A few Sundays ago I shared the true story of JL Kraft, founder of Kraft Foods. To refresh our memory, or in case you missed it that day, I include it here in more detail. What an inspiration!
James Lewis Kraft was a partner in a cheese company in Buffalo, NY. While on a business trip to Chicago in 1903, the partnership dissolved and Kraft found himself stranded and alone. He took the little money he had left, just $65.00, and bought a horse named “Paddy” and a wagon and began to sell cheese. But it did not go well at all.
After one very unsuccessful day, Kraft had a conversation with Paddy. He told his horse he needed a business partner. Being raised in a faithful Christian family, Kraft realized he needed to reorganize his priorities. He needed to, as Jesus instructs us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God” and then everything that he needed would be provided for him. Kraft decided to “make God a partner” in his business and things turned around for him in a very Big way. Business picked up and he began to prosper.
The company he founded became Kraft Foods, a multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate, marketing many brands (including Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Miracle Whip, etc.) in more than 170 countries.
JL Kraft gave approximately 25% of his own personal profits to the church for the rest of his life. Later in life he made this powerful statement: “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord. Pastors will do their greatest service in leading their men to understand the truth of God concerning the stewardship of time and money.”
This is not just about theory, but about how one man literally put it into practice in his life. JL Kraft was a living testimony to the powerful truth of Stewardship: God owns everything, we are simply stewards or managers of what He entrusts to us, we must make Him and His Kingdom to be first place in our lives. Embracing these truths will radically change our philosophy about finances and giving. When we do that, we will prosper – spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially. What we give is His to begin with, plus when more is needed, He will provide it.
When the godly evangelist John Wesley visited his many congregations, he would question his assistants as to their progress in the faith. He would often ask if their Christianity had affected their pockets. That can be an acid test of our values. Is our Christianity about our complete surrender to Him? Or does it only mean that we are saved from an eternity in hell? Does the Lord have our hearts? If He has our hearts, then our resources should be available to Him also.
If we choose to put our own priorities first, then we will be responsible for providing for our own needs. But when we “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), then He will be responsible for providing for our needs, and He is faithful! We can count on Him. We can trust in Him. We can rest in Him, because He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider!
The Apostle Paul declared (2 Corinthians 8:7), “since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” There are many expressions of worship. May the Lord help us worship Him in giving of our finances. We want to honor Him with everything we say and do!
This Sunday, March 9, we will conclude our teaching series, “Money Matters!”, with the glorious truth of “Graceful Giving” from 2 Corinthians 8:1-7. We will consider two questions: “Why should I give?” and “How should I give?” Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.
Aloha ke Akua!
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