Abiding

Rusted Gold and Fire Untold [podcast]

Did you realize that rusted gold could cost your eternal soul?

Warning to the Rich

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” James 5:1-6

This passage above is addressing employers and how they give out to those who labor to make their business what it is. The principle would also seem to apply is how they thank God for their increase by giving to His people who are in need and His Gospel – the “labourers” Jesus instructs us to pray for (1 Chronicles 29:14; Matthew 9:35-38).

Doing the actual work or fueling that Great Commission work makes you an obedient participant in Christ’s work for which you shall be forever rewarded by Him (Matthew 6:19-24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

Are you supporting the LORD’s work or spending all your resources on the god of self? (Matthew 6:19-24)

Rich men who are Christ’s addressed again….

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (give); 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19

The work of the Gospel of Jesus is the only eternal and infinitely superior work in the earth. The closer we get to Christ’s return, as foretold, more people are backsliding and the less people there are to participate in Christ’s glorious Gospel work.

The clear proof that God is working in our lives, that we are truly following Jesus, is that we are becoming less and less vested in this fleeting, fallen world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). And that we, our good works, our giving are more and more invested in eternity – in the eternal kingdom of Christ, laying up treasures in Heaven, sending them before us, relinquishing the things of this world for the glory of God – putting them to work for the eternal Gospel of Christ – for saints to be fed and equipped and the lost to hear the Word of God (Matt. 6:19-21).

The Parable of the Rich Fool

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21

The Final Judgment

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:31-46

“WE are labourers TOGETHER with God.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

“WE are ambassadors for Christ”

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Wealth is a witness to what we love most. How do we measure what’s most important to us?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ and in true repentance. I have sinned against You by not putting You first but rather myself. I have been rich unto self and not You LORD Jesus. In this evil iniquity I have committed the sin of idolatry and spiritual adultery. Here and now I ask You to forgive my sin and to wash and cleanse me afresh dear LORD in Your precious blood. I here and now repent, I turn my life to You LORD Jesus and ask You to consume, to fill me, to use me in accomplishing the Great Commission You sent me and all Your people to accomplish – as we spread Your Word. We know You are with us each step of the way and to the end in accomplishing the Father’s business as we look for Your soon return Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, amen.