April 03, 2012
God is more important than money or anything else. (Matthew 6:19–24) Jesus says, "Don't store up treasures for yourselves here on earth..." It is totally useless and a waste of time and energy. It consumes you. It absorbs your full attention. Do I have enough? Can I keep it safe? Will people try to take my things? I want more. Does someone else have more than me? You can see the problem with all the underlined pronouns. I... I... I... me... me... me. Our focus cannot be on God if our focus is on I... me... mine.
"Your heart is where your treasure is" or say it in reverse, "Your treasure is where your heart is." The problem is people convince themselves that they don't have a problem. They label it as being wise and good stewards. Stewards are what we should be of what God has given us. But most the time we (people) view ourselves as being self-made. It's all about what we have done, accomplished, or attained. The lies of Satan are subtle, and we convince ourselves that darkness is light. Jesus says it this way, "The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness." (Matthew 6:22–23) It is the worst kind of darkness because you think it is light. And when you believe that, you can no longer see and know truth.
This has been shown to us over and over throughout these last five years. How clearly I remember driving home from my sister and brother-in-laws depositions in Indy (2009) and my husband and I understanding for the first time that there was no truth in them. They no longer knew truth. What they thought was light was actually darkness, and it's the worst kind of darkness. Up until that day we thought they "knew" truth and were just choosing to further their own gain by using lies, trickery, manipulations, false accusations, etc. to get what they wanted. When someone knows truth they can return to it. But during their depositions we realized they no longer knew truth. It was gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and difficult to watch. We spent the time driving home crying out to the Lord on their behalf. "And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness."
Chuck Swindoll in "Simple Faith" says it this way:
We cannot serve "things" in addition to God. (Exodus 20:23) Either God is God of ALL or He is God of nothing. If we try to serve anything in addition to God (self, money, family, things, etc.) it will take over and become the most important to us. You cannot remain on a fence. Eventually what we think is light is actually darkness, and it is the worst kind of darkness because we are fooled into thinking it is light and we do not realize we are living in darkness.
Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)
God is more important than money or anything else. (Matthew 6:19–24) Jesus says, "Don't store up treasures for yourselves here on earth..." It is totally useless and a waste of time and energy. It consumes you. It absorbs your full attention. Do I have enough? Can I keep it safe? Will people try to take my things? I want more. Does someone else have more than me? You can see the problem with all the underlined pronouns. I... I... I... me... me... me. Our focus cannot be on God if our focus is on I... me... mine.
"Your heart is where your treasure is" or say it in reverse, "Your treasure is where your heart is." The problem is people convince themselves that they don't have a problem. They label it as being wise and good stewards. Stewards are what we should be of what God has given us. But most the time we (people) view ourselves as being self-made. It's all about what we have done, accomplished, or attained. The lies of Satan are subtle, and we convince ourselves that darkness is light. Jesus says it this way, "The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness." (Matthew 6:22–23) It is the worst kind of darkness because you think it is light. And when you believe that, you can no longer see and know truth.
This has been shown to us over and over throughout these last five years. How clearly I remember driving home from my sister and brother-in-laws depositions in Indy (2009) and my husband and I understanding for the first time that there was no truth in them. They no longer knew truth. What they thought was light was actually darkness, and it's the worst kind of darkness. Up until that day we thought they "knew" truth and were just choosing to further their own gain by using lies, trickery, manipulations, false accusations, etc. to get what they wanted. When someone knows truth they can return to it. But during their depositions we realized they no longer knew truth. It was gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and difficult to watch. We spent the time driving home crying out to the Lord on their behalf. "And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness."
Chuck Swindoll in "Simple Faith" says it this way:
"In the light of truth, you and I are able to see both truth and lie, both light and darkness – that which is simple, pure, and clear and that which is deceptive. But enslaved to darkness, and plunged into the pit of the lie, we no longer see truth. We have no other option but to believe the lie."Believing the lie and no longer knowing the truth—truly the worst kind of darkness. You cannot straddle the fence. Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters. The person will hate the one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches." Cannot. It doesn't say it will be hard or you might fall off the fence. No. Pure and simple—CANNOT.
We cannot serve "things" in addition to God. (Exodus 20:23) Either God is God of ALL or He is God of nothing. If we try to serve anything in addition to God (self, money, family, things, etc.) it will take over and become the most important to us. You cannot remain on a fence. Eventually what we think is light is actually darkness, and it is the worst kind of darkness because we are fooled into thinking it is light and we do not realize we are living in darkness.
Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)
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