“But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, ‘Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?’ 6 And he said to her, ‘Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, ‘Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’” 1 Kings 21:5-7 (ESV) Have you ever wanted something you could not have? You can easily become obsessed with doing whatever it takes to feed the desire to acquire. Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and watered the seed of greed. When he did not get his way, Ahab pouted and refused to eat. When Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, noticed his dejected state, she took matters into her own hands. Jezebel watered the seed of greed through deception. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and used Ahab’s seal and then sent them to the elders and leaders of Naboth’s city. She devised a plan to have a fast proclaimed and to secure two worthless men to sit across from Naboth to bring a false charge against him resulting in punishment by death. The seed of greed became a fatal weed. Ahab got the vineyard he wanted and Jezebel was willing to take a man’s life for it. That’s what the seed of greed can do! Greed has the power to lead you into making irrational decisions. Greed poisons the fertile ground of God’s will. Keep the seed of greed from taking root in your life. Practice generosity. Live to bless and benefit others. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Greed
Categories
Unleash Generosity
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18 (NIV) Another way to control the desire to acquire is by unleashing generosity. Jesus is our model to follow. Teaching, preaching, casting out demons, praying, and extending personal touch ministry marked Jesus’ life on earth. Jesus maintained a balanced life centered on doing God’s will. Loving God and loving others was the central focus of His life. Jesus came to our planet to reconcile us to God. He willingly gave His life as the sinless sacrifice for our redemption (Col. 1:20). Jesus lived, died, was buried, rose on the third day, and forty days later ascended to heaven. Sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus intercedes on our behalf (Rom. 8:34). Your purpose in this life is to unleash generosity by continuing the ministry of Jesus. You have been saved by grace alone through faith alone to join God in His redemptive activity. God has entrusted every moment of your day to you for careful stewardship. How are you responding to the opportunities God places before you to generously continue the ministry of Jesus? Be rich in good deeds. Invest your life by adding value to others. Serve others from a heart of purity seasoned by daily intimacy with Christ. If you are going to continue the ministry of Jesus, then you must operate in His power. Adding value to others will require spiritual nourishment and spiritual energy. Maintain a living connection with Christ through feeding on God’s Word and seeking His face daily. To do what Jesus did mandates that you nurture your love relationship with God. The outflow of your living connection with Christ will be doing good, being generous, and willing to share. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, ‘Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?’ 6 And he said to her, ‘Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, ‘Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’” 1 Kings 21:5-7 (ESV) Have you ever wanted something you could not have? You can easily become obsessed with doing whatever it takes to feed the desire to acquire. Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and watered the seed of greed. When he did not get his way, Ahab pouted and refused to eat. When Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, noticed his dejected state, she took matters into her own hands. Jezebel watered the seed of greed through deception. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and used Ahab’s seal and then sent them to the elders and leaders of Naboth’s city. She devised a plan to have a fast proclaimed and to secure two worthless men to sit across from Naboth to bring a false charge against him resulting in punishment by death. The seed of greed became a fatal weed. Ahab got the vineyard he wanted and Jezebel was willing to take a man’s life for it. That’s what the seed of greed can do! Greed has the power to lead you into making irrational decisions. Greed poisons the fertile ground of God’s will. Keep the seed of greed from taking root in your life. Practice generosity. Live to bless and benefit others. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 179: 1 Kings 20-21) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Unleash Generosity
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Tim 6:18 (NIV) Another way to control the desire to acquire is by unleashing generosity. Jesus is our model to follow. Teaching, preaching, casting out demons, praying, and extending personal touch ministry marked Jesus’ life on earth. Jesus maintained a balanced life centered on doing God’s will. Loving God and loving others was the central focus of His life. Jesus came to our planet to reconcile us to God. He willingly gave His life as the sinless sacrifice for our redemption (Col. 1:20). Jesus lived, died, was buried, rose on the third day, and forty days later ascended to heaven. Sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus intercedes on our behalf (Rm. 8:34). Your purpose in this life is to unleash generosity by continuing the ministry of Jesus. You have been saved by grace alone through faith alone to join God in His redemptive activity. God has entrusted every moment of your day to you for careful stewardship. How are you responding to the opportunities God places before you to generously continue the ministry of Jesus? Be rich in good deeds. Invest your life by adding value to others. Serve others from a heart of purity seasoned by daily intimacy with Christ. If you are going to continue the ministry of Jesus, then you must operate in His power. Adding value to others will require spiritual nourishment and spiritual energy. Maintain a living connection with Christ through feeding on God’s Word and seeking His face daily. To do what Jesus did mandates that you nurture your love relationship with God. The outflow of your living connection with Christ will be doing good, being generous, and willing to share. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell