Fighting the Four Evils

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10) Those who seek to be rich will pierce themselves with many sorrows. Such sorrows will then lead to destruction. People who chase after riches do not chase after riches because they are happy. They chase after it because of their sorrow. Their sorrow drives them to chase after riches, leading to even more sorrows. They are sorrowful for having less than they want, less than they think is fair, or less than others. It is because of this sorrow that they are driven to seek riches, thinking it will make them happy and joyful. However, such a person is like a hamster on a wheel. He seeks riches out of sorrow, thinking it will give him satisfaction, only to find that it drowns him in more sorrow. So, as he seeks more riches, he drowns himself in more sorrow each time. The spirit of mammon uses sorrow to dri...

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (2 Peter 2:1-3)  There are many prosperity teachers who have arisen today. They are all around us and are destroying many, leading them to Hell. Many genuine Church teachers, preachers and pastors, while acknowledging their wickedness, simply dismiss them and do nothing to counter them. However, this is not a sufficient or adequate response. For these false teachers who preach the prosperity "gospel", in either its more obvious or subtle form, are extremely dangerous....

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding (Proverbs 3:13). The conventional view of a blessed life is one that is full of earthly temporal gifts, such as a well-respected profession, marriage and family. While such things may be gifts, they are merely temporal. What good are they if they do not make one to be rich in Christ, by making one serve Christ more faithfully, adding to one's heavenly riches? True riches, the only true riches, are heavenly riches which come only by serving Christ and loving Christ. The Bible says that the blessed life is one that is wise. Only by wisdom does one knows what direction one should live to please God to live a righteous life. To be blessed to be favoured by God because of living righteously before Him. Righteousness gives true joy and peace. The wise life is the blessed life. It is one characterised by constant learning, and understanding, leading to greater understanding and wisdom day by day. Having all the thing...

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15). Many people in the modern professing Church think that having an abundant life means to work hard for one's job or career, get married and have children, buy a house, buy a car, earn as much income as one can, take as many holidays as one can, and be an influential well-respected member of society and one's circles.   They think that this all shows how "blessed" they are, that it is a sign of God's favour to them because of their righteousness and holiness. They are smug behind all their material comfort and think that those who have less than them, or who lack something they have, or are suffering are less holy and righteous than them, all without realising it. They think they are more worthy in God's eyes than those who have less than them, or who lack something they have, out of their prid...

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh ! (Matthew 18:4-7)  Many in the modern Church are causing their fellow saints to stumble by their vain speech and idle babbling, all without knowing. The Bible has much to say about speech. Speech itself has an effect on the hearer, not merely emotionally or psychologically, but spiritually. Indeed, " death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Proverbs 18:21). The mere listening to, or in the case of the internet, the re...

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). The Bible warns that riches are deceitful, not the love of riches, but riches itself. Jesus had much to say about riches. He rebukes his disciples that no one can serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), not being anxious about basic earthly needs (Matthew 6:25-34). He rebuke the rich young ruler who was not willing to lay all things down to follow Christ for not doing so, and turned to his disciples and warned them that they must also do so (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-27). He rebuked the man who demanded his 'fair share' of his inheritance to not seek the abundance of possession, with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). Many Christians try to construe Jesus' teachings on mammon as that which only relates to money, and not other things which are sourced by money ...

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 ...

He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch (Proverbs 11:28). Many in the modern Church in the west think that money is a sign of "blessing". They like to say, "God has blessed me with a new car",  "I am so blessed with a new house, or even "we [local church] are so blessed to have a new building", despite being in millions of dollars of debt for a "newer", "bigger", "better" building. Such is the case of many in the western Church who are totally under the spirit of mammon, and do not even realise it. People from "protest"-ant denominations love to quote how countries with a former "protest"-ant influence are richer and more educated, as if it was sign that shows how good the Christian faith is for the world, and why the unsaved should believe in Christ. We might not think that that is the spirit which which such a statement is normally made, but that i...

It is embedded in western psyche that one should be full of sympathy towards the needy, and side them , just because they are the underdog. I call it the "underdog sympathy complex". Australia is a country with such a complex, as Australians love to side with the underdog, and love to despise those who are elite. This may seem like compassion, empathy and fairness, which is what Australians love to think of themselves to be, and think they are entitled to. However, the underdog sympathy complex is not compassion, empathy, fairness or justice. It is nothing but favouritism towards the poor and needy, from selfish fear that one will be in that position oneself. This leads to what many Christians in the west call 'socialistic' thinking.  The socialistic thinking that many in the west have towards the poor and needy is earthly thinking, as it thinks that what people ultimately need is to have the basic human needs, instead of that Jesus is not only what people need, bu...