And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).
Many in the modern western Church simply assume that there is nothing wrong with seeking or desiring riches. They think it is simply understandable, legitimate, or even a good thing which will help one "glorify" God. Among those who claim to think that seeking or desiring riches is wrong, they play all kinds of games with the word 'riches', saying that it refers to an amass of wealth, rather than that which is regarded as so-called 'basic financial security' from the earthly perspective.
However, no where in the Bible is such a distinction made between an amass of wealth and so-called basis financial security. Such is a distinction from the Pit of Hell itself, a doctrine of demons!
Some professing Christians in Australia even think that borrowing money to invest on usury in multiple properties is a means to "glorify" God. They even think that charging usury honours God! What foolishness!
To say that one can glorify God by desiring riches is to spit in the face of Jesus Himself who said: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
To those who say that "their" wealth can be used to glorify God, know this: God does not need "your" wealth. He already owns it. He gives it to you only out of His grace, and not as of "right", so that one use it to learn how to give sacrificially, and not to accumulate it for oneself, or to acquire possession for one's own desires.
Proverbs 22:9 explains: "He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor." This is because the poor cannot give in return. Therefore, those who give to the poor are blessed, because they give sacrificially, and not to acquire possessions for themselves. They give with a sacrificial spirit, making a true sacrifice. Those who do not give sacrificially are not blessed because they live for themselves, and their own desires.
The widow who gave her two mites gave far more than those who gave out of their wealth. She was honoured because not because of the amount, or that she gave money away. Rather, she was honoured because her giving was a true sacrifice of herself, denying her whole self:
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
(Luke 21:1-4)
She gave away her entire 'financial security', a true indication that she fully trusted in God, that He will provide her. Most Christians in the west would have thought she was a lunatic, irrational or absolutely foolish. They would have looked down on her all the more, and even thought of her as arrogant in daring to think she had enough giving capacity, which they measure in accordance to amount of wealth possessed. They would look at her and think "you think you have enough money?", sarcastically and mockingly, and despising her all the more for how she even thought about giving money.
However, most people in the modern Church in the west have much to learn from her, and would be wise to learn from her true and genuine trust in God's provision (Matthew 6:30-34). To put such professing Christians to their shame, she probably would have accumulated more true riches than they ever will, by living a life that truly honours and loves God intimately and faithfully.
What is your wealth that you think it comes by your own strength, apart from Heaven? There is nothing good that you have that does not come from Heaven. Even a sparrow falls onto the ground because God approves it:
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(Matthew 10:29-31).
Every good thing you have is approved by God, and so who are you to be anxious for earthly security, thinking you know better than God about what is good for you? Anxiety for financial security is itself an indication of pride, a very subtle form, which thinks it knows better than God as to what is good for oneself. This includes anxiety for an average relatively lower-paying job, and even anxiety for earthly needs, such as food, water and shelter.
Indeed, Jesus warned of the seeds sown among the thorns:
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19)
This verse itself indicates the having cares for the world, and desiring the things of the world is itself a deadly trap, that can cost a person his life. Desire for such things is not merely dangerous and can lead one astray. It is itself a sin, and because it is a sin, will lead one astray from Jesus Christ. Such people will tragically not be saved in the end. Indeed, Jesus warned that:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Matthew 7:21-23).
The people who were the seeds sown among the thorns are included. Many in the professing Church go to church simply to gain something for themselves, other than truly know Jesus, and to run the race of faith faster and harder (Hebrews 12:1). They seek the friends, companionship, good life advice, even solid Biblical doctrines, but only applying them and accepting to the extent that it does not challenge their trust in mammon.
Trusting in mammon is diametrically opposed to trusting in God (Matthew 6:24-25). Therefore, it is a serious matter of the heart. A person who trusts in mammon is in a spiritually dangerous position and he better believe it.
Do not be seduced by the cares of the world, nor the deceitfulness of riches. Such riches give nothing, except for all that will fade away and have no meaning for eternity. As long as one is anxious in the slightest about the cares of the world, and one's earthly comfort or security, one is trusting in mammon.
Repent of your trust in mammon, or mammon will take you to Hell. He is out there and seeks to devour your soul. Flee from mammon, and all of his snares.
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).
Many in the modern western Church simply assume that there is nothing wrong with seeking or desiring riches. They think it is simply understandable, legitimate, or even a good thing which will help one "glorify" God. Among those who claim to think that seeking or desiring riches is wrong, they play all kinds of games with the word 'riches', saying that it refers to an amass of wealth, rather than that which is regarded as so-called 'basic financial security' from the earthly perspective.
However, no where in the Bible is such a distinction made between an amass of wealth and so-called basis financial security. Such is a distinction from the Pit of Hell itself, a doctrine of demons!
Some professing Christians in Australia even think that borrowing money to invest on usury in multiple properties is a means to "glorify" God. They even think that charging usury honours God! What foolishness!
To say that one can glorify God by desiring riches is to spit in the face of Jesus Himself who said: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
To those who say that "their" wealth can be used to glorify God, know this: God does not need "your" wealth. He already owns it. He gives it to you only out of His grace, and not as of "right", so that one use it to learn how to give sacrificially, and not to accumulate it for oneself, or to acquire possession for one's own desires.
Proverbs 22:9 explains: "He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor." This is because the poor cannot give in return. Therefore, those who give to the poor are blessed, because they give sacrificially, and not to acquire possessions for themselves. They give with a sacrificial spirit, making a true sacrifice. Those who do not give sacrificially are not blessed because they live for themselves, and their own desires.
The widow who gave her two mites gave far more than those who gave out of their wealth. She was honoured because not because of the amount, or that she gave money away. Rather, she was honoured because her giving was a true sacrifice of herself, denying her whole self:
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
(Luke 21:1-4)
She gave away her entire 'financial security', a true indication that she fully trusted in God, that He will provide her. Most Christians in the west would have thought she was a lunatic, irrational or absolutely foolish. They would have looked down on her all the more, and even thought of her as arrogant in daring to think she had enough giving capacity, which they measure in accordance to amount of wealth possessed. They would look at her and think "you think you have enough money?", sarcastically and mockingly, and despising her all the more for how she even thought about giving money.
However, most people in the modern Church in the west have much to learn from her, and would be wise to learn from her true and genuine trust in God's provision (Matthew 6:30-34). To put such professing Christians to their shame, she probably would have accumulated more true riches than they ever will, by living a life that truly honours and loves God intimately and faithfully.
What is your wealth that you think it comes by your own strength, apart from Heaven? There is nothing good that you have that does not come from Heaven. Even a sparrow falls onto the ground because God approves it:
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(Matthew 10:29-31).
Every good thing you have is approved by God, and so who are you to be anxious for earthly security, thinking you know better than God about what is good for you? Anxiety for financial security is itself an indication of pride, a very subtle form, which thinks it knows better than God as to what is good for oneself. This includes anxiety for an average relatively lower-paying job, and even anxiety for earthly needs, such as food, water and shelter.
Indeed, Jesus warned of the seeds sown among the thorns:
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19)
This verse itself indicates the having cares for the world, and desiring the things of the world is itself a deadly trap, that can cost a person his life. Desire for such things is not merely dangerous and can lead one astray. It is itself a sin, and because it is a sin, will lead one astray from Jesus Christ. Such people will tragically not be saved in the end. Indeed, Jesus warned that:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Matthew 7:21-23).
The people who were the seeds sown among the thorns are included. Many in the professing Church go to church simply to gain something for themselves, other than truly know Jesus, and to run the race of faith faster and harder (Hebrews 12:1). They seek the friends, companionship, good life advice, even solid Biblical doctrines, but only applying them and accepting to the extent that it does not challenge their trust in mammon.
Trusting in mammon is diametrically opposed to trusting in God (Matthew 6:24-25). Therefore, it is a serious matter of the heart. A person who trusts in mammon is in a spiritually dangerous position and he better believe it.
Do not be seduced by the cares of the world, nor the deceitfulness of riches. Such riches give nothing, except for all that will fade away and have no meaning for eternity. As long as one is anxious in the slightest about the cares of the world, and one's earthly comfort or security, one is trusting in mammon.
Repent of your trust in mammon, or mammon will take you to Hell. He is out there and seeks to devour your soul. Flee from mammon, and all of his snares.
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