Your stuff - Materialism
Hello. Welcome to today's discussion. We are discussing the fact that all things are temporal—yes, ALL things minus one: God. We are discussing this passage by Yeshua.
"Jesus left the temple and went away when his disciples came to point out the temple buildings to him. But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Matthew 24:1-2And this one by Paul.
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3:8
“And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15And we read this in the Word.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17Yeshua even instructed us not to worry about working solely to meet our needs.
“And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” Luke 12:22-23Why should we not worry about them?
“And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.” Luke 12:22-23This is why Yeshua tells us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” He tells us this.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21Did you know that we should not be working to earn our way into Heaven? Instead, we should be motivated to do good works because we are going to Heaven, thanks to God's salvation. By doing so, we "lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven," knowing we have a reward waiting for us.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:12We have a treasure waiting for us. Some will be larger than others. Some will receive more than others. Some, sadly, will receive judgment. Why?
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:27Once again, let me clarify my point. We do not work to be saved, nor do we work merely for the treasures in Heaven. Our motivation for serving must come from the fact that we are already saved and that God loves us deeply. Even though we were sinners living in our sins, He came and died for us so that we might have life. What could be more important than serving Him?
As for all this stuff that surrounds us daily? It will one day belong to someone else. Of itself will simply cease to exist.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:7-10You cannot say. “Yes. I'm saved. But I do not have time to share the gospel. Gotta make that money.” Or things like, “I wish I had more time to serve God. But you know, I gotta pay the electric bill.” Did you not know that if you are working to serve God and working for the kingdom, then you are worthy of compensation? Look here. Turn to 1 Timothy 5:18
“For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”When Yeshua sent out the Disciples, He told them to take nothing. And He said this.
“No bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.” Matthew 10:10What does He mean? He means He will provide. God will provide. Why? “Your Father knows that you need them,” and “The laborer deserves his wages.” God will never ask you to do something that does not give you the necessary tools. All you have to do is trust in Him.
If he tells you to quit your job and join a church full-time, quit. If God tells you to move, move. Evangelize. Then go do that. To be a Missionary, go do that. Life is far more than working 9-5, or more like 24-7 nowadays, and paying bills on Friday.
Jesus tells us this. He said He wants us to have an abundant life. Turn to John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”Again, do not be misled. I am most definitely NOT talking about the “Prosperity Gospel.” That is a lie straight from the evil one himself. I’m talking about God, choosing you out of the world, having a plan and a purpose for you and your life, and supplying your needs along the way.
God is not an ATM. He is not a lottery ticket. He is not a get-rich-quick scheme. He is God. He is your Father in Heaven. He loves you. He created you for a purpose. He will without a doubt, supply your needs. Remember, it was Jesus or Yeshua who called the rich man a fool.
“And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry."' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'” Luke 12:16-20That, a car you love so much? Rubbish
That house, or houses, you like to brag about? Rubbish.
That money hidden where you hid it? Rubbish
Your clothes? Rubbish
Every secular goal is bound to death and decay. Think about that. I will say it again. Every secular goal is bound to death and decay. What is today is rubbish tomorrow. Why worry a lot about things that do not matter in the long run?
Enjoy the nice things you have, and if you are blessed with something you desire, take pleasure in it. However, always remember not to place anything above God or what He is calling you to do. Seek the Kingdom first; He will meet your needs and provide you with a life of abundance.
Are you His child? Are you sure? If not, say this prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us pray.
"Oh, heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent of my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"
That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10
The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com
May the comfort of the Holy Ghost and the peace of our Lord Yeshua be with you all. May God bless you and be with you always.
Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!