the love of money

January 2, 2022: Word of the Day: A New Year's Word to ponder:

Beloved, How many decisions are we making as Christians that we put money over God? How many have not answered the call of God on their lives because of "How will I live? What will I eat? What will I wear? How will be able to get a house, have kids and truly server God?

That is where most compromise they try to serve TWO MASTERS. I will give GOD SOME, and I will KEEP SOME! I will take care of MY NEEDS FIRST, and then give God out of what I HAVE LEFT.

The LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil. MONEY IS NOT EVIL, but the LOVE OF IT IS! I have been mediating today about Matthew chapter 6:33 where Jesus says, "seek ye first, the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and THEN ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU."

What things will be added to you? Jesus says in previous verses these truths:

24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be [s]against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ([t]deceitful riches, money, possessions, or [u]whatever is trusted in).

25 Therefore I tell you, stop being [v]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27 And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the [w]span of his life?

28 And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and [x]learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

29 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his [y]magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

33 But seek ([z]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([aa]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [ab]taken together will be given you besides.

34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Why serve money first? Why is our job more important that our spiritual life in Christ? Why is our house more important? Why is working for God more important than knowing God? What is really motivating our hearts when it come to God?

Do we have a single eye and heart for God alone first? Do we have a mixed heart that wants to follow God and do our thing at the same time, The American Dream Church?

In Luke 14 Jesus shares a parable about the Master of the House has prepared a meal for all to come that He expects all that are invited to come at once.

So He sends his servants out to His invited ones? Do you know who the invited ones are, EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST. This Parable is the moment in time we are now living in. The Holy Spirit has been sent out to speak to every single believer in the world and this is the message for today in 2022.

Luke 14: 16 But Jesus said to him, A man was once giving a great supper and invited many;

17 And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for all is now ready.

18 But they all alike began to make excuses and to beg off. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it; I beg you, have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine and [e]put my approval on them; I beg you, have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.

21 So the servant came and reported these [answers] to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the [f]great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.

22 And the servant [returning] said, Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room.

23 Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.

25 Now huge crowds were going along with [Jesus], and He turned and said to them,

26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [[g]in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters—[yes] and even his own life also—he cannot be My disciple.

27 Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

28 For which of you, wishing to build a [h]farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,

30 Saying, This man began to build and was not able ([i]worth enough) to finish.

31 Or what king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand [men] to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if he cannot [do so], when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.

33 So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, [j]say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

34 Salt is good [an excellent thing], but if salt has lost its strength and has become saltless (insipid, flat), how shall its saltness be restored?

35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the manure heap; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him listen and consider and comprehend by hearing!

If you read these verses you will see the Matthew 6 in play NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. Jesus put each believer to the test to see what, and who we love most?

Is it ourselves first, our family first, our job first, our church first, our ministry first, or is Jesus truly first. Is His grip on our heart so strong that we will deny ourselves, pick up His cross and follow Him no matter what it takes or the cost?

How many saints have done what they did in Luke 14 MAKE EXCUSES OF WHY THEY CAN'T COME WHEN JESUS CALLS.

"Jesus I love you, but can't you see I am busy right now, my job's demands are holding me back, I need to finish them and then I might be able to come." (What does the love of money look like?)

Jesus, "man, I really want to come, but you see I have invested a lot of money in this house, my 501K, and my kids have needs, and you know, I have put a new kitchen in, fix my truck, a new washer. I would love to drop everything and come with you, but I need to get these things of my life and family done first, but I will come later." (Why can't we serve two masters?)

Jesus, "my kids have a soccer match later, I have to take my wife to dinner, we haven't gone out in weeks. She really needs me right now, and then when I get back I have to help little Bobby do His homework. You understand, you are family man. You know I really want to come when you call, but just give me a bit more time with things I have to do for my family. (What does the love of our family above God look like?)

Jesus says in Luke 14:13:33 So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, [j]say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Verse 34-35 34 Salt is good [an excellent thing], but if salt has lost its strength and has become saltless (insipid, flat), how shall its saltness be restored?

35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the manure heap; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him listen and consider and comprehend by hearing!

I wonder why the Master of the feast is angry with the reported excuses brought back to Him from His servant. Why was not the Master of the feast more compassionate and loving? They didn't say no, they said they were busy and had other things to attend to FIRST?

NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS! That is the very heart of the last days church in Revelation chapter 3: They are divided and lukewarm and about to be spewed out of the mouth of Jesus because of their divided heart interest, yet thinking they were right in God's sight.

In Luke 14 let us read how the Master who invited them in the "last hour" to come felt about their excuses not to:

21 So the servant came and reported these [answers] to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the [f]great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.

22 And the servant [returning] said, Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room.

23 Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.

DID YOU HEAR THAT BELOVED OF THE LORD IN VERSES 21 AND 24?

Verse 21: THEN THE MASTE OF THE HOUSE SAID IN WRATH... IN WRATH.. ANGER.. TO HIS ERVANT. GO QUICKLY SOMEWHERE ELSE AND FIND A PEOPLE WHO WILL COME WHEN I CALL.

VERSE 24 speaks of the eternal consequences the choice of not coming when He calls you to come can bring: FOR I TELL YOU... NOT ONE... NOT ONE, OF THOSE WHO WERE INVITED.... (2022 is that very hour Luke 14 is talking about) NOT ONE OF THEM INVITED SHALL TASTE MY SUPPER...

REV: 3:20. JESUS SAYS, "20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.)

NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. Jesus gives us the answer of what we need to do if our hearts are divided this New Year's day. Are we Holy Spirit led believers or NEED LED believers. YOU CAN'T SERVE GOD AND MAMMON.

YOUR PRIORITY IS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO EAT, WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO WHERE JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW 6.. HE SAYS, THESE ARE THE WRONG PRIORITIES OF THE KINGDOM.

Matthew 6: 1 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

33 But seek ([z]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([aa]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [ab]taken together will be given you besides.

THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. MONEY IS NOT EVIL, THE LOVE OF IT AND IT'S HOLD ON YOUR HEART IS. IT IS THE VERY ISSUES OF "SELF LIFE" AND PRESERVING IT THAT KEEP SO MANY BELIEVERS FROM BEING TRUE DISCIPLES OF JESUS.

Jesus called Peter, James and John to come and follow him, did they make excuses when He called. NO THEY DID NOT!

I will end with Matthew 4:18-22. Is this your heart believer in Christ? Are we pursuing the wrong kingdom first? Are we seeking both the world and God's kingdom wanting the best of both?

Are you a parent of a young on fire Believer child that wants to fully follow the Lord, and are you the voice of the world telling them be practical, be cautious you got to make money, you have to live, which are all true. But are using life, the excuses of Luke 14, to stop or hinder your son or daughter, wife or husband not to follow the Lord first?

Did Peter, Andrew, James and John make those excuses when Jesus called them?

Let us read what they did. 8 Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. 19 Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” 20 At once they left their nets and followed Him.

21 Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them. 22 At once they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus. How do you break free from serving two masters? How do you break free from the love of money holding your heart?

This is how: AT ONCE THEY LEFT THEIR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM.. VERSE 2O. AT ONCE THEY LEFT THE BOAT AND THEIR FATHER AND FOLLOWED JESUS VERSE 22. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS! SELAH!