Insufficient funds

Insufficient funds

by Richard (Jim) Minch

Habits of convenience.

We all have them, to one degree or another. As for myself, this is sometimes a large degree.

One of these habits of mine is the convenience of using my Visa debit card. Primarily because I do not like writing checks and I tend to over-spend if I carry cash. In addition to these things, my handwriting should be interpreted to others by a language expert. Mostly, it appears in the form of chicken scratch.

In our rushed and hurried world of today, we often seek out ways to make our lives easier. And so often these momentary easements grow into stronger hardships a short distance down the road. The latest increase in the cost of gasoline has led me to spend less when I must get gas, which only causes me to stop in at the station more often. Working nights in my hometown, we really don't use the amount of gas we used to prior to me getting this nearby job. Therefore, I have developed a habit of only putting $10.00 worth of gas in the tank each time, which puts my gauge at 1/4 tank with today's prices. And for convenience, I use my Visa debit card.

As another convenience, I'll collect my receipt and toss it into a compartment under the radio in my van. At a later time, I'll then take them into the house and deduct them accordingly from my checkbook.

But sometimes I forget to bring them in. Yet another drawback of convenience.

The other day, my wife gathered the mail, and discovered a statement from the bank. As she was opening the letter, the image of that convenient compartment under my dash came rushing into my mind. I then knew what was coming. Shaking her head and giving me a much-deserved lecture, she handed me the statement. Right on cue, it boldly announced the entitled condemnation of, "Insufficient Funds." And profiting from my sin of convenience, I discovered that my bank had just become $25.00 richer, courtesy of yours truly. The $25.00 loss derived from my convenience sin could've been spent for gas, reducing an extra station pit stop, thus allowing me to fully reap the wages of my hard-earned labor. When I finally went to collect these receipts out of my van, they seemed to weigh much heavier in my hand.

This got me to thinking about our heavenly account in which there is no error in the accounting, and the tally is always perfect. What will be our account balance when we stand before Jesus Christ soon, as He reads forth our eternal account records? Will the balance bring us a joyful smile of surprise, or will it also read, "Insufficient Funds?"

Considering that our every action, motive, and thought gets logged into these records, there will be no argument at the Bema Seat of Christ. This will be especially true at the Great White Throne judgement for those who did not repent of their sins to even get an account started. These lost souls will be seeking any way they possibly can to avoid their imminent eternal destination in the lake of fire. Jesus Christ Himself paid the hardest debt in trade for our sins. This offer to us was signed with His blood on the cross at Calvary. A simple motion of repentence with just a mere mustard seed of faith is all it takes to get an account started with the Highest Bank Manager in the universe. And, considering the fact the He gave His own life to pay off our debts of sin, this deal is so great it totally defies our standard viewpoints of economic logic. But, sadly, many won't even deposit the first penny of repentence into the bank to simply get the account started. And the complete loss of His love and return will be one so great that the monumental reflections of this loss and despair will reverberate through their tormented minds in every second of the hot eternity which awaits them. A single repentence penny would have prevented all of this.

As saved Christians, we know our own judgements will not be that of punishment, but of reward. It is at the Bema Seat Christ which we will all truly reap the returns which we sowed throughout our services for Jesus Christ. Some will reap forth a great harvest. Others, however, will reap a very lean harvest. And there will be some who will also get a statement of Insufficient Funds. These are the ones who whole-heartedly repented, but cared nothing about making even the smallest sacrifces for Jesus to build their accounts. These are the ones who are saved, but just by fire. And while they will escape the fire as promised, their own eternal regret will still be sad and great. But, for those of us who did build our accounts, our eternal joy will be in the manner which cannot yet be decribed my mere words.

The question is: What is our current account balance with Jesus Christ? How are we deposting our spiritual coins into His finest Bank and Trust? One answer lies in what the purposes of our intended deposits are. Do we tithe and donate with great joy or do we do so with a grudging regret? If we do so with regret, how does Jesus tally the deposit properly? Most likely, He will write the deposit off as a loss. But, if our motives are that of great love and joy, He will credit every penny into our accounts with a great degree of interest. Even so, our deposits are not solely determined by the worldly money we spend.

Our accounts are collected and compiled in direct proportion to all that we do. Our thoughts, our disciplines, our motives, our actions, and our love for Jesus Christ greatly determines the bottom line in the end. Mere expenditures of money will not even begin to purchase our way into heaven, no matter what amount is applied or intended. But, if we humble ourselves and witness for Christ for the purpose of leading others into starting their own accounts with Christ, our balance will then increase. If we do so with a heart of self gain or glory, then the balance will decrease. If we keep His Laws and Policies written within His Biblical contract as we teach and lead, then our heavenly riches are increased. But if we decide to apply our own laws and policies in place of His intended original contract, we can only expect losses, not gains. In fact, if we do this to a great degree, lacking respect for His Laws to receive the respect and profit for ourselves, chances are that we signed our own contracts with Christ in invisible ink. If we do this, the Bank Manager cannot read the signature on the agreement and the contract is seen to be null and void.

Matthew 6:19-20:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Mark 4:1-9

The Parable of the Sower

1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:13-20

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Matthew 19:24: And again I say unto you, 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.

So, what will our accounts show in the end?

Will they show a great return or will we too be handed a statement which reads, "Insufficient Funds?"

Let's all make sure we make our deposits for His gain instead of our loss. After all, it is only gains which bring forth joy and rejoicing.