It Ought To Be the Love of Christ That Compels Us....Not the Love of Money

623 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, Next on the list of pastoral qualifications is the pastor must not be greedy for money. Again, one can see how this could be a problem in the cultures of the early church plants. In Acts 8, we read of a sorcerer named Simon whom we can assume made a pretty good living off of the supernatural. When Phillip came to town and preached the Gospel, and performed miracles and signs, Simon became a believer. Soon after-wards Peter and John arrived, and laid hands on the people and they received the Holy Spirit. Simon thought that the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit was something that could be purchased and who knows, maybe he wanted to have this ability to line his pockets. But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! Jesus speaking in Mt 23:14, had something to say about those who used religion as a way to get rich. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. As the Gospel was preached in these new cultures, and is preached in new cultures today, one can easily see where someone might aspire to be a pastor because it could be an easy way to make a buck. These charlatans needed to be weeded out. Pastors are to tend the sheep, not fleece them. But it's not just “new church plants” that have improperly motivated pastors. We see it far too often in various media outlets, where men and women with a pretense of spirituality, will twist the Scriptures in an effort to line their pockets. The sad thing is, many people are snookered in by their false teachings because they too are often looking for “quick gain.”, and easy solutions. The call of a pastor is a very holy thing. And if someone thinks that entering a ministry of any kind, is simply a way to make a quick buck, I implore you....think again. Remember, it is the love of Christ that ought to compel us, not the love of money. I am thankful that God has called me into the Christian broadcasting field, and I pray that God will always keep my motivation pure, AND that as a ministry, we would never twist the Scriptures in order to twist the arms of those who give of their hard-earned finances! Father, guard our hearts from greed.