Sunday, March 13, 2016

March 14, 2016

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

Christian researcher George Barna concludes, "American Christianity has largely failed since the middle of the 20th century because modern-day followers do not act much like Jesus." Research conducted by sociologists and pollsters shows that "evangelical Christians are as likely to embrace lifestyles as hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered and sexually as immoral as the world in general."

Could it be that in our attempts to relate to our culture we have ended up resembling it?

2,000 years ago, Jesus anticipated this likelihood. Of his 38 parables He told, 16 were concerned with how to handle  and possessions. As a matter of fact, Christ said more about money than any other subject. The Bible includes 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith but over 2,350 verses pertaining to money and possessions. The Lord said  a lot about it because He wants us to know how He views this important topic.

To measure how you compare with Jesus' perspective on materialism, ask yourself these questions:

* Do I see other people's stuff and become critical or bored with my own?
* Do I shop for recreation?
* Do I buy compulsively (because I feel like it) without first considering my budget or my need?
Do I complain a lot about how much I make?
* Do I feel self-conscious when I am around rich people?
* Do I give less than 10% of my income to the ministry of my church?
* Do I get irritated when the preacher talks about money?

Jesus declared you can't serve God and materialism. Only one will be your god.

A serious, humble and honest evaluation of those probing questions will reveal the truth of whom you serve.