As you are about to witness, what one does with money and riches is paramount in determining whether one will obtain the kingdom of God, ultimately deciding the outcome of that pursuit, and is entirely relevant to that which must precede Yahshua's return. Scriptures contain a compelling preponderance of evidence about money and riches, and any who desire to rule and reign with Yahshua in the Millennial kingdom must consider this with great sobriety and weight. Yahshua is explicitly clear and consistent in what He said regarding wealth and the kingdom of God; and if He is in fact the one who is about to return, then it is altogether compelling that we carefully consider His instructions concerning His kingdom. What you will now read contains information that you have never before heard, but because of its soundness and obvious truth, again, it must be weighed with sobriety.
In an attempt to highlight the following select conclusive points, they are offset for your attention. Other equally relevant related points will be added to these, with the same "bullet" notation. These are only a few salient evidences in the Scriptures regarding money and Yahweh's instructions and plan regarding it. In this writing, we will seek to understand what Yahweh says concerning money, how it relates to the kingdom of God, and His solution for its adverse encroachment into the kingdom. Also, at the close of this writing we will see what the Remnant's response must be from a practical, as well as governmental standpoint, along with what one must do to be a part of the Remnant Bride. This is a most incredible, comprehensive, revealing, timely, and vital writing; and we will begin by seeing what this One whom we await and anticipate says about money.
- Yahshua was a man who left His trade as a carpenter, ceased the pursuit of the things of this world in order to do the will of His Father in bringing forth His kingdom, and clearly asked His followers to do likewise.
- His own twelve disciples "left everything" to follow Him (Luke 5:11, 28), for which He said they would obtain far more for doing so (Matthew 19:27-29). As they traveled about declaring the kingdom of God, they were a band that had one purse.
- To the rich young ruler, Yahshua likewise declared - "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22).
- And of course this message was not limited to just this man and the twelve, for we read this same injunction spoken by Yahshua to His many disciples - "And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give mercifully; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:29-34).
- When Yahshua entered the home of Zaccheus, shortly this small man stood to his feet and declared - ""half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house'" (Luke 19:1-10). Here we see evidenced once again and recorded for our instruction, and surely our application, the correlation of parting with finances and thus gaining salvation.
- When a man came to Yahshua with the complaint that his brother was not giving him a portion of the family inheritance, He responded - "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Then He told a parable about a rich man who built new and larger barns to hold his ever-increasing harvests, and said to himself - ""Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" Thus Yahshua concluded - "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21).
Yahshua consistently and repeatedly contrasted the choice of either receiving the things of this world, or giving them up in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. And most tellingly, have you noticed that, with exception to one in Matthew, each of these accounts is found in Luke, in fact often exclusively, the gospel that reveals and is directed to the second Remnant? Is it not immensely evident that this abundant concentration of these repetitive instructions regarding wealth is indeed a message directed specifically to, and to be implemented by, the second Remnant? Conclusively so!
- Yahshua equally taught the truth of this price for the kingdom in His parables, wherein He said - "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46).
- Clearly, beyond any doubt, the instruction of Yahshua regarding obtaining the kingdom of heaven was to divest oneself of the things of this world and follow Him. The absolute conclusive certainty of this is seen in the response of the church immediately after Yahshua left. We read that in response to His teachings, "the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. ... For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need" (Acts 4:32-35).
What could be clearer regarding Yahshua's teachings, His example, and the confirming response of His followers, each revealing and confirming how to obtain the kingdom of God? But were His teachings to have a lasting impact on the church? Not so, for with the stoning of Stephen came a breach period in the church which essentially set aside these pure beginning teachings. No longer would the church continue to see wealth as something that was to be given up for the kingdom as Yahshua taught, but rather to be gathered for personal and ecclesiastical gain.
- Shortly the warning to the church of Laodicea was applicable to the whole of Christendom - "you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). In the fourth century under Constantine the church became accepted and flourished so as to, in time, achieve a wealth, power, and grandeur that excelled all nations. Even today the church has amassed great wealth and is decidedly Laodicean.
- The church that began with the words of Peter - "Silver and gold have I none" - could soon no longer make such a claim; and as has been aptly noted, neither can it say - "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - walk" (Acts 3:6)!
- What happened to the church? Clearly that which Yahshua rejected in the wilderness when tempted by the devil, has been bargained for by the church. Even as the Holy Spirit led Yahshua (upon being baptized) into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights, so in like fulfillment the Holy Spirit came to the church on Pentecost, and following its own baptism was equally led into its
to be tempted by the devil. But while Yahshua rejected "all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory," and rebuked Satan, the church has failed this test and accepted his tempting offer. In Luke 4:13 we read that "when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until (lit.) a time." What "time" did the devil seek? There was only one other time in Yahshua's life that one might presume that Satan might have been tempting Him - when Yahshua rebuked Peter for setting his mind on man's interests and not on God's, saying to him, "Get behind Me, Satan." While it is not conclusively evident that Satan did come to Yahshua to tempt Him, though likely he did, most surely Satan has effectively and successively tempted the body of Christ. So what "time" did Satan come to tempt Yahshua? Clearly his most effective time has been in tempting the body of Christ. Using the identical temptations (all three temptations, or for 3,000 years), Satan has effectively caused the body of Christ to fail, or in the words of Yahshua regarding the cares of this world, to be "unfruitful."
What we find here then is not the kind of repeated information one can simply ignore. Many say that "we should obey the teachings of Jesus," and quote His various sayings; but what about His clear, definitive, and direct statements concerning giving up one's possessions and following Him? These are His words as well, are they not? If we are truly going to follow Yahshua, then we must do what He said. And if He meant these things, then why should it be different now? Do they not apply any more? And if not, then what has occurred that makes them different now? I suggest that the only reason it is different now, and has been different since the stoning of Stephen, is because of the breach of Christianity. And if this is indeed true, then what will it take to change this and return to where we can obey His words regarding receipt of the kingdom? Obviously the only answer can be the restoration of that which He began under the first Remnant, and thus necessitating the establishment of the second Remnant. The second Remnant is governmentally the only hope for the return and even fulfillment of Yahshua's teachings in this matter.
We see then that Christianity is in fact a period of the kingdom of heaven that does not and will not be able to follow the teachings of Yahshua concerning that which is required in order to receive the pure kingdom - giving up everything. There are many other testimonies to this inadequacy of Christianity, including the following revealing accounts.
Continue to page 2 of The Love of Money for