what is the love of money?

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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#1
No one wants to admit to loving money, and yet it seems like a whole lot of money loving happens.

So it seems like a good idea to get a better perspective of what the love of money is, using practical examples.

Like, HOW do people show that they love money? And I'm not just talking about busniess men or sinners.

I think sensitive pointed out a very good example of preachers loving money. They promise blessings in exchange for tithes. That certainly sounds like a very common example of loving money.

Any other examples?
 
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TNabb1966

Guest
#2
Personally, I believe that the love of money is when no matter how much money you have it is not enough. You can take the same concept and use it with a lot of diffrent things too. Power, fame, drugs, and sex just to name a few. For some people, no matter how much of these things they have it's just never quite enough. I think thats living in the flesh and not the spirit. It's living in the world,and not for Christ. Living for self, and denying self. It's sin.

Peace,
Tim
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#3
thanks for the response tim,

lol, but your post really does beg the question, do you have enough? Sorry if I'm putting you on the spot but I actually appreciate the point you've shared here as I think it's quite valid.

How much is enough?
 
Feb 9, 2010
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#4
The love of money is where you want more than your modest needs,for the sake of having it to heap it,and for possessions,which is mainly for bragging,for why would a billionaire care if they have all that money if he were the only one on earth,for he would have no one to say to,look what I achieved,and I am better than you.

God said there are greedy dogs which can never have enough,which a lot of people that love money can never have enough.There is no limit to the money they want.You see that a lot today,the way they nickel and dime you,never having enough money to satisfy them.That is extreme greed,but a person does not have to be that greedy to love money,they don't want as much,but they are still greedy and try to justify what they are greedy about.

The main reason that this greed can be so extreme,in general,which in the past the greed was terrible,but that was only the government or certain very few people that could obtain that,but now the common man can achieve great wealth like Bill Gates and people who run a business,and that is technology.

Technology allows them to branch out more and reach more people,and allows them to make products to help their career,for how rich could an actor or a singer get,if it were 200 years ago,for they could only reach out to very few and would not have television or any recordable media to sell products,and reach out to many people,which some sitcom stars can make over one million dollars for one show,because it is televised all over the world,and business men can reach out to more people,especially with the internet.

That the money is there to obtain and America has been in that greedy mode,for the most part,for some time,conditioning them to not care so much about other people,but love money,it is causing the most greediest people ever in the history of mankind,who love money greatly,and affecting many nations.

Jesus said that since iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold,which the love of money to a high degree will cause high selfishness and arrogance,which will cause hatefulness to a high degree,because it gives people the belief that people basically care about each other,so they have the attitude you don't care about me then I don't care about you,which they will get violent towards each more as time goes by if they stay on that greedy path.

Jesus told us in the last days perilous times will come,and the reason for those perilous times coming is the attitude of man,that they are highly selfish,highly arrogant,not having affection for people,despisers of people who are good,hypocrites who claim to be with God,lovers of their own selves,boasters,proud,covetous,disobedient to parents,traitors,fierce towards other people,unthankful for what they have,and unholy.

This says that people will basically care about themselves,being highly selfish and highly arrogant,with little regard for other people,which the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil,which shows you that when people start heaping money and material things to themselves for a period of time,they become highly selfish and arrogant and do not care so much about other people,to where it starts to affect people who claim to be with God,that some become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,and having a form of godliness but denying the Spirit to lead them because of fleshy pleasures in their life,and ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,and Christianity is the standard of the world,so if the world looks at them as having fault in the good department and fighting with each other,then the world slips more in to bad attitude,until it results in the beast system.

Look at America and Europe as they became more selfish and arrogant,that went on for so long,that many accept the New Age religion's new christianity and occult beliefs that man is god himself,which is the end result of the arrogance of man,which will pick up speed,and it will be the New Age religion's reinterpretation of all religions that will eventually be the occult core belief of all religions in the one world religious system.

So while there is so many different denominations that say they have the truth,and fighting over truth,and more hypocrites,the more the world nears closer to the beast system.The worse Christianity appears to the world,according to them for they will say they have no truth,the closer they are to the beast system,and the more popular the new christianity will gain ground,and become the core occult belief of all religions of the world,in which Alice Bailey,a prophet of the New Age religion,said that the occult Church is the true Church,which she openly followed Lucifer,who is not seen as an enemy,but a helper of mankind who came to earth from Venus 18.5 million years ago,and is the director of our planetary evolution,the sacrificial lamb,and the prodigal son,which the New Age religion will keep working to get the religions to accept Lucifer as the good guy and not the bad guy.

11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men(Proverbs 30:11-14).


God told us of the last generation on earth before Jesus takes over the earth,and mentions that they will be so greedy for money that they devour the poor from off the earth,and the needy from among men.They will be highly selfish and arrogant,which you cannot tell them the truth for they will be pure in their own eyes thinking they don't need your senseless religion,which the Bible says the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,but want to hear it their way.


The love of money is the root of all evil,and can lead to disaster if allowed to be pursued for a period of time,for it will create an attitude of high selfishness and high arrogance,which if ran in that atmosphere for a while,it will cause people to be so heady and high minded about themselves,that they will then begin to believe they are a god themself.


How do you think people who have a lot of money feel,like they are on top of the world,and the people are peasants around them,setting themselves up as kings,who can never have enough and want to own the world,for it is never enough money for them,and when there is enough of these people with that kind of money,like in America and Europe,then there is a group of people who want to plot the takeover of the world,and who have the money to bring it about,big conglomerates,who get led away easily of the New Age religion,for that is more power they heap unto themselves,for they would surely love to be a god,if the common man has become arrogant enough to believe they are god.
 
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xJoe

Guest
#5
My dad is a doctor and he pretty much abandoned his family for the pursuit of money.
How much is enough? There is never enough. He always wants more and more and more. If he got it all then he would realize how much of his life he wasted for nothing. Money is not wrong but when it comes between that which is important (God, family, friends) you lost the entire purpose of having it!
This in the end is a heart issue. You want satisfaction from something other than God. Money can be replaced with anything. If someone realizes none of these things brings happiness and refuses to go to God Suicide comes into play. What honestly is the purpose of life without God? You'd be surprised how many wealthy people commit suicide.
The poor live there entire life with the dream and hope of being rich but never attain it. The rich have reached there goal but with no other goals to fulfill life becomes pointless.
my opinion
 
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Scotth1960

Guest
#6
No one wants to admit to loving money, and yet it seems like a whole lot of money loving happens.

So it seems like a good idea to get a better perspective of what the love of money is, using practical examples.


Like, HOW do people show that they love money? And I'm not just talking about busniess men or sinners.


I think sensitive pointed out a very good example of preachers loving money. They promise blessings in exchange for tithes. That certainly sounds like a very common example of loving money.


Any other examples?


Friend, Recommended reading. HANEGRAAFF, HANK. (2009). CHRISTIANITY IN CRISIS: 21ST CENTURY. NASHVILLE, TN: THOMAS NELSON. See also: HANEGRAAFF, HANK. (1993). CHRISTIANITY IN CRISIS. EUGENE, OR: HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS.

In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington


 
Feb 9, 2010
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#7
Money is not evil,for God said there is security in money,and we need money for our needs,but the love of money is the root of all evil.

To tell the truth if everybody loved each other equally and like Jesus said to love,there is no need for money,for everybody would labor to help each other with no faltering to provide them with their needs,and people would only be concerned with their needs,but money is needed in a society that is selfish and arrogant,for some people want more than some other people,so they have to adopt the attitude get your own,and if the government takes care of it's people to where they get food and clothing and shelter,the government is living high on the hog.
The world would need money for things like weapons because they are competitive and power hungry,and their other things,that a loving society have no need of.
 
May 21, 2009
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#8
I see a lot of bashing of preachers and asking for money. I know very well there are some bad preachers who may ask for money mainly for themselves. I also see many preachers who except money and they are spreading the word of God to way more people around the world than anyone here. They also are feeding millions of people way more than anyone here. So on and so on if you get my drift.

As far as the love of money it's to love money more than God or people. That's pretty simple.
 
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Lalilo

Guest
#9
It's not lovers of money it's Lusters of money.

When you are missing God's love in your life, you look for a substitute. Money can buy you things that give you that feel good factor, or get you lust from other lusters of money. But it does not fill that hole in our soul that is designed to be filled by God's love. It does not last or is a poor fit and hurts more that heals. We are God's children and as children we need God's love to grow as God intends us to grow.
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#10
lalilo said:
It's not lovers of money it's Lusters of money.
I really don't see the difference. Could you elaborate a bit more? I liked the rest of what you had to say, though.

I see a lot of bashing of preachers and asking for money.
It's not really the preachers I'm bashing, so much as their behaviour. Promising blessings in return for money is despicable despite how many people they may help in return. On the other hand, the people who are genuinly trying to help others, well I think they should be encouraged as much as possible (not flattered, mind you, but encouraged).

mpaper said:
Money is not evil,for God said there is security in money,and we need money for our needs,but the love of money is the root of all evil.
Mpaper, generally speaking I have liked what I have seen from you so far, but this sentence from you really dropped my jaw. I think it's good that you have made the clarification that money in itself is not evil, but that it's the love of money, because quite often I find people who feel a bit sensitive about this issue will generally try to hide behind the fact that the bible does not say that money is evil. This issue of what it means to love money, however, is a very slippery topic.


Also, I was quite surprised to see your comment about God saying there is security in money. I don't think I've ever seen that anywhere in the Bible, and I've really looked! Could you show me the scripture you are referring to? Thanks.

Joe said:
Money is not wrong but when it comes between that which is important (God, family, friends) you lost the entire purpose of having it!
Thanks for sharing your comments about your father, Joe. I think that is quite a good example of someone loving money.

However, I want to comment specifically on your assessment that money is not wrong. It is something very similar to what mpaper said about needing money. It is true that money in itself is not wrong, but I think it is quite dangerous to take the attitude that we need money.

Sure having money is convenient but we don't really need it. I think this is part of the insidious nature of money, that we have come to believe we will die without it. Think about that for a second.

See, we generally think of "loving money" as a kind of devotion to money where we strive to get more and more, which is partially true, but I believe the love of money is ALSO expressed through the feeling that we cannot do without it. You may not consider that to be love in the traditional sense, but it's the same basic spirit. "I cannot live without it".

We may even hate the "rat race" or the idea of people only helping one another if they get payment first, but if we don't change our behaviour then we are still a part of that system.

Perhaps a more appropriate modern day translation could be "loyalty to money" rather than "love of money". Every hour we spend making money for rent, bills, food, etc is time spent expressing loyalty to the system.

I think mpaper expressed it nicely when he said that it would be nice if people helped each other just because they wanted to help each other. Well, that is the kingdom of Heaven.

Consider the Lords prayer. "Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven." In Heaven they don't only help one another if they receive payment for it. Well, our Lord and saviour is telling us that is how he wants it here on earth, too. It would hardly be appropriate for us to pray that prayer and still continue living by values contrary to the kingdom of Heaven.

In matthew 6:24-35 Jesus addressed this very issue in a very plain way. He said that we cannot work for God and money at the same time without cheating on on or the other.

He said that we should consider the birds of the air and the flowers of the field specifically because they do not work for money, and yet he takes care of them.

He said that all the world runs after these things, but that we should NOT be like them, and that our real job is to seek first the kingdom of Heaven, and then God will provide for us the things we need.

Joe, you talked about putting money before friends and family, but I think that is exactly what happens everytime we work for money. We put it before seeking the kingdom of Heaven first. Remember the thing about not being able to serve two masters?

Jesus did not say that God is one master and the devil is the other. He said it was a choice between God and money. Any time that we spend working for money, we are cheating on the kingdom of Heaven, and any time we spend working for the kingdom for Heaven, we are cheating on the system of this world (or showing our contempt for it, as the Bible puts it).

Anyway, I think that is probably quite a serve so I'll leave it there for now. I look forward to your comments!
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#11
at the end of saying some very strong things about the love of money (i.e. you cannot work for God and money at the same time without cheating on one or the other), Jesus gave this parable...

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as [one] having authority, and not as the scribes.

People heard his teachings, but only those who ACTED on them were counted as wise.

Anyone ready to act?
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#12
No one wants to admit to loving money, and yet it seems like a whole lot of money loving happens.

So it seems like a good idea to get a better perspective of what the love of money is, using practical examples.

Like, HOW do people show that they love money? And I'm not just talking about busniess men or sinners.

I think sensitive pointed out a very good example of preachers loving money. They promise blessings in exchange for tithes. That certainly sounds like a very common example of loving money.

Any other examples?
As I read your question, I could not help consider, that it is not about money, but idols.
Money is the means of obtaining these idols.
Idols can be many thinngs...
What one can buy
a piece of furniture or item that holds meaning to one.
education
looks
power
pride
a belief in something that is of more value than the love of God.
the list goes on.
But yes, even money itself, as many see it as the security or power that keeps disaster away.
Sometimes money is used to keep us as slaves.
Ive been thinking about these things alot lately, as I have some things that are family heirlooms, not so much as value, as valued.
I read sccripture in the OT, where a man, when his son died, had a small carving done of his son.
Over time, family members added small items to it, then began to touch the carving as a maner of luck.
Anyway, soon the small rememberance became an idol for the family.
It has brought a greater understanding of how anything will become an idol, if we value it for any reason above what we are called to in Jesus.
Being poor can be difficult, but I know when my husband and I were dependent on God for even the food we ate, I came to know God's presance, love and glory as a wonderful and perfect gift.
We now are doing well, well being we can pay our bills, keep food on the table.
But, the closeness, the joy of resting in this simple provision, is something I have to remind myself often to be greatful for.
This is why I shared this, as it is not so much that money is the only love, but that it is an idol, like anything that gets in the way, of our love and trust in God.
Anything, that becomes so important, that we cannot live as asked to in Jesus.
Wether it is the want, or the letting go!
Being able to repent, forgive, trust, glorify, the faith, hope and Love we are called to in Jesus.
in Jesus, God bless.
pickles
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#13
hi pickles,

Thanks for what sounds like a very well thought out post.

As I read your question, I could not help consider, that it is not about money, but idols.
Money is the means of obtaining these idols.
Idols can be many thinngs...
What one can buy
a piece of furniture or item that holds meaning to one.
education
looks
power
pride
a belief in something that is of more value than the love of God.
the list goes on.
Good observation, and the reason, I think, why Jesus said "you cannot work for God and mammon without hating one or the other" because mammon includes money as well as the things money can buy.

But yes, even money itself, as many see it as the security or power that keeps disaster away.
I think the thing about using money (as opposed to a barter system) is that money allows us to exchange MORE goods MORE easily with far less hassle.

It's hard to justify a million chickens in your backyard while your neighbor is starving! But when it's all just sitting in a bank account it's like out of sight out of mind.

Sometimes money is used to keep us as slaves.
Yeah, I've heard people claim to believe that they will die without money, even after pointing out that adam and eve didn't use money, and that money in itself has never worked or created anything. People do all the work, but they refuse to do it without the promise of money.

I think the kingdom Jesus talked about was like finding a new motivation to work. A motivation that revolves around helping people just because they need help. However, I don't think Jesus was ignorant of the world we live in and he knows it's no utopia.

I think that is why he promised to take care of anyone who decides to face the fear of not working for money and more, and just start working for love, like the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. They do what God tells them to do and God takes care of them.

It has brought a greater understanding of how anything will become an idol, if we value it for any reason above what we are called to in Jesus.
I also find this to be a constant challenge. After forsaking all and sharing all things communally with other Christians I still find areas where I am tempted to hold on to something as mine. To some degree that's not really such a bad thing, like with toothbrushes and underwear!!!

But I am mostly talking about the more significant things like clothes, books, music, vehicles, food, etc...

Anyway, thanks for the nice sharing pickles.
 
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Scotth1960

Guest
#14
No one wants to admit to loving money, and yet it seems like a whole lot of money loving happens.

So it seems like a good idea to get a better perspective of what the love of money is, using practical examples.


Like, HOW do people show that they love money? And I'm not just talking about busniess men or sinners.


I think sensitive pointed out a very good example of preachers loving money. They promise blessings in exchange for tithes. That certainly sounds like a very common example of loving money.


Any other examples?


Does it matter how much money, "cows chewing grass", one has? Is a rich man a person who has much money, and therefore loves all that money. Is a poor person less tempted to love his money, because he has so little of it. There is a certain false security in many riches. The Bible refers to it as the "deceitfulness of riches." Take care. Scott Erie PA

 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#15
Does it matter how much money, "cows chewing grass", one has?
Why, do you have a lot of it? lol

j/k. Presumably, the more money one has, the more devoted his heart will be to it, so even though it is possible to be just as greedy about 2 pennies as it is about 2 million pennies, I'd still rather have the two pennies on judgment day!

Is a rich man a person who has much money, and therefore loves all that money.
Well, Jesus said "sell what you have, give it to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven" and "where you treasure is, there will you heart be also". It looks like a fairly strong connection between sharing and treasure in heaven. So, when we talk about the love of the rich man, perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask where IS the love of the "rich man"? In his pocket, or with the poor?

BTW, I've heard it said that, along with no one believing that THEY are actually guilty of loving money, it is also said that when it comes to determining if one is rich, one will usually point to another who has MORE (even if it's just a tiny bit more) and claim THAT person is the rich man.

There is a certain false security in many riches.
Personally, the "many" in this sentence seems like an unnecessary exaggeration. I think the spirit of the sentence would be the same without it.

The Bible refers to it as the "deceitfulness of riches."
Could you maybe share what you feel the Bible is referring to when it talks about the "deceitfulness of riches"? Maybe share some practical examples from your experience?
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#16
Just bumping discussion about the root of all evil back into the spot light.
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#17
root of all evil. Just letting people know that it's still around...
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#18
There is a saying, when talking about something that is rather obvious and yet no one seems to want to acknowledge it, that goes something like "It's the elephant hiding in the room".

The idea is that elephants are really, really big so it should be obvious that it is in the room, and not really hiding at all.

I think something similar happens when issues about greed come up, and in particular, when we talk about ways of confronting and challenging greed, and even MORE particularly when we talk about Jesus' methods of confronting and challenging greed.

I think this happens because of something Paul said about the love of money being the root of all evil. Obviously, the root of all evil will not be something easy to kill in our own lives no matter how much we appreciate the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus, much like people with drug, gambling, and sex addictions find it difficult to over come those problems despite knowing how harmful they are.

Earlier, Pickles talked about how greed can include anything, not just money, and I agree with her citing Jesus' own words that we cannot work for God and mammon (money and the things money can buy) without hating one and loving the other.

I think some confusion comes in when we talk about the "love" of money. Generally speaking people imagine work-a-holics or scrooge Mcduck's swimming in pools of diamonds and cash, but Jesus gave a much simpler, down to Earth example of what it means to love money.

Mat 6:24 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.


Did you notice the word "love" in there? He said there are two master and we will love one and hate the other. One master is God and the other is mammon (money and the things money can buy).

He says we will be serving one or serving the other, but not both at the same time. So how do we "serve" money? What does that mean? Usually I hear all kinds of super spiritualized answers that don't really have any practical application and pretty much end up rendering the verse meaningless. I can't imagine a single Christian on this Earth actually admitting to serving money, and yet it was Christians that Jesus was talking to.

However there is a way to get a more solid and practical understanding of what Jesus meant by serving (i.e. loving) money. I think it is interesting to note, though, that whom we serve is proof of whom we love.

Anyway, Jesus followed that teaching with this.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?


Okay so it becomes a bit clearer. He is talking about money in the context of how we use it to provide for ourselves. We use it to buy food and we use it to buy clothing. But notice that he says DO NOT let worry and fear about these things stop us from seeing what is really most important in life.

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:


Even more clear now. Consider the birds of the are and the flowers of the field, specifically BECAUSE they don't work for money (which we use to buy food and clothing) and yet God is able to provide for them. Remember that we are talking about discerning what the word "serve" means in reference to God or Money. Jesus is making a connection here between the word "serve" and HOW we show who we serve. Is it money which we use to buy food and clothing, or is it God who can takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and who loves us even MORE than those things?

Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?

So it is an issue of faith. We show who we serve by who we put our faith in. God or Money? Are we willing to put our faith in a man who is telling us NOT to use our time working for food and clothing, or do we "despise" the foolishness of that kind of thinking and put our faith in giving our time to money so that we can provide for ourselves without needing and faith in God?

Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.


All the world runs after these things but Jesus is giving an actual command here NOT to allow worry and fear about these things stop us from having faith in his provision. Who are we serving when we ignore a teaching like this because we ask ourselves "but who will pay the bills if I don't work for money"? The ONLY way that Christians are different is that we do NOT run after money. We have a NEW motivation.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Our NEW motivation is to seek God's kingdom FIRST! Jesus is making it clear here that our ACTIONS will show whom we are really serving. NOT our pleasant words about the love of Christ, not convincing arguments about healing or the trinity, not reading the bible or church attendance, but how we respond to his teachings.

The reason the word "first" is used is to indicate that there is more than one option. Otherwise there would be no need. He would just say "seek God's kingdom". But he used the word "first" as a pointer back to the original reference to TWO masters. Only ONE of them can be FIRST.

It is clear that this reference to first indicates who we give our time to. Give your time to God first, because who we give our time to shows who we love (or serve).

This is what being born again is really all about. Being born into an entirely new set of values from the world. We are in the world, but we are not OF the world. This means we don't operate on the same values.

The world says you cannot live without money.
Jesus says you cannot live without God.
The world says you must demand payment for your love.
Jesus says you must give your love freely.
The world says you must provide for yourself and look out for yourself as number one.
Jesus says you must look out for the Kingdom of Heaven as number one and God will be the one to provide for you.


THAT is the kind of witness the world needs to see, that Christians really DO have something better to offer.

So, who are you serving? God or Money?
 
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cows_chewing_grass

Guest
#19
yep, it's still around...
 
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dmdave17

Guest
#20
Hi all. I agree that love of money is a form of idolatry; anything which is loved more than God assumes the status of an idol. But I'm not in agreement with the blanket statement about "promising blessings in return for tithes" indicating a love for money. The Bible is full of promises about blessings in return for giving and tithing. Malachi 3:10 says it most plainly,"''Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'"

There are many documented incidents where people stepped out in faith and gave what they really couldn't afford, and were abundantly blessed because of it. A young lady who is a member of our group gave her personal testimony to this in another recent thread. Therefore, pastors who promise blessings in return for gifts are just teaching a Biblical principle. One would have to examine their motives for wanting the money before declaring that they are guilty of loving it.