4. The fourth of God’s investment funds is the Global Fund.

This is when you use your money to share the Good News and bring people to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (NIV).

A lot of people have no idea what this verse means. Is it saying that you can buy friends? Not at all. It means that God wants you to invest in things that help get people into heaven so that when you get to heaven, they will welcome you there.

It’s the greatest investment of your life. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you?

5. The last investment fund is God’s Treasury Fund.

When you give money to God as an act of worship, that’s called the Treasury Fund.

God makes a promise in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines” (TLB). A tithe is when you give the first 10 percent of your income to God. Anything given above a tithe is called an offering.

You can’t really give God anything, because he already owns it all. But think about the allowance you got as a child. If you went out and bought a birthday present for your mom, you’re really using her money. Does that mean she would like the gift any less? No! Because she cares more about the thought and the love behind the gift. God feels the same way about your giving.

The Bible says that wherever our treasure is, our heart will also be there. If what’s most important to you are the things of this earth, then every day you are moving further and further away from your treasure. Because every day you are here on Earth, you’ve got one fewer day here on Earth. You’re moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind.

But if you’re investing in God’s funds and using your money to serve God’s purposes, then you’re storing up treasure in heaven every day. You’re getting closer and closer to your treasure instead of further and further away.

Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Pray this aloud or in your heart today: “Dear God, forgive me for all that I’ve spent on things that aren’t going to last. I want to start investing in heaven. I want to invest in these godly funds. I want to use my money the way you want me to use it. Today I commit to using my money to grow my character and grow in spiritual strength, wisdom, and knowledge and become all that you want me to be. Help me to see ways that I can use what you have given to me to strengthen relationships and show love to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to invest in eternity by using my money to serve others. I want to learn to be generous. I want to be a blessing to others. And I want to use my money to bring people to you. I want people to be in heaven because I gave. I want to spread the Gospel through my acts of service. And Father, I want to show where my treasure is by investing in eternity through my gifts and offerings to you. I want to honor you by giving you the first part of all my income. I want to give up any lust for money so that you, God Almighty, will become my treasure. Help me to remember that I’m not a fool to give up what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

You may say, “But I had this emergency!” Everybody has emergencies. Everybody gets laid off or has unexpected expenses. The difference between the people who make it through and those who don’t is how they planned for those emergencies. If you don’t expect them, of course you’re going to be devastated by them.

Have you ever made it to the end of the month and wondered, “Where did all my money go?” Ignorance of your financial condition plus easy credit equals disaster. You’ve heard that phrase “Money talks.” It does not. It just walks away quietly, and it doesn’t tell you where it’s going. So you have to keep good records so you know where your money is going.

Here are four things you need to keep good records of: what you own, what you owe, what you earn, and where it’s going. There are several ways to budget, and you need to figure out which one is best for you. You need to get online, get into your bank, get to your accountant’s office, get into your books — whatever it takes to get on track and understand your money so that it works for you and not against you.

Proverbs 23:5 says, “Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle” (GNT). That’s a pretty descriptive picture. If you don’t know where your money is going, it’s just going to fly away like an eagle.

Fortunately, the U.S. government is kind enough to remind us by putting an eagle on every dollar bill. So every time you look at that bill, let it be a reminder that it’s going to fly away unless you tell it where to go.