Monday, February 13

        7.30 pm     ERBL: OT Historical Books (Rev Charles Seet)

Tuesday, February 14

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Nguyen Huy Khang)

Thursday, February 16

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: History of Presbyterian & B-P Churches (Rev Lee Hock Chin)

Saturday, February 18

        3.00 pm     YAF

Sunday, February 19

  8.00 am     Teach Us to Pray (Acts 4:24-31) Eld Clement Tan (With Holy Communion)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Teach Us to Pray (Acts 4:24-31) Eld Clement Tan

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Church Camp 2023

13-16 June 2023

Anchoring Our Faith In A Postmodern World

Speaker: Pastor Tan Soon Yong

Radisson Golf & Convention Center, Batam

Registration for church camp 2023 is now open. You may download the pdf form from the church's website, fill in and submit it via email. Alternatively, online registration via website will be up soon. Please register early!

Far Eastern Kindergarten Online Registration 2024 Intake

Pre-Nursery (for children born in 2021) to K1

Priority registration for church members: 1 February to 14 February 2023

Nursery and K1: Vacancies in the afternoon session only.

Register online at: http://www.lifebpc.com/fekedu/registration.html

It will be on a first-come-first-serve basis after 14 February 2023.

Please visit our website http://www.lifebpc.com/fekedu/ or call 6251 3676 for more information.

Job Vacancies

Life B-P Church

a) Assistant Finance Officer (AFO)

Assists in the finance operations of the organization, and HR administrative/operational functions of the Church. https://www.lifebpc.com/index.php/component/k2/job-opportunities-afo

b) Assistant Media & Technology Officer (AMTO)

Assists in the Audio-Visual (AV) functions of the church. https://www.lifebpc.com/index.php/component/k2/job-opportunities-amto

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to the Church Operations Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Emmanuel Reformed Bible College (ERBC) is looking to hire the following:

1. College Administrator: The candidate will have the oversight of the administrative duties in managing staff, resources and facilities of the College.  The candidate must be a Christian and needs to work closely with the faculty, and reports directly to the principal.  Working experience in a similar position in an academic institution and good communication skills, both spoken and written will be added advantages.

2. College Assistant Administrator: The candidate will be supporting the College Administrator in the administrative duties in the operation of the College including helping students in their application, entry into Singapore, and all incidentals relating to their studies in the College.  The candidate must be a Christian proficient in using word processing software and spreadsheets dealing with database, basic book-keeping and communication skills, both spoken and written.

Interested parties can enquire at the ERBC Office for detailed job descriptions.

1 Tao Ching Road, Singapore 618720

Tel: (+65) 6594-9397 | Fax: 6250-6955 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.erbc.sg

GAF 23^rd Anniversary

4 Mar 2023, 4pm, Beulah MPH

“Old is Gold” by Eld Chia Ah Lak

Buffet dinner provided.

Exploring Christianity

What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? If there is a good and powerful God, why do we have global pandemics and unrest in this world?  The answers can be found in the Bible, which is God's word to man.

Exploring Christianity is a course that looks at how the Bible addresses these pertinent questions about life. It is a 5-part series and is suitable for (1) Non-Christians searching to know who God is (2) Christians who would like to understand the basics of what it means to be a Christian.

The seminar will be held on 1 May 2023, from 9am-12.30pm at Beulah Centre. Lunch will be provided. All Lifers are encouraged to bring their non-Christian friends and family members to this introductory course on the Christian faith.

To register, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/ExpChr2023

Door to Door Evangelism

19 February 2023 (Next Sunday)

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30 pm

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday. 

Participating in upcoming Mission Trips in 2023 

We would like to encourage Life B-P Church members to participate actively in missions both in support and involvement (short-term or otherwise), including medical and dental (MaD) missions, with the hope that some may be called to be full-time missionaries. If you are interested to participate in the upcoming mission trips being planned for 2023, please register your interest by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/Cc4Q22b8csiFmqEY6 

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