The Pursuit Of Money, How Much Is Enough?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Do not worry about your life… —Matthew 6:25

 

“A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.  […]  Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing— our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. […] Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.”  CHAMBERS

 

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  (1 Tim 6:10)  You cannot serve God and money.  (Matt 6:24)  I will stop there.  The Bible is replete with warnings about money.  Old and New Testaments.  Remember, God has revealed His Truth.  He knows our sinful nature and it’s preferences and dependencies.  Recently, I heard an aspiring politician respond to the question, “Do you ask God to forgive you?” with “I have never asked God to forgive me”  In other words, I am successful, my own man, I don’t need God to forgive ME!  It reminded me of King Nebuchadnezzar, right before he stated grazing with the cows and sheep.  Money has been the moral ruin of many, many people.  Why?  Because we believe that if we have enough of it, we will be able to control our little corner of the world.  NOT!  Did you ever hear the saying “Money will not buy you happiness.”  There are many rich people in prison.  Many divorced.  Many combatting the same ills that plague the poor man.  When a famous billionaire (circa 1935) was asked, “With all the money you have, how much more do you need?”  He answered, “just a little bit more.”  Perhaps he was thinking, “Maybe if I had a little bit more then this feeling that something is missing will go away.”  The solution to not having enough money is to stop spending so much.  That certainly will require a change in lifestyle.  Think about it.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Learning To Rest In God's Care

My Utmost For His Highest

 

If God so clothes the grass of the field…, will He not much more clothe you…? —Matthew 6:30

 

“By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that “if God so clothes the grass of the field…” how “much more” will He clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed “the cares of this world” to enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the “much more” of our heavenly Father. “Look at the birds of the air…” (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His Spirit within you, then God will care for your “feathers” too.[…] Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?”  CHAMBERS

 

I was talking with someone at work yesterday about work.  We were discussing  someone losing his job.  How vulnerable we are .. at the mercy of the ones who have hired us.  I told him that there is life after the work we do.  If we were all to lose our jobs, it might be difficult, but not fatal.  But more importantly, it spoke to where we place our trust.  Is it in the employer or in the Lord?  There are two birds, doves I think, sitting in the tree outside our window.  They seem to be a pair.  Their life is simple.  They depend upon the Lord’s creation and the food chain that is part of that creation to survive.  They have little expectation.  Content in their condition.  Dependent upon the Lord’s provision.  So what happens with us?  We are fearful … fearful that what we want will not be what we have.  Fearful that we will lose whatever control and security we think we have.  I want to encourage you to embrace these truths … God is the provider .. He is the source of everything.  You may not escape the furnace or the lion’s den, but you will never be abandoned by your Father.  ELGIN

 

“I’ve Never Been Out Of His Care”  Dallas Holm

 

“The eyes of God are upon me,  He sees everything I do.  The arms of God are around me,  They keep me safe and secure.

This changing world alarms me,  With war, with sin, with strife.  But my loving Father charms me,  With joy, with peace, and with life.

And He knows where I am  Every hour of every day. He knows each thought I think,  He knows each word that I might say.

And although there've been times I've been out of His will  I've never been out of His care.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

What Do You Want God To Do, And What If He doesn't Do It?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

When it pleased God… —Galatians 1:15

 

“Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly—God meets our life “…when it pleased God….” Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.”  CHAMBERS

 

Sometimes, when we are talking about the Christian life, the implication is that nothing beneficial ever happens to those who are not Christians.   Yet, we know that is not true.  (Matthew 5:45)  “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  When we reflect on what happens to us, our tendency is to view God through our workaday (cool word) lives. We wonder, how will God help me with my problems … food, money, relationships. We are focused on the physical.  Just has the sun shines on the unrighteous, the rain falls on the righteous.  God may intervene in some way, but remember, God sent Jesus to save you for eternity, to restore your condition to the way it was before the Fall in the Garden. Not to make certain that your bills are paid.  That your standard of living is maintained.  That you never get sick or suffer loss.  And when God does intervene in your life, His intervention may be for your physical good or it may not be.  But it is always for His glory.  Whether God chooses to stay His hand, as with Lazarus,  or to perform a miraculous healing as with the blind man, the underlying purpose will be for His glory and a testimony to the world.  How we react to what God does or doesn’t do in our lives, depends upon our spiritual health.  How much we worry or fret depends upon our trust level.  Our trust level depends upon our spiritual habits.  It’s as simple as that.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Acting Like A Christian May Get You An Oscar, But You Won't Get Peace

My Utmost For His Highest

 

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image… —2 Corinthians 3:18

 

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. […] The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.”  CHAMBERS

 

When people see you, what do they see?  What emanates from your life? The fragrance of Christ?  (2 Corinthians 2:15) “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”  Or do we look and act like everyone else?  If you want an idea, try asking your children.  Another option would be to ask the Spirit to show you.  Feigned spirituality is useless.  Have you ever been around someone who acts “spiritual” when they are with you, but you know that they are living a carnal life, trusting in themselves to get by?  Why do we do that?  Well, we do that to please people.  Every action we take points to the fact that we are living a life independent of God.  The Word cautions us against that … why?  Because God  knows us.  We are jars of clay.  Mere mortals, who must rely on the Spirit of God to live our new life.  The victory we have is supernatural but it is reflected in the natural … for the world to see.  Jesus said  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)  If you are not struggling with this, then you know someone who is.  As I encourage you, you encourage them to trust God.  So our lives will be a reflection of Jesus for the world to see.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Things We Do That Hurt The Heart Of God.

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Look to Me, and be saved… —Isaiah 45:22

 

“The greatest difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and His blessings are what make it so difficult. Troubles almost always make us look to God […] We will find what we are looking for if we will concentrate on Him. We get distracted from God and irritable with Him while He continues to say to us, “Look to Me, and be saved….” Our difficulties, our trials, and our worries about tomorrow all vanish when we look to God. Wake yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter how many things seem to be pressing in on you, be determined to push them aside and look to Him.”  CHAMBERS

 

Do you know someone who only calls or comes to see you when they need something?  You don’t hear from them for maybe months and then the phone rings.  The thought occurs to you, “I wonder what they want now?”  A name or names come to mind?  That is how it can be with God.  So long as things are going our way, God is a distant thought.  I didn't say He was not a thought, but we are not actively, daily, seeking Him.  He is not our primary focus.  But then, trouble comes and we want to draw close to God to ask Him to help us.  God is love, and love is patient and love is kind.  And God loves us.  He does not have the resentful thoughts that we do, but perhaps in some way, our actions hurt God’s heart.  Perhaps God allows people to cross our path to remind us of how we often treat Him.  And when God intervenes, does it cause us to love Him more or do we brush ourselves off and turn our focus away from Him, once again.  Waiting for the next crisis before we call on Him again.  Think about it.  And if it applies, repent.  Remember God loves you.  (Jeremiah 29:11) “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

You Won't Be Content With Where You Are If You Forget Where You've Been

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Thus says the Lord: "I remember…the kindness of your youth…" —Jeremiah 2:2

 

“Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don’t seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. […] How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?  God is saying to His people, “You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were.” He says, “I remember…the love of your betrothal…” (Jeremiah 2:2). Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? […] Am I so in love with Him that I take no thought for where He might lead me? […]  I may also begin to realize that He is not what He used to be to me. When this happens, I should allow the shame and humiliation it creates in my life, because it will bring godly sorrow, and “godly sorrow produces repentance…” (2 Corinthians 7:10).” CHAMBERS

 

When I would read about Israel in the Old Testament, I would wonder, how could they forget what God had done for them so quickly, and then demand more from God.  But that is really the nature of man.  We so often focus on what we don’t have and not what we have. We expect things to be “perfect” … for our needs to be perfectly satisfied … for people to make us happy .. not to be irritating or carnal or less than we think they should be.  We forget what God has done for us, that we, too, have feet of clay.  In other words, we become consumed with ourselves.  Why do you think that God chose to include those reminders in His Word?  The Bible is like a mirror.  If you look into it deeply, you can see yourself, as much as you may not want to.  And the Bible is like a window.  If you look into it, you can see the very nature of God.  When I was in Haiti, every time I met with the pastors and directors of the schools, I would take them back to the beginning, so they could remember how far they had come.  Be careful that you don’t forget how far God has brought you. How He has blessed you.  How He has saved you.  And how much He loves those around you that you are so quick to condemn.  So look in the mirror, then look out the window and tell God, thank you. (Psalm 103: 1-5) “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,  bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Our Part Is To Speak - God's Part Is To Save

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." —John 3:3

 

“Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God. […] Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed “that they may be one just as We are one” — with nothing in between (John 17:22). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.”  CHAMBERS

 

I was listening to the testimony of a young man the other day, sharing about a youth mission trip.  He spoke about how he and a couple other guys had shared the Gospel with someone on several occasions until he finally yielded his life to Christ.  It made me thing about how well intentioned, but misdirected our efforts can be.  Many may not agree with me on this, but I believe our responsibility is to tell, not to convince.  I believe that a person is drawn by the Spirit and we “just happen along” to accomplish God’s purpose.  We can’t save anyone.  Spiritual truth is born by the Spirit of God.  New birth is a transaction between a person and God.  If convincing were the answer, then I cannot explain why my folks shared Christ with me for 7 years, to no avail, but it was a sermon that stirred my heart and awakened a yearning to seek Jesus.  We often worry ourselves over not saying the right words, as if salvation is dependent upon us and our wisdom.  When, in fact, we are merely the messenger, sent by God.  What the person does with the message is between them and the One that sent the message.  When the Spirit prompts you to speak, speak.  God uses us for His purpose.  Something that no one fully understands, but something all of us must do.  So speak up and leave the saving part to God. ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin