Letters to Christ's Beloved Church

Define greed. The Bible lists it alongside socery and immorality.

Ephesians 5:5-7 ESV
[5] For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. [7] Therefore do not become partners with them;

https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.5.5-7.ESV

Galatians 5:19-24 ESV
[19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.5.19-24.ESV

1 John 3:17-18 ESV
[17] But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.17-18.ESV

Read Isaiah 58.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV
[17] As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. [18] They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, [19] thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.6.17-19.ESV

Galatians 2:10 ESV
[10] Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.2.10.ESV

Ephesians 4:28 ESV
[28] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.4.28.ESV

The Lord convicted me through a sermon this past week.

How many times have we heard the parable of the man who was wealthy and hoarded his grain, planning on storing and building larger barns to keep it in so that he could spend the rest of his life in ease?

And the response of God in the parable to him was you fool, this day your life will be required of you and then what’s going to happen to everything that you saved up for yourself?

The Bible says covetousness which is defined in Strong’s, pleonektēs
Pronunciation: pleh-on-ek’-tace
Definition: From G4119 and G2192; holding (desiring) more that is eager for gain (avaricious hence a defrauder): – covetous.

That this is a sin that is comparable to adultery, sexual immorality. If we were Christians in a Hindu world, we would understand that we are not to worship those gods. But how many Christians in the western world understands that we are not to be rebellious, or to be Covetous or to be greedy?

But the conviction this past Sunday that really struck me strong and I need God over the next months and years to help me transition my lifestyle, because I have sinned and I was not aware of it, was that why are we hoarding spiritual blessing?

We spend how much time energy money and resources (TEMR) trying to seek after the next word from God trying to feel blessed, when Jesus simply commands us to care for the poor and to be content with what we have.

It’s sort of a flip thinking, but coming back to the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

The Bible says that contentment with godliness is great gain. But the problem is that when we are not obedient to the word of God, there is a siphoning. Sin still produces death, death in relationships, in others’ lives from whom we have held back the blessings God intended us to give them.

We don’t understand why our children are not walking in the ways that they should be. We want to blame the world, but it is not what is outside of the home that infects the children born of God. You cannot curse that which God has blessed. It is what creeps into the home that destroys their lives.

What Idols have we allowed into our house, more afraid of what people would think of us or our children’s complaining than to remove the idolatry?

There is a balance and the Holy Spirit directs each individual. There is a time and a season. We are to Proclaim Jesus Christ and the Salvation that comes through him alone, but if we don’t want destruction, probably not a good idea to say it’s okay for the fire to not go in the fireplace today we can just put it in the living room instead. God’s word puts Godly limits on how we are to use our time energy money and resources.

When we do not abide by them, there is destruction. Suddenly we find ourselves both the slaves and the slave drivers, rejoicing in so many things that we can purchase on Temu completely not thinking at all let alone caring about what our servants – or slaves – across the world are enduring so that we can have such fine fun things. Ouch. We are slaves to whatever the TV and advertisements tell us we are supposed to have and how we are supposed to live. What appearance we are supposed to have, what makeup we should wear, how should our time and energy be used?

We don’t go to the Bible to find that out, we just listen to the world. YMCA was a place for the homeless to find Refuge. I’m really curious what our forefathers think about us paying money to get exercise. When there’s free exercise all around us. Just volunteer to work cleaning up somebody’s yard or hauling heavy furniture for somebody who is handicapped, but we have become so distant, so separated even from each other within our community let alone our world, that we would be way too fearful to knock on the door of a neighbor and just say hey is there anything I can do for you today? It’s against the rules of this world.

We spend so much time energy money and resources avoiding the problems in our homes, in our communities, in our country and in our world. Or maybe it’s just me?

The truth is we’ve missed the mark. The truth is we do have to point to the cross of Jesus Christ constantly and ask our kids and the world around us to forgive us for not being the godly examples that we should have been and point to the One who is perfect.

How far do we have to go to find somebody who doesn’t have the spiritual blessings that we have? I know in the Denver area where I live, I don’t have to go far. If we have been given the Bible, how many people across the world do not have the written word of God while we seek word after word after word? How many books do we need about the Bible before we simply do what it tells us to do? I think we have erred greatly, at least I know I have.

I have filled up my silos with more and more spiritual knowledge, spending more and more time and energy on myself constantly seeking as the Bible says and never coming to a knowledge of the truth.

And the truth is, today I have everything I need and I am commanded to share and that’s where my time, energy, money and resources (TEMR) should be going, taking care of those who are poor spiritually as well as physically. God please forgive me. I don’t know quite what this transition is going to look like I just know it needs to happen.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

On the father please forgive our covetousness. Please forgive our greed and idolatry. We run after so many things we have more gods than the Hindus. But we haven’t seen that we were sinning.

Somehow we haven’t reached outward, we just saw it to build ourselves upward and upward, more for us, more for us, we need more, God. But You are enough. The manna in the desert is sufficient, we do not need to Crave meat as well when you’ve given us all we need for life.

Revelation 21:8 ESV
[8] But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.21.8.ESV

If greed or covetousness is as the sin of idolatry, and rebellion as the sin as witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23) we, who are clinging to Christ Jesus for salvation might do well in looking carefully at our lives and work at a plan to transition our time, energy, resources and money less into the tinsel treasures of this world and more unto the eternal treasures of God’s Kingdom.

With Job, we cry and are repentant. We have seen You and we will speak no more foolishness. Lord please forgive us and help us to grow in your truth and Grace. Not asking what can we receive, but what can we give to those who have none? Father I’m sorry. Please forgive me.


I am not gifted at life skills.

I am very gifted at seeing the problems of the world and telling everybody how to fix them. Tongue-in-cheek, yes you can laugh.

Today now that I’m done talking for an hour, I go to do the thing that I’m supposed to be doing and figure out how $4,500 worth of expenditures per month is supposed to fit into $3,000 worth of income. But it’s more fun talking to you, so now, what is the right thing to do?

Delete the Facebook app and I’ll be back after I’ve gotten my finances figured out. Give me about 3 months to a year. But the one gift that I do have in finances, is knowing that I am desperately in need of God’s grace and that he takes care of the birds of the air and the Lilies of the Field, so when somebody asks me for food or the homeless asks me for something that I can give in wisdom, I don’t have to worry. I can give.

Because in spite of all of these messes, God takes care of me. I pray today that we go crazy wild at living for Jesus Christ. Make crazy decisions for the kingdom of heaven. Please, not in the flesh but by the spirit of the Living God. Not in boasting our pride but in humility quietness and love. I pray we hear the words of Jesus and be doers of the word.

I pray that we not be ashamed when we stand before the living Christ, who generously poured out his life so that our sins could be forgiven.

Blessings and God’s peace.