Coffee With The Lord

I’ve been around awhile and observed a contrast: The way some wealthy people handle money and other possessions, and the way some people with very little handle money… it’s interesting to observe. Could say a lot about it, but perhaps it’s best to just let the Bible speak to the issue!

This is what I read this morning in my Bible reading…

“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked… The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously… I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing!” (from Psalm 37:12-26 NIV)

Brought to mind this story in the Bible… “As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you’ He said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All of them gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21.1-4 NIV)

And then that prompted me to recall this… “Godliness with contentment is great gain! We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we need to be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” And then the Bible says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (From 1 Timothy 6.6-10 and 17-19 NIV)

Hey, I didn’t say it… But I tell you it’s true! And I want to heed the message, don’t you?!

Just a word of caution today about an item of spiritual health… BEWARE OF “THE JUDAS SYNDROME!”

This spiritual dysfunction begins to develop when material things and self-seeking begin to occupy and dominate a persons heart. A symptom of this dysfunction often appears when a person sees a random heart-felt act of generosity or kindness and they find themselves questioning its motives or being critical of the person who initiated it (check out Matthew 26:6-13). Another expression of the syndrome appears when a small slight or disillusioning experience occurs and there is no spiritual energy to resist the bitterness that begins to arise within the heart. Given time the “Judas Syndrome is spiritually destructive and deadly (Hey, its spiritual lethal nature doesn’t reveal itself overnight!). I just read about it again today in the Bible… Actually the account from which the “syndrome” receives its name…

“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver Him [Jesus] over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14–16 ESV)

I’m personally convinced that “THE JUDAS SYNDROME” is one of the reasons the Bible warns… “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it!” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) and in another place tell us… “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:16 NIV)

“Bartel’s Annual Birthday Prayer Run” … just around the corner (beginning April 1)! This year 78 miles between April 1 and April 8 (approximately a half-marathon daily). Each run devoted to prayer for the prayer requests sent my way. If you have a need or concern you’d like me to pray about either message me or text me @ 972-921-9317 … I’ll make your request a matter of prayer on my runs (in confidentiality of course)