So what is enough? ( 24/6/2023)Getting out of the trap of greedSo what is enough? ( 24/6/2023)
Getting out of the trap of greed
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?"
The wise man Solomon, who himself was richer than anyone in his time, made the statement in the scripture above. When people are driven by the love of money and wealth per se, there will never be enough. The more you have, the more you want for yourself. This is a paradox of life. It becomes a continuous trap of seeking for money and wealth just to have it. Is seeking for these things evil? Not at all.
Wealth and money should be guided by purpose. What do you want to achieve in your life or community through these things? If they help you meet basic needs of a comfortable life, make other people’s lives better, and make the world a better place to be as God intended, you experience true satisfaction as you generously share what you acquire. Greed only leads to accumulation of things.
So what’s enough, and how can one get out of the trap of greed? By first appreciating what you have, however little, as you seek for more in godly ways. Don’t kill yourself over what can’t afford now, nor compare yourself with others. We can never be the same, nor have everything we want in life. A grateful heart appreciates any addition. Godliness enables you to see the intangible blessings and to be moved to support others.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."
Galatians 5:16-18 "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
The teaching in this chapter is about the works of the Spirit and the flesh. The two are opposing each other in a continuous battle going on within everyone. Those in Christ are, and should be led by the Holy Spirit. Those not in Christ are fully controlled by their bodily desires and lusts.
The life that pleases and glorifies God is one that is led by, and is in step with the Spirit. That is a life that has overcome the desires of the sinful nature. To keep in step with the Spirit is a continuous process throughout out our lives. This means learning to listen and obeying Him, seeking to know what the Spirit desires, and choosing to reject what He rejects.
To this life of sonship we are called in Christ. In Christ, we are Sons of God. And Paul declares that it is those who are led by the Spirit of God who are truly sons of God. So sonship is defined by living in continuous flow with the Spirit. Therein lies the glorious life the Father has for His own that those outside have mo idea about!
Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
Romans 1:18-32 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them…"
Which kind of people does God give up on? Those who knowingly choose to ignore Him, worship idols, as they think of themselves being wiser than their Creator in whatever they do. They celebrate utter foolishness as they sneer at God. They suppress the truth by their wickedness (v.18), know the truth about God and His righteous decrees (19), but refuse to thank or glorify Him (21), as they exchange God’s glory with idolatry(22). Against these intentional sins, the wrath of God is directed.
As a result, God gives them over to sexual perversion like LGBTQI. They believe and live a lie, with depraved minds doing the unthinkable, inventing all forms of evil imaginable. They justify perversion and those who do them. Such can only expect a fearful judgment of God. We live in such a world today were unprecedented levels of wickedness is the norm. And it is not only being celebrated, but some powerful people are forcing others to follow suit.
But God in His unprecedented patience has given men time and chance to repent, turn from their evil, forsake sin and be saved. Many have taken this to be a weakness on God’s part. But make no mistake! His love and patience will run out and He will arise against evil. Flee the wrath to come while there’s still time!
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - KJV
Jesus was teaching about the worries of life; what to eat, drink, cloths to put on, and all the needs and wants of life that drive people crazy. He said there are things everyone needs for a normal life. And God is fully aware about that, and has made provision for them. He theregore asks us not to worry and change our priorities in life to focus on things. Unfortunately, this is exactly what people do.
We were all created for fellowship with God. The things we seek are meant to enable us serve and worship God. The fall of man shifted his attention from the worship of God and His service (which brings true satisfaction), to things which never fulfil. Things are a means to an end, not the end themselves.
When the order of priorities changes, and we seek first these things other than God, we shall never find true satisfaction as it should. This is why people make and accumulate wealth, seek fame, and get the desires of their hearts, but are never satisfied or contented.
In every human soul is a gap that nothing in the world can fill, except God. When you are in right standing and peace with God, whatever of these things you have, little or much, will truly satisfy. Short of that, you may gain the fame, wealth and attention of the whole world, and still feel empty, miserable and lost. Only a living relationship with God makes us complete. All other things are additional.
Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."
Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live." - GNB
Man was made from soil from the ground. God breathed into his lifeless body and he began to live, as a living soul. That breath was God’s Spirit. What actually makes us alive is the spirit. When the spirit part of man is taken away, what remains is a lifeless body. Without the Spirit, we are dead. Sin brought spiritual death when it separated man from God.
The essential part of our lives is the spirit. That is inherent in every human being. The fall of man from glory shifted focus from the spirit world to the flesh and physical things. Being in step with the Spirit means increasing our sensitivity in the spirit more than the physical environment around us. The spiritual world controls the physical.
The coming of the Holy Spirit was to take us back to where we belonged and operated from the begining. The secularist world view that emphasises materialism is an attempt by the enemy to cut man off from what he truly is to being carnally minded. That brings death, but to be spiritually minded is life. We can best reconnect back to our spirituality by the Holy Spirit. Anything else takes men to the demonic world.
John 6:63 "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life."
Romans 8:6 "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
Matthew 21:19-20 "Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked."
The disciples had seen other kinds of miracles Jesus performed, but not this one. Jesus spoke to a tree, that it would bear no more fruit again. And it immediately withered. Amazed, they asked how this could happen quickly. Jesus told them that they could do the same and even more, all by faith.
Jesus’ word dried the tree. It gave life to the dead, restored to normalcy the diseased, calmed the storm and many other miracles. His words carry life because He is the way the truth and the life. He is the Creator of all things that exist. This means all things came to existence and have life because of Him. Whatever word proceeds from His mouth carries life. On the tree, He withdrew life, and the tree died. If He spoke to the dead tree, it would live again.
He has spoken, and still speaks to us and the situations we go through. Sone are dead now. And when He speaks, no other word or situation can resist. He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. His word is final. He is the life. Two things are important to see His word work in our lives and situations: get to know what He has spoken. Have faith. And the rest will work. Glory to God!
John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die…"
Isaiah 55:11 "…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Mark 9:23-24 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
The boy was epileptic. His father brought him to the disciples to heal him. But they failed. Jesus had stepped aside to pray. When Jesus returned, the boy’s father desperately begged Him to heal his son. But Jesus turned it back to him, saying, all things are possible to him who believes. Just to be sure he doesn’t miss out, the man declared that he believes, but asks Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief. His son was delivered.
Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus attached so much importance to the faith of those who came to Him for help. He only responded to their faith and did nothing without it. Throughout history, the people who achieved great and would be impossible things, were driven by the power of faith that they could do it. Those who gave up and believed that they could do nothing failed. And still do.
There is such great power in faith. In the spirit world, everything revolves around it. Nothing happens without it. Satan’s aim is to make people doubt God and instead shift it so that they believe his lies. He establishes strongholds in their minds. And that’s what gets fulfilled. Jesus said everything is possible for the one who believes, whatever it is they believe. It is fundamental that you are sure of what you believe.
Galatians 5:6 "For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love."
Romans 8:5-8 "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."
Paul contrasts the two kinds of life everyone lives: life in the flesh and in the Spirit. Everyone is either controlled by the Spirit or the flesh, driven by bodily desires or Spirit led desires. Each of these have consequences: leading to life or death, pleasing to God or not. Because the two are contrary to each other, the choice of which side to yield to, lies in us.
The life in the flesh cannot please God because it will always lead to things that are hostile to God and don’t honour Him. Those who truly desire to please God will have to keep in step with the Spirit of God Who, in His guidance of the believer, always glorifies God. But one has to cooperate with Him. He enables us overcome the evil desires of the body.
Not only don’t they please God, but those driven by their uncontrolled bodily desires will not inherit God’s kingdom. They are under the direction of Satan, the enemy of God and all unrighteousness. Living by the Spirit guidance is a choice we all have to make continually if we want bring glory and honour to God all our lives.
Galatians 5:19,21 "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; … and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
The Resurection and the Life lives in us! (30/7/2023)
John 11:23-26 "Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Lazarus was dead and buried for four days. Jesus arrived in the home and Martha said if He had come earlier, their brother wouldn’t have died. Jesus was too late to save the situation according to them. They limited Jesus’ miraculous powers to heal only the person still alive. But they were talking to the originator of life Who is not limited by death, space,distance and time like we humans are. Jesus declared that He is the resurrection and the life!
Friends, many are those situations in life that we limit what God can do. We think God is like us, limited in many ways. Whatever the situation, however dead it is, if it is in the will and timing of God to restore it, He can do it. He is the resurrection and the life. Martha knew Lazarus would be raised in the last day. But Jesus had purposed to do it immediately.
It takes faith to walk in this kind of life. Jesus asked Martha if she believed such things. To those who do not believe, it is nonsense. But to those in Jesus, it is assurance of victory over all sorts of situations we go through in life, however dead. The resurrection and the life lives in us. And we have His life in us. Despite the trials, we shall overcome. This is wonderful news! Arise and walk in your victory. Glory be to God.
2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Luke 8:23-25 "… The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
In the midst of a storm that threatened their lives, Jesus woke up and rebuked it. When it was all calm, He asked His disciples a fundamental question: “Where is your faith?” Didn’t they have faith? They did, but may be not on Jesus to save them from the storm. It was a new experience for them that Jesus could control nature.
Everyone has faith in someone or something at any one time. These objects of faith is what we rely on to save, protect, provide or uphold us in our time of need. This may include our skills, knowledge, resources, close people, connections, abilities, etc. These are fine in various timing and situations of life. But the kind of faith God calls us to have is in Him.
The same question could be asked us today: Where is your faith? Each object of faith that people trust has a limitation. The disciples trust in their expertise in water failed at the storm. They cried out to Jesus for help. Faith in Christ the solid rock assures us that we shall remain steadfast in all life challenges. All else we trust in fails at some point. All other grounds are sinking sand. Only on the solid rock are we truly safe and secure.
So where and in what have you placed your faith?
Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered."
Psalm 125:1 "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever."
