JESUS SPEAKING
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6: 24)
FAITHFUL THOUGHTS
Jesus proclaims that serving God requires our total and undivided allegiance. Nothing should compete with God in our hearts. The Lord Jesus identifies one of the most common things individuals elevate above God; something He referred to as “mammon.” ‘Mammon’ represents wealth, prosperity, and riches.’ So many today are comforted by and trust in their money rather than God.
In the 1980s a televangelist named Peter Popoff gained riches and notoriety through his television program. During his shows, while espousing his faith in Jesus Christ, he would pace through the crowds of people in attendance. After finding a seemingly random person, he would address them by name. Astonishingly, it seemed as though he knew everything about them; all of their ailments and their struggles. This secret knowledge was portrayed as arising from God’s divine revelation. After laying hands on that individual, he would proclaim they were healed of their infirmities. Viewers sent in massive amounts of money, believing that through their donations they also might be healed. Peter became extremely wealthy. And yet one day someone came to his show with a radio-scanner and discovered that at a certain frequency Peter’s wife was reading to him through a hidden earpiece. She was feeding him information from the cards that individuals had filled out prior to entering the auditorium. His secret knowledge was not divine or miraculous, but rather fraudulent. His empire abruptly collapsed; his ministry went bankrupt and his reputation was ruined. Peter had been found guilty of worshipping money rather than God.
In contrast, those who follow Christ must never allow anything, especially riches, to compete with their devotion to God. We must be loyal to our heavenly Father and consider His will to be paramount in all things. May we always and forever be servants of one master.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we call You our Lord. May we remain devoted to You at all times. Give us the strength and discernment to never be led astray. May we always be devoted to worshipping You in the absence of division. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!
