Rethinking Personal Stewardship: A Second Look at a Divine Message

By Dr. Richard M. White CPA CGMA

Rethinking Personal Stewardship a systematic approach to assist individuals create a mission-driven development plan for their lives. The plan strategies encompass designing goals and objectives to adequately manage and maintain one’s life, time, resources and health through seven biblical principles.
It challenges one to rethink these biblical principles of stewardship and how it relates to their lives on a personal day-to-day basis. It calls for the discipline of faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, and obedience to God as His stewards and the blessing that awaits.
It is the author’s mission to educate and empower God’s people on these biblical principles and disciplines so they can be free from financial and life’s worries, allowing them to become more involved in taking the Gospel to the world. The book is the cornerstone for reconnecting, reclaiming, and recommitting the people of God to himself as stewards of God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796050837

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Dr. Richard M. White, CPA, CGMA.

ISBN:              Hardcover              978-1-7960-5085-1

                        Softcover                978-1-7960-5084-4

                        eBook                     978-1-7960-5083-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/06/2019

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Section I.   Theology of Stewardship

Chapter 1   Rethinking Personal Stewardship

The Steward

A Wake-Up Call

In the Light of the Advent (Second Coming) Message

Chapter 2   The Fundamentals of Biblical Stewardship

Why God Instituted Stewardship

Stewardship Compared to Fundraising

Giving Compared to Returning

Prosperity Preachers

Chapter 3   Stewardship Defined

Biblical Definition of Stewardship

Steward is a Noun

English Definition of Stewardship

Chapter 4   Stewardship in Creation

Stewardship in the Image of God

What It Means to Be in the Likeness of Christ

Stewardship: Pre-Fall and Post-Fall

God’s Redemptiveness

Chapter 5   The Steward’s Greatest Challenges

The Steward’s Responsibilities

A Steward’s View of Ethics and Morals

Chapter 6   The Seven Biblical Principles of Stewardship

Principle One: God Owns Everything

Honoring God’s Sovereignty

Practice What We Believe

Principle Two: We Are God’s Managers and Our Purpose in Life Is to Glorify Him

We Are Here to Be Caretakers

To Be Used to Glorify Him

Our Position in the Relationship

Principle Three: Returning to God Is Our Minimum Testimony of Our Christian Commitment

Our Position

Properties (Goods) in the Relationship

Our Responsibility

Principle Four: Prosperity Is Having Your Needs Met when You Need Them

The Prosperity Perspective

The Difference between Prosperity and Wealth

Center of Security

Principle Five: We Are Made Slaves to Our Creditors

Wealth Does Not Mean Prosperity

Freedom from Worldly Concerns

The Great Money Choice for God’s Stewards

Principle Six: Prepare a Spiritual Plan for Your Life

Create a Personal Development Plan

The Need to Overcome

Setting Goals

Principle Seven: Trust in God That He Will Lead You through a Path of Stability

Trust in God

Dreams Do Come True

God Is Your Protector

Section II   Management of Life

Chapter 7   The Fundamentals of Life Management

Life Management

Endowed with Spiritual Gifts

A Life Without a Purpose/Mission

Called for a Specific Purpose

Your Body, a Temple of God

Life’s Transformation through the Temple

Major Concerns

Expectations in Life

Change Your Life

The Dog on a Nail

Who Moved My Cheese?

The Church Community

Blessings in the Church Community

Self-Employment within the Church

Purpose of the Temple of Israel

Life Plans

Emotional Health

Basis of Financial Decisions

Conclusion: Where Do We Start? The Family

Section III   Management of Time

Chapter 8   The Fundamentals of Time Management

Managing Time

Statistical Data on Time

Time Management Matrix

Manage Your Time and Manage It Wisely

Time One: Personal Devotional

Times in the Life of Man

Time Two: Work

Work Time

Time Three: Sleep

Sleep Time

Time Four: Family Devotional

Family Devotional Time

Time Five: Day of Rest

The Sabbath: A Day of Rest

Time Six: Personal

Personal Development Time

Time Seven: Exercise

Exercise Time

The Time Management Grid

Tools Used to Manage Time

Section IV   Management of Health

Chapter 9   Stewardship of Health

Stewardship of Health

Healthy Choices

Accounting Health

Personal Development Plan

Emotional Wholeness

Sexual Behavior

Overcoming Temptations

Section V   Management of Personal Finances

Chapter 10   The Fundamentals of Personal Finance

The Psychology of Money Management

The State of the Heart

What Is the Solution?

Chapter 11   Understanding Wealth and Behavior

Understanding the Rules among the Classes

Understanding How Wealth Is Built

Wealth-Building Formula

Why We Don’t Gain Wealth

Why Man Craves Wealth

God Grants Man Wealth

Managing God’s Wealth

Wealth Is Not Security

Chapter 12   The High Cost of Low Living

High Cost of Low Living

Generational Poverty

Financial Wealth-Building Psychology Matrix

The Path of Mental Transformation

Responsible to Preserve

Personal Economics

Chapter 13   Managing Your Money

Preparing Your Personal Financial Statement

Preparing Your Personal Budget

Median Household’s Income

Income Distribution in Classes

What Do Americans Spend Their Money On?

Personal Budget Categories

Chapter 14   Saving Your Money

Understanding Saving and Its Purpose

The Wife and Saving

Chapter 15   Managing Your Debt

Understanding Debt and Credit

What Is Debt?

What Is Credit?

Getting into Debt

Steps in Getting Out of Debt

Steps in the Debt Management Plan

Staying out of Debt

Chapter 16   Why Rethink Personal Stewardship

Transformation

Reason One

Reason Two

Reason Three

Where Do We Go from Here?

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and

stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required

in stewards that one be found faithful.

—1 Corinthians 4:1–2

Dedication and Acknowledgment

To my lovely wife, Hope.

You are as much a part of this journey as I am. I could not have done it without you, my love.

Introduction

Personal Calling

The devil was about to do me in, and God stepped in once again and rescued me. This time, He did not send an angel: He came Himself. I awoke at about 3:00 a.m. that summer of 1995 to use the bathroom that was adjacent to my bedroom. Returning to bed, I climbed in and turned over on my back. I began to stare at the ceiling, and almost instantly I felt my body motionless. I tried to move my hands and feet, but it was useless. I even tried to talk, but my mouth could not move, and no words came out either. Then I saw a scene unfold as if a movie or show began to play on the ceiling of the bedroom.

I was walking on a road. A few paces in front of me were two older gentlemen. One was limping, and the other was walking perfectly. As I drew near to them, I could hear them talking about God. They were using the most beautiful words to describe Him. They said, He is wonderful. He marvelous. He is merciful.

As I approached them, I interrupted and said, Yes, He is truly wonderful. Just at that moment, an empty bus came speeding around the corner and pulled up next to us. The driver of the bus jumped out, pulled a gun, and shot the older limping gentleman point-blank in the head. Then the driver turned to me and said, Richard, get in the bus.

I quickly obeyed, and as I ascended the steps of the bus, I noticed that my wife was handcuffed behind the driver’s seat.

I sat down almost opposite her. The driver pulled out a book with photos of individuals in it. He took a pen and scratched out the face of the man he’d just shot. Before the face of that man was my face, but it was not scratched out. Before my face was another man’s face, which was scratched out. The driver then closed the book and began driving.

I heard a voice saying, See, he is no longer afraid of the hedge I have placed around my people. He is using different strategies to catch them. I am sending you with a message to warn my people.

Then for the next three hours, as I lay there frozen, the voice revealed to me what He called the Christian Financial Center, a turning point in the lives of His people. The voice spoke about His people coming back to His principles for life and financial management as outlined in His book, the Bible. The voice went on to talk about disciplines in life for His people to follow. I was even given the mission for the message: To educate God’s people on biblical principles and stewardship so they can free up their surplus and become more involved in taking the Gospel to the world.

As I listened to this voice, I remember responding mentally. My lips still could not move. When the voice said I should write down what He gave me, I responded, I can’t write. I am the worst speller on the planet.

The voice said, Do not worry. I will give you someone to help you. He then named J. Bolden.

She was a member of my local church, and I did not want to have much to do with her; to me, she was one of those extremists in the church, but I reluctantly agreed. The voice noted that I should tell her not to change what I gave her, but to write it down just as I dictated it.

Then I complained that I was afraid to do what He was asking me. He told me He would give me George P. to help me. George was one of the elders in the church and had helped to mentor me as a Christian and a youth elder, so I was fine with that. However, the voice, which I now