All You Need is Money. – Lies of the Enemy #37 – Purity 1049
Purity 1049 05/22/2023 Purity 1049 Podcast
Purity 1049 on YouTube: Coming Soon!
Good morning,
Today’s
photo of the lush green landscape in the
“right of way” just off Waite Rd in Easton NY, under a magnificent cumulus
cloud filled blue sky, comes to us from yours truly as I captured this simple
yet beautiful scene while I was out walking the dog back on May 6th. They say a picture is worth a thousand words
but I’m not sure even a thousand words could express how many times I have
received joy just from looking out over this particular section of landscape
over the last two years. This wide open
space just stretches out to in the distance and is a wonderful canvas that displays
the beauty of God’s creation throughout all the seasons of the year. The views
are priceless but free to anyone fortunate enough to stop and take a look.
Well, It’s Monday
again and as we enter into a new work week I am thinking about how some of the
best things in life are free but at the same time a lot of the things we “need”
and want cost money. Although the
upcoming Memorial Day weekend will send me to the enjoy the simple pleasures
of “roughing it” in the “wilderness” of the Merck Forest and
Farmland for two days, in order to secure my spot in the rustic accommodations
of the Nemorod Cabin, I had to put my money where my mouth was and book it!
Although the pleasures of the great outdoors are free, my choice to enjoy them
from the relative comfort and security of a cabin with wrap around porches,
equipped with rocking chairs to “set a spell” cost $75.00 a night. Also to be equipped for this weekend’s, and
possibly future, backpacking excursions, my wife and I both have both gone
shopping for supplies and “necessary equipment”. Yesterday, thinking of sleeping on a hard
wooden “bunk” this weekend, I purchased a “camping pad” to lie on and not one
but two pillows to rest my head on – so I would have everything I “need” to sleep relatively comfortably this
weekend. Whether I sleep where well or
not, I paid the cost for these and other back packing supplies in hopes that
they will give me what I need to enjoy my weekend “away from it all.”
Also
yesterday, in the early morning hours, I heard what I hope to be the Lord’s
call to take a fall pilgrimage of sorts to attend Deeper Walk International’s 35th
Anniversary Conference – Going Deeper Together – during the Columbus Day
Weekend in October at the new Deeper Walk Building in Hobart Indiana. Needless
to say, the conference, flights, rental car, and hotel accommodations required
to take this trip weren’t free either and could have bankrolled more than one
camping trip. But you go where you are “called”
and you pay for it.
If you want
to go, you pay for it. If you want something, you pay for it. If you need something,
you pay for it. As much as we can find
peace and joy in the simple things in life, we still need money to pay the
bills, buy our bare necessities, and to
pay for those “little extra” things and experiences, we need or want to bring
into our lives.
And that
brings us to our current
series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes
sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy
tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or
influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.
So today’s big lie is:
Lie #37: All You Need is Money.
While there is much truth to the “fact” that we “need
money”, the enemy encourages us to push this need to the extreme to the point
that we focus on getting enough of it to believe that we are totally
self-sufficient and powerful to the point that we don’t need anything
else. The lie of “all you need is money”
is alive and well in our world and it causes men to harden their hearts and to
do just about anything to feed the needs that their greed tells them are
absolutely necessary and that any means to get the cash they “need” are
justifiable.
Murder for hire, prostitution, human trafficking,
and drug dealing are some extreme examples of the depths of depravity that some
men and women will go to “get that money” but even “legitimate businessman” can
fall into the trap the enemy by believing the lie that “all you need is money” to lead them into sin and destruction.
In thinking of this lie, I thought of the old Motown
hit “Money –(That’s what I want”) by Barret Strong and how it perfectly expresses
the hardness of heart and single minded focus of those who believe the lie –
that money is all you need.
The lyrics unashamedly admit:
“The best things in life are free
But you can give them to the birds and bees
I need money (that's what I want)”
And
“Your loving gives me such a thrill,
But your love don't pay my bills…
I need money (that's what I want)”
And finally…
“Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get I can't use
I need money (that's what I want)”
That’s one cold hearted, albeit cool Motown Jam and
I am sharing a link to it on You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU_ixZv9N-E)
– but although we can enjoy that song it’s really an anthem for the enemy to
entice us to choose personal wealth over love and a relationship with the Lord –
as it is something that every one needs but would be declared to be something “I
can’t use” by those blinded by this pervasive lie about money.
Christ said that in the end we must choose God over
money because:
Matthew 6:24 (NLT2)
24 “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 both God and money.
The Apostle Paul further warns us of the dangers of being overly concerned with cash. In
1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NLT2) the word says:
9 But people who long to be
rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires
that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is
the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered
from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Instead the writer of Hebrews advises us to avoid the dangers of the love of money:
Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
5 Keep your life free from
love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will
never leave you nor forsake you.”
While we do have to pay our bills and can work for the
good things in life, we should never do so to the point that we forsake the
love of the Lord. Focusing on money to
the exclusion of our relationship with God and others is a trap laid by the enemy
and actively encouraged in this world, so be diligent in enjoying the simple
things in life and being content with what you haveand knowing who you will
serve when its all been said and done.
Money can’t buy you love, get you a ticket into heaven, and you can’t take it with you. So be sure to invest in your relationship with God, by putting your faith in Christ, and spending your resources into knowing Him more and serving His kingdom.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity
than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s
website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s
Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.
This
morning’s meditation verse are:
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT2)
7 We now have this light
shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing
this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not
from ourselves.
Today’s verse keeps us
humble by reminding us that our lives are fragile, like jars of clay, and that
we have been blessed with God’s illuminating truth about Jesus Christ, and that
all the power we have has been given to us by God.
No amount of money or list
of accomplishments make us great or will secure our future in eternity. Only
the light of the gospel will save us and only God provides us with the power to
live. So rejoice that we have been
blessed and let your light shine for all the world to see because we didn’t earn
it and it is supposed to be shared to light up the lives of others.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I
always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist
my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own private
study and to support his work. This resource is available online for
$0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)
A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit
2 - The Personality of the Holy
Spirit
Figurative
or Literal Personality
Some of our readers may be surprised to hear
that there are men professing to be Christians who flatly deny the personality
of the Spirit. We will not sully these pages by transcribing their blasphemies,
but we will mention one detail to which appeal is made by the spiritual
seducers, because some of our friends have possibly experienced a difficulty
with it. In the second chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit was said to be “poured
out” (v. 18) and “shed abroad” (v. 33). How could such terms be used of a
Person? Very easily: that language is figurative,
and not literal; literal it cannot be for that which is spiritual is incapable of being materially “poured out.” The figure
is easily interpreted: as water “poured out” descends, so the Spirit has come from Heaven to earth; as a
“pouring” rain is a heavy one, so the Spirit is freely given in the plentitude
of His gifts.
Aspects of Personality
Having cleared up, we trust, what has given
difficulty to some, the way is now open for us to set forth some of the
positive evidence. Let us begin by pointing out that a “person” is an
intelligent and voluntary entity, of whom personal properties may be truly
predicated. A “person” is a living entity, endowed with understanding and will,
being an intelligent and willing agent. Such is the Holy Spirit: all the
elements which constitute personality are ascribed to and found in Him. “As the
Father hath life in Himself, and the Son has life in Himself, so has the Holy
Spirit: since He is the Author of natural and spiritual life to men, which He
could not be unless He had life in Himself; and if He has life in Himself, He
must subsist in Himself” (John Gill).
1. Personal
properties are predicated of the Spirit. He is endowed with understanding or wisdom, which is the
first inseparable property of an intelligent agent: “the Spirit searcheth all
things, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). Now to “search” is an act
of understanding, and the Spirit is said to “search” because He “knoweth” (v.
11). He is endowed with will, which
is the most eminently distinguishing property of a person: “All these things
worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing unto every man as He will” (1
Cor. 12:11)—how utterly meaningless would be such language were the Spirit only
an influence or energy! He loves: “I
beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of
the Spirit” (Rom. 15:30)—how absurd
would it be to speak of the “love of the Spirit” if the Spirit were nothing but
an impersonal breath or abstract quality!
2. Passive personal
properties are ascribed to the Holy Spirit: that is to say, He is the Object of such actions of men as none
but a person can be. “Ye agree together to tempt
the Spirit of the Lord” (Acts 5:9)—rightly did John Owen say, “How can a
quality, an accident, an emanation from God be tempted? None can possibly be so
but he that hath an understanding to consider what is proposed unto him, and a
will to determine upon the proposals made.” In like manner, Ananias is said to,
“lie to the Holy Spirit” (Acts
5:3)—none can lie unto any other but such a one as is capable of hearing and
receiving a testimony. In Ephesians 4:30 we are bidden not to “grieve the Holy Spirit”—how senseless
would it be to talk about “grieving” an abstraction, like the law of gravity.
Hebrews 10:29 warns us that He may be “done despite unto.”
3. Personal actions
are attributed to Him. He speaks:
“The Spirit speaketh expressly” (1 Tim. 4:1); “he that bath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev. 2:7). He teaches: “The Holy Spirit shall teach
you in the same hour what ye ought to say” (Luke 12:12); “He shall teach you
all things” (John 14:26). He commands
or exercises authority: a striking proof of this is found in Acts 13:2, “The
Holy Spirit said, Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them”—how utterly misleading would such language be if the Spirit
were not a real person! He intercedes:
“The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:26)—as the intercession
of Christ proves Him to be a person, and a distinct one from the Father, unto
whom He intercedes, so the intercession of the Spirit equally proves His
personality, even His distinct personality.
4. Personal
characters are ascribed to Him. Four times over the Lord Jesus referred to the
Spirit as “The Comforter,” and not merely as “comfort;” inanimate things, such
as clothes, may give us comfort, but only a living person can be a “comforter.”
Again, He is the Witness: “The Holy Spirit also is a witness to us” (Heb.
10:15); “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God” (Rom. 8:16)—the term is a forensic one, denoting the supplying
of valid evidence or legal proof; obviously, only an intelligent agent is capable
of discharging such an office. He is Justifier and Sanctifier: “But ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 6:11).
5. Personal pronouns
are used about Him. The word “pneuma” in the Greek, like “spirit” in the
English, is neuter, nevertheless the Holy Spirit is frequently spoken of in the
masculine gender: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He shall teach you all things” (John 14:26)—the personal
pronoun could not, without violating grammar and propriety, be applied to any
other but a person. Referring again to Him, Christ said, “If I depart, I will
send Him unto you” (John 16:7)—there
is no other alternative than to regard the Holy Spirit as a Person, or to be
guilty of the frightful blasphemy of affirming that the Savior employed
language which could only mislead His Apostles and bring them into fearful
error. “I will pray the Father that he shall give another Comforter” (John 14:16)—no comparison would be possible
between Christ (a Person) and an abstract influence.
Borrowing the
language of the revered J. Owen, we may surely say, “By all these testimonies
we have fully confirmed what was designed to be proved by them, namely, that
the Holy Spirit is not a quality, as some speak, residing in the Divine nature;
not a mere emanation of virtue and power from God; not the acting of the power
of God in and unto our sanctification, but a holy, intelligent subsistent,
or Person.” May it please the Eternal Spirit to add His blessings to the above,
apply the same to our hearts, and make His adorable Person more real and
precious to each of us. Amen.[1]
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1]
Arthur Walkington Pink, The Holy Spirit
(Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, n.d.).
