Is the American Dream a blessing from God? Many Christians live in beautiful homes filled with finery. We shop the malls and adorn our bodies with fine clothing and jewelry. We feast on meals akin to royalty. We drive vehicles equipped like corporate jet planes. We attend churches with
carpeted floors, cushioned pews of the finest woods,with musical instruments worth thousands, with million dollar budgets…most going to church officers, buildings covering few to many acres, and, of course, steeples so tall they remind all who see ‘We are the blessed!’ Are we REALLY? Hmmmm. Or are we the greedy who heap to ourselves …who justify our hoarding by naming it ‘blessing?’ I perceive that we are ‘seekers of pleasure’ more than seekers of the riches of God. We adorn our flesh, our environment with physical objects of the world. But we do not adorn our spirits with the spiritual treasures of God. We say America is a blessed nation. But we are lusty, earthy, powerless, and worshippers of materialistic idols. Hmmmmm. Blessed?
Are we the one of Matt 13:22 whose ‘care of the world and deceitfulness of riches’ choked the Word and left us fruitless?
Are we the rich man of Matt 19:23 who ‘shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven?’ .
Are we the one of Luke 6:24-25 whose ‘riches’ now…are our consolation…for all eternity..who are full now…but will be empty in eternity…who laugh now…but who will mourn and weep for all eternity?
Are we the rich man of Luke 12:16 whose ground brought forth plentifully…who decided to keep it all… built bigger barns..so he could eat, drink and be merry….but whose soul was lost …because he DARED to trust in himself …rather than in God?
Are we the ones Christ is instructing in Luke 12:22-24,27-29,31… ‘ Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on… 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? …Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these… If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you?
Are we the ones of Luke 12:32-33 whom he has asked to ‘ Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth?
Are we the one whose treasure is in the temporal…rather than the eternal? (34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.)
Are we the one who ..contrary to Luke 14:12..calls friends, brethren, kinsmen, or rich neighbors who will return the invite…to partake of our dinner? Or are we the BLESSED who do according to the will of Christ…and invite those who CANNOT return the favor? Do we share with those who have…or with those who have not? (Luke 14:12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. 13 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
God forbid that I be that rich man who cared nothing for the poverty and disease of Lazarous.
Luke 18″8 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me
23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
God forbid that I be a keeper of the Law….rather than a lover of God…and a lover of my neighbor as myself.
THE BLESSED
A beautifully convicting and convincing post. Indeed, many of my very own pursuits are for temporal things in which I feel blessed to receive. Yet, I know that my ultimate and eternal blessing shall be when I get to look upon my Saviour’s face.
Thank you for these thoughts which have definitely caused a stirring review of my perspectives and priorities.
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Sonny, you have made my day. We are all so much better when we encourage and lift each other. I praise God that the ‘conviction’ He placed in my heart concerning ‘blessing’ …also touched your heart. God always works that way..doesn’t He. He is so merciful and gracious to us. Again, thanks for visiting. You have encouraged me!
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I read your post twice. Wow! I am moved to seek God for direction and steadfastness.
Convicted and Hopeful~
Mary Pace
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Mary Pace…God has been touching my heart for a long while now concerning the things I discussed in the post. I know there are so many needs all around us which go unattended. We have so much to share where needs are. I can no longer continue to heap to myself when I see others with so little. And it’s not even about the ‘stuff.’ But it is about ‘loving our neighbor as ourselves.’ That kind of Love..’never fails’…and lives will be turned to the master giver…the Father.
Thanks for visiting. Come again.
Carolyn
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Gosh, this is great! What a breath of fresh air.
How I wish I could hear a sermon like this from a television preacher! Or even in a church!
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HEY..kEN. Thanks for visiting. Your words are encouragement to me. Our precious Lord has convicted my heart concerning the flesh and its desires. In the midst of affluency, both America and the Church have become spoiled to the materialistic rather than the spiritual. And that includes me. The times are serious. But more important is the fact that all of us..with each individual breath or heartbeat…could be the blink of an eye away from eternity. I am called, as are all Christians, to ‘follow me.’ Christ would NOT live and behave as we ‘Christians’ do. His is a ‘servant’ Heart.
Again, I thank our precious Lord that His heart was reflected through my words…and that you were touched.
Carolyn/Internet Elias
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