No person can serve God and money. We are forced to choose between the two. We can gain our security, pleasure, and achievement through the use of money or through prayer and obedience to God. This is one of the basic decisions we make in life.

The pursuit of more money than is needed for our welfare and the welfare of those for whom we are responsible is a food offered to idols. The wise believer will ask God to remove this demon-god from him. He will be infinitely happier as soon as he is totally delivered from the love and worship of money.

The love of luxury. A person's life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses, the Lord informed us. Yet, in the large nations of Western civilization, an abundance of material comforts is considered not only to be desirable but to be essential to the proper care and comfort of the believer.

In fact, we are being told lately that material prosperity is the sign of God's blessing.

However, the Scripture testifies that the Gospel has been given to the poor.

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? (James 2:5)

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9)

We are not encouraging a spirit of poverty. If the Lord makes it possible for a brother or sister to improve his or her economic position, this is a blessing. But every material possession we obtain makes it that much more difficult to pursue the Lord. Only we can decide whether we govern our possessions or our possessions govern us.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.

The quickest, surest way to kill one's spiritual life is to become occupied with material goods. The Christians of the Western nations, for the most part, are spiritually feeble. This is because they are glutted with material prosperity. They have traded the riches of Christ for the plastic trinkets of the world system.

Antichrist will make certain the citizens of the world have an abundance of things, knowing through his satanic wisdom that material luxury will kill the Life of God in people.

To claim we must be surrounded by "nice things" is to reveal we are partaking of food offered to idols.

The thirst for knowledge. We of the Western world have great knowledge—or so we think! Knowledge produces pride. Pride of knowledge prevents the working of the miracles of God in our midst.

The pursuit of secular knowledge is highly valued in Western culture. Yet, God is not impressed with this value nor does He encourage it. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is worthless. The important things of the Kingdom are love, joy, peace, obedience to God, patience, and faithfulness. When we cultivate these we are pleasing to the Lord. Knowledge is important only when it is essential to our role and responsibilities.

To be continued.