Matthew 19:24-26 "…23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”…"
If you have great wealth and are serving Christ with it, no one can judge you, however, it is important to evaluate weather or not you have trusted more in your money than in Christ.
It is interesting to me that our president not only has great wealth but prides himself for having it. He has surrounded himself with the prosperity preachers who love their wealth more than they love the truth. Becoming the leader of the free most prosperous nation in the world is the ultimate gain for someone like our president.
I can see how a world that clamors after wealth would be enamored with someone who enjoys a wildly opulent lifestyle.
God's blessings have little to do with wealth, but has to do with Spiritual blessings of wisdom and steadfastness. When we have the Lord Jesus Christ, material wealth is not the goal of the sold out born again believer, wisdom and obedience because of our love for Him is our desire.
1 John 2:15-17 "15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.…"
Matthew 19:20-22 "…20 “All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.…"
God knew the heart of the rich man in Matthew 19, this man had placed his trust in his wealth and could not let go of it. This is the condition of the prosperity preachers. They love their wealth, convince and trick people into giving them so much money that they can live like kings off of the backs of unsuspecting and gullible followers. "You shall know them by their fruit."
Ecclesiastes 5:10
"10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity."
James 5:1-6
"1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.
2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you."
If you have a ministry in which you are hoping for and working toward riches, under the guise of "doing a good work", then perhaps you need to go and ask God to reveal your own heart.
I encounter people all the time, those who say they have a ministry while asking for donations and support. These people wish to become wealthy and supported by others in that goal. They wear their good deeds as a badge of honor while begging others for money to do what they say God has called them to do.
There are wonderful ministries that are doing good works, they do not ask for money, they pray, people find out about what they are doing and support them, but they do not live in wealth, nor do they desire to do so. Their thrust is that Christ will be preached and many will become saved.
Often missionaries live in poverty, working many years in an area without seeing one convert, but they remain faithful. In a couple of cases I have heard about the missionaries died before seeing any fruit, but those who followed them experienced the fruit of the former missionaries. Those who died not knowing if their many years of service did anything, never saw how God was working, but remained faithful anyway. There was fruit later, someone planted for many years and others came along and saw the growth and the harvest.
Wealth is not a measure of success, in fact it is often a sign that there is a false gospel being preached and ears being tickled. Beware of strangers bearing gifts, it almost never turns out well.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."
So many people in our day may say they are not on the side of the prosperity preacher and yet live as though they think their wealth is a sign of blessing from God.
Did you know that wealth may be a sign that one's heart is bent toward materialism and appearances more than holiness and righteousness?
The wealth an authentic Christian desires is not material, it is Spiritual. Wisdom and knowledge of truth is far greater to the born again, sold out follower of Christ than material wealth.
Proverbs 16:15-17 "…15 In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. 16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.…"
No comments:
Post a Comment