The Jeopardy of Being Rich
This morning, the Holy Spirit—our Governor—showed me a truth about being rich. When you make the commitment to spend time studying the Lord God’s constitution, specifically the New Testament, you discover that there were four individuals who preached the Gospel of the Kingdom forcefully and with focus. Each one of them taught a valuable lesson concerning the Kingdom. The first one was known as John the Baptist. He wore a garment made of camel’s skin, had a leather belt and sandals. He was very aware of his purpose and assignment for being on the earth. In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:1-6
The second one was our King Jesus, who created the earth and lived a perfect life, yet said He had no place to lay His head. But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20 Keep in mind, the Jesus only possessed a seamless robe and sandals. When He died, He owned neither.
The third one was Peter, who was married. He had his expenses met by the Jerusalem Church. Keep in mind that Peter fished for a living. One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed Him.
A little farther up the shore He saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And He called them to come, too. They immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind. Matthew 4:18-22 But Peter himself appeared to have spent everything on the Kingdom of God after meeting the needs of his family. Do you recall the words of Peter to a lame beggar? But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6
The fourth individual was Paul of Tarsus who worked for a living as a tentmaker. Even then, everything that he earned beyond his basic needs went toward advancing the Kingdom of God, even to supporting the men he trained in Ephesus. “And now I entrust you to God and the message of His grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those He has set apart for Himself.
“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:32-35 Like his Lord and King, Paul died without owning anything except for a cloak and some sacred scrolls. By the way, ambassador Paul would have had them in his possession if only Timothy visited him before he was beheaded. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. 2 Timothy 4:13 NKJV
Do you recall what the Lord Jesus said when He sent out His disciples? He told them not to take a money purse with them. The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were His instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. Luke 10:1-4
These men raised an incredible standard for us! They lived as strangers in a foreign land and pilgrims on this earth. They had no attachments. There was nothing in this world that controlled or hindered them. This is what the Holy Spirit showed me. There is a jeopardy in having—or seeking—wealth. Jesus was very specific in His instructions to His disciples. Riches have a way of distracting mankind and altering the Lord God’s purpose and assignment. They draw pride and lust (lust is a desire for "more" that is never satisfied). Riches also cause us to be more self-reliant rather than living by total faith and trust in our Lord and King. Sometimes the best thing that could happen to us is to have all the external riches and possessions stripped away. When it is all stripped away and all we have is our faith and trust in Him, we realize that we have all that we truly need! He has given us specific instructions pertaining to our needs. We are to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:24-33
Remember, your faith in the King’s Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:1-6
The second one was our King Jesus, who created the earth and lived a perfect life, yet said He had no place to lay His head. But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20 Keep in mind, the Jesus only possessed a seamless robe and sandals. When He died, He owned neither.
The third one was Peter, who was married. He had his expenses met by the Jerusalem Church. Keep in mind that Peter fished for a living. One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed Him.
A little farther up the shore He saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And He called them to come, too. They immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind. Matthew 4:18-22 But Peter himself appeared to have spent everything on the Kingdom of God after meeting the needs of his family. Do you recall the words of Peter to a lame beggar? But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6
The fourth individual was Paul of Tarsus who worked for a living as a tentmaker. Even then, everything that he earned beyond his basic needs went toward advancing the Kingdom of God, even to supporting the men he trained in Ephesus. “And now I entrust you to God and the message of His grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those He has set apart for Himself.
“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:32-35 Like his Lord and King, Paul died without owning anything except for a cloak and some sacred scrolls. By the way, ambassador Paul would have had them in his possession if only Timothy visited him before he was beheaded. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. 2 Timothy 4:13 NKJV
Do you recall what the Lord Jesus said when He sent out His disciples? He told them not to take a money purse with them. The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were His instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. Luke 10:1-4
These men raised an incredible standard for us! They lived as strangers in a foreign land and pilgrims on this earth. They had no attachments. There was nothing in this world that controlled or hindered them. This is what the Holy Spirit showed me. There is a jeopardy in having—or seeking—wealth. Jesus was very specific in His instructions to His disciples. Riches have a way of distracting mankind and altering the Lord God’s purpose and assignment. They draw pride and lust (lust is a desire for "more" that is never satisfied). Riches also cause us to be more self-reliant rather than living by total faith and trust in our Lord and King. Sometimes the best thing that could happen to us is to have all the external riches and possessions stripped away. When it is all stripped away and all we have is our faith and trust in Him, we realize that we have all that we truly need! He has given us specific instructions pertaining to our needs. We are to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:24-33
Remember, your faith in the King’s Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
