Dr. D's Devotional
Title: Finances 28
by Dennis Reschke
Finances 28
Mk 10: 23-30 "And Jesus looked round about, and said to His
disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom
of God! And the disciples were astonished at His words". They would not
have said this had they been poor. Verse 26 said who then can be saved,
implying they were not poor. The first day Jesus met them they got more
fish then they knew what to do with. They sold them for money. Matthew was
a wealthy man from robbing the poor. What made him join Jesus at one invitation?
Something must have impressed him to leave that wealth.
"But Jesus answered
again, and said to them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in
riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves,
Who then can be saved?"
If Jesus was poor, why did he have a treasurer? "Well, didn't He become
poor that we might be made rich". Yes, so lets start getting rich. Peter
said, "silver and gold have I none" because he left Jesus and went to the
flesh (fishing) and didn't catch anything. He was broke. But later in Acts
we read they piled money at his feet. They didn't live in a commune; they
all lived in their own homes. They sold their surplus items and gave to
the poor among them to the point where their needs were met. They got so
much they had to assign seven folks just to distribute it all. Doesn't sound
like a small weight operation.
"And Jesus looking upon them saying, With men it is impossible, but not
with God: for with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say
to Him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed You. And Jesus answered
and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house, or brothers,
or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands (this is
the entirety of a man's possessions), for My sake, and the gospel's, But
he shall receive an hundredfold now IN THIS TIME, houses, and brothers,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and
in the world to come eternal life". This is a warning that when we operate
in this arena, satan will persecute you. If you haven't experienced persecution,
chances are you're not operating in this. We can kick persecution in the
teeth with the Word to receive 100X. Satan isn't sent to teach us, the Holy
Spirit is our teacher. Don't mix up God's tests with persecution. Not the
same. Satan wants us to believe this. Col 2:18 "Let no man beguile you of
your reward in a voluntary humility.." Somebody says, "I'm so unworthy to
receive from God. I'm so bad and unworthy that the blood of Jesus is insufficient
to overcome". This is false humility and pride: "Pride goes before a fall".
By adopting this attitude we put false teeth in the toothless accuser of
the brethren (satan) and he bits us and drags us around by our nose.
VIEW PAST ARTICLES
|
