Proverb for the Week: August 17

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it (Prov. 23:4-5). Many Christians are in the "health and wealth" mindset. I heard, however, one of the big charismatic teachers finally admit, "'The health and wealth' doctrine does not work in poor countries!"    No kidding!    It is sad that so many are gulping down great doses of false doctrine and fail to read carefully what the Word of God says on such issues. Verse 5 goes on and says: "When you set your eyes [on wealth], it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings. Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens."    One of the problems of the Jews when Christ was ministering among them was that they could not break away from the physical and understand His words in the realm of the spiritual. They were earth-bound and unable to think spiritually. So today, many believers are caught up in the false promises of the American culture and fail to look carefully at the great spiritual truths God gives us. Part of the problem is that many Christians are not taught the Scriptures, nor do they study it for themselves.    Lawson writes: To look at other men's money with covetous desires, and to look upon our own money with rapturous delight, because our hand has gotten much, is to make to ourselves gods of gold, as the ancient Israelites did, and to give the soul to such things, is wrong and sinful. That is why covetousness is called idolatry; and to rejoice in money more than in God is to say to the gold, "You are my hope, and to the fine gold, You are my confidence." This is foolishness and sinful!    In my opinion America is doomed. It is all over! There is no turning back. The Scriptures have been trashed by our culture, and the average Christian no longer honors them and considers them authoritative in his life! We are into the first phase of the apostasy, the stepping away from the truth! We are now a debtor nation. Financially, we are beholding to other nations, like China and Russia. They have bought up trillions of dollars worth of our bonds and indebtedness. The average American owes, on the average, about $17,000 to the credit card companies! There is no way to repay or get out from under this terrible financial burden.    On verse 5 the Rabbis point out that the Hebrew says something like, "Will you make your eyes fly to the wealth? Like a ravenous bird will you sweep down upon riches?" From my father I learned to work hard but not to look to wealth as my god! He came out of poverty but he had character when it came to providing for himself and his family. He did not need a fortune to be happy.    Dr. Mal Couch