Crown Financial Ministries (CFM) sponsored the “Crown Money Map” leader’s conference from July 13-14. Two events are held in Taipei: one designed for church leaders, and another for Christian businessmen.
The lecture is separated into 4 lessons; the focus was on how the Scriptures teach about managing money. CFM believes that if all the believers in the world can be faithful in their finances and become good managers of God's property, then God’s kingdom will extend and the Great Commission can be fulfilled.
God’s Responsibility and Our Responsibility
In the first lesson, CFM’s Chuck Bently lectured on financial management, and where God’s responsibilities and our responsibilities lie. Bentley referred to two scriptures, explaining how the proper financial management will strongly affect the relationship between Christ and us.
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)
Bentley said, “Christ is the Lord of our lives, becoming closer with Christ is life’s true abundance. No one wishes to be a slave for his entire life, yet we easily make ourselves slaves to money. We have to understand clearly that God is the Lord of all things, he owns all things, and we are only managers just as God told Adam and Eve to rule over everything on earth. The land of Taiwan does not belong to Taiwan, it belongs to God.”
He continues, “God owns everything, he controls everything and provides our needs. We are merely the managers of God’s property, and a manager is one who manages some one else’s asset or property. Lets just say if you put your money in the bank, it is that this bank was given the responsibility to manage your money, yet if the bank tells you that they own this money, then who again would be willing to put their money into this bank?” Bentley used simple reasoning like this to allow the audience to understand his point. He then emphasized that as the manager, the most important is being faithful. When we are faithful, that is when we can become close to Jesus Christ, and nurture good character and have stable finance.
Afterward the event, Our reporter interviewed Crown Financial Ministries International vice-chair Reginaldo Kruklis. Kruklis told us that the Bible has 2350 verses of scriptures related to money. In Jesus’ parables, teachings regarding money appears often. Before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to keep to his teachings and to teach others. So if churches do not teach proper financial management, then they are leaving an essential part within the teachings of Jesus out of the picture. In conclusion, he said that the money God gave us is so that we can invest for the building of his kingdom. When we give out money, God will then give us even more.
Currently, CFM has made over 180 different sets of lessons for churchgoers of various ages, starting from six years old Sunday school to financial planning for youths or married couples to elders who have retired from their work. The courses that CFM offered have served over 21,000 churches in North America, including Rev. Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church which requires all new joined members to study CFM courses.
