I knew a man many years ago who prided himself in his ability to recite from memory the names of the sons of Jacob, and the order in which they were born. A man born into poverty who grew to great wealth, accompanied by even more pride. He did not like the church in his small town, and so he had a large one built, and hired a pastor to lead people who thought as he did.
“Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:22)
Who do you suppose all those people in that church were following, and why were they there?
Great wealth draws people to it, to those who have obtained it, and the desires of that individual many times become the desires of those who want to remain in that person’s company, in their good graces, for some of what they have may become theirs as well.
“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” (Prov. 23:3)
I witnessed the truth to this man many times, being employed by one of his companies, and he hated me because of the Lord’s words, yet he listened, and over time even became hungry for those truths. The worker is worthy of his wages, and even though much was offered to me by this man many times, I accepted nothing from him but my paycheck.
The riches of this world are many my friends, and the deceitfulness that comes with them can be an extremely enticing thing, but they will draw you off the path every time, they will cause you to serve them instead of Christ, if you do not keep your body under subjection.
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil. 4:12)
I ask you to contemplate the following words here at length, the items you possess, the financial wealth that you may have, small or large, how did you receive it? Was it by the sweat of your own brow, the toil of many years of labor, or was it from our adversary, coming in some form because you have bent your back in some way to their will, to the will of one who does not know that if their God is in heaven, then it is Satan who rules in their lives?
“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.” (Matt. 6:24)
The things of this world are not the most important items that money will buy, power over people is, and once again in the history of mankind we are seeing this truth being enacted. Today they are named the elites, the technocrats, even those in the highest positions of nearly every government, and not only will most follow them in the hopes of obtaining something from them, but they will stand against those who would attempt to stand against them as they do so.
They will stand against those who will not be deceived by the deceitfulness of riches, of the riches of this world.
Your final paycheck will not be received by you until you get home; your Father in heaven many decide to offer you little or much here, but we know and trust in the promise of 1st Corinthians 2:9. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
If you cannot be bought, if you will not bend to the will of that love of money that those in the world desire above all else, they will do all they can to break you. What they cannot make you willingly give up; they will take from you.
You will need to make a decision when that darkness comes to your door, one of two verses will apply to you, there is no third option.
“And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” (Job 2:4)
Or
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)
I know that rich man listened, but I do not know if he heard. What he saw though was a man of God that could not be bought.
