January 2023 It Is GOD Who Created You And Me Therefore GOD Is The Master

In the book of Matthew chapter 22 verses 15 to 22, it says “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in His words. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are a Man of integrity and that You teach the way of GOD in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But JESUS, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap Me? Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to GOD what is GOD’S.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.”

That money was made by Caesar and that’s why it had his image and inscription on it, and it was Caesar government in charge enforcing people to pay the imperial tax during his rulership. What is more interesting is what the questions that JESUS asked the disciples of Pharisees: “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” Think about it. GOD created the man also known as human being. And man made the money as the means of exchange of goods. That’s why there is that term called man-made things. There are things that are man made, GOD allowed them to be made or exist, but they are man made things, or man made laws and systems, and et cetera.

We have been living in an era where there are so many idols in our lives that want to be worshiped. As you can see from the Bible passage, it was Caesar’s image and inscription that was on the money. 

The LORD JESUS specific mentioned that we need to be careful and not idolizing money to the point to worship it and the image and inscription of the person on that money.

In the book of Matthew Chapter 6 verse 24, He said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both GOD and money.” The same Bible passage in GOD’S Word Bible translation says, “No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve GOD and wealth.”

Money exist to be our servant, as means of exchange of goods, and should never be our master. When we idolize or worship it, money becomes a competition to GOD, and it replaces GOD’S first place in our lives. Our lives begin to revolve around money instead of revolving around GOD. It gets first priority, where the Bible says, only GOD should get first priority in our lives. Only GOD should be first priority above anyone or anything in our lives. We have to make a choice who is going to be our GOD and first priority in our lives in every decision we make in everyday life in every area of our lives.

In the book of Matthew chapter 10 verses 37 to 39, the LORD JESUS said "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it." 

The LORD JESUS didn't say we should not love our family members. He said we should love Him more than we love them. The two greatest commandments say we should love GOD with everything we have got. And we should love our family members and all people GOD has placed in our lives as we love ourselves. In the book of Matthew chapter 22 verses 37 to 40, it says that JESUS replied: "Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

There is this quote by P.T. Barnum that says, “Money is a terrible master, but an excellent servant.” As currency and medium of exchange societies use, there are lots of advantages and benefits money can give you. Money can give you lots of options and financial freedom, and which will give you so many other freedoms to do, buy, and achieve lots of things in this life. But as soon you think or make money your master instead of your servant, it will bully you, take advantage of your lack of knowledge on how to spend it wisely, and drag you into places and situations that you wish if you could do things all over again, you wouldn’t make such unwise decisions again. If you won’t respect money, it won’t respect you. As they say, ‘money itself is not bad, and it doesn’t change a person, but it can reveal a person true values because now you no longer forced by your circumstances to be humble, or you are not limited to do certain things. Money can create a platform for you to do good deeds, or abuse things and manipulate situations. It can reveal whether you are trustworthy and fit to handle the wealth. People can steal, kill, or do sorts of detestable things because of money. Money only reveals your true characters. Money itself without the image and inscription on it, is neutral. If you are proud, you don’t need money to be proud because you can be poor and proud. Money also reveals what you are idolizing. You spend your money on the things that you desire and think constantly in your heart and mind. Just look where your money is going, you will notice where you spend your money on and you will know what is truly in your heart and mind, or what you are idolizing.

Money is a powerful influencing tool; if you use it well, it will make you richer. If you abuse it, then it will make you poor. Money can provide a wonderful and comfortable life for you and your loved ones, and help you do great service for humanity, and serve GOD in a big way, and that is truly honorable. What is not honorable though is when you love money to make it be your god to the point to worship it, or compare it with the real GOD. Truth is, it is GOD Who created you and me, it wasn’t money. Therefore, money shouldn’t be our master or compare itself equal with GOD in our lives.

The story of “The Rich Young Ruler,” in the book of Mark chapter 10 verses 17 to 27, it says; “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And JESUS said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except GOD alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, JESUS felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. And JESUS, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the Kingdom Of GOD.” The disciples were amazed at His words. But JESUS answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom Of GOD. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom Of GOD.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, JESUS said, “With people it is impossible, but not with GOD; for all things are possible with GOD.”

The LORD JESUS said it is very hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom Of GOD. If it was easy then rich people could bought it with their wealth. 

The LORD JESUS is your only ticket there. In the book of John chapter 14 verse 6, it says "JESUS is the Only Way to GOD and the real Truth and the real Life; and no one comes to the FATHER but through Him."

The Rich Young Ruler asked JESUS what shall he do to inherit Eternal Life. And JESUS finally at the conclusion of their conversation told him “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The Bible says the Rich Young Ruler couldn't do it because he owned so much properties when JESUS told him to go and sell all his properties and give to the poor.

There are people in this life, their lives foundations and beliefs are built in various things. Some people are built in foundations of fame, wealth, relationships, high life celebrity status, etc. Those identities are everything to them, therefore if you take their wealth from them, or fame for instance, it is as if you have finished them.

The Rich Young Ruler was wealthy, he owned so much properties. It could be he put his trust in his properties and wealth, and not in GOD and that's why the LORD JESUS revealed it to him and said he had done well by keeping all other commandments, but there was one thing he lacked which was to trust GOD more than he trusted his wealth. 

The LORD JESUS basically figurative told him, in order to inherit eternal life, GOD had to be the center and focus of his life that's why He told him to go and sell all he had and give it to the poor and then follow Him. Let's just be honest, only those firmly trusting and relying on GOD as their only source of everything including their wealth can excel this test.

But it also looks like the LORD JESUS was calling him to become one of His disciples who later became known as Apostles as recorded in the Bible. The LORD JESUS was calling the Rich Young Ruler to a higher honorable calling such as an Apostle, and to be involved in the Kingdom Of GOD affairs.

Another thing we learn is that this Rich Young Ruler didn’t realize that if he ever happened to lose his money, he can make it again, remember that with GOD, all things are possible. How many people do you know who lost everything, and then were able to gain even more after they have lost everything? How many times in your life you thought this is it, I am not going to recover what I have lost, and then GOD surprises you beyond your imagination, and when you look back, you are amazed, because you are now more well off than you used to be or have? And you didn’t have to do anything wrong, to steal, or break the law to get it back.

What is one of the true measures of a successful, wealthy, or great person in the World system for instance? Simply is that if you take their possessions, career, businesses, and what they have accomplished today, they can reproduce everything again pretty much in given time. It is because of who they have become and what they are capable of. 

The Rich Young Ruler said he kept all the commandments from his youth, but the LORD JESUS knew that he trusted more on his wealth, and not GOD. He revealed to him that he relied more on his wealth based on the first and second of the ten commandments in the Bible. The first says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” And the second says, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in Heaven above or on the Earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.”

He tested him whether he was going to trust GOD and follow Him by letting go of his wealth and properties.

There are people in this life who love money more than GOD. There are people who thinks or believes money is everything to them. These people existed then when the LORD JESUS was walking on this Earth, and they exist even in our today.

In the book of Luke chapter 16 verses 13 to 15, the LORD JESUS said, “A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve GOD and wealth. The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were making sarcastic remarks about Him. So JESUS said to them, “You try to justify your actions in front of people. But GOD knows what’s in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to GOD.”

The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. When we value money more than GOD, it means we depend on money more than GOD. When our emotions are attached to money, when the affection of our hearts are centered on money, it gives rise to selfish and wicked actions. It also lead us away from GOD Who can satisfy our lives.

In the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5, it says that "Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed, be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for HE has said, “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not].”

In the book of 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 9 to10, it also says "But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery]. For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows."

When we go to be with the LORD in Heaven, we are not going to take our money, properties, businesses, and all our possessions to Heaven. This is why the LORD JESUS insisted that we need to spend our money on the things that matters. For instance, instead of going to the night club every night to get wasted, give that money to help the poor, orphans, give it for the Gospel to be preached, to a good cause and purpose, charities, help someone who can use it for a valuable thing, do good deeds with it, make the World a better place. And when you are doing good deeds with your money, using and investing on the things that GOD values and that pleases HIM, you are storing for yourselves treasures in Heaven. 

The LORD JESUS said in the book of Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 to 21 that, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If you and me start tracking our money spending on monthly basis for instance, we will be able to trace where we are spending our money, and on what items. We will be able to know what kind of things and expenses we normally use every month, what are our biggest expenses, and what are our monthly cravings. 

When we tithe, give offerings to Church, and involve in the Kingdom Of GOD affairs projects, focused on the things that are pleasing to GOD, we are investing on ourselves treasures in Heaven.