1 John 2:15

1 John 2:15 (NIV)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

This is one of many statements in the scripture I adhere to in everyday life. I believe all who seek Yahweh and wish to fully understand his relationship with us should live by this standard. How can any man or women live for the glory of Yahweh, and set a light to shine in his name if you are practicing the world's bidding.
For instance, earlier in my life I was caught up in trying to get financially secure and successful. Well I found that after all the money one can make and the loss of the valuable time you could of had with family and friends, it wasn't worth it. It even causes you to make excuses and justifications, morally and spiritually for the steps one takes to gain monies. I even had many friends, I thought, because of the worldly happenings. As soon as the money was lost, so were the so called friends. The only ones who stand by you, even for being a self involved human being, are your family and the handfull of true friends and most of all, Yahweh. He gave me the strength to see myself in a true light, and take myself out of the worlds grasp.
I no longer suffer the stresses of Money, I have learned Yahweh's world is more important, He will always provide what we need, when we need it. I wake every day thanking Him for my life, family and any people I may help with the truth of His love for us.
So, no longer love that which is in the world? Money, Flash, Bling, etc. some good examples. Of course there are many things in this world to avoid becoming part of, and most of you know what those are. Ask yourselves, always, "Does what I am doing Glorify Yahweh?" If you answer NO, then you should quit. If it is not easy to quit, then pray or find fellowship with brothers and sisters to help you through and out of that way of life.

I agree with you, Pastor Rob. Your examples; money, flash, bling are good and they fits today's world.

This is little experience:

My friend was in deep money problem one and half year ago. I didn't know about that until I was came to her home. She haven't food and she had started to smoke cigarettes. I said to her ”Listen. I buy to you food to next moth until you have next emolument. Is that to clear to you?”
She said: ”I... wont let you do that!”
I asked to her again: ”Is that clear and understood?”
She nodded and I went to buying food for her, when I came back with all that food bags, they were so heavy. On the front door she hugged me and I said to her: ”When you believe in Yahweh. You never suffer from feel the pinch or starvation.”
”I will remember that. You came to me like Heaven's Gift!” she said
”I hope you remember that well. And what is most important, you believe in Yahweh.”

When truly believe in Yahweh you realize that: you have all what you need.

Yahweh loves and take care for us. We not always behave like He want, but He don't hate us for our acts. He loves us what we are and He forgives our acts what we have done.

Thank you both for your honesty. It is not love of money but of people that is important. God will supply our needs, if we stay close to him, and help others.

About 2 years ago, I helped a young woman. She was a prostitute, drugs the whole bit. Her family life terrible. I brought her into my home, and told her for one month I will give her to find a new place to live, rather than the shelter she was in downtown in the thick of it all. I told her I would not charge her a dime, but she was to save her money from disability, think about going to school, or part-time job or whatever, and find a place to live. For one month, then after that we would see. I worked during the day, and she knew, nobody came over, no nothing. I came home from work one day, black drug dealer on my porch, his big car in my driveway, and I could hear his big mouth on his cell phone all the way from the street. You can imagine my irritation. I told him and reminded her, NOBODY comes over, period. If this is what she wanted she could go with him, but I was not going to allow it one more second. He wanted to reason with me, give me money, and I said no....get out..now and take her with you if this is what she chooses. He called some guy to HELP ME, and again I told him no, you cannot buy a place in my life, or here in my home, get out NOW. Then I got very quiet and said take this thing with you. She started to cry and boo hoo, he left, she stayed. She promised and promised. The next time I came home, she was smoking cigaretts inside my home, and had God knows who in my home while I was at work. She had told me she had no boyfriend, he turned out to be another black man in a half-way house. Dear Lord have mercy. I told her we were only on week two, and no I did not want any money, the Lord is providing for us here, but you do not believe, you want to stay on the Devil's leash, yet partake at the Lord's table. You cannot serve both. Two days later, I was calling her boyfriend and in a quiet calm voice told him to come get her, she was no longer welcome in my home, that she chose the world over and over again, and was now going against me so hard, and the Lord, my home was being violated. She cried and cried, but I told her no more, you want the Devil's leash, you knew before you came in how it would be following the Lord, and you chose to lie and disrespect me, and the Lord, now you will go, no more discussion. Her boyfriend came to get her, and two months later she was found dead, overdosed on her pills. I felt sad that she could not choose to follow the Lord's way. I tried to help her but she continued to entangle herself on the Devil's lead. Nothing I could say or do seemed to matter. Her lies of wanting different, wore thin very quickly. The truth will always find you out. I believe the best part of herself wanted different, maybe, but her flesh was so weak. I could not let her stay and have my home violated and my life violated and my beliefs violated, at the cost of trying to help her. Her death is an example to me, that the wages of sin is certain death. I did not see her boyfriend anywhere after that, and the big black drug dealer, very rarely I think I saw him once after that, and he was respectful but knew he was not to come on my property, or into my life. The money he had did not tempt me, because in God's economy there is more than enough, and I would rather eat grass, and go without than to take money from him. But I never had to. I stayed close to the Lord and he provided well. At first I did feel a twinge of guilt that I should have "made her" submit to the Lord and change her ways, but no matter how hard I tried to help her, her choices remained. The only choice I had left was to let go and hope she would find her way in her own time to the Lord. She did, in death.

Painful lessons on the razor's edge, we all don't find the smoother road to walk on, but those that are left can.

Grateful to be sharing the smoother road with you all. I bow down before my Yahweh with love and respect, and say blessings to you. Jennifer

Jennifer, I agree. You cannot put up with that sort of violation of your sensibilities. I respect that decision. If the people who are thick with Satan's antics don't want help, then you will not be able to help them.

Pastor Rob and I had a friend, I will call him Bart. He was a body builder. He took care of his body like nobody's business. Rob and I would have him over for supper with our family, and he wouldn't even touch soda as he said it would rot his teeth.

Well, blacks got him to take crack once. Once is all it took. He began to be a different person right away, but we did not realize that he was courting Satan. We kept inviting him into our home to be with us and our children. My kids will know who this is when they read this. When we found out, he had been smoking crack for about a year. We tried everything to help him. He made promise after promise, but still he went back to those black drug dealers and gave them everything he owned, one thing at a time.

He had nice cars that he had bought cheap and fixed up with his dad, and the black drug dealers were driving them. He had expensive pistols that he had worked hard for, and the black drug dealers owned them. When he had nothing left, Pastor Rob asked him, "What are you willing to give those blacks now?" Bart shook his head and said, "Nothing, I'm done. I don't need it." Sadly, he gave them his mothers address. When she found out that these black drug dealers were coming to her home, she gave our friend Bart an ultimatum. She was moving because she had no choice. He could either go or stay.

He finally chose to go when Pastor Rob reminded him that he had nothing left to give these sick people, and that they would think of something if he stayed. He finally admitted that he would do whatever it took to get the drug. Then he packed up his mom's stuff and left with her. He hasn't been back since.

It isn't a happy ending. I know that he will be fighting this addiction the rest of his life, but at least for now, he is safe. He believed us when we told him that only Yahweh could help him. His mother was also religious.

I am so sorry and saddened that some people are not strong enough to take the help Yahweh is offering to them, but do not lose all hope. Some people are strong enough and it will be up to you to pray for them and tell them that Yahweh loves them no matter what they have done before.

Unfortunately, in these last days, some people will not be strong enough, but we must keep fighting the good fight. We must keep telling these people of His love, of His compassion, and of His sacrifice for them. We must keep going in the face of Satan and the World. We are their only hope.

I am weary of fighting, but I know you are all there giving me strength of prayer, I feel it. Jennifer, I am giving you my strength of prayer, don't give up.

Yahweh appreciates you. We appreciate you.

Linda