Hi Yo Silver and Gold- Away!

“You were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ”- 1 Peter 1:18-19

“What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”- Mark 8:37. Joyce Myers has said that she is living in her reward right now. That was similar to how the rich man felt in Lazarus and the Rich Man. We trust she knows where he found himself after death? “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, let us therefore be content”- 1 Timothy 6:6-8. If we could only feast on the words of Scripture to define our lives. “When they had pasture they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted, therefore they forgot Me”- Hosea 13:6.

When we tend to put God in second place in our lives, while placing our efforts at producing wealth first, the love of money rears its ugly head. It is not money per se, but the love of moneythat is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). “Those who desire to be rich (the majority of the Faith Movement) fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. From which some have strayed concerning the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”- 1 Timothy 6:9-10. Does that describe any of you?

Think back to the scandals revolving around Jimmy Swaggert and Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. What did the love of money do to those ministries? We recall a young boy in a motorized wheel chair that had often been “used” by the Bakker’s to pull money into their ministry. While being investigated by the authorities about their misuse of funds, they forgot all about this young boy and their empty promises to fill a home with others like him. He said, “I think they only liked me because my condition allowed them to get money for their ministry”. Have you caught it yet? It was never their ministry to begin with; It was God’s ministry! They were only His servants but when they achieved pasture, their heart was exalted and they forgot the reason behind the ministry. They had and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows in their greediness.

“Those that trust in their wealth,and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother”- Psalm 49:6. Why don’t more of us see this connection to wealth? Wealth is not necessarily bad if it is used to the furtherance of the kingdom of God, yet when so many of these ministries achieve wealth, they tend to forget God and place riches in His place. Rod Parsely once boasted on his program that he gave his wife a new car with a yellow ribbon around it. It was fully paid for with the money sent in by donors by way of love gifts to his ministry. Again, it is not his ministry but God’s. How would you feel if that had been YOUR offerings going to pay for a gift for his wife, and a very expensive gift no less. How did that further the kingdom of God?