Chinatown Outreach Ministry Encourager Letter
"Life is More Than Money"
October 3, 2009
Jesus once said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
Have you ever gone into Winley’s grocery store on 56th Street, or any of the other grocery stores in the 8th Ave. area of Sunset Park? If you have, you’ll see the betting forms and lottery tickets all over the floors. These stores make a lot of money off selling these tickets and people are buying them in bunches. Why? For the hope of getting rich!
Why do so many people get on the busses on 8th Ave. that take them to Fox Woods or Atlantic City? For the hope of getting rich! Yet their chances of winning anything big are less than their chances of getting struck by lightening!
These people have placed their hopes of happiness on something that probably will never happen, yet they continue spending more and more money on these things. These people are empty inside and trapped in the pursuit of a lie. The lie is “I need lots of money to be happy.” If you look at the faces of these people you will see hopelessness and a sense of futility. “If only I could win the lottery, I could change my unhappy life”!
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. God created us not to live in poverty, unhappiness and despair, but in joy and peace will all our needs being met by HIM!
Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive” and “You don’t have because you do not ask”. God knows that we all need money and without it life can be very hard, but there is a right way and a wrong way to pursue it. Man’s way is to sell his life by slaving for it. God’s way is to provide it for us!
Jesus said, “Seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all you need will be given to you.” Matthew 6:33. Learning to look to God for our needs unlocks the power of God to move in our behalf!! In the next letter, I will share with you some of the ways that God has done this for me!
