Wednesday: Gold-plated Message
Analyze the following passages: Mark 4:18-19; Luke 1:51-53; 6:22-25; 12:16-21; 16:13. What practical advice do these verses contain? What spiritual warnings are found here? How might these Scriptures be utilized by believers to make disciples among the wealthy?
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It has been said that we don’t own our things; our things own us. How easy it is to be consumed by material possessions; hence, Jesus warned above about the deceitfulness of riches.
Think through just how easy it is for money, or the pursuit of it, to blind our spiritual priorities. How crucial that we keep this truth in mind as we seek to reach those whose wealth might have already blinded them.
At the same time, we all need a reality check. Some people live as if the one question that will be asked in judgment is, How much money did you make?
Christ reverses our misplaced priorities. While possessions are not forbidden, they must be placed in perspective. Material goods are God’s instruments designed to benefit humanity. They become blessings when shared rather than when hoarded. When hoarded, they become curses.
Materialistic persons, whether rich or poor, are in danger of sacrificing eternal well-being for temporal pleasures. Eternal satisfaction is exchanged for passing fancies that deteriorate and become outdated. Humans serve God or money, never both. Everyone, rich or poor, needs to be reminded: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
(Mark 8:36).
This warning about materialism is important for all believers, not only for their own soul’s sake but for outreach, as well. After all, how can we warn the wealthy about the potential spiritual dangers contained by their wealth when we ourselves are caught up in the same thing?
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it is easy to point accusing fingers to the rich , if we are not , but the same spirit of mamon may still dwell in us , untill we become , that is when we will know.
I don't think it is really an "accusing" finger at the rich, it is a fact that Jesus brought out. Money answereth all things, there is nothing wrong with making money or having plenty of it. the bible even talks about a good man leaving some for his children's children. But when we get our priorities all mixed up and start loving money more than people, that's when it becomes a problem. Things more than God. "If you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me", Jesus says.
We point fingers at the wealthy, saying they are materialistic.
But the poor are many times caught up in materialism even more - focussed
On the material things they don't have. Thus this snare of Satan is dangerous
For rich and poor. To both classes our evangelistic goal is to encourage
Them to look vertically and not horisontally.
Shalom,
This quote below is taken from Wednesday: Gold-plated Message
"At the same time, we all need a reality check. Some people live as if the one question that will be asked in judgment is, How much money did you make?"
Can you elaborate this for easy understanding?
Thank you,
El Saragih
Jakarta, Indonesia
"How much money did you make. implies that they are working toward a goal of making as much money as they can while living here on earth instead of working toward the goal of winning as many souls as they can for Christ. And I do believe that is the whole point of Weds. lesson, where are our priorities? What is in our hearts is what will show forth out of us. The thing (s) that we love the most is what we will constantly feed into. Will that be God's kingdom or the things of this world?
Yesterday I listen to David Gates "Extreme Giving part 5" on Audio Verse. Powerful!!!
I recommend everyone to prayful listen. Freely you have received freely give. My prayer is Lord help us be givers like you and not hoarderes!!!!
"For what profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but lose his soul."(Mark 8:36)
We are caught up in materailism and wealth if we deny the individual responsibility of tithing towards the Kingdom of God or helping the poor when possible, in my opinion.
Therefore we gain all the moola and wordly honor, but reject Christ.
How does one know if my tithes is going towards the Kingdom of God?
My answer to the above text is that the church with whom we tithes should be based on Biblical truth and stand on one foundation, Jesus Christ. O Abba father.
And when we give our tithes do it with faith and joy. May our giving not stop at our tithes, but continue through other good habits when contributing humbly towards the cause of Christ Jesus.
Put value in our tithes by adding love. Amen
ask a sick and dying person if there hope is in monetary things If so that person really needs prayer. They are truly sick.
"We cannot give what we don't have",many poor pipol like me dreamed to be rich to help spread out the gospel speedily,but it doesn't mean that Iam a materialistic person,Iam not also saying that i will not buy those things that i want to have if ever that i am rich,thats hypocrite!
.But if God will not give me what I want,I will not be discourage because it means God wants me to do something different or maybe God is looking forward for the possibilities that if I already have those things I might forget him and lose my soul.God loves us so much,and he wants us to be with him very soon,all we just have to do is to surrender our lives and let him be the driver of the buss that we are riding with this journey towards eternity.
Most of us want to be rich. And we sing the song, 'Lord I care not for riches, nor wealth or fame.'' But do we really believe that God wants us to be poor. Job was a righteous man. God blessed him with wealth. He had 7000 sheep, 3000camels, 500yoke of oxen,and 500female donkeys.
Whatever God blesses us with, whether money(mammon)or large farms and animals and family like Job, we should recognize that all belong to God, and most importantly we are only 'stewards' of God's possession. God must be first, not money.
Oh Precious Eternal Father,from whom all blessings flow:thank you for the insight of our bretheren,which we know that"the gold is yours the silver is yours,even the cattle on a 1,000 hills",for nothing we have is of ourselves.let us all continue to put You 1st others 2nd,and ourselves last that way "those that see our works might glorify Our Father which art in Heaven"let us always be co-labours of kingdom building families of God."seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these(all)things shall be added unto you alelu aleluyah!!!blessings, ANIYAH
Think those priveleged to be endowed with riches should know it if for a purpose of helping out the poor.
The rich are only a custodian of God's propertie, not owners.
Most of us love the gifts of God more than we loved the giver. (Desire of Ages p.49)
we live in a fast-paced work-oriented culture that places high priority on both time and money. whether we are at home or work, we can become so involved doing the urgent things that we neglect the important things. king Solomon's life and the wisdom he left us in his writings can help us establish biblical priorities in our secular world. the acquisition of worldly things should not be our priority because at the end of everything we will realise that all is vanity upon vanity.
The aspect of dependence, I think, should not be lost sight of. Whatever material condition in the ups and downs of life we may be in: What matters is, not to lose our dependence upon God. The rich fool is a negative exampe (Luke 12:18-19). Job shows a positive attitude (Job 1:21).
Winfried Stolpmann