Choosing Christ over Covetousness

 “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.” -Luke 12:15

There is a tremendous evil that has overtaken the professing church today, and that is covetousness. I don't know how often this word is used today, but to covet basically means for a person to want what they don't have, something that belongs to another person. It also usually implies that you are not content with what you already have.

People don't realize how serious coveting is, but I see it as a negative quality rampant among mankind in these “Last Days.” Coveting by itself is bad enough, but the New Testament says that covetousness is IDOLATRY;

“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” -Ephesians 5:5.

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” -Colossians 3:5.

Two of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) deal with these sins, #2 & #10. This fact alone should move us to pay more attention to this temptation, one that many see nothing wrong with. There is no excuse for the Christian to allow this to continue in his/her life;

“For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.” -Psalm 10:3.

But as I've already mentioned, I think this evil is a big part of numerous bad behaviors here at the end of time. We see it in Romans 1:29 & 2 Timothy 3:2 among lists of “last days” qualities. In Revelation 21:8 & 22:15 we find that idolaters will not be in Heaven, but the Lake of Fire.

In the letter to the Laodiceans, considered by many to represent the last church age, we find the rebuke to them beginning as follows;

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing...” -Revelation 3:16,17A.

The first reason given for their spiritual condition is that they were RICH! They had money, and goods, and didn't need God for anything-the fruit of being covetous, idolatrous. They had become luke warm in their service to God, and He indicates that it makes Him feel SICK.

So what are we Christians to watch out for? God has promised to supply our needs, so how might we know when we've crossed the line into coveting? Some examples are in order...

The pastor of a church wanted his congregation to get him a glass pulpit, when there is already a fine wooden one in place. The glass pulpit is a desire, not a necessity; it looks good!

A certain denomination was lamenting that they didn't have as many women pastors as other denominations! Apart from what the Bible says about women pastors (I Timothy 2:12), this church was placing the values of men above all else. I thought God the Holy Spirit was to lead different members of the body of Christ! See 2 Corinthians 10:12 for a part of their needed rebuke.

We also have seen a lot of BIG, loud sound systems for churches in Africa, many of which have no need of any, they are too small. They are yielding to covetousness, probably from having TV, and watching religious services from the western world.

If a person has need of a car, that's one thing; but if they want a more fancy, expensive car when they really don't need it, that's coveting. Is it really a need, or do they want to be admired? I hope you are getting the idea. A great contributing factor to covetousness is another End Times' quality, that of being unthankful (2 Timothy 3:2). God may have well supplied all they really need already, but they want more, or better. Hear what the Word of God says;

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” -Hebrews 13:5.

Who are we really serving? Are we servants of the Lord, or are we trying to make Him a genie to fulfill our desires? As Christians, we should be seeking treasure in Heaven, not the earth. Are we truly grateful to have our sins forgiven, and for eternal life? That is the real treasure! Are you deeply grateful for God's daily supply of your needs? Search your hearts, brethren, and prepare to give an account to God HERE. It will be too late to repent if we wait until after death.

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

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” -Philippians 4:11-13.

Loving God in Judgment

 “...the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” -Psalm 19:9B

My wife belongs to an "end times" comment group on Facebook, and several days ago she was blessed to see that a 70 year old man he had seen from Biblical study that the return of Jesus (rapture) comes not before the tribulation, but after. This is the truth, but few will accept it, so you can imagine the backlash of comments that followed!

One woman particularly responded that she could not love a God who would make her go through the tribulation period; unfortunately for her, that IS the what the Christian God has said.

But this woman's view isn't uncommon, and brings up a subject that many Christians struggle with; how can a loving God also be a God of harsh judgments? You can tell this is a problem from the lack of Bible teachings about it in churches, and the reciprocal focus on God's love, and the worth of individuals.

To say that "God is love" may be true, but it is hardly the focal point of divine characteristics in the Bible. Judgment, justice, righteousness, holiness, are all much more frequently addressed. The God is love phrase occurs only twice, and both times in one chapter, I John 4:8 &16. For the more comfortable description, MERCY is the word to look for. In fact, the Word of God (KJB) never says that God's love endures forever, but that His mercy endures forever. And so, brethren, how do you handle the concept of God's judgments? I'd like to look at 4 applications of judgment:

A) General world judgment. For this we would consider things like the Flood of Noah, the fall of "Mystery Babylon," and Armageddon. Do you agree that these are deserved? Of course, 2 of the 3 are yet to come, and we are all likely either to see these final 2 or be involved in them. We are detached from Noah's flood, so we probably agree with it. If you are really born again you are in line to be raptured just before Armageddon, but depending on where you live you could face the Mystery Babylon judgment. God orders us to FLEE from this area, or we will get caught in its destruction- see Revelation 18:4,5, but also Jeremiah 51:5-9, which is a pattern to learn from. Yes, God is warning His people to flee out of Babylon to escape destruction, but He will bring His judgment whether or not we heed His warning. Do you accept this as right? What if a loved one lived there? At least you should warn them, as Lot tried to warn his sons-in law in Genesis 19. Even so, if they are saved through the blood of Jesus, all will be well for them eternally. God will take care of His own!

B) Criminal punishment. As much as some struggle with the concept of a judging God, everyone wants to see the evil doers punished. How can God be truly holy and righteous, and not judge those that have criminally hurt others? We would also agree that justice should be brought for those that the the criminals have hurt. While we likely agree with this type of judgment, God's standards against evil are infinitely higher than ours, and He has concluded ALL people to be sinful.

C) Loved ones. Any time we attend a funeral, the deceased person is always declared to be "good" and now in Heaven! How quickly we forget about the real spiritual condition the person was in at the time of his/her death. Does our love for them translate into their righteousness? This kind of Judgment can be hard to face, as we are blinded by love for them. But what about our love for God, the Father of Jesus Christ? Do we trust Him in faith, and believe His written Word? God never takes away our free will, and though He is not pleased to condemn any soul, He is justified to do so. D) Our judgment. For the living, born-again Christian this is considered more as chastening. Clearly, we do not like this concept, but it is essential for a true child of God. If we cannot accept the Lord's chastening, we are none of His!

"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." -Hebrews 12:7,8.

" For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." -I Corinthians 11:31,32.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." -Revelation 3:19.

God urges us to study the Bible for ourselves, so that no part is neglected (Psalm 119:98-100, Acts 17:11 2 Timothy 3:16,17). The anointing He gives us through the Holy Spirit is also well adequate to lead us into the truth (I John 2:27). God's love simply cannot be pure and holy without also bringing justice toward evil. Jesus' death on the cross provided for God's justice, as He poured out upon His Son the wrath that each of us deserves: yet this substitution in our place plainly shows the love and mercy of God almighty toward us at the same time. I think this is fantastic! I pray that you will find peace in this, as well.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." -John 3:36.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" -I Thessalonians 5:9

I also did a YouTube video on this subject. You can find it at https://youtu.be/1xBVNYY_yZ8

The Deception of Hate Speech

“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” -Galatians 4:16.

By this time in history, we Christians ought to know that truly Satan does come as an angel of light, and his ministers will appear to be ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). We believe the teachings of the Bible by faith, but we get many examples of this one.

The devil is the great deceiver, so he promotes his agenda as plans that have been conceived for our good-that is how he gets us to accept them. Yet there is falsehood and compromise woven into these plans, and what we readily accept as good ultimately works to undermine the spread of the gospel.

And so it is with the laws opposing so-called “hate speech;” it sounds good to prevent one person from berating another, but the boundaries for what kind of talk is actually hateful are subjective to individual opinion. Laws such as these can be used to take away the freedom of speech many people now enjoy, all in the name of “protecting” individuals from a hateful, verbal assault.

You see, the devil hates it when we witness for the Lord, and he wants to silence us. Many trapped in sin are typically offended when a Christian starts talking to them; warning them of Hell, telling them they are separated from God by their sins, sharing that they need to repent. And so the devil convinces the sinner that they are a victim of hate speech. Laws are now in place supposedly to “protect” the poor sinner from such advances! The “victim” can file charges, law suites, etc., which can result in fines or imprisonment. Worst of all, such actions can intimidate other Christians and discourage witnessing. The hate speech laws are a cunning device of Satan, meant to muzzle the gospel, and all free speech.

As you can see, the definition of what exactly is hate speech is not very definite, due to varying tolerances from person to person. These laws can be greatly abused, for even if you wished not to offend another person, HOW could you know in advance what they would find hateful?

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” -Acts 5:29.

This is an obvious challenge for the Christian, and Satan means to intimidate by it. Yet we must not yield to such regulations which clearly undermine the Great Commission given by Jesus. Souls are at stake, brethren. And Jesus declared that those who truly love Him will keep His Words.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” -Mark 16:15,16.

It is a sad state that the world is in today, when laws are made against the very instructions that can save us. As Christians, God has given us His Spirit for strength & comfort to meet this challenge. But the REAL work, the saving work, belongs to God alone.

We must also remember that throughout history, God's people have suffered physically hurtful rejection. Jeremiah was one such prophet. He had spoken to the people that they might repent, and so God would turn His wrath from them-but they would not listen! Please read Jeremiah 26 to get an idea of what he went through for about 40 years.

Christians will not be sharing the gospel with others out of hatred, but from a concern for their souls, and a love for their Savior. The laws about hate speech, seemingly so noble to protect, were actually developed by Satan to vent hatred toward dissenting opinions and stymie them; Biblical Christianity being the #1 target.

So what do we do? We must share the TRUTH while there is still time. Life here is but a vapor, and will soon end. Eternal life with Christ is a pearl of great price, and our Savior has already paid the debt. The cost is worth it, brethren! We are following in the footsteps of the saints who have gone before us, enduring affliction for our sakes. We are never alone. See Hebrews11.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” -John 15:18,19.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” -Hebrews 13:5,6

God tells us not to Respect Persons

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” -James 2:8,9.

When we are talking about the respect of persons in the Biblical sense, I think that the book of James, and these opening verses describe it well. We shall love our neighbors as ourselves, treating others in the way we would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12); fairly and courteously.

The “respect of persons” which the Bible speaks against pertains to giving some people favor over others, when all men are equal in God's eyes: all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Usually it is the rich being promoted, and the poor are typically ignored at best, and despised at worst. Listen to the Lord;

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” -Luke 16:13-15.

“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” -Ecclesiastes 9:16.

There is an ongoing respect of persons problem in the world, and it is as bad in the church as in any other place. Rather than putting people on a pedestal, God's people, are told to weigh all matters in the light of God's Word (John 3:21), not to judge only by appearance (John 7:24), search the scriptures to verify teachings (Acts 17:11), and to “test” all spirits (I John 4:1). It is a shame that we Christians keep giving great esteem to the rich or materially successful, when they are seldom the ones God will call;

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” -I Corinthians 1:26-29.

We see the symptoms of this disease in our dealings here with the churches in Botswana. There is definitely an undo esteem for white visitors which carries over from the world. To see white people would represent money, at least from tourism, and these countries are accustomed to getting money from Western nations. We are relatively poor, but are still afforded many undo privileges-until our real financial state is discovered! Now onto a few "disease" symptoms of note.

First of all there are MANY apostles & prophets here, or so they say. There were really only 12 apostles, and Paul was the last. There could be prophets here, but I haven't heard of a godly one yet. All these self-proclaimed prophets, without exception, are prosperity teachers. Yes, there may be a real prophet somewhere, but at least the ratio would be lopsided, like in I Kings 22. And yes, the women have gotten in on the act, also (I Timothy 2:9-14). There is no concern for Bible doctrine.

Secondly, there is a great separation between the clergy and the congregation. Laymen share, but they open up their time by greeting everyone; they greet pastors, mothers, fathers, and children as separate groups. Why not greet afterward? This takes about 20 minutes out of every service, yet they are concerned about time. Worse still, when the pastors speak, they never greet anyone! After services, there is no fellowship between clergy and laymen. When some had come to help with yard work at our apartment, they didn't talk with us there, either.

But we see this problem all throughout the culture and in other churches we've attended. In one church the pastor and his wife had a nice loveseat to sit on, while the congregation had cheap plastic chairs. Then in another church, there were 4 men seated in the front row & center; sometimes during the sermon the pastor would step down from the platform, and these 4 would stand! See Job 29:8. And another thing that is quite common, the leaders would only make their entrance LATE, drawing attention and admiration. Church leaders not attending their full service?

Yet it is the flattering titles that people crave-it's a real ego booster. "Man of God" is the common description for someone dedicated to serving Christ. I can't help but think of the contrast; Jesus, the Son of God, in humility called Himself, "the Son of man;" but a mere man in a flawed earthen vessel is being called "man of God." Follow the scriptures, and lose the flattering titles;

"Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away." -Job 32:21,22.

Probably the worst thing about the respect of persons issue is that it grants a great opportunity for false teachers to enter the body of Christ (Matthew 24:24, Acts 20:28-31, 2 Peter 2, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Jude 3-5). Who rebukes the leaders? Haven't we learned anything from all of the fallen big name preachers? ALL are accountable! Within each Christian is a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and the mind of Christ (I Corithians 2:15,16). We must not allow respected leaders to teach another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), spreading doctrines of lies-we must stand up to them. Only too many times we feel inferior, usually because the person to confront is rich & respected.

"Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts." -Psalm 119:98-100.

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." -I John 2:27.

Please consider the words I write, and hold all things up to the light of God's Word. Once upon a time a man called himself, "the vicar of Christ," and claimed God authorized him as such. A long, long time later, people read the sacred scriptures from which this man claimed authority; they discovered that he had LIED! Let us learn from history, not repeating such a terrible mistake.

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour." -Leviticus 19:15.

"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." -Matthew 23:8-12.

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." -Acts 10:34,35.

See also Deuteronomy 1:17, 16:19; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Psalm 40:4; Proverbs 28:21; Matthew 7:20-23, 15:12-14; Luke 22:24-27; John 13:3-5; Acts 10:25,26, 14:11-15; Romans 2:11, 3:10-12; Ephesians 6:9; I Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1-4; I Peter 1:17.

The Dynamics of Christian Service

 “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” -Mark 10:26,27.

When we read verses such as this first one, it ought to make us realize that God is the real power behind any Christian “work” that we have been called to do. Only too many times we grow frustrated with an apparent lack of results, or opportunities; but we typically are comparing ourselves with others, and man-made criteria for success. We lose our focus, and start measuring our worthiness to be saved by what we are visibly accomplishing. But the scripture is clear that we are saved by grace alone through faith, and alleged “good works” will achieve nothing.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” -Romans 5:8,9

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” -Romans 9:15,16.

So I want to let the Bible speak regarding how we should evaluate our Christian service, and there are several categories specifically to consider; 1) The work is God's, and dependance on Him. 2) Scriptures against being “busy.” 3) De-emphasizing our own efforts. 4) Waiting for the Lord 5) Importance of prayer & Bible study 6) Opinions of others.

1) The work is the Lord's, we depend on Him;

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” -John 15:4,5.

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” -I Corinthians 4:7.

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” -2 Corinthians 3:5.

2) Don't just keep busy;

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” -Luke 10:38-42.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” -Matthew 7:21-23.

“Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.” -Jeremiah 8:5,6.

3) De-emphasizing our own efforts;

“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” -Isaiah 66:1,2.

“And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” -Exodus 33:12-16.

“And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?” -Luke 12:22-26.

4) Waiting for God's time, conditions;

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." -Luke 24:49.

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -Isaiah 40:30,31.

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." -Hebrews 10:35,36.

5) Prayer and Bible study is vital, and IS working for the Lord;

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." -Matthew 14:23.

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." -Mark 1:35.

"Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." -Acts 6:2-4.

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." -I Timothy 5:17.

6) Opinions of others;

"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." -Mark 13:13.

"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." -Luke 16:14,15.

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." -John 7:24.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." -Galatians 1:10.

Remember that Joseph was a captive for 13 years before his promotion! Remember also that Christians are saved by GRACE (Ephesians 2:8,9, Titus 3:5-8), and it is a GIFT(Romans 6:23) of God, when you mull over the following scriptures; Judges 7:2, I Samuel 15:22, 2 Samuel 7:5-7, I Kings 10:8, 2 Chronicles 20:1-22, Psalms 116:12,13, 127:1,2, 147:10,11, Jeremiah 43:7, Lamentations 3:24-26, Daniel 10:1-13, Matthew 6:19-34, Luke 6:20, 11:8-13, 22:8,9, John 3:7,8, 4:21-24, 11:3-6, I Corinthians 1:26-31, 2 Corinthians 10:12, James 1:17, 5:7,11; and much more!

But if you like it short and memorable; pray, trust, wait, work. We must rest (Hebrews 4:10) in the finished work of Jesus Christ. All that we have is from Him. We should make a deliberate effort to steer away from worldly values of productivity, or we risk entering into the sins the Galatians were warned of; they began focusing on works to please God, instead of His grace;

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." -Galatians 2:16-18.

This message has been written for direction and encouragement, because above all else, we must seek to walk in the center of God's will for us. Each member of the body of Christ has functions that differ, and we all have this treasure (salvation, Spirit indwelling) in earthen vessels. God KNOWS this! Wait for Him! Seek Him diligently for direction, walk in His way, and trust Him for the outcome, whether seen or unseen. Jesus paid it all, and Jesus provides it all!

"He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." -Psalm 103:10-14.

Here is a link to my YouTube video on this subject https://youtu.be/s32_lEVbECM