The Enlitener

We have a serious problem in the “body of Christ”. We all NEED and WANT “money”. And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that! After all – you gotta eat – right? So usually in order to get the money that we need and want we - “go to work”. And it is true that when we “work for a living” after the fashion of the world - we are ONLY doing it because we NEED and WANT money; or at least the things can money can obtain for us. In doing so we are giving our energies to the acquisition, accumulation and personal use or consumption of MONEY or the thing that money can get us.

When we do that, in effect we are “serving” money – NOT God and are “trusting” in money – NOT God! THAT my friends is what is WRONG with “working for a living” after the fashion of this world. Jesus Christ Himself (our Lord and Savior) said that we CANNOT “serve” God and MONEY - AT THE SAME TIME! (We are EITHER loving one and hating the other, serving one and NOT serving the other or we are “trusting in” the one and NOT “trusting in” the other. Then He said that the reason for this is that the things that are highly valued among men (the LOVE OF MONEY) are detestable to God and are actually an abomination to Him! (Luke 16:13-15 Amplified Version)

So what do we do? Starve to death? Or do we resort to begging, borrowing, stealing or killing in order to get what we need and want? Of course not! You see all of these things (including “working for a living”) are nothing more than the various ways that sinful mankind have come up with to get their needs and wants met. That is ONLY because they are cut off from God’s provision. Well since we (redeemed) are NOT cut off from God’s provision – how do we tap into it? What is an alternative way to get what we need and want that is pleasing and acceptable to God? That alternative is to simply give your energies to the “work of the Lord” and then He will supply your needs and wants. (Luke 12:31-34)

Contrary to what you might have been led to believe – we “serve” God, “minister” for God, “work” for God and “live” for God by serving others, ministering to others (the Greek word for minister simply means to serve), “live” for others and “work” for others. This all simply means that you use your time, attention, energy, talent and other resources for the benefit of other BORN AGAIN members of God’s family. You do that in a way that relieves their suffering and removes their burdens. That power is at the disposal of everyone of us – ALL OF THE TIME. Consequently, we are ALL without excuse before God if we CHOOSE NOT TO DO THIS – but instead continue to primarily live for ourselves just like sinners are doing.

(1) Are you WILLING to quit your "money making" JOB right now and start using your attention, time, talents, energy and resources EXCLUSIVELY to serve others FREELY as Jesus commanded you to (Matthew 10:8) without "charging" them (a usury fee) for the “use” of these things that God has so FREELY given you? (Proverbs 28:8) (If you are WILLING and OBEDIENT you shall eat the GOOD of the land. Isaiah 1:19) If not (and MOST of you aren’t because of your unbelief!) (Luke 12:28) - will He not deal with you as He did with the “unjust steward” who FREELY received GRACE from his master but refused to FREELY share that same GRACE with others? (Matthew 18:21-35) This passage is specifically referring to “forgiveness” but in principle it applies to ANYTHING that you FREELY received from God.

(2) Or do you know of a group of OBEDIENT Christians that you can join who are WILLING to "share" their "assets" FREELY with each other as a "community" AND their “inheritance” (which they FREELY received from God) with the rest of their SPIRITUAL “family” - so that there is no INEQUITY (which is the SAME thing as “iniquity”) and INEQUALITY among them? (Acts 2:42-47 & Acts 4:32-37) No? Then that is truly a sad testimony to YOUR Faith in the marvelous benefits of the Grace of God which He so FREELY made available to you at such at great cost to Himself! Doesn’t that matter to you at all? Or are you just too callous, hard hearted and cold hearted for it to matter to you? If it does matter to you – then what are you doing about it to SHOW that it matters? This is also a VERY serious indictment against the “church” and how “worldly” it is.

You see, the main problem with "working" TO "make money" is that it is done to “insure” that we have the "right" to "get", "keep" and "use" it PRIMARILY and/or "exclusively" for ourselves. I.E. "GREED". The second problem with that is that it takes way too much of our thoughts, feelings, words and actions (the only 4 things that you can DO in life). Also it takes up WAY too much of your WILL and TIME. (Our other innate resources that EVERYONE has available to them.)

Instead, these ALL should be dedicated EXCLUSIVELY to fulfilling the WILL (desire and intent) of God being done on earth as it is being done in heaven and towards the establishment of God’s Kingdom (uncontested ruler ship) on earth like it has already been established in Heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10) For this is the very purpose for your existence and your redemption in the first place! (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:10; 3:10 & 3:14-4:1) When you do this – God will automatically see that ALL your needs are supplied. (Luke 12:31-34) Actually it is no wonder that your needs and wants are NOT being met by God! That is because you are NOT actually '”serving” HIM!

Not only that but “working for a living” after the fashion of this world is not generally something that we do BECAUSE we HAVE “faith” IN God and IN His Grace (as an act OF such Faith) nor is it something that we do because OF our “faith” in God and His Grace (as an act OF Love that stems from our Faith in God and His Grace). On the contrast, it is generally done out of “fear” or “unbelief” that if we do NOT go the WAY of the WORLD in this matter – we WILL go without what we “need” and “want”. (Matthew 6:30)

So far we can EASILY see that “working for a living” after the fashion of this world is ENTIRELY a “fear” and/or “greed” based activity.

Yet the truth is that “working for a living” in this fashion – is ONLY a “result” of the CURSE of God on mankind for Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. I.E. “Earning your bread by the sweat of your brow.” (Genesis 3:17-19) Yet Jesus COMPLETELY redeemed us from ALL of THAT curse by becoming a curse for us in order that the BLESSING of God may be ours by Faith. By doing so He ENTIRELY did away with the NEED for us to continue trying to get our needs and wants met the world’s way any longer. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Instead, the Bible tells us that it is the BLESSING of the Lord that makes US rich and (when it does –) He (God) add no SORROW with it. (Proverbs 10:22) (I.E. No “toil or labor”). Jesus SPECIFICALLY said that we are NOT to “work for our bread” because God has now automatically made His abundant provision available to us by our Faith in His wonderful and complete redeeming GRACE. (John 6:27-29; Luke 12:22-34)

Yes beloved, I know that Paul had his own idea about this but that was His problem – not yours or mine. He said it was because He wanted to have something to BOAST about BESIDES the FREE GRACE of God. (1 Corinthians 9:14-18) I don’t know about you but I am PRIMARILY following Jesus not men. And when I do follow Paul (or any other man or women of God) – I only follow them to the degree that it is EVIDENT that they are imitating or following Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

I FULLY understand that none of us were raised to believe this nor were we taught this in church – because it has become so worldly. Yet THIS “is” what the Bible teaches and it “is” what Jesus taught and practiced. He did not work for a living after the fashion of this world but served God with all that He had at His disposal and He called ALL of His followers away the unnecessary distraction of “working for a living” so that they could serve God with ALL of their resources. (Example Mark 1:16-20)

You are now DOING what you BELIEVE in. What exactly is that and from whom did you hear it? Was it from the Bible? And if it was - was it from the parts that pertain to the benefits of the New Testament Grace of God that we FREELY receive by FAITH? If not then you are in UNBELIEF and in DISOBEDIENCE to God about this just as much as Adam was and just as much as anyone in the world is.

So we see from all that I have shared here that our motive for “working for a living” after the fashion of this world will either be fear, greed, pride or ignorance. Which of these are YOUR motives for “working for a living”? Oops! As my dear departed dad used to say, “I had better stop right here because I can clearly see from your response that I have quit preaching and gone to meddling!”

I know that you do not WANT to hear this any more than the “religious” people of Jesus day did and for the very same reasons. But please prove me wrong if you can. If so – I will stand corrected and will gladly retract what I have said here about this. But before you even consider trying to correct me on this matter please read my other blog entries regarding this subject.

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!696.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!681.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!702.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!649.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!657.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!641.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!698.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!699.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!700.entry