Should we not listen to what God has to say on such manners regarding finances? I think we should. Sometimes things can be put in front of us that look great and can be seen as an awesome opportunity...but really they are plans that are bound to fail. So, I would be inclined to say that looking at the information others are giving isn't really a good idea. We should listen to what God says and ask to be guided by His will and His word regarding such matters. I am a firm believer that when we stop and listen to what God says and impresses upon our hearts to do, we can be nothing but good stewards. Stewardship is like anything else in Scripture. God enables us to be good stewards, but ONLY when we seek His guidance regarding finances. When we seek God's will regarding our finances, there is no way we can be illiterate because it is God that will guide us in what we should do.

For example, and this is just an example, say on Sunday morning you forget to give your tithe and somehow leave the money at home before sunday morning service and on your way back to the church in the evening or whenever you head back to the church for the next service, you come across this child on the road, this child is vey thin and looks very sick. You stop to help the child. He says that he's been abandoned by his parents and is wandering the streets looking for food, but has no money to get food. Here you have say $25 and you pick the little boy up and take him to get food. Now you end up missing church or are late for church after you help the boy get to a center or shelter to where people can take him in and give him food and shelter. You arrive at church and you don't have any money to give to the church. Now are you in the wrong by not having a tithe to pay the church? No, your act of kindness has revealed Jesus and you were an example of God's grace to that little boy.

Now the example that I just gave you has happened in real life with my pastor from my home church. Now do you think he made the right decision? I should think so because he showed Jesus through his actions, even though he didn't give his money to the church, he still furthered the Kingdom of God. That brings me back to my point. When we seek God's guidance on an issue such as finances, we'll more than likely receive an answer on what we should do. So point being, in regards to finances...i don't believe it's sinful, however, I do believe that we should seek God's guidance on finances. I have to head to work now, so i'll call it a day, hope this helps all who read it. God Bless.

Coram Deo,
Joshua

I too believe giving to the needy is the same as tithing.

I know we must learn from others how to read, how to walk, how to put on our clothes, How to use a hammer, how to drive a car. God does not give us this informatiopn
We should get info on finance from others who know more about it. And then trust Gods guidance on what we do with that info.

God bless,
             Carey

I know President Bush is Christian. I know as a President being totally forthright at all times is impossible.
 
Let me give you a little story

For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President.

  He writes:
 
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC.  I'm still working on a press release but the White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I'll ship it out.  When you get done reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.
 
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush.  We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot. I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office.
 
First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh, my God."
 
I concurred.  I could feel the history in my bones.  Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating.  Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating.  I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote.
 
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment -- that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world.  This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'
 
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush.  With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.'  President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope.  He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.
 
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go.  By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations.  When the President shook my hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well."
 
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office.  I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards."
 
I then did something that surprised even me.  I said to him, "Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious.  I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you."
 
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it." I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day.  He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So that's it.  I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today.  I could see it in your eyes.  This explains it."
 
From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?"  He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer.  When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis.  I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.
 
He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now.  Would you pray with me?"  I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave.  He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."
 
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his.  I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance -- standing with each other with heads bowed.  Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.
 
He started to pray softly.  I started to cry.  He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done.  I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter.  He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and his.
 
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing.  I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is.  I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal.  I've read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts.  Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth.  This one, I know to be true.  I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart.
 
He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband, Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace. He's not what I had hoped he would be.  He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
 
NOTE:  If you decide to forward this story... please do not add to it. Let Mr. Vincent's encounter stand as he wrote it.

Again we agree

BUT THE QUESTION is if we purpoely do not listen and persue the information that others have that would increase our own Finacial literacy
is it LAZY , PRIdEFUL and SINFUL???

Again I am in aghreement with you but I do not want this thread to get away from its original focus.

Is it sinful to intentionally saty financially illiterate?? If we do not want to learn from those who have more finacial achievement than ourselves ,isn't that purposely saying no I dont want more so I can have more to give??

God bless,
             carey

Lets take a look

www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/GTO450   this clip contains some of the roots of feminism

www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/CIS4  this clip brings it up to modern times.

regardless of where the info comes form the facts are the facts

God bless
              Carey

Check out these links

www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/DHU19 hezbullah terrorist fighter are here in USA to help the beast
of revelation when it or its allies make war on USA not yet fulfilling prophecy
 
 
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/GTH14 Iran (part of magog) and satanic Islam will help the beast of revelations already fulfilling prophecy
 
 
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/A20HAM hammas and
palestinians(partof magog) already  been at war for many years now attacking Israel fulfilling prophecy


www.arabicbible.com/testimonies/gabriel.htm





www.prophetofdoom.net


Let me know what you think.

Americans and Eurpeans must wake up now!!!

God bless,
             carey

Watch this clip and tell me what you think??

www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/EST2


God bless,
            carey

I hope I ma not breaking rules by posting links but I saw others have.

These are so cool

www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/DBR11 proof of Noahs flood
 
 
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/NoahsArk_063006 proof of Noahs Ark

God bless,
            Carey

Thanks I liked the link.

But what I was referring to was if we have the ability to have more oney and we dont act on it. It is kinda like stealing isnt it.

If we are too lazy to make the extra money or save it is'nt that taking away from how much we could give??

God bless,
             carey

Here are some links
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/C210EUR the beast of Revelation (E.U.) is growing up almost ready to make war on  USA
 
 
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/N17WARM the lie the beast will use to make
war on the USA
 
 
www.cbn.com/vod/index.aspx?s=/vod/EMP one of the tools that the beast ,Gog or Magog will use
 
 
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213930,00.html The anti Christ ???or the whore
that will ride the beast of revelations???

thoughts          let me know I would love to hear your thoughts on this.


God bless,
             carey

The parable of the master , 3 slaves ,and talents.

Could it have also been taken literal???

What does the Bible say about being a good stewart??

Is it sinful to not become more finacially lterate??

Thoughts??

God bless,
            Carey