Not Of This World!

All of us, at some point in time, have a mutual desire. To be accepted. To feel wanted, loved and appreciated. Most of us want it so bad, we lose sight of our faith in the Lord. Paul warns us about this very thing in Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

As a child, I remember an older translation reading, "Do not be conformed to the WAYS of this world." Which holds a more deeper truth than what we just read. These days, people are obsessed with the luxuries this world has to offer. Most of us dream of living in a big fancy house, driving an expensive luxurious sports car of some kind. Some of us have dreams of Hollywood. Becoming rich and famous. Rubbing elbows with the elite of the silver screen. What we fail to realize is such dreams can be like the lure of a rattlesnake. Mystic and mysterious, enticing our curiosity to come closer and closer. That is, until it's too late. Without warning, we're struck with a venomous bite that is sure to snatch our very lives.

The Bible warns about being enticed with such luxurious temptations. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." How many people do you know who dream of winning the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots? They are so determined to win the prize, they fritter away several, if not hundreds of dollars for a chance to win. Only to be disappointed when they lose.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where is your heart today? Is your heart set on winning a billion-dollar jackpot? Or is your heart set on the things of God, where it belongs? That's what most of us fail to realize. Our heart belongs set on the things of God and not of this world.

My Pastor has said on many occasions, "Compromise with the world is treason in the courts of Heaven." And yes, even doing something as seemingly as harmless as buying a lottery ticket is compromise with the world. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

It's so easy to be enticed with something as grand as a billion-dollar jackpot. But Jesus said not to lay our treasure up here on earth where it can be corrupted, stolen, even destroyed by moth and rust. Paul writes in the above passage that God Himself said to come out from among this world and be separate. Do not touch the unclean thing. What unclean thing? Whatever entices you, like a multi-million-dollar jackpot, fame, fortune, the lifestyles of the rich and famous even. Anything that causes you to take part in the ways of the world, such as the lottery, Hollywood, things that give you a sinful mentality or makes you forget the ways of God and the Will of the Lord, should be considered the unclean thing. What's enticing you today? What dreams do you have? Are they dreams that line up with the Will of God? Or the ways of this wretched, sin filled, God-less world?

John 15:18-25, "“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’