Daily Devotional for Thursday October 4, 2012

We Live in a Materialistic World

(2 Corinthians 4:18)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, why do you hate Glenn Beck? Beck says that people call Mormons cultists because they don't believe in Jesus Christ. On his radio and TV programs he directly says that he and all Mormons do believe in JESUS CHRIST as his savior! What am I missing? You can not get to the Father except through the Son, HE is the ONLY way, and Beck states he believes the same thing. Please explain since I need to understand what it is that makes them belong to satan and not JESUS.

ANSWER: First, I don't hate Beck, Mormons, Muslims, homosexuals, Scientologists, atheists, or anybody. As a matter of fact, I LOVE everyone! I love them enough to literally put my life on the line each to tell them the TRUTH, which is the greatest act of love there is. I also love people enough to try and warn the unsuspecting about those who peddle the lies of satan designed to lead their souls to an eternity in hell. It takes no love, no courage, nothing at all to say nothing, especially if you know someone is going to die and go to hell. I do hate that Beck is a true disciple of satan, since Jesus said don't worry who can kill your body, worry who can kill your soul! When Beck, Romney, and other Mormons say they believe in Jesus, it is NOT the Jesus of the Bible. Their "jesus" is a created being, NOT GOD, they believe he is the brother of Lucifer and that he visited the United States while he was alive. A man who cuts my neighbors yard is also named Jesus. Putting my faith in him will NOT save me, just like putting your faith in ANY ONE OTHER THAN THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE will not save you!!! Go to my Devotional archives ( http://www.liveprayer.com/darchive.cfm ) and type in keyword MORMON. It will give you every Devotional I have written on this cult, and many offer great detail about their heretical beliefs that make them no more a Christian than a Muslim is.

Nobody would even try to argue that in the year 2012, the United States is a highly materialistic society. We have taken materialism to unprecedented levels over the last 50 years. The Bible has much to say about the "temporal things of this world." The temporal things of this world are the material things of this life that not only come and go, but will be meaningless when this brief journey is over. Nothing drives home the truth of God's Word about how fleeting the temporal things of this world are better than when a natural disaster hits.

Sadly, many have taken for granted not only the most basic material needs of life, but so many people act like they must have every material thing this world produces. We get so focused on acquiring "things," on having the most current "thing" like the newest IPhone, that we lose sight of the fact that these material "things" of this world come and go. They are here today and gone tomorrow. In our drive to have the temporal things of this world, we end up paying very little attention to the eternal things of God.

Every day here at Liveprayer we deal with people who have "lost everything." Each day I deal with people who have lost ALL of the material possessions they owned overnight through natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, to tragic events like house fires, to being burglarized, to a divorce where a spouse take everything. It is at those moments in life that a person realizes what really is important, what really matters. It is at those moments in life a person realizes that the temporary things of this world can come and go, but the relationship we have with the Lord is the only thing we can always count on being there.

Let me ask you a question. Is there something in this world that you love more than the Lord? I have no doubt some people will pause as they think of the love they have for their spouse, for their parents, for their children. As much as we may love those special people God blesses us with during our brief journey through life, our love for Christ MUST always be first. This is a truth most people are able to understand and accept.

More to the point however, is there some THING in this world that you love more than the Lord? We say we love Christ, we say Christ is first in our life, but is He really? Let me be a bit more specific. Is Christ first in your life, ahead of your career? Is Christ first in your life, ahead of your hobbies and special interests? Is Christ first in your life, ahead of your "things!" Be careful now, we know what the RIGHT answers to these questions are, but are they the TRUE answers?

Even though I know you don't want to, let's go a bit deeper. Does your work or career take priority over the Lord in your normal day-to-day life? Do you invest as much time each week into the Lord as you do your hobbies and special interests? Do you invest as much time each week into the Lord as you do the temporal things of this world that will one day be meaningless? One of the profound statements Jesus made was, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Since that is a great measuring stick of where our heart is, how much of your treasure goes to the Lord as opposed to the pleasures of this world?

Listen, PLEASE do not misunderstand what my message to you today is. I am NOT saying that your career is not important. After all, it was God who gave you the gifts and talents you have to be successful in your career, it was God who opened the doors for you to be where you are at, and it is God who gives you favor and blessings each day in your career. I am also NOT saying that your hobbies and special interests are not important. Again, it was God who gave you the desires and passions for the things you enjoy in this life. Nor am I saying you should not use some of the resources God has entrusted to you to enjoy the abundance of this life.

What I AM saying is that we have to take inventory of our life from time to time and ensure that we are keeping Christ first at all times, in all things. We can fall into patterns at times and slowly ease the Lord out of our day-to-day life. Not consciously, but often without even realizing it put other things in our life ahead of Him. This is a subtle trap of the enemy since once the Lord is no longer first in your life, you are wide open to be attacked. This becomes an open door for satan to enter your life and harm you.

I love you and care about you so much. It is out of that love that I am sending you this warning today. Simply take a moment and ask yourself the tough questions in regard to where Christ fits in your life. Is He first in ALL areas of your life? Don't play games with yourself, since this is for YOUR benefit, not the Lord's. This is to protect YOU from giving the enemy any room to operate in your life. It is critical to never lose sight of what is truly important to us. The things of this world that will one day pass away, or our relationship with the Lord which will last for all eternity?

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will never forget that Christ MUST be first in your life at all times, in all things. We can never allow any person, our career, our hobbies or interests, or the "things of this world to become more important than Jesus. He has got to be our first priority and our first love at all times. The Lord gives us special people to share this life with, He gives us gifts and talents to use in our careers, He gives us passions and desires for the things we enjoy in this life, and it is the Lord who blesses us with the material goods we have during our life.

We must never fall into the trap of loving the things of this world more than we love Jesus. When this life is over, the things of this world will pass away and it is only our relationship with Jesus Christ that will last for all eternity. Don't get so focused on the "temporal things of this world" that you miss the eternal things of God!

***SEPTEMBER FINANCIAL UPDATE: Thank You! I am humbled by so many dear friends of this ministry who stepped up and made the sacrifce to help me last week. During that time, we finally covered the balance of our August shortfall, and $10,000 of the $40,000 of our September operating budget. Thank you for your prayers and for those who were led and able to help me. If everyone follows the Biblical mandate to 'give according to your ability to give,' I am standing in faith that by the end of the week we can cover the final $30,000 of September's operations and begin working on the $40,000 we need for October!!! $20,000 of that September shortfall is past due, so pray about what you can do today to help me.

Here is something for you to pray about. With just 89 days until the end of the year, we need to bring in $150,000 to cover our September shortfall ($30,000) and operating budget ($40,000) for October, November, and December. That is just 150 people sending a special one-time year-end gift of $1,000.

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

Thank you again for your love, prayers, and sacrifce. Together we are making an impact in lives worldwide each day, and see apx. 2,000 people we know of each week come to faith in Jesus. That is ONLY possible because friends like you care, you sacrifce, and you take a real stand for Christ few in these last days do. Know that you and your family are in my prayers!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller