Podcast for Keep Your Eyes On God

Keep Your Eyes On God [ 5:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With all that is going on in the world and especially the United States it’s important that you keep your eyes on God. We should do this on a daily basis anyway, but as the time of this age comes closer and closer to ending, it’s going to get harder for mankind. Man seems to be ignoring what is actually happening around them and the world. Man is not preparing himself to endure the worst times that man has ever seen.

Do people think that things are going to get better? If they do, it’s deception of one’s mind. Anyone can create a fantasy with a little imagination, but it doesn’t last. There is only one true reality and it is with God. The false reality of this world is only temporary. It is one filled with false hopes, lies and temporary peace and happiness.

The United States alone probably has about two years left (if that) before it collapses because it can’t continue to run on debt. This country, the corporations, big banks and the people are all addicted to debt in America. It’s about trying to keep a standard of living based on materialism and all the pleasures of the flesh. With all this debt, it’s impossible to avoid a total economic collapse in the United States.

Man fails to listen to God and how God tells us the way that we need to live to ensure prosperity, peace, freedom and security. Man is corrupt in his own nature, that is why God gives us a plan, He also gives us plenty of warnings telling us what will happen if we don’t follow His way.

God is not in anyway forcing us to live His way, He gave us free will to make our own choices. He knows that man is not capable of governing himself alone. That’s why we need to keep our eyes on God.

God told us how to keep famine, plagues, diseases, invasions from our enemies at bay, but for thousands of years man still continues to not listen to God. He told us how to farm, not to build one house on another and so on. He warned about having a ruler and what would happen (Read this article: Samuel). Why does man always insist on trying to do it his way when it only leads to failure?

Man is going to go through some times that no one has ever seen before, this is what it’s going to take before man realizes that it’s all about God and not himself. These times are not that far off, but many still cannot see the signs. They are blinded by their pride, their own deceptive mind. Even those that believe in God are blind because they listen to the untruth of man, they govern their own mind instead of receiving the Spirit of Truth that Jesus has to offer them (John 14:15-17).

We cannot seek find truth on our own or from man, it takes building a one on one relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Him, you cannot purify yourself to receive the Holy Spirit. It takes repentance, overcoming our defects, confession, the ability to be righteous in the eyes of God.

Call on Jesus and follow Him, don’t follow yourself. Travel the long and narrow road with our Lord Jesus Christ and and set your eyes on God. You will need God to protect you and help you during these tough times, so don’t wait til it’s too late.

Materialism Is An Unhealthy Practice For Your Soul [ 15:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Is Materialism Destroying Us?

Materialism seems to be a way of life with us. With stores, malls, strip centers and also the internet we are flooded with every kind of thing for sale that we can imagine. I’ll bet that the average person will never even see 0.05% of all the items that are for sale. Yet we aquire more things then we actually need and these are called wants. They are pleasing to the bodily senses in one way or another.

We gather so much material possessions that we either end up renting storage space, adding additions to our houses or go as far as buying a bigger house. This is insanity! We even go into debt because we just have to have it. This is a form of temporary pleasure that has no value to it at all.

Most of the time it is the thrill or rush that we get when we buy something new, then it wears off and we are out spending again. Look at China, it is one of the most richest countries in the world and it is all because of people over indulging in materialism.

Materialism is something that can bring self-destruction upon any person that engages in this dangerous practice. People have even suffer from shopping addiction to the point that they either brought financial devastation to themselves and/or their families as well to the point of bankruptcy. Not only can materialism hurt someone financially and mentally, but it can also attach themselves to your heart.

These items can become idols in such a way that one cannot part with them without feeling all different kinds of emotional pain. This what you call storing up treasures in your heart that have no lasting value to them at all and when you die you are left with nothing.

Empty your heart and store up treasures in heaven and have God fill your heart. Let God’s love burn like a fire in your soul. It’s total madness to keep your eyes focused on the things of this passing world because those things are only temporary.

May God Bless You

Idols – What Fills Your Heart? Podcast

What Idols Are We Worshipping? [ 8:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Is It God or Some Idol That We Worship?

These are things that we see or actually don’t see (because of our blindness) as normal everyday objects that are a part of our daily lives. People idolize different things in different ways. Some things are idolized only for short periods of time, while others become attached to our hearts.

One of the things that people will idolize is people and in some cases ourselves. Some are sports figures, actors/actresses, performers, politicians (yes, there are those that idolize them too), musicians, family members, and just about anyone that can influence another. Let’s take for example: Elvis. He’s probably the biggest idol going. The man’s been dead for many years, yet people still praise and worship him. Why? He didn’t create us, he doesn’t even know we exist.

What did he ever do for people that is greater than what God has done for us. Elvis certainly couldn’t give us eternal life. He was nothing more than a musician. That was his talent and everyone has some kind of talent to do something he couldn’t do. So, what did he do that is everlasting? It certainly didn’t benefit him, he passed away prematurely. If he cared about his fans he would have taken care of himself better, he certainly didn’t lay his life down for us, like Jesus did. Do you see how idolizing people is so vain?

People can’t love you like God can. Again,God gave you a free will to do what you want. Your bodily senses play a major role in idolizing. Take your sense of hearing. Music has a way of playing with our emotions. Some music gives us goose bumps and tingles our body, other music can bring tears to our eyes. Some music relaxes us, while other music makes us joyful.

Some music causes our body to move, some music causes us to get pumped up in a sort of violent way. Psalms 46:10 Be still,and know that I am God. It’s hard to get to know God when you have a stormy sea going on inside you. Let Jesus help you calm the sea, who needs the clamor. We see the things of this world and idolize them, like cars, boats, houses, clothes, food, money, art, work, collectibles, just about anything you can bring into your heart.

Look at the six day creation and read what God created. In Deuteronomy 5:8 “You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.” We’re supposed to give the glory to God in the things He created, not to duplicate them and bring glory to ourselves or idolize them.

Ever wonder why we spend so much time and money creating fancy looking things like cars, houses buildings, clothes, jewery and many other items. If we just kept life plain and simple everyone would be happy, no one would go without. God would bless us dearly.

Idols rule though, as long as there is pride, greed, insecurity, unhappiness and just plain evil. God did not create anything that would cause us to look away from Him. We were created in the image of God. Spiritual and pure, holy and righteous. It was only when man disobeyed God by tasting one of the bad fruits (sin) that he fell from grace and he became bent towards the world.

We even bring our kids up on idols like stuffed animals, santa claus, the easter bunny, christmas trees, and anything that turns ourselves away from God. So, we can worship and adore these things of self destruction and in the end what will we have gained?

All the things we idolized are left above while we lie in a grave empty. We worked and lived for temporary things, for a temporary life, instead of working for eternal things for an eternal everlasting life with God. Again you have a choice, either Revelations 21:1-7 or Revelations 21:8. God gave us free will to love and obey Him or the world. There’s going to be so many people left outside the Kingdom of God because they chose the world or you might say “themselves”.

Idols are things cherished and worshipped and adored. If people would just follow Jesus with all their heart, He would lead them to a new life. And in this new life, they will learn the will of God. They will see things as God sees them. Then they will understand how vain and evil the things that we idolize really are. You can’t see spiritual things with carnal eyes. We need to have eyes single to God and His glory.

May God Bless You Dearly

Materialism – Treasures Of The Heart Podcast

Has Materialism Filled Your Heart? [ 15:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Good Master, what have I to do to inherit eternal life?

Matthew 6:19-21 ‘Do not store up treasure for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What treasure is stored up in your heart? What’s attached to my heart?, worldly things?, things of the flesh?, people?, places? You could find a number of things if you look. These things are what keep God out of your heart. God is a jealous God and loving someone or something above Him is not loving God. You can test yourself to see what’s attached to your heart by seeing if you can live without whatever you have. All the different things you do, people you love, and things you have.

Luke 18:18-23 A member of one of the leading families put this question to Him, ‘Good Master, what have I to do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments : You must not commit adultery ; you must not kill ; You must not steal ; You must not bear false witness ; Honour your father and mother. He replied, ‘I have kept all these from my earliest days till now. ‘And when Jesus heard this He said, ‘There is still one thing you lack. Sell all you own and distribute the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven ; then come follow me.’ But when he heard this he was filled with sadness, for he was very rich.

It’s that attachment thing, his heart was full of temporary love. Not the everlasting love of God. Rich doesn’t always apply to people with millions. If you have more than someone else, you are rich. Detachment from materialism and the world is the way to a spiritual life and true spiritual love for God and your neighbor. Luke 18:24, 25 Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to make their way into the Kingdom of God! Yes, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.’

In Jerusalem there was a gate called “the eye of the needle”. It was only big enough for one person at a time to pass through. It was the only gate open at night, in case of enemy attack. If a person wanted to bring his camel into the city at night he would have to unburden the camel. Removing all items attached to the camel. Then he would have to get the camel down on all four knees and have him crawl through the gate willingly.

Now, we know that camels are pretty stubborn animals, probably the most stubborn. In this scripture Jesus is using a camel to describe us. We can be pretty stubborn when it comes to giving up our petty little lives. When we follow Jesus and in our walk with Him, we need to unburden ourselves, by lightening the load we carry.

How about your mind? We constantly occupy our minds with meaningless thoughts. Things like, how much better things would be if you had a lot of money or a better job, daydreams, things we lust for, etc., etc. Our life is supposed to be in Gods hands and we are supposed to do His will. But how are we supposed to find out what Gods will is for us if we keep our minds occupied with frivolous things? Our minds should be occupied on spiritual things, like proving God’s promises and fulfilling the laws of righteousness. How corrupt is your soul?

John 2:13-16 And pasch of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when He had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, He drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, and the money of the changers He poured out, and the tables He overthrew. And to them that sold doves He said : take these things hence, and make not the house my Father a house of traffic.

The body is a temple and it houses your soul. What you bring in can corrupt your soul. Your eyes are the windows to your soul. Your other bodily senses can corrupt your soul. Just like the Jews corrupted the temple of God. They’re scales were not true, they sold blemished animals (like buying a lemon). They were con artists and thieves. The things of the world and also your carnal self will rob your soul of the love of God and everything He promised us. We need Jesus to come into our temple and clean house(Colossians 2:11 circumcision of the flesh).

Love God with all your strength. God loves people that are strong and brave, ones that can cut it. Ones that are not afraid of tests and trials. He does not want a kingdom full of wimps. God wants people who can stand up to satan and everything he can dish out. (read Job) Not people as in the parable of the sower.

Mark 4:14 What the sower is sowing is the word. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard the it than satan comes and carries away the word that was sown in them. Similary, those who receive the seed on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy, but they have no root in them, they do not last ; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, they fall away at once.

God will give you the strength you need to face tests and trials, provided you have faith. God will never give you more than you can handle or give you a way out. Overcome your weakness’. Don’t gloat on your victories or satan will have the last laugh. Keep your gaurd up. Satan will be back and he will hit harder. Be Strong!

Jesus says in Matthew 6:24-34 ‘No one can be the slave of two masters : He will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave of both God and money. That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing!

Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields ; they never have to work or spin ; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will He not much more look after you? you men of little faith.

So do not worry ; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed? It is the pagans (worldly people) who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on His kingdom first, and on His righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow : tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

You have a choice of two lives to live, one is worldly and the other is spiritual. Problem with the worldly life is that when you die, it dies also and you are left with nothing. The nice thing about the spiritual life is that when you die only your flesh dies and you keep on living because you stored up your treasures in heaven. No more tears or sorrow. We will finally be home with God , Jesus and the Holy Spirit, also with all those that made the choice of life. The ones that decided to love God over the world and their own self.

We spend to much time for ourselves, and self is pride. Pride is the root of all evil. Pride is the root of the tree of death. All sin comes from pride. Give up yourself, your life, pick up your cross and follow Jesus to the tree of life. Too many people believe that there is nothing wrong with enjoying life’s pleasures. And that God wants us to. And they say, ‘He made all this for us to enjoy.’ Well, Jesus says in John 18:36 ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’

Go back to the beginning before the fall, and read what God created. 1John 2:15-17 ‘You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world. Don’t get caught up with materialism. The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world, because nothing the world has to offer – the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions – could ever come from the Father but only from the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God remains for ever.’

So for the pleasure seekers, the ones that say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with this or that,’ Have a nice trip! But for those that follow Jesus and die in Him for the sake of loving God, and gives up their life for His love, see you soon.

Materialism: Don’t let it get the best of you.