A.W. Tozer writes in “Echoes from Eden

 “Jesus tells the story there of the man who went into a far country and before leaving, called in his three servants.  He gave them talents to be held in trust during their absence.  He gave one man five talents, another two and another one, each according to his own ability.  They could not complain for each was given what he deserved.   Then He said, “ I will be coming back – remember that I have delivered unto you my goods.”  ….

 … But the hour will come when our kindly-faced but serious Saviour will call the redeemed and justified to His feet saying:  “ I must have an account of the deeds done in the body since you were saved.  You have had more abilities entrusted to you for faithful and obedient service and witness.”

There will be no place to hide then.  You tried to settle everything in the spiritual life by one act of believing but there are some things that are never settled until death cuts us off or until the Lord comes.  Now what is it that God expects of us morally, and spiritually?  He advises the way of self-judgment: “ If we judged ourselves we would not come under judgment”… I trust many of us are becoming willing to breathe sincerely that prayer with Charles Wesley:  Arm me with jealous care – as in Thy sight to live; And Oh, Thy servant, Lord prepare  – A strict account to give”

I often reflect on the words of Tozer.  The Bible tells us of a man called Enoch who walked with God … so closely that God took Him.  Enoch had a son he named Methuselah. But why did Enoch walk with God?

Genesis 5 [21]  And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: [22]  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: [23]  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: [24]  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Methuselah means “When he is dead judgement shall be sent”… or  in plainer terms – the audit comes when he dies.   We can imagine that God inspired Enoch to give his son this name and every time Enoch saw Methuselah he remembered the coming judgment and must have been often perturbed in that he did not know how long Methuselah would live.  Everyday must have been lived with strict care.  This perhaps was the secret of Enoch’s close walk with God.  Indeed, we know Methuselah lived very long (969 years) and died in the year of the flood that destroyed the world (except Noah and those in the ark).  The fact that Methuselah lived longer than any man known testifies to God’s incomparable mercy, love, patience and long-suffering – that gives and gives us new opportunities to repent. This does not mean He has changed His plan.  The effacement of thoughts about judgment  from our theology causes us to seek fun and be unwatchful.  The apparent delay decieve many to imagine He will no more return.

Someone asked “ How can I be sure I am walking with God in my finances, business and ventures?”…and I answered  ” live a life of constant remembrance that whatever you do, gather and achieve is time-bound and mortal … and after there will be a comprehensive audit…a judgment of it by an all-knowing God who owns it all.”

God will judge what we did with time, career, ability, skills, our marriage, ministry, education…He will judge our response to every sermon we heard…every blog we read…every thought and knowledge He gave us.  He will judge what we did with our nationality and all our advantages…He will judge fairly but firmly according to His word. It is wise to understand the audit scope by studying the word of God and quickly agreeing with it.

He especially remembers what we did concerning the poor, the vulnerable, the widows and the orphans…the hungry and the weak…He will judge all our failures, successes and all our assets acquisition and losses.  He will audit our saving and spending and scrutinise our generous giving.  He will judge our silence and also our words.

He will consider all our aspirations, earnings and luxurious extravagance in the light of the needs of others with neither food nor shelter.  He will judge our comfortable social safety nets in the light of impoverished souls perishing daily and innumerably like unprotected insects  - mere statistics or news items to us.  He will judge the things we missed because we thought they were immaterial – yet someone hungry somewhere could have been fed for weeks on that which we squandered on another gadget we will throw away in a few months.  Everything will be reviewed as  though they belonged to Him and not to us…nor to any government or nation…or even ministry.   They all belong to Him.

Enjoy this video by John Piper giving his own perspective on the Prosperity gospel …

Concerning all the investments, businesses, achievements…Christ constantly reminds us  “ I will be coming back – remember that I have delivered unto you my goods.”    Surely, we all need more grace to walk with constant remembrance of this truth – ever seeking the mercy and help of a God who lovingly and patiently awaits our repentance and is ready to give us a fresh start.  With this mindset, all our business activities will be conducted in a very rigorous self-auditing mode that transcends our accounting standards.  He will examine if we are still full or emptied of every deposit that must have been poured out for the benefit of humanity.  Have all the talents been invested for His glory?  What do we have hidden in the closet of procrastination?

Many may ask?  Why have I dedicated many posts to Haiti and ugly scenes of crisis and death amongst the poor brethren in Jos, Nigeria…surely these have nothing to do with managing money and success.  Others may not want their consciences assaulted with images of the poor living under subhuman conditions… and a few have had disturbing nightmares caused by realities they are not used to considering.  But our responses to all these scenarios may all be part of His judgment …

Isaiah 58 [6]  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [7]  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [8]  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

Get back on track… and back into the ark. This time – be sure you remain in the ark  – in Christ Jesus.   May the Almighty God who is able to keep us faithful and save us till the very end arm us with jealous care and bless us indeed.  Amen

Bode