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A Closer Walk

Attitude of the Righteous

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Our ministry is to reach out to the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ and to help believers be equipped with a solid knowledge of the Word of God, the Bible, and be encouraged to apply it in every aspect of their daily lives. There are simple truths for these complex times to help people live in a way that brings real spiritual victory to them and more importantly, through the Lord Jesus Christ, glory to God our Father.

Luke 12:15
And He (Jesus) said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.
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One of the terrible facets of the perilous last days is the fact that men will be “lovers of money” as the Word reveals. {2Tim.3:2} It is certainly true that much, if not most, of mankind has always been drawn to the desire for riches—or for ‘stuff’, things of the world. That makes it a real tool for the devil, and it becomes a consuming force for so many as time draws to a close!

As Jesus said in the parable of the sower and the seed it is the deceitfulness of riches that choke the Word and can make it unfruitful. {Mat.13:22} Satan was actually so confident in the power of riches that he tried to use it against Jesus Himself during the temptation in the wilderness.

Satan had attempted to lure Jesus into sin by first playing on the natural need of man for food—a basic necessity. The Lord stated a truth that we all need to grasp: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Jesus 1, devil 0.

Then the devil used a very powerful tool: Pride! He said to Jesus, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down and He will bear you up, save you. In other words ‘prove who you are! (my paraphrase) Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." If any man boasts, he is to boast in God as Paul would write later. {2Cor.10:17} Jesus 2, devil 0!

Having failed miserably, the devil then goes to his big gun, the temptation he is most certain of: Riches! Money! Wealth! Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” {Mat.4:8-10} Final Score: Jesus, victorious, satan defeated!

We need to understand that greed is satan’s tool to draw us away from the presence of God. That is surely the cause of the apostle Paul writing that greed truly does amount to idolatry! {Col.3:5} It is a driving desire for ‘mammon’, the world’s wealth, which demands to be served. {Mat.6:24}

The answer for us who believe God’s word is to let our character be free from the love of money, being content with what we have {Heb.13:5} knowing that our God will supply every need of ours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. {Php.4:19}

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
    But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
    It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS