So often we find ourselves in between two different entities and trying to serve them both at the same time.
It can't be done.
13 "“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”"
Here JESUS is commenting on the fact of our trying to serving both GOD and money, which can't be done. We can see this in the church today. Many are trying to serve GOD through growing "mega" churches, where the major interest is in the numbers in attendance, not in the quality of the disciples that are produced. Building larger and larger buildings and increasing the number of services held each week. This would be awesome if the people produced results for the KINGDOM of GOD and they were workers in the harvest fields. In other words, true disciples, those that are mature enough to go out among the masses and bring back converts as a results. This though, we don't see, we see large numbers of "salvations" recorded in the church records, but these in turn produce nothing in return, except money in the collection plate at the end of all the services. This isn't what CHRIST had in mind when HE gave us the great commission.
There is more to this verse though, then just our association with money and GOD, it can be with anything that we place before GOD. Whether it is a group, a task or anything that we associate with, placing it before GOD is trying to serve two masters at the same time. We can't hold allegiance with anything and plan to serve GOD to the fullest of our ability. To serve GOD fully, requires our full concentration and effort and nothing but the fullest. We can't call ourselves a Christian and serve a group that says they follow 'Christian' beliefs (there are very many of these out there.) We can't serve political parties and follow CHRIST the way we should either. For to owe one our allegiance and serve them to the fullest requires more then just lip service, which is what you see a lot of within our churches. Our lips are moving on Sunday, but the rest of the week there's not a single bit of difference between us and anyone else. We serve the LORD on Sunday and the world the rest of the time. Sorry, this doesn't get it in the LORD's book. You may feel better living a life this way, but believe me, it is only going to be temporary. For when you pass from this world unto the next, you'll not like the results this will bear out for you! An eternity in hell, for the pleasure of thinking you're serving the LORD through your affiliation with this "church" group or whatever they want you to call them. We see these groups with a myriad of names. Whether they call you Knights, or themselves 'Clubs' or 'Orders', they'll all the same. They're groups of people seeking to do good deeds, in order to get into heaven. Or an even better way of stating it, they're keeping your eyes off of focusing on JESUS and the works HE did for you and putting them on doing these works for yourself. Sorry to tell you this, but this won't get you through the pearly gates in the end. It will just get you a very miserable place to spend eternity.
Recently I found myself in this sort of place, not that of eternal suffering, but of seeking to serve the LORD through the ministry, instead of focusing completely on relationship with the LORD. You may wonder, why serving the LORD through a Christian helps ministry is allowing something to come between self and GOD. Well I was allowing my efforts to build the ministry, to that which the LORD has shown me, to get in between the LORD's and my personal relationship! Though the ministry is 100% Christian and seeks but to bring glory to the LORD, it was coming in between our relationship. We as Christians are to seek first after the LORD's righteousness and HIS KINGDOM and then and only then after other things. Truthfully though, to be fully in relationship with the LORD takes all we can muster to bring into being. Let alone to mature and become fruitful. I can hear some saying right now that they have a perfect relationship with the LORD. All I can truly say is "ya right!" If you truly think you can say this, ask yourself these questions. What happens when trouble comes your way, who do you account it to? How much time during the day do you spend in fellowship with the LORD? (I mean the type where you put effort into it, not just simple prayer and Bible reading.) I was going to ask a couple more questions, but with just those two I think, if you're truth with yourself, these will show you that your relationship isn't 'perfect' like you thought.
I don't know about you personally, but I plan on spending more time daily in seeking after the LORD's will within my life. I plan on spending more time then I have been, in deep heart wrenching prayer, the type that only the HOLY SPIRIT can bring to the surface. I also plan on doing my best to stay in as constant contact with the LORD as possible. These may be quite hard to accomplish, but I've faith that they can be done, for I'll not be doing them by myself. I have the help of the LORD to carry me through them, into that relationship that only HE knows can be obtained by staying fully dependent on HIM and HIM alone!!!
The only way to have a future in heaven with the LORD, is through faith in JESUS CHRIST and those works that HE did for you. Not in anything that you can do on your own, or that any group can do for you. There is only one way to salvation and eternal life and that is through believing in JESUS CHRIST and the works that HE did for you nearly two thousand years ago. If you don't believe in and follow JESUS in all that you do in this life, if you don't confess HIM as LORD and SAVIOR and allow HIM to lead you through life, you just might as well hang it up. Because no flag, no group or organization is going to get you into heaven. Believe what you want, if its not what is written in the Bible, you're living a life bound for an eternity in hell.
Recently I found myself in this sort of place, not that of eternal suffering, but of seeking to serve the LORD through the ministry, instead of focusing completely on relationship with the LORD. You may wonder, why serving the LORD through a Christian helps ministry is allowing something to come between self and GOD. Well I was allowing my efforts to build the ministry, to that which the LORD has shown me, to get in between the LORD's and my personal relationship! Though the ministry is 100% Christian and seeks but to bring glory to the LORD, it was coming in between our relationship. We as Christians are to seek first after the LORD's righteousness and HIS KINGDOM and then and only then after other things. Truthfully though, to be fully in relationship with the LORD takes all we can muster to bring into being. Let alone to mature and become fruitful. I can hear some saying right now that they have a perfect relationship with the LORD. All I can truly say is "ya right!" If you truly think you can say this, ask yourself these questions. What happens when trouble comes your way, who do you account it to? How much time during the day do you spend in fellowship with the LORD? (I mean the type where you put effort into it, not just simple prayer and Bible reading.) I was going to ask a couple more questions, but with just those two I think, if you're truth with yourself, these will show you that your relationship isn't 'perfect' like you thought.
I don't know about you personally, but I plan on spending more time daily in seeking after the LORD's will within my life. I plan on spending more time then I have been, in deep heart wrenching prayer, the type that only the HOLY SPIRIT can bring to the surface. I also plan on doing my best to stay in as constant contact with the LORD as possible. These may be quite hard to accomplish, but I've faith that they can be done, for I'll not be doing them by myself. I have the help of the LORD to carry me through them, into that relationship that only HE knows can be obtained by staying fully dependent on HIM and HIM alone!!!
The only way to have a future in heaven with the LORD, is through faith in JESUS CHRIST and those works that HE did for you. Not in anything that you can do on your own, or that any group can do for you. There is only one way to salvation and eternal life and that is through believing in JESUS CHRIST and the works that HE did for you nearly two thousand years ago. If you don't believe in and follow JESUS in all that you do in this life, if you don't confess HIM as LORD and SAVIOR and allow HIM to lead you through life, you just might as well hang it up. Because no flag, no group or organization is going to get you into heaven. Believe what you want, if its not what is written in the Bible, you're living a life bound for an eternity in hell.
*** With the advent of the Homeless Good Samaritan being killed last weekend, I've re published my "Modern Day Parable" on my other blog. Something is wrong when people turn a blind eye to someone in need. Especially if they call themselves Christians!!!***
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
