Not on my watch

1Timothy 6:6-10 (HCSB)
6 But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
God calls us to exercise great restraint in our lives so we will show the world that the Gospel is not about getting something but giving something.

I just received the Operation Christmas Child magazine and it has faces of kids from all over the world smiling like crazy over the shoe box of stuff that they got from Christians all over the world.

The “Prosperity Gospel” is taught on television. It is deceptive and makes claims that you will be healed, forgiven, blessed, rich… if you send in enough money. The pastors have wonderfully coiffed hair and clothes with rhinestones on them (Liberace anyone?). I get the willies when I see these people.

How would one of these men or women take that “Prosperity Gospel” to a third world country that doesn’t have water? I can see them say “give me your goat or chicken and God will give you a country like mine”, or any other thing that he can say to transfer their wealth to him or her.

My question, “What about their pain and suffering their lack of water, food and meds? Their answer “give it to me and you will be blessed”. The person that is hungry or dying from lack of nutrition can’t even imagine having food two times a day let alone a car or a country like ours. Christ’s message isn’t about getting something it is about giving something.

Love God, love your neighbor and serve both.

We are going to have a “don’t go to church” Sunday in a couple of weeks. We are going to go to some nursing homes and we are going to do a stream clean at Pole Cat Creek. We need to reach out to the people that are hurting and far from God. When God picks them up and brushes off their scuffed up knees they will be more productive members of God’s Kingdom because they will have seen what Christ can do for them spiritually. They won’t be expecting a car or a house but as they wash the sin out of their lives they will see that they can have those things with hard work instead of hard partying.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, even for pastors and T.V. preachers.

Prayer for today: Please Lord, keep me out of the devils hands and help me get out of debt. (It’s a New Day; day9)