Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Don't Love Material Things More Than Spiritual Things.


CHAPTER 31  (The Great Controversy)

Covetousness

I saw Satan and his angels consulting together.  He bade his angels go and lay their snares especially for those who were looking for Christ's second appearing, and who were keeping all God's commandments.  Satan told his angels that the churches were all asleep.  He would increase his power and lying wonders, and he could hold them.  But the sect of Sabbath-keepers we hate.  They are continually working against us, and taking from us our subjects, to keep that hated law of God.

Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with cares.  If you can make them place their affections upon these things, we have them yet.  They may profess what they please, only make them care more for money than the success of Christ's kingdom, or the spread of the truths we hate.  Present the world before them in the most attractive light, that they may love and idolize it.  We must keep all the means in our ranks we can.  The more means they have, the more will they injure our kingdom by getting our subjects.  And as they appoint meetings in different places, then we are in danger.  Be very vigilant then.  Cause all the distraction you can.  Destroy love for each other.  Discourage and dishearten their ministers; for we hate them.  Hold up every plausible excuse to those that have means, lest they hand it out.  Control the money matters if you can, and drive their ministers to want, and distress.  This will weaken their courage and zeal.  Battle every inch of ground.  Make covetousness and love of earthly treasures the ruling traits of their character.  As long as these traits rule, salvation and grace stand back.  Crowd all you can around them to attract them, and they will be surely ours.  Not only are we sure of them, but their hateful influence will not be exercised toward others to lead them to heaven.  And those who shall attempt to give, put within them a grudging disposition, that it may be sparingly.

I saw that Satan carried out his plans well.  And as the servants of God appointed meetings, Satan and his angels understood their business, and were on the ground to hinder the work of God, and he was constantly putting suggestions into the minds of God's people.  Some he leads in one way, and some in another, always taking advantage of evil traits in the brethren and sisters, exciting and stirring up their natural besetments.  If they are disposed to be selfish and covetous, Satan is well pleased to take his stand by their side, and then with all his power he seeks to lead them to manifest their besetting sins.  If the grace of God and the light of truth melt away these covetous, selfish feelings for a little, and they do not obtain entire victory over them, when they are not under a saving influence, Satan comes in and withers up every noble, generous principle, and they think that they have to do too much.  They become weary of well-doing and forget all about the great sacrifice Jesus made for them, to redeem them from the power of Satan, and hopeless misery.

Satan took advantage of Judas' covetous, selfish disposition, and led him to murmur against the ointment Mary dedicated to Jesus.  Judas looked upon it as a great waste; it might have been sold and given to the poor.  He cared not for the poor, but considered the liberal offering to Jesus extravagant.  Judas prized his Lord just enough to sell him for a few pieces of silver.  And I saw that there were some like Judas among those who profess to be waiting for their Lord.  Satan has the control over them, but they know it not.  Not a particle of covetousness or selfishness can God approbate.  He hates it, and he despises the prayers and exhortations of those who possess it.  As Satan sees his time is short, he leads them on to be more and more selfish, more and more covetous, and then exults as he sees them wrapt up in themselves, close, penurious and selfish.  If the eyes of such could be opened, they would see Satan in hellish triumph, exulting over them, and laughing at the folly of those who accept his suggestions, and enter his snares.  Then he and his angels take the mean and covetous acts of these individuals, and present them to Jesus and the holy angels, and reproachfully say, These are Christ's followers!  They are getting ready to be translated!  Satan marks their deviating course, and then compares it with the Bible, with passages which plainly rebuke such things, and then presents it to annoy the heavenly angels, saying, These are following Christ and his word!  These are the fruits of Christ's sacrifice and redemption!  Angels turn in disgust from the scene.  God requires a constant doing on the part of his people, and when they become weary of well and generous doing, he becomes weary of them.  I saw that God was greatly displeased with the least manifestation of selfishness on the part of his professed people, for whom Jesus has not spared his own precious life.  Every selfish, covetous individual will fall out by the way.  Like Judas, who sold his Lord, they will sell good principles, and a noble, generous disposition for a little of earth's gain.  All such will be sifted out from God's people.  Those who want heaven, must, with every energy they possess, be encouraging the principles of heaven.  And instead of their souls withering up with selfishness, they should be expanding with benevolence, and every opportunity should be improved in doing good to one another, and increasing and growing more and more into the principles of heaven.  Jesus was held up to me as the perfect pattern.  His life was without selfish interest, and was marked with disinterested benevolence.

See Mark 14:3-11; Luke 12:15-40; Colossians 3:5-16; 1John 2:15-17

Mar 14:3  And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 
Mar 14:4  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 
Mar 14:5  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 
Mar 14:6  And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 
Mar 14:7  For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 
Mar 14:8  She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 
Mar 14:9  Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 

Mar 14:10  And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 
Mar 14:11  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. 

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 
Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 
Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 
Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 
Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 
Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 
Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 
Luk 12:24  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 
Luk 12:25  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 
Luk 12:26  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 
Luk 12:27  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 
Luk 12:28  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 
Luk 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 
Luk 12:30  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 
Luk 12:31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 
Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 
Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Luk 12:35  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 
Luk 12:36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 
Luk 12:37  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 
Luk 12:38  And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 
Luk 12:39  And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 
Luk 12:40  Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 
Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 
Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 
Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 
Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 
Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 
Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 
Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 
Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 
Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 
Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 


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