Are we serving God or money?

[gocardinals25]

Whenever the merchant passed Jesus on a donkey he asked Jesus "Who then can be saved?" Jesus said "You know the commandments", the merchant said "I have obeyed all of these commandments since I was a child, he said there is one more thing 'sell all that you have and give it to the poor, pick up your cross and walk with me', the merchant replied "But we are men of wealth" and rode off. Everyday people all across the world are working long hard shifts to serve themselves, even if you donate to all the charities all across the world and you are never in need of anything do you think that we are any better off than that merchant that passed Jesus who had obeyed every single commandment since childhood? Blessed are the poor they will inherit the earth, there is a reason that is in the bible. Even though we don't know what we do money is the root of all evil and the reasoning behind many burdens that blind us from ever seeing Gods greater plan. It also said you cannot serve money and God you will love one and hate the other, it is also written Matthew 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. So which one do we go through trials and tribulations for money or God? Which one do we truly serve? What is the difference between us and the merchant? God bless you all, amen

 

[CRC]

“The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have . . . stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10) Note that the issue is not money itself—which we all need to care for ourselves and our families—but the love of money. In reality, that love makes money one’s master, or god.
People who avidly chase after riches as the key to success are, in fact, pursuing a mirage. Besides inviting disappointment, they invite many pains. For example, while ardently pursuing wealth, people often sacrifice relationships with family and friends. Others forgo needed sleep—if not because of work, then because of anxiety or worry. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep,” says Ecclesiastes 5:12.—Hebrew Names Version.
Money is not just a cruel master but a deceitful one as well. Jesus Christ spoke of “the deceptive power of riches.” (Mark 4:19) In other words, riches promise happiness, but they do not deliver. They just create a craving for more. “The man who loves money can never have enough,” says Ecclesiastes 5:10.—The New English Bible.
In short, the love of money is self-defeating and ultimately leads to disappointment, frustration, or even crime. (Proverbs 28:20) More closely linked to happiness and success are generosity, a forgiving attitude, moral cleanness, love, and spirituality.

 

[Dan58]

Under the old covenant, part of serving God was giving Him money (10%), or the equivalent of money (Leviticus 27:30-32). So one might say that since God demanded money, serving God was one in the same as serving money. Remember that in the new testament, Jesus complimented the poor widow for contributing 2 mites because it was everything she had (Luke 21:1-4). Also remember Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts 5, who were killed for not giving all their money to the apostles. So it seems apparent that money has a lot to do with serving God because He gets pretty ticked-off when you don't pay-up.

 

[gocardinals25]

She had given all she had, not only the riches she could spare, so it was not only what she could spare but all that she had , but if you do indeed give all that you have then you would not be giving what you could spare, you would be handing it all over and putting your trust in God

 

[gocardinals25]

Notice Jesus did not say sell some of what you have and give it to the poor, he said sell all that you have and give the money to the poor and walk with me

 

[Donkeyfish07]

Notice Jesus did not say sell some of what you have and give it to the poor, he said sell all that you have and give the money to the poor and walk with me

Yep, but none of us actually do that....people try to rationalize their way out of that but if you want to live by the book......that's how it's done.

 

[gocardinals25]

The merchant rode off not thinking twice because the lies of the world had blinded him, just as much then as they do now

 

[gocardinals25]

Maybe we have been blessed, maybe the riches have came, but with Gods favor and his blessings comes responsibility,are we giving it all we can or what we can spare, are we saved or aren't we?

 

[gocardinals25]

Then when you turn to revelations and read

3:14-22 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come inand eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

We have wealthy missionaries all over the world spreading the good word to the poor but what good would it do to remove the speck from our brothers eye and pay no attention to the log in our own?

 

[nkz0]

These days whenever we turn on the christian tv channel we find preachers selling cups, necklace, books etc and also asking/begging to bless them with those printed papers (mammom) so they can take their so called gospel (financial prosperity?) to the nations am wondering the same question asked are we serving God or money?

 

[PoxEclipse]

Gotta Serve Somebody

[video=youtube;76bY_abaUb8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76bY_abaUb8[/video]

Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say.

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.


Luke 10

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Acts 17

The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

 

[gocardinals25]

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
Matthew 23
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3therefore do all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.…

 

[Rockbysea]

Yep, but none of us actually do that....people try to rationalize their way out of that but if you want to live by the book......that's how it's done.

Actually it’s none of your business or anybody else’s business what people do with their own money. That’s between them and God. This is one of the key guilt-trip methods by which people are being controlled by the Christian religious system by having all their charity sucked out of them into a black hole. First people have got to come to the understanding that they are slaves, branded human livestock, chattel.. and under some serious mind control. Not whether or not they should feel guilty because they are ungrateful, greedy and selfish poor peasants living from paycheck to paycheck instead of being unselfish and penniless living out on the streets.

 

[Kerry]

Re: Gotta Serve Somebody

Look people, when it comes to money, thats where many jump ship. I mean its your money and you worked hard for it. Giving your money is the closest thing to human sacrifice and why God looks at it with the deepest sincerity. I mean thats forty hours of you life if not more. Now, when you give it is just as important as how you give it.

A sower went about to so and some seed fell here and some there, but only the seed that fell on good ground produced 30, 60, and 100 fold. If you give your money to a prosperity (word of faith) preacher. He just stole your money. If, you give to a preacher that preaches the cross and show the fruit of salvation. Then you have sown into good ground. But did you give with a malice heart or did you give it cheerfully.

Understand that satan is after the tithes and offerings, because he know that the church cannot operate with out money. Think about it, did you like the fact that lights were on, and the sound system worked, or in winter, did you like the fact that it was warm in the church. Do you like the fact that your church can provide food for the hungry. It is all made possible by your tithes and offerings.

So you don't want to do that, thats okay, because if you don't. God will go get a drunk out from under the bridge and bless him financially and put in his heart to give, so that His gospel will be preached.

If had the finance and didn't give a portion to the preaching of the gospel, I would fear standing before Him.

 

[Donkeyfish07]

Actually it’s none of your business or anybody else’s business what people do with their own money. That’s between them and God.

This is one of the key guilt-trip methods by which people are being controlled by the Christian religious system by having all their charity sucked out of them into a black hole. First people have got to come to the understanding that they are slaves, branded human livestock, chattel.. and under some serious mind control. Not whether or not they should feel guilty because they are ungrateful, greedy and selfish poor peasants living from paycheck to paycheck instead of being unselfish and penniless living out on the streets.

Didn't say it was any of my business what people do with their cash, and I'm not judging anyone for it.....note that I said "None of us do that"....I'm including myself in that. I have a job, I use money, and I don't give it all away.....but by the book, I stand by what I said. It's true. I don't see where you get a "guilt trip" out of that. I only stated what the bible says about it and pointed out how people always try to rationalize their way around it. If there's any guilt experienced by people over that, it's their own conscience that's bothering them.....not what I said, I merely pointed out facts.

 

[gocardinals25]

Those aren't my words they were the words of God,man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God

 

[Rockbysea]

Didn't say it was any of my business what people do with their cash, ….I only stated what the bible says about it and pointed out how people always try to rationalize their way around it..

Well that’s exactly what the ministers of this behemoth Christian religious juggernaut say in essence… “We’re not trying to poke into your personal financial business or tell you what to do with your money we’re only stating what the bible says.”

People should rationalize their way around giving away their hard earned dollars because someone told them the bible says so. People use the bible to give them the authority to poke their nose in other people’s financial business by using the scriptures to lay guilt trips on the working slaves… and it’s mostly the poor working slaves who get taken in by this deception. All one has to do is look around… billions are sucked out of poor hardworking slaves and into the black abyss in the name of Jesus. And it’s done exactly the way it’s being done right here but on a grand scale.

 

[Donkeyfish07]

Well that’s exactly what the ministers of this behemoth Christian religious juggernaut say in essence… “We’re not trying to poke into your personal financial business or tell you what to do with your money we’re only stating what the bible says.”

People should rationalize their way around giving away their hard earned dollars because someone told them the bible says so. People use the bible to give them the authority to poke their nose in other people’s financial business by using the scriptures to lay guilt trips on the working slaves… and it’s mostly the poor working slaves who get taken in by this deception. All one has to do is look around… billions are sucked out of poor hardworking slaves and into the black abyss in the name of Jesus. And it’s done exactly the way it’s being done right here but on a grand scale.

I'm not saying there's never been a church that guilt tripped people into giving their money away, and didn't even use it for anything other than making the church "fancier" and buying fine linen and things of that nature. Catholic Church is an excellent example of that actually. That's not anything remotely related to what I said though.

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
"

If you just read the verse, it says "give to the poor"......there's nothing evil about that. I think what your upset about is these guys, and we're warned about them quite a bit throughout the bible.

"
23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
[SUP]3 [/SUP]All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

[SUP]5 [/SUP]But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

[SUP]6 [/SUP]And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ."

 

[Rockbysea]

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
"

Yes… and everyone knows Jesus said, “give to the poor”.... And they always use the scripture about Jesus telling the rich guy to sell everything he had and then say, “You see? If we were to go by what Jesus said we would sell everything we have and give it to the poor.” They use that scripture to extract as much money out of people as possible along with the widow and her last two mites. They really couldn’t care less if some poor widow reads or hears this and gives away her entire pension check to her church and has to live the rest of the month on macaroni. That repeated lie about those under the New Covenant being obligated to tithe is not enough… no they want more and those are the perfect scriptures to use to suck as much out of them possible.

Why even concern oneself with the rationalizations of other people when it comes to their own charity? People shouldn’t be using the scriptures as a right to concern themselves with the charitable actions of others because they have no right to know about something that should be between the donor, God and the recipient.

People can get suckered into the popular Christian practice of fueling the flames of needless guilt.

 

[SpiritofFire]

“The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have . . . stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10) Note that the issue is not money itself—which we all need to care for ourselves and our families—but the love of money. In reality, that love makes money one’s master, or god.
People who avidly chase after riches as the key to success are, in fact, pursuing a mirage. Besides inviting disappointment, they invite many pains. For example, while ardently pursuing wealth, people often sacrifice relationships with family and friends. Others forgo needed sleep—if not because of work, then because of anxiety or worry. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep,” says Ecclesiastes 5:12.—Hebrew Names Version.
Money is not just a cruel master but a deceitful one as well. Jesus Christ spoke of “the deceptive power of riches.” (Mark 4:19) In other words, riches promise happiness, but they do not deliver. They just create a craving for more. “The man who loves money can never have enough,” says Ecclesiastes 5:10.—The New English Bible.
In short, the love of money is self-defeating and ultimately leads to disappointment, frustration, or even crime. (Proverbs 28:20) More closely linked to happiness and success are generosity, a forgiving attitude, moral cleanness, love, and spirituality.

Money is NOT needed! Get rid of it and ALL of mankind will live like kings! No war, no crime, no sickness, and no death.