11/13/2020
In today’s world of religion the mantra is often that “God helps those who help themselves”, and that Jesus makes the righteous wealthy, but the truth is that God’s ear is attuned to those whose spirits are crushed and who are broken-hearted. His mercy is rarely focused on worldly things, but is applied liberally to redeeming us, and easing our suffering.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18 ESV
In fact it was Benjamin Franklin who actually coined the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” when he wrote it in his publication ‘Little Richard’s Almanac’. As for money, God has no need for it because everything in creation is His, but some men see wealth to be God’s promise to them, and giving gold to the Lord as a means of gaining power, comfort, and a way of securing the Lord’s favor. They believe that great wealth is a demonstration that God is smiling on them, and that the more they give him the more they get in return. Such thinking is called prosperity theology, and it leads to the false worship of wealth.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
1 Timothy 6:9 ESV
This might sound contrary to the above scripture, but The Lord doesn’t detest wealth as one might think He would. However, He sees it as an encumbrance, and a distraction to one’s faith. It is only when it becomes the focus of someone’s life, or religion, and they begin to love and worship their treasure above Him, that it becomes sin.
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
To this point I have been speaking of wealth as it effects the faith of individual men and women, but it is also a problem for the Church. When gathering wealth, and building our modern versions of the Tower of Babel, replaces the praise and worship of Jesus as the Church’s focal point... and the love of wealth and power overshadows the Lord as the Church goes about preaching and teaching a Church centered version of prosperity theology, then it is lost, and loses God’s mission for it. History is full of examples of this, and yet the Church falls into this trap repeatedly. Don’t you find it interesting that Paul didn’t write to men nearly as often as he wrote letters to churches?
To the church in Rome...
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 1:7 ESV
To the church in Corinth...
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:”
1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV
And to others like the church in Philippi...
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:”
Philippians 1:1 ESV
And he isn’t alone... John writes in Revelation of the warnings delivered to the seven churches...
“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,”
Revelation 1:4 ESV
And these warnings, like the one delivered to the church at Ephesus are cutting and convict them...
“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
Revelation 2:4-5 ESV
So men, women, and churches can all lose sight of God’s desire to be close to the broken-hearted, and to save the crushed in spirit. They can lose sight of their mission to proclaim the gospel to all creation, and begin to concentrate on feasting, and gathering wealth. They can forget to love their neighbors, and the mercies we are to provide with our own hands become things we pay someone else to do in our stead...
The mission...
“Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Mark 16:14-15 ESV
The mercies...
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”
Matthew 25:35-36 ESV
So how are we doing personally? How are we doing in our churches? Have we refocused our attention to gathering wealth, and lost sight of such basic tenets as delivering the gospel, and personally being merciful? Are we loving God, and our neighbors too?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for watching over us, and healing our broken hearts as you save our crushed spirits. Thank you for allowing us to use our own hands to deliver your mercy to those in need, and for the strength to go out into creation to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us Father to know your will, and overcome the temptation to place the love of mammon above our love for you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who cares, provides for us , and heals us in our brokenness, body and soul. We praise your name with our mouths, and with our hands each time we are merciful to those in need. Great are you Lord and we pray that you reveal to us how little our earthly treasure is valued by you. Show us the gold that you have used like rough stones to pave the streets of heaven, and the great value you have placed on our faith and obedience. Wash us clean with the blood of Jesus, and set our feet on your golden streets with little regard for their value, but much for you as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy, is our God, and find our greatest treasure to be Jesus Christ our King and savior.
“the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 19:9-11 ESV
Rich Forbes