STUDIES FROM BRETHREN IN CHRIST

1/12/2020 ~ Covetousness

🤑   CovetousnessAM1.mp3 (26m 21s)   Covetousness.pptx Darkness steals leaving only hurt. Contentment is freedom from desire where joy lives. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ~ Ephesians 5:3 Covetousness is not part of the eternal wealth found in freedom from material bondage. The question comes in what we elevate in our hearts. Goodness leaves evil behind where priorities rise in spirit. ... Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ... ~ Colossians 3:1-4 Closeness to God involves prayer and contemplations of ideals that cannot be bought. All fall short of the standard set by God, of what we have been shown in Christ. To follow Him is to follow God where man is a miserable example. How close is God to what you call out for? ... put to death your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ... ~ Colossians 3:5-7 Sorrow often defines our greatest desire   Put to death:                     ● Fornication                     ● Uncleanness                     ● Passion                     ● Evil desire                     ● Covetousness                              ⮡  which = idolatry   When we see our heart’s for what they are, desire reveals our true purpose. Lips speak truth of want in one’s ability to be self-aware. An honest heart endures, rather than rambling off the cliff with the herd, and declares responsibility or not. Is the gift of light where God gives life less important than the rocks we buy? Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. ... ~ Hebrews 13:5-6 To lose heart for things, over true living relationships in love, what can one do, without sacred substance that cannot be seen? Does one forsake love of God for love of stuff, or does one lose love of stuff for love of God? Not only does priorities set precedence, but it defines character, which gives or takes from those around us. As it has been said, are we part of the problem or solution? It is how we interact with those we are most intimate with that frees or imprisons us. This is where our true desires and glory comes to light. Glory that radiates from within is best light, and not downtroddenly heavy. ... "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." ~ Luke 12:15 Desperate thirst to spend and obtain causes grief beyond measure damaging any peace of heart. "... not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, ..." ~ Exodus 20:17 Curious how the Catholic church eliminates the 2nd commandment (no idols) in exodus, as they teach in their Catechism, and split the 10th commandant into 9 and 10? - to cover the shame of all their statues. Come out of her lest ye partake in her damnation; ditch digger religions. True religion is not politically correct as it seeks to correct moral conduct. Politics involves appeasements and compromise, not necessarily in accordance with God given truths. Replacing murder with kill, in “Thou shall not do murder,” changes the context and actually changes truth to a lie. Truths of God aspire to instruct us to be the best we can become. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:10 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. ... ~ Matthew 6:21-23 What you love is what you treasure. "No one can serve two masters; ... You cannot serve God and mammon." ~ Matthew 6:24 "No servant can serve two masters; ... You cannot serve God and mammon." ~ Luke 16:13 A choice confronts all in what is sensible. Sensible in the sense of humanism as the pinnacle of existence, or in its’ temporality, heavenly truths as more tangible. ... covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. ~ Micah 2:1-2 Piggish usually refers to excessive desire void of spiritual sense. Evil knows no mercy. Each of us has been given power to influence one another. Do we take in greediness or are we able to cater and adjust to the needs of others? "... come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. ~ Luke 18:22-23 Jesus wants to know where our ultimate attachment is. It may not always be easy to follow Him, but rewards follow if one does. "... For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ~ Luke 18:24-25 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ~ Matthew 19:24 What one chooses to be one’s God, either material or supernal, will declare the outcome deserved. True value transcends time and creates an infinite space in Him. Upon the sands we walk, do we find thought simple, in love of God, or do we resist clinging to the material which He has given? Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:17-19 So, where does your God reside? Fortune is found in contentment. As winding storms of life assault us, we all seek clarity from those we hope in, or for a simple hand of mercy. Only God offers eternal life where all man does is fade on the shadows of self. Clinging to things traps a soul from seeing higher  ● Covetousness is not a fitting quality for the saints  ● Seek what comes from above given by Christ  ● Put to death wickedness before God’s wrath comes  ● Be content with such things as you have  ● Life does not consist in the abundance of goods  ● The love of money pierces a heart with sorrows  ● Compulsively seeking wealth is a disease of greed  ● Treasure is found in the desires of one’s heart  ● One cannot serve God and insatiable desires  ● Covetous men ruin good people stealing their lives  ● No attachment is worth more than eternal life  ● Placing possessions above God nullifies faith  ● Trust in God the giver and not material possessions    Hands that selfishly grab have little ability to build. Darkness strings no goodness.   CovetousnessPM2.mp3 (25m 55s) "... they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain." ~ Ezekiel 33:31 ... no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ~ Ephesians 5:5 A fire baptism is coming for each of us that will strip us bare before God, exposing all that we are. Will you or we be found in self absorption, or assisting others where we can? "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." ~ Matthew 16:25 Think of your life, what could pay for one moment of thought, experience of warmth, if for all the molecules on and of the sun, and beyond, could exchange for one breath of life? Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ... ~ 1st John 2:15-17 Habitual consumption of those inert things of the earth will never deliver eternal satisfaction. Material obsessions lead to compulsive behaviors, often neurotic, in acquiring more of what one fixates upon, and will always remain empty, especially after obtaining. The search for unquenchingly more is the dangerous passion that can steal peace and contentment, in the moment of life’s revealing. ... You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. ... ~ James 4:2-4 When the things of the world cause one to dismiss or forget God, tragically this spiritual death oppresses all those that would be thankful for His creation, and His continuing support of life within tests of character, upon the shadows of what is temporary. The earth is a garden where God is weeding out character finding those with true flowers. In a sea of confusion, all seek truth that would enable security. Truth of God supplies what is never ended. ... For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," ... "You shall not covet," ... ~ Romans 13:8-10 Requests in the form of commands have been imposed that will judge each soul on their line of death. Jesus showed us what was most important, to love one another to death. This is the window to glory and the best all can achieve, love. If God is love, then He looks for the same. ... works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, ... ~ Galatians 5:19-21 To cross the river of sin only faith heals a heart   Will not inherit the kingdom of God:                               ● Adultery                             ● Fornication                             ● Uncleanness                             ● Lewdness                             ● Idolatry                             ● Sorcery                             ● Hatred                             ● Contentions                             ● Jealousies                             ● Outbursts of wrath                             ● Selfish ambitions                             ● Dissensions                             ● Heresies                             ● Envy                             ● Murders                             ● Drunkenness                             ● Revelries, and the like In such a world as this, one would be hard pressed to avoid sin as it stirs in each of us. ... people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ~ 1st Corinthians 5:9-10 Surrounded by sinners, it is impossible to completely extract oneself from its’ influence, unless one is regulated to the misery of solitary confinement. ... not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 5:11 God instructs us to assemble with like minded souls exalting His ways of goodness. Obvious practicing sinners, unrepentful of their actions, should be avoided inside true worship gatherings. One can worship sin, and this is not of what God commands in His holy call. "... cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." ~ Mark 4:18-19 Cares for the world can mislead one into not caring for others, be it family or would be friends. Self-seeking isolates a soul from seeing whole-seeking. ... teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. ~ Titus 1:10-11 Many will lie to gain advantage in achieving wealth through unethical manipulations. Opulence in church leaders is what the young despise and results in what is repulsive. For all that are sensible, misuse of power is offensive. "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ..." ~ Acts 20:33-35 Those that only take are ugly in the sight of God. "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 7:12 The measure of love has no length. The golden rule, of treating others as you would want to be treated, is one of the main messages of the Bible. Are we eager to be with one another or oppositely, eager to avoid social interactions with pre-conceived notions of contempt and mistrust? While individuals strive for simple devotional excellence, the overly pious will covertly execute honest noble hearts. Skewed piety maintains underlying jealousy and envy, for loss of perceived power or the mastery of the superiority they covet, in the pits of their disgust. The overly pious compare themselves as the standard and arrogantly hold not to submissive empathetic hearts. Extreme religious zealots, in exalting themselves, pay the price of alienating God Himself, as they cause many a meek to stumble under their oppressive critical judgments. Genuine hearts are never isolated above all. It is certainly hard to find good honest open hearts with desires to lift all higher, bearing the loads no matter the cost. Vision that sees beyond the horizon is what lifts all that is great. If one wants to be trusted, he or she must also have a trusting heart. Covetous hearts do not extend in this way as they are more apt to be untrusting and suspicious, as they prowl for more. Coming to God is not just understanding what He asks, but allowing His word to lift us to something more than most are, genuinely caring. To be doers of His will, and not just hearers only, is key to inheriting the gifts He offers. Covetousness is closely connected to worries  ● Hypocrites will lie in pursuit of their own gain  ● No covetous man will inherit God’s kingdom  ● To lose one’s life for God will find it  ● The whole world is not enough to pay for one soul  ● Love of the world is not the love of the Father  ● To be a friend of the world is an enemy of God  ● Love for another fulfills the law of God  ● You shall not covet is a commandment  ● Selfish ambitions deny entry into God’s kingdom  ● No one can avoid encounters with worldly evils  ● Material wealth only can be a spider web of misery  ● Many smooth operators are out for dishonest gain     ● It is more blessed to give than to receive One chooses to be filled or empty of spiritual values Darkness has nothing called best.