I really liked today’s study – it summarises well the dangers of seeking wealth as an answer to our questions about security, fear and happiness. There is only one reliable and trustworthy answer – to love God and your neighbour, with all your heart, mind and soul.
It’s perhaps worth while looking up each of the verses refernced by Selwyn, in this section: “First, possessions, if we let them, can strangle our spiritual lives (Luke 8:14). Second, they can be a cause for constant worry (Luke 12:22-24). Third, they can blind (Luke 16:19-23). Forth, they can become our boss (Luke 16:1-9). Fifth, they can damn (Luke 12:13-21. Sixth, they can curse (Luke 6:20,24). These six things can undercut our allegiance to God’s kingdom.”
Anyone, who does not have a relationship with God, will usually develop a money-based problem during their lifetime. In my mind, a driving human characteristic is the ‘want’ - to be loved; and is associated with a strong and ever-present desire to be happy. Those outside of a relationship with God will naturally turn to money and possessions as a vehicle they can use to acquire love and happiness. Yet, we instintively know that the satisfaction derived from wealth is often shallow and evasive.
Sadly, some wolves masquerading as Christian ministers, are using this flawed human association of wealth and happiness to promote a false gospel, which says something like: ‘Become a Christian and God will bless you with wealth’. A recent copy (November 2007) of the Church Missionary Society (CMS - NSW Branch) contains a quote from such a wolf (a church ‘destroyer’ in Nairbi, Kenya): “The slum dwellers of Nairobi, Kenya are there because they are under the judgment of God. We need to tell them that God can release them from their life of poverty to a life of prosperity. The fact that we are rich is a sign of God’s blessing to us.” This same message can be heard in many churches in USA and other western countries. This message is a lie.
Ask yourself – how much wealth did Jesus possess when He died? Jesus was sinless and loved by His Father – surely if wealth was a sign of God’s love then Jesus would have been blessed with abundent wealth! Paul, during his missionary trips was beaten, shipwrecked and suffered considerable hardships. He was a tireless worker for Jesus and so was loved and blessed by God – did he die a very wealthy man? No! There are many examples of faithful Christians who did the exact opposite to acquiring wealth – what wealth they had, they gave away. An obsession about possessions or excess wealth will always be a heavy anchor holding us back from following Jesus – do you agree?
Be warned!
I really liked today’s study – it summarises well the dangers of seeking wealth as an answer to our questions about security, fear and happiness. There is only one reliable and trustworthy answer – to love God and your neighbour, with all your heart, mind and soul.
It’s perhaps worth while looking up each of the verses refernced by Selwyn, in this section: “First, possessions, if we let them, can strangle our spiritual lives (Luke 8:14). Second, they can be a cause for constant worry (Luke 12:22-24). Third, they can blind (Luke 16:19-23). Forth, they can become our boss (Luke 16:1-9). Fifth, they can damn (Luke 12:13-21. Sixth, they can curse (Luke 6:20,24). These six things can undercut our allegiance to God’s kingdom.”
Anyone, who does not have a relationship with God, will usually develop a money-based problem during their lifetime. In my mind, a driving human characteristic is the ‘want’ - to be loved; and is associated with a strong and ever-present desire to be happy. Those outside of a relationship with God will naturally turn to money and possessions as a vehicle they can use to acquire love and happiness. Yet, we instintively know that the satisfaction derived from wealth is often shallow and evasive.
Sadly, some wolves masquerading as Christian ministers, are using this flawed human association of wealth and happiness to promote a false gospel, which says something like: ‘Become a Christian and God will bless you with wealth’. A recent copy (November 2007) of the Church Missionary Society (CMS - NSW Branch) contains a quote from such a wolf (a church ‘destroyer’ in Nairbi, Kenya): “The slum dwellers of Nairobi, Kenya are there because they are under the judgment of God. We need to tell them that God can release them from their life of poverty to a life of prosperity. The fact that we are rich is a sign of God’s blessing to us.” This same message can be heard in many churches in USA and other western countries. This message is a lie.
Ask yourself – how much wealth did Jesus possess when He died? Jesus was sinless and loved by His Father – surely if wealth was a sign of God’s love then Jesus would have been blessed with abundent wealth! Paul, during his missionary trips was beaten, shipwrecked and suffered considerable hardships. He was a tireless worker for Jesus and so was loved and blessed by God – did he die a very wealthy man? No! There are many examples of faithful Christians who did the exact opposite to acquiring wealth – what wealth they had, they gave away. An obsession about possessions or excess wealth will always be a heavy anchor holding us back from following Jesus – do you agree?