from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2Wvy1u2
via IFTTT What a far cry from the message of today! Why such harsh words against the wealthy? We all know the scripture "the love of money is the root of all evil", but there is something even deeper goin on here with this scripture in James. Let's take a deeper look . Who is wealthy in this world? I present to you that it is not a measure of the bank account, but of the attitude. We do not actually own anything. Nothing. Not after we turn our lives over to Jesus. How can we? We are then dead. The old man is dead and we are a new creature. Dead men can not own anything! Once we turn our lives over to Jesus as Lord and Savior, we own nothing Let that sink in. A Christian owns nothing! It all belongs to God ! He owns all that we have, we are just managing it for Him! It is not for us to decide what to do with any wealth in our control. Doesn't matter if your bank account is $10 or a million dollars, it's God's, not yours. So, logically speaking ,if a man claims to be wealthy, says he is wealthy, he is not a follower of Christ! How can we be following Christ and claim to have things not given to God completely? It is a matter of attitude, not numbers. Anyone that boasts in their riches, whether small or large, has declared themselves rebellious against God. They have admitted to withholding from God what is His. They have claimed to usurp God's authority over all that is in the earth. It is sin! On the other hand, a man with a large bank account can count himself poor. He can take the proper view that none of it is his. He does not spend $10 without taking that expense to God. "Is it His plan to spend that this way?" The righteous man, the follower of Christ makes no decision devoid of prayer because he understands the he himself is poor. It is all God's to do with what He pleases. If it all disappears one day, he takes no worry because it wasn't His anyway! He is only managing a part of God's riches for Him. He has to say over the riches autonomously. But America, oh America. We priase those who steal from God. We praise and admire those who claim to be wealthy and successful. We assume those boasting in riches and success are somehow better, we give them honor and power and authority. Woe to America! It all sin, rotting and rusting until judgement say! At the end of days we will forsake the rich who withheld and rejected God because we will see their filth and poverty. By boasting in riches they rejected Christ! And that left them dirty and filthy in sin. But in that last day, it will be too late. We will see that our praise of the wealthy and successful has left us rejecting Christ also! America is poor and filthy, praising others who are poor and filthy. It is all sin! Don't fall into the trap. Know that anyone who counts themselves wealthy has rejected Christ for their wealth. Only by giving all to Jesus do we become a follower of Christ. This doesn't mean zero in the bank balance, it means an attitude of zero bank balance. It's all in the heart, not the numbers. Honor and respect those who reject the riches of the world, who use those riches to help the needy. Who walk in worldly poverty with heavenly wealth. Those who understand and speak the truth that it is all God's wealth, not ours. Those who never spend a dollar on their own lusts and desires Be wary of preachers and politicians who portray riches, who glory in their riches, who spend much on themselves. Preachers because they are to exemplify living as Christ, with no place to lay his head. And politicians because if their heart is so evil as to live lavishly, they will steal from you just as they have stolen from God. Remember, it is the humble, the meek who will inherit the world, not the rich and powerful. If you see a man boasting on himself, his abilities, his success, his riches, know that that man can not know Christ. Know that that man has evil in his heart. Know they they will drag you down into hell with them, by glorying in their riches, power, and authority. Yes, hard words indeed. Woe to the rich! It is an awful state to be in. To consider oneself rich is to consider oneself to be a god. How sad. We should look on them not with praise, but with pity. Woe to them. Scripture is scripture. We can't ignore the parts that we don't like. We must see truth! And the truth is, all that we have is not ours. For if we claim it to be and act as if it is, we are very very guilty of sin and hardness of heart. Have you walked in this sin? Most of us have. It is the American way to praise and honor wealth, just like Babylon. We have recreated Babylon of old, by praising, electing, honoring those who oppose God by claiming their own wealth and success. God will not overlook this sin. Judgement is coming. America will face it So repent! Repent of considering what He has given you to be yours. Repent of walking as if you own anything. Repent of honoring those whom scripture pitys. Repent of holding back from God what is rightfully His and repent of praising others who so oppose God. Repent, give it all to Jesus. The balance won't change, but the heart will.
