Lesson 41 - Love of Money

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5

 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. - 1 Timothy 6:10

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:11-17

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    The love of money is something that is the foundation of America. Capitalism, while not meant to be what it has become, has become a greed infested blood bath. In many ways, our culture is what is described in Shania Twain's song "Ka-Ching." This is depressing as we were a country built on Faith; now we are built on the religion of money. Companies and industries only exist, in the words of Milton Friedman, to increase profits. While Milton Friedman also said to play within the "rules of the game," companies rarely do. These motives have spilled over into the thoughts of the individual, not just the companies. We chose a mate based on money, not love. We decide where to take our families based on money, not safety. We are making our lives about money, not God. Furthermore, where God is absent, there is chaos.

I am not, by any means, pointing fingers. I know that this has been an issue for me. I cannot completely blame the world in which I was brought up in either. I have to take responsibility for my own actions, as should America. I understand that, as the Movie Cabaret says, " Money makes the world go around." Still, it is my own error, my own lack of faith that causes my fear of not having enough when God has always provided.

Many can say that "I like money, I don't love it." My only issue with this statement is that if you think of it all the time, worry about it all the time, or if it destroys your family you love it enough to lose everything else -- even yourself. In many ways, this has been my life. I've always worried about, thought about, and seen what money can do. When you see what the lack of it can do to a family, it makes you think about it all the time; however, I have learned something that is profound: A family should not be destroyed by money if there is love in that family. Love will always prevail, especially if it is the love of money. A family that, even if they loose their home, loves each other will stick together. A family that is built on money, or the fear of money, will surely fall. If all you're in it for is the money, I can bet you you do not love that person, just what they give you. When this is all that is in your heart, God cannot be present with it as "one cannot serve to masters."

I have seen both sides to this story, what a family should really look like and what they are today. In my life, I have thought about, in a spouse, financial stability. This is one reason I wanted to become an Accountant, for the shear fact that I would be financial secure. Now thinking to myself, while I love accounting and I don't want to change it, financial security isn't everything. Homeless people, while not able to do everything they have ever wanted, are more pleased when they get the smallest item or scrap of food. When we give them "chump change" they are truly thankful. If you were hungry in this day and age and someone handed you a quarter, would you be happy? No! You'd be angered deeply. I would be! God knows what is in our hearts, He knows our motives. Our conscience should tell us what He sees. If you don't like what you see, change it. I have to.

Why can't we, as Americans, be content? Why do we always want more? We, like a fire, are never satisfied. Though God didn't warn about Americans and our always wanting more way of life, He did warn about the love of money. I've seen what it can do, I have felt what it can do. I am a product of what it can do. Because of that, loving God is what needs to consume my life. God will never leave you or forsake you like people or money will- remember that!

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"Ka-Ching" - Shania Twain

We live in a greedy little world--
that teaches every little boy and girl
To earn as much as they can possibly--
then turn around and
Spend it foolishly
We've created us a credit card mess
We spend the money that we don't possess
Our religion is to go and blow it all
So it's shoppin' every Sunday at the mall

All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

[Chorus:]
Can you hear it ring
It makes you wanna sing
It's such a beautiful thing--Ka-ching!
Lots of diamond rings
The happiness it brings
You'll live like a king
With lots of money and things

When you're broke go and get a loan
Take out another mortgage on your home
Consolidate so you can afford
To go and spend some more when
you get bored

All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

[Repeat Chorus]

Let's swing
Dig deeper in your pocket
Oh, yeah, ha
Come on I know you've got it
Dig deeper in your wallet
Oh

All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

[Repeat Chorus]

Can you hear it ring
It makes you wanna sing
You'll live like a king
With lots of money and things
Ka-ching!

Temptation and Sin

Temptation is surrounding us; what will you do with it. If it is you against temptation, you will lose. If it is me against temptation, I will lose. No matter how far we run from, keep away from, or pass by our temptations, they will come back! Jesus himself was tempted in the desert; thus,  you cannot say that you will not be tempted. However, you must run to God to get through the temptation without sinning. Being tempted does not mean, by default, that you have sinned. When you are tempted, when I am tempted, thoughts can race through our minds. It is what we do with those thoughts, those desires, that drive that can make or break us.

When I am faced with temptation, alone I will fall. When I run to no where, I will fall. When I try to ignore it I, again, will fall. No matter what I do, if I do it alone, I will fall. When I put God into the equation, anything is possible. I can overcome the temptation, I can set my mind free, I can be at peace! But this isn't what I've always done. I, being human, have sinned. I have given into temptation many times as I'm sure you have too. I have places other things as a higher priority than God in my life. Studies, school, work, guys, money, friends, and family have all been more of a priority than God at some point in my life. One cannot serve two masters, I have to make my priority God and everything will fall into place.

Being tempted, as I said above, is not sin; it can, however, cause one to sin. When we live a life without God, we are tempted feverishly. When we live a life with God, we are tempted even more. God never said it would be easy!

I used to say that "God will only give the burden you can bear;" I was incorrect. Life will always put on you more than you alone can handle, that way God is a necessity in your life. If you could handle it all on your own, you wouldn't feel you needed God. Life sucks because we need to know Him. Even when we do, it doesn't mean that it will all get easier, it means that it will get harder. In Mathew, Mark, and Luke it talks about being persecuted because of God's name; it also says that if you stand with Him you He will not deny you. If I believe as I say that I do, I will have more hardships. If you are looking for an easy way out, then that's not what God promises. It isn't about ease of life, it is about knowing where you will go after your body dies.

Temptation only reminds us of how weak we are without God in our lives. Will there be temptation, yes. Can you conquer it alone, no. Will you sin if left alone, yes. Can you conquer it with God, yes! Will you sin if you are running (not walking or strolling) toward God, no -unless of course you are only saying you are.

I fail at this in life, as do most people. Temptation is hard mountain to get over!

Lesson 4 - Walls

"Walls" are barriers meant to keep people in, out, or safe from what they fear. Everyone has walls that they put up. Some people put up wall just to see who cares enough to break them down, others put up walls so that others can't see the pain they are going through; still, others put up walls to keep themselves away from what they fear. Countries, throughout history, have put up walls. Germany put up a wall not only to keep the west out of the east, but also to keep East Germany in, the Great Wall of China was built to keep others out of China, the wall of Jericho was built to keep enemies out, etc. So if both people and countries put up walls, they must have a great purpose. God told many people in the Bible to build a wall, just as He told many people to knock them down. For instance, God told Joshua

See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compas the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns:and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. - Joshua 6:2-5

This is what the KJV states; however, in the Archeaological Bible, which is KJV, adds an article which states:

Jericho's mud brick walls crumpled in a heap at the base of the retaining wall (6:20). Archaeologists suggest that an earthquake took place and that the fallen bricks formed a ramp by which the Israelites surmounted the retaining wall. (Archaeological Bible, 319)

Hebrews 11:30 states that: "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." So this could mean that God caused an earthquake because the people believed in what God had told Joshua and responded to it. Thus, by faith and the power of God, the wall of Jericho came crumpling down.
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How exactly does this correspond to the walls that people and countries build today? Well in regard to countries, it is merely a warning that you cannot keep someone out that wants to be in, you cannot hide from your fears to protect what you feel is yours, just like Boarder Patrol in America always seems to fail at keeping people out that we don't want in. In regards to people, however, some of the same rules apply.

People that put up "walls", put them up for a reason. Some walls are in the form of a facade, some are in the form of shyness, some are in the form of wildness, some are in the form of music; still, they are there for a purpose. They are setting a boundary that they "don't" want crossed, or, in some cases, do want crossed. However, just as the walls that surrounded Berlin and Jericho fell, the walls that we put up fall. We put them up and feel alone, but man was not meant to be alone. We are social beings. Being alone can hinder a person, not make them better as sitting in your thoughts can lead to madness. When someone tears down the "walls" that we put up, we feel like someone truly understands and cares for us. However, do we really build "walls" at all? We build obstacles to make it harder to find the real us, we hid behind something so that we can appear to be better than we are, we even, sometime, have a separate personality that everyone sees, even our loved ones. These, while "walls"/obstacles, are not impenetrable. I know that I put up "walls" so that I can see who cares and so no one really sees who/what I am. However, a wall can be, by force, knocked down. So, when we put up a wall, what are we really doing?

We, when we hid from what we fear, hid from who we are, or try to keep out those who want to know the real us, are really being unholy in the sense that holy means clearly visible and that everything is known about that object or person. To be who you are with no "walls" is to be closer to God as you would not be lying to anyone, including yourself. To hid from anything is to fear when the only thing to fear is "fear itself" or "the LORD". So to be scared and put up a wall is to, in essence, want control over the situation/fear. This only shows that we, as humans, truly are "of little faith" for, if we had faith as the Israelites did as they walked around Jericho, we wouldn't have to put up any wall because we would not be scared or worried.


Thus, in conclusion, to put up a wall is to be scared due to a lack of control, to be scared due to a lack of control is to have a lack of faith in God and what he can do. When God puts a wall around you, you are safe from harm. When you put up a wall, you only increase your harm as God cannot help those who think they have it all under control. To give all of your so-called control to God is to have faith in Him. When you have true faith in Him, you will get up and follow Him. You won't be left behind, you will be protected, you will live a freer life.


This, however, is easier said than done.





As a side note, I am not doubting in the slightest that the events that Joshua 6 depict did not happen, I can believe that, because of God's power over nature as he calmed the storm, that he could have induced an earthquake at the moment when these events occurred to make the wall fall.

A Lesson...

Gehenna-- what is it? It is Hell. This is where there will be gnashing of teeth, this is the eternal fire, this is Hell.

Gehenna is a place that, in the first century, everyone throw away their trash and they burnt their trash to get ride of it. When Jesus spoke about an eternal fire, hell, or where there would be gnashing of teeth He was speaking of Gehenna. So, if Gehenna/ Hell is a place on Earth, what does it really mean?

When Gehenna is translated into Hell in the Bible, Jesus was always reference one of the the bellow sins:

Hatred or contempt, lust, fear, making fellow follower stumble, or hypocrisy.

• When one would hate someone or have contempt against them, they would say "raca" or worthless. To tell someone they are worthless is telling them that they are dehumanized and that they are like trash.You are telling them that they can go into the eternal fire as they have no worth on Earth.
  
• Lust isn't just about sex, it is about stepping on someone to get what you want from them. To use a relationship for the good of you only.
  
• To make another stumble is self explanatory; nevertheless, it is doing anything that would hinder another persons relationship with God.
  
• Hypocrisy- Everyone is a hypocrite sometime. Just realize as it is worthless and does nothing for your character except make you worthless to everyone as they cannot trust what you say.
  

These things I need to work on. I say I hate things in fun like "I hate the Steelers" during a football game. I want a lot of things in this life, while I'm thankful for what I have, I realize that I take most of it for granted. I make myself stumble, so I know that I make others stumble. My life is one hypocrisy after another... These things I need to work on as I am living through the eternal fire that is Gehenna.

I need to remember what God gave me, and all of us, breathe. He breathed his breathe into me so that I could live. He saved me from Gehenna. I need to remember what I have and be ever thankful as I am very fortunate. While I complain that the world is collapsing around me, that I have to hold up everything on my shoulders, I fail constantly to remember what God has done for me and continues to do. While many people in my life don't believe or have a different religion than I do, this only brings me closer to God. I realize that just because they don't believe as I believe doesn't make them wrong. In fact, I can learn something about their religion, faith, or belief that can help me grow in my own or bring to light something that I didn't know. I have been to a Catholic Church, Nondenominational, spoken with Jehovah's Witnesses, learned how the ancient Hebrews and Greeks lived, etc. I haven't learned so many things from each of these religions, faiths, and people. It is amazing how much I thought I knew, but had no idea about. So, I know that the last two posts have been about self improvement, but this is something that I know that I need to do. Before I move to Tennessee, I need to be the person that I want to be or I will be changing when I need to be who I am.

To learn more on this subject go to theparadoxchurch.org or listen to the podcast from The Paradox Church.

"Driving Nails" - Demon Hunter

I was the light
I was the quiet heart
I was the place we used to dwell
And when the cold would tear your life apart,
I was the warmth that you had felt

What have I become?
Thoughts like shadows swelling through my mind
What have I become?
Something else inside

Is driving nails into my soul
Angels from my door
Driving nails into my soul
Something inside

I was the blood inside you broken heart
I was the stone that you had held

I close my eyes
Search for you
Retracing every step