COVETOUSNESS
Friday – August 3, 2018, Av 22, 5778
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Welcome back to this wonderful and illuminating Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. This is anther opportunity to build faith. Faith is built on purpose and is the result of accumulating knowledge not for knowledge sake alone but to build the Kingdom of God and exhibit a victorious life day in and day out. Do you know yourself and do you know your enemy or do you know very little about either one? Consider the following passage before we go to our Hebrews text and the topic of covetousness.
James 1:12-16 (KJV)
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
God never tempts us to do evil but commonly tempts us to do right according to the Word. It might be more accurate to say that God will ask us to do something in the Word or to do good. The devil comes only with evil (review the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness) that we do evil. As we see in the James passage our sin starts at home in our own thought life and the devils that are around about us day and night take advantage of a corrupt thought life. When a lust is conceived we are in total deception and darkness. The door to the devils, the curse, opens wide and without repentance we are subject to justice (righteous judgment of God when the Devil brings his case) which is stealing, killing, and destroying. Scripture tells us that the wages of sin are death. Now, let’s read the Hebrew text aloud.
Hebrews 13:1-5 (KJV)
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Yesterday I dealt with the marriage bed undefiled whether it be the one we share with our spouse or the one we share with Jesus. The whoremongering and adultery starts and is consummated in our thought life long before words and physical actions. Now for the rest of today let’s focus on verse five. Let’s take a look at that verse in the Amplified Version of the Bible.
Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)
5 Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
God wants us all to have a truck load of money but He also wants us to love Him above all else and not turn aside to the money god. We see this in operation among Christians especially when a large ministry acquires an airplane. Many Christians and Ministry leaders rise up with indignation, and the love of money is on full display. It is like if that large ministry gets an airplane there will be no money in the earth for the needs and wants of their ministry or personal life. Give me a break, how little and poor do we think our God is? Covetousness is present when the conversation is all about me, and what I want, and what I wish I had that I see others have. Our Lord is always present as our help. We do not have to struggle for the things of this life if we are doing the will of God. Consider these verses.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
If it is not easy and it is not light it is not God. Our yoke and burden are that given of the Lord and those are light and easy. We are not to be yoked and burdened according to the world but learn of Jesus and prosper in every area of life.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 3:13-19 (KJV)
13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PastorDavidWood
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
