The Love of the World

The Love of the World

1 John 2:15-17 NIV
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Only God Knows What the Future Holds

Only God Knows What the Future Holds

James 4:13-17 NIV
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money ." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Breaking God's Trust

Breaking God's Trust






Gen 1:26, 28 KJV
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Lev 25:23-25 NIV
23 "'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. 24 Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

Job 12:7-10 NIV
7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.

Ps 24:1-2 NIV
1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

Ps 104:24-25 NIV
24 How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number —
living things both large and small.

Jer 2:7 NIV
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.

Ezek 34:18-19 NIV
18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

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Deut 8:18-19 NIV
18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Prov 13:11 NIV
11 Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

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Polluting the air, poisoning the water, and abusing the earth are often done to attain excessive material gain. God's Word teaches against such greed.

Truth Seeker

Spirit vs Flesh

Spirit vs Flesh

Gal 5:16-17 NIV
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the
Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

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Mat 26:41 NIV
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Why Don't We Just Call God Genie?

Why Don't We Just Call God Genie?

It would simplify matters somewhat;
all we'd need to do is rub the lamp and
he'd appear in a flash.
But we'd then only get three wishes.
The real God grants us many more - - -
if we only ask Him right.
Some claim that, even today,
Jesus appears to us much as he did
two thousand years ago, and grants
many more prayers than any Genie.

But, if the truth be told, most of us
don't welcome the idea of a personal
and judgmental God looking over our shoulder.
People will kneel, pray, and beg during times
of crisis - - - either personal or corporate - - -
but when troubles vanish, they want God
to do likewise. " Thy Kingdom Come? "
Hardly.

Truth Seeker

Wealth Can Hold Us Back

Wealth Can Hold Us Back

Eccl 5:10 NIV
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.

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Matthew 6:24 NIV
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 19:23-24 NIV
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mark 10:23 NIV
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

Luke 18:24-25 NIV
24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

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Mark 13:43-44 NIV

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on."

Luke 21:1-4 NIV
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

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1 Tim 6:10 NIV
10 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.

Heb 13:5 NIV
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."

Killing the Body

Killing the Body

Matthew 10:28-31 NIV
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

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In a sense, most of the deceased in the Haiti earthquake were killed by men... by men who constructed shoddy buildings - - - these men were the ones who killed the " body but cannot kill the soul. " Don't blame God.

Truth Seeker

Where Is Our Treasure?

Where Is Our Treasure?

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Gaining the Whole World

Matt 16:25-26 NIV
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Can't Fool God

Can't Fool God

















Acts 5:1-11 NIV
5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"
"Yes," she said, "that is the price."
9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.